Commercial Contracts

  • October 09, 2024

    'Sophie's Choice' Theatrical Rights Deal Long Over, Court Told

    The 95-year-old widow of "Sophie's Choice" author William Styron urged a judge on Wednesday to dismiss a lawsuit alleging that she broke a deal for the theatrical rights to the 1979 novel, saying the agreement signed between the playwright plaintiff and her late husband in 2005 and several later agreements expired more than five years ago.

  • October 09, 2024

    Del. Justices Told Noncompete Toss Will Upend State Doctrine

    An attorney for an Illinois-based auto parts company urged Delaware's Supreme Court on Wednesday to clarify recent court precedent on employee "forfeiture-for-competition" agreements, saying a federal court strike-down of the company's forfeit action against a former manager would be "anathema" to Delaware's "contractarian doctrine and tradition" if upheld.

  • October 09, 2024

    Singapore Liquidator Seeks Recognition For Overseas Case

    The liquidator of a bankrupt Singapore company has told a New Jersey bankruptcy judge he needs to act to stop one of the company's creditors from using a U.S. lawsuit to undermine court proceedings in Singapore.

  • October 09, 2024

    Kohl's Sued After Vendor Hack Leaks 1.9M Customers Files

    Kohl's department store customers hit the retail giant on Wednesday with a putative breach of implied contract class action in Pennsylvania federal court alleging the store failed to protect data from 1.9 million customers from a hack targeting a contractor the retailer uses for debt collection.

  • October 09, 2024

    Payment Processor Accuses Pot Biz Of Ending Contract Early

    A Florida-based payment processor accused a cannabis merchant of ending a three-year contract early and blowing off requests for an agreed-upon termination fee, putting the processor out nearly $320,000.

  • October 09, 2024

    Toll Bros. Blames Subcontractors For Senior Housing Flaws

    As several entities of the construction firm Toll Brothers face contract breach claims over alleged defects in a Connecticut senior community, the defendants have filed a third-party complaint against four subcontractors that they claim are actually responsible for poor work and any damages.

  • October 09, 2024

    Locke Lord Slams 'Unsustainable' Take On Jurisdiction Issue

    Locke Lord LLP urged a New Jersey appellate panel Wednesday to reverse a trial court's finding that it is subject to Garden State courts in a malpractice suit over an allegedly botched deal involving a North Dakota oil refinery project, arguing personal jurisdiction can't be obtained through personal service on a firm partner not involved in the litigation.

  • October 09, 2024

    Colo. Firm Seeks Bigger Cut Of Atty Fees From Competitor

    A Colorado personal injury firm has told a state federal court it deserves a bigger cut of attorney fees than its successor firm in a $1.5 million tort settlement because the client's attorney, who left to work at another firm, did most of the work on the case while under her previous firm.

  • October 09, 2024

    Morgan & Morgan Wins Bid To Arbitrate Malpractice Claims

    A Georgia federal judge on Wednesday granted Morgan & Morgan PA's bid to compel arbitration of a former client's legal malpractice claims, ruling that the state's justices have already rejected his argument that arbitration clauses between attorneys and clients should be unenforceable.

  • October 09, 2024

    Ousted AI Engineer Took Trade Secrets, Auto Service Co. Says

    A software engineer who was fired from auto services company Agero after just three months took hundreds of confidential files and other materials, according to a suit filed on Wednesday in Massachusetts state court.

  • October 08, 2024

    Genting Unit Used Bahamas Resort To Hide Fraud, Suit Says

    A Bahamanian real estate development company on Monday sued a U.S. company organized under destination resorts and casino giant Genting Group, saying in a Florida federal complaint that the Genting company used a resorts in the Bahamas as a "financial wasteland" that obscured fraudulent activities.

  • October 08, 2024

    Del. Justices Revive Margolis Edelstein Malpractice Suit

    The full Delaware Supreme Court on Tuesday revived GMG Insurance Agency's malpractice suit claiming Margolis Edelstein's incompetence caused the insurer to have to settle a case for $1.2 million, saying there are still disputed facts about whether the law firm's representation fell below the requisite standards.

  • October 08, 2024

    Vince McMahon Accuser Wants Freedom To Air 'Toxic' Culture

    A woman accusing former World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. executive chair Vince McMahon in Connecticut federal court of pressuring her into performing sex acts in exchange for an entry-level job has asked both McMahon and the company to voluntarily waive nondisclosure agreements, saying she and other accusers could help reform WWE's "toxic and sexualized culture."

