Commercial Contracts

  • September 05, 2024

    Ex-Siemens Exec Concedes Trade Secret Caper Merits Prison

    A former executive of Siemens Energy Inc. has told a Virginia federal judge that he recognizes that a period of incarceration is merited after he pled guilty to stealing trade secrets from General Electric Co. and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. to undercut their bids to build a gas turbine plant.

  • September 12, 2024

    Bird & Bird Recruits M&A Partner In Frankfurt Amid Growth

    Bird & Bird LLP has hired a business expert as a partner in Frankfurt as the firm bolsters its growing corporate practice internationally, with a keen eye on its new office in Japan.

  • September 04, 2024

    'I Was Blown Away': Tiny Harris Says MGA Stole Group's Look

    Tameka "Tiny" Harris testified Wednesday in California federal court that she was taken aback the first time she saw MGA Entertainment's line of O.M.G. dolls because she believed they ripped off the OMG Girlz pop group she created, and said a survey of her Instagram followers confirmed her reaction.

  • September 04, 2024

    UBS Financial Gets Wrapped Up In Cash Sweep Class Action

    UBS Financial Services has been hit with a proposed class action suit alleging it prioritized its own financial interests and those of its affiliated banks over customers by using its cash sweep program to direct customers' uninvested cash balances into accounts that disproportionately benefited the investment bank.

  • September 04, 2024

    Leech Tishman Combines With Calif. Firm Nelson Hardiman

    Leech Tishman is set to add California-based healthcare and life science law firm Nelson Hardiman's 17 attorneys to its Los Angeles office this fall and will do business in the Golden State under the combined name Leech Tishman Nelson Hardiman, the firm announced Tuesday.

  • September 04, 2024

    10th Circ. Partially Nixes Insurer Win In Liposuction Death Suit

    The Tenth Circuit on Wednesday revived a health provider's bad faith claim against its insurer over coverage for a $60 million judgment stemming from a woman's fatal liposuction surgery, finding the claim fell within a four-year period of limitations for insurance bad faith claims.

  • September 04, 2024

    SEC Fines NJ Financial Cos. For Whistleblowing Violations

    New Jersey-based brokerage Nationwide Planning Associates Inc. and two affiliated investment advisers have agreed to collectively pay $240,000 to settle allegations that they prevented their clients from acting as whistleblowers, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission announced Wednesday.

  • September 04, 2024

    Nonsolicits Don't Need Geographic Terms, Ga. Justices Say

    The Supreme Court of Georgia said on Wednesday that restrictive covenants don't need to contain an explicit territorial component for them to be deemed reasonable under state law, reviving a marketing organization's attempt to enforce a nonsolicitation provision in its contracts with independent agents.

  • September 04, 2024

    Produce Co. With Bankrupt Parent Settles $1M Payment Suit

    A Michigan federal judge has dismissed a $1.3 million payment dispute between Canadian produce distributors and the U.S. arm of a vegetable wholesaler, after the parties reached a deal to resolve the litigation.

  • September 04, 2024

    Pet Toy Co. President Has No Voting Power, Founder Says

    The founder of pet-toy maker Kong Co. has asked a Colorado state judge to declare the company's president has no equity or voting interest, as part of a sprawling internal dispute over management of the company.

  • September 04, 2024

    Judge Says EB-5 Investors, Fund Must Disclose More Info

    An Illinois federal judge told a group of Chinese investors and a development fund on Wednesday they both must provide additional information in a suit accusing the fund of making off with $13.2 million intended for the development of a Hawaii resort.

  • September 04, 2024

    NC Biz Court Bulletin: Blackbeard IP Fight, Firm Data Breach

    As summer winds down, the North Carolina Business Court tackled usage rights pertaining to footage and artifacts from Blackbeard's shipwreck while grappling with uncovering the details of a cyberattack that exposed the data of Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft LLP. In case you missed those and others, here are the highlights.

  • September 04, 2024

    NC Brewery, Broker Settle Flood Coverage Row

    A North Carolina brewery and its insurance broker have reached an agreement in a dispute over flood coverage mere days before the action was set to go to trial, according to a notice filed in federal court, moving the case toward dismissal.

  • September 04, 2024

    4th Circ. Says Trade Secrets Verdict Wrongly Based On Va. Law

    The Fourth Circuit wants a Virginia federal court to take another crack at a trade secrets dispute brought by an industrial equipment supplier against a former employee who founded and operated two competitors while working for it, concluding a jury's verdict was based on the wrong laws.

  • September 04, 2024

    PVC Pipe Makers Accused Of Price-Fixing

    A Tennessee farmer has hit the country's biggest PVC pipe manufacturers with a proposed price-fixing class action, claiming that since at least 2021 they've been colluding through a reporting agency to raise prices for consumers.