  • October 08, 2024

    TMX Unit Can't Sue In Texas To Void $52M Pa. Fine, Court Told

    The secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities has urged a Texas federal judge to toss a suit from an affiliate of consumer lending company TMX Finance, challenging an order from the department seeking more than $52 million in civil penalties over claims tied to loan agreements that allegedly carry interest rates up to 720%.

  • October 08, 2024

    Jackson, Kagan Target Loper Bright In Ghost Gun Case

    U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was uncharacteristically quiet during initial arguments Tuesday over the federal government's authority to regulate ghost guns. While her colleagues debated whether kits of unassembled parts qualify as firearms, she waited patiently to post a different question: Can courts now toss agency interpretations they don't like?

  • October 08, 2024

    FuboTV Rips Fox Attempt To Transfer Sports Streaming Fight

    Fox wants the New York federal judge overseeing the lawsuit accusing it, ESPN and Warner Bros. of trying to run a rival out of business with a joint sports streaming venture to lop off the claims against it and ship them to California, but plaintiff FuboTV says Fox is trying to "forum shop mid-case."

  • October 08, 2024

    Underwriter Says Freight Co. Not Covered For Missing Cargo

    An underwriter urged a Washington federal court to relieve it of any coverage obligations it may owe under a commercial auto policy to a freight company that is potentially on the hook for over $580,000 after a cargo broker claimed that a shipment of computer parts wasn't delivered.

  • October 08, 2024

    GM Part Maker Can't Force Supplier To Deliver

    A Michigan federal judge won't force an automotive parts supplier to keep delivering products to a manufacturer that provides parts for lumbar seating systems to General Motors, even though it may cause "major disruptions," finding their agreement allows either party to choose when to walk out.

  • October 08, 2024

    Judge Clarifies Licensing Curbs On Paul Newman Foundation

    The foundation established by the actor Paul Newman cannot license his publicity and intellectual property rights to any university or other nonprofit, studio or publisher or any luxury brand for advertising, a Connecticut state court judge has said, responding to a request to clarify a preliminary injunction she issued.

  • October 08, 2024

    Fed. Circ. Restores Debit Card Patent Suit Against Aetna

    The Federal Circuit on Tuesday revived patent litigation targeting Aetna's Visa- and Mastercard-branded debit cards, while holding that certain aspects of dismissal decisions should be reviewed from scratch on appeal.

  • October 08, 2024

    3rd Circ. Won't Rehear Pa., NJ Businesses' Virus Loss Suits

    The Third Circuit declined to rehear consolidated pandemic-related loss coverage disputes brought by New Jersey and Pennsylvania businesses, according to an order issued Tuesday, upholding its decision that the businesses' insurers didn't owe coverage for the claimed losses.

  • October 08, 2024

    US Airways Renews $139M Sabre Fee Bid For $1 Antitrust Win

    US Airways has renewed its bid for more than $139 million in costs for a long-running case accusing Sabre of monopolizing ticket distribution systems after a jury awarded the airline just $1 in damages following a second trial on antitrust claims.

  • October 08, 2024

    Senior Renters Say Mass. Facility Charged Exorbitant Fees

    A proposed class of low-income, elderly residents at an assisted living facility have told a Massachusetts federal court the facility's owner and operators charged an illegal "ancillary fee" calculated to extract all but a $100 monthly allowance from residents.

  • October 08, 2024

    1st Circ. Eyes Revival Of Welch's Execs' Pension Fight

    The First Circuit appeared receptive Tuesday to former Welch's executives who are seeking to revive a suit claiming they were shortchanged by a supplemental retirement plan, with two judges pointing out conflict-of-interest disputes on appeal that the lower court left unaddressed.

  • October 08, 2024

    Colo. Freed From Union Protest Of Southwest Sick Leave Deal

    Colorado isn't on the hook for claims by a union representing Southwest Airlines flight attendants related to a settlement between the state and airline about a sick leave law, a state court judge ruled, finding the union lacks standing to raise its allegations.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    Playing Music Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My deep and passionate involvement in playing, writing and producing music equipped me with skills — like creativity, improvisation and problem-solving — that contribute to the success of my legal career, says attorney Kenneth Greene.

  • How Attys Can Avoid Pitfalls When Withdrawing From A Case

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    The Trump campaign's recent scuffle over its bid to replace its counsel in a pregnancy retaliation suit offers a chance to remind attorneys that many troubles inherent in withdrawing from a case can be mitigated or entirely avoided by communicating with clients openly and frequently, says Christopher Konneker at Orsinger Nelson.

  • The Effects Of New 10-Year Limitation On Key Sanctions Laws

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    Recently enacted emergency appropriations legislation, doubling the statute of limitations for civil and criminal economic sanctions violations, has significant implications for internal records retention, corporate transaction due diligence and government investigations, say attorneys at Greenberg Traurig.

  • Supply Chain Considerations For Companies Deploying AI

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    Many businesses will risk failure by embracing artificial intelligence without fully understanding the risks, and the value of a five-step AI supply chain analysis cannot be overstated, say Brooke Berg and Nathan Staffel at Nardello & Co.

  • Using A Children's Book Approach In Firm Marketing Content

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    From “The Giving Tree” to “Where the Wild Things Are,” most children’s books are easy to remember because they use simple words and numbers to tell stories with a human impact — a formula law firms should emulate in their marketing content to stay front of mind for potential clients, says Seema Desai Maglio at The Found Word.

  • Key Lessons From Recent Insurance Policy Reform Litigation

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    A review of recent case law reveals the wide range of misunderstandings that may arise between insurers and policyholders in the purchase and renewal of insurance policies, as well as the utility — and the limits — of reformation and related remedies for these misunderstandings, say Jad Khazem and Seth Tucker at Covington.

  • Compliance Considerations For New Data Protection Law

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    Sam Castic at Hintze Law discusses how to determine if your organization is covered by the newly enacted Protecting Americans' Data from Foreign Adversaries Act, the scope of the law's restrictions, and how to go about compliance as its June 23 effective date approaches.

  • 2nd Circ. Ruling Affirms NY Law's Creditor-Friendly Approach

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    The Second Circuit’s recent ruling in 245 Park Member v. HNA International provides creditors with some reason for optimism that debtors in New York may face rejection in court for aiming to keep creditors at arm’s length by transferring personal assets into an LLC, says Jeff Newton at Omni Bridgeway.

  • Diving Deep Into Sweeping NY Financing Bill — And Its Pitfalls

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    A New York bill seeking to impose state usury limits onto a broader variety of financing arrangements and apply lender licensing requirements to more diverse entities would present near-insurmountable compliance challenges for lenders and retailers, say Kate Fisher and Tom Quinn at Hudson Cook.

  • When Oral Settlements Reached In Mediation Are Enforceable

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    A recent decision by the New Jersey Appellate Division illustrates the difficulties that may arise in trying to enforce an oral settlement agreement reached in mediation, but adherence to certain practices can improve the likelihood that such an agreement will be binding, says Richard Mason at MasonADR.

  • What Transactional Attys Must Know About Texas Biz Courts

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    As Texas prepares to launch its new business courts, transactional attorneys — especially those involved in commercial, securities and internal governance matters — should keep several issues in mind when considering use of the state's business court system to facilitate deals and settle disputes, say attorneys at Katten.

  • Series

    Being An EMT Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    While some of my experiences as an emergency medical technician have been unusually painful and searing, the skills I’ve learned — such as triage, empathy and preparedness — are just as useful in my work as a restructuring lawyer, says Marshall Huebner at Davis Polk.

  • Behind Court Challenges To The FTC's Final Noncompete Rule

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    The Federal Trade Commission's recent final rule banning noncompetes may not go into effect any time soon amid a couple of Texas federal court challenges seeking to bar the rule's implementation, which will likely see appeals all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, says Michael Elkins at MLE Law.

  • Can Chatbot Interactions Lead To Enforceable Contracts?

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    The recent ruling in Moffatt v. Air Canada that found the airline liable for the representations of its chatbot underscores the question of whether generative artificial intelligence chatbots making and accepting offers can result in creation of binding agreements, say attorneys at McDermott.

  • The Opportunities, Risks And Rewards Of AI Acquisitions

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    As artificial intelligence acquisitions become an increasing area of focus for investors and technology buyers, entities should pay special attention to target identification, due diligence and more when structuring and executing a transaction with a company that has an AI-centric business model, say attorneys at Foley & Lardner.

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