  • September 04, 2024

    McCarter & English Rips Challenge To Malpractice Win In NJ

    McCarter & English LLP panned a pharmaceutical company's attempt to undo the firm's victory in a malpractice case last month, telling a New Jersey state court that issues the company raised in its motion to reconsider had "no impact" on the decision granting the firm a win.

  • September 04, 2024

    Wash. Contractors Must Face Suit Over Off-Site Death

    A Washington appeals panel has revived a wrongful death suit alleging a contractor and subcontractor are responsible for the death of a worker in a forklift accident, saying they may have had a duty to the worker even though the accident didn't happen on the worksite itself.

  • September 11, 2024

    Hausfeld Snaps Up Litigation Pro From Covington In London

    Hausfeld LLP has hired a partner from Covington & Burling LLP in London to boost its profile in commercial disputes, after its office in the U.K. capital recently underwent changes in leadership.

  • September 04, 2024

    Concrete Co. Owes Workers $370K, Wash. Panel Says

    A Washington appeals court refused to overturn a state agency's determination that a concrete company owes workers more than $370,000 in wages for working at a disposal site, saying the work was sufficiently related to a public works project to trigger the state's prevailing wage law.

  • September 03, 2024

    3rd Trial In T.I.'s IP Fight With MGA Kicks Off In Calif.

    An attorney for hip-hop moguls T.I. and Tiny Harris on Tuesday told a California federal jury during opening statements in a retrial of his clients' intellectual property dispute with MGA Entertainment that the company's line of O.M.G. dolls stole their look and name from the OMG Girlz group.

  • September 03, 2024

    Energy Leasholders' RICO, Antitrust Suit Tossed After 9 Years

    A Pennsylvania federal judge has thrown out a lawsuit filed by oil and gas leaseholders seeking $5 billion in damages for antitrust and racketeering violations, finding that the leaseholders lacked standing or hadn't adequately made their case for any of the suit.

  • September 03, 2024

    Paul Newman's Daughters Must Lose IP Suit, Charity Says

    Two daughters of late Hollywood actor and philanthropist Paul Newman lack standing to pursue a Connecticut state court lawsuit that accuses their father's charity of failing to provide certain funds for donations and misusing his publicity and intellectual property rights, the organization said in seeking summary judgment.

  • September 03, 2024

    Colo. Panel Doubts Jury Instruction Can Upend $1.8M Award

    Colorado appellate judges appeared skeptical Tuesday that a state trial court was responsible for what an investor described as poor jury instructions that resulted in a nearly $1.85 million civil theft judgment, which he insisted was far too high, with one judge asking why the investor didn't sue his trial counsel over the supposed error.

  • September 03, 2024

    Construction Disputes Mark Opening Of Texas Biz Court

    The first cases were filed in the Texas Business Court on Tuesday, setting the stage for a new era of litigation in the Lone Star State.

  • September 03, 2024

    Diamond Sports Gets OK For NBA, NHL, Ch. 11 Lender Deals

    A Texas bankruptcy judge Tuesday approved a revised Chapter 11 financing deal and new NBA and NHL broadcast deals for Bally Sports Network's parent company.

Expert Analysis

  • Policy Misrepresentations Carry Insurance Rescission Risks

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    The Second Circuit's recent decision in Medical Mutual v. Gnik, finding that material misrepresentation in a clinic's insurance applications warranted policy rescission, is a clear example of the far-reaching effects that misrepresentations can have and provides a reminder that policyholders should employ relatively straightforward steps to decrease risks, say attorneys at Hunton.

  • Analyzing New EU Measure To Prevent Reexports To Russia

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    Niels Ersbøll, Alexander Italianer and Laura Beuls at Arnold & Porter offer a comprehensive overview of the European Union's new rule requiring export agreements to contain a clause prohibiting the reexport of goods to Russia, and discuss what companies should do to ensure compliance.

  • 3 Tech Sourcing Best Practices That Are Relevant For AI

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    It might be tempting to think that sourcing artificial intelligence tools requires a completely new set of skills, but the best practices that lead to a good deal are much the same as traditional technology procurement, says Mia Rendar at Pillsbury.

  • Weisselberg's Perjury At Trial Spotlights Atty Ethics Issues

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    Former Trump Organization executive Allen Weisselberg’s recent guilty plea for perjury in the New York attorney general's civil fraud trial should serve as a reminder to attorneys of their ethical duties when they know a client has lied or plans to lie in court, and the potential penalties for not fulfilling those obligations, say Hilary Gerzhoy and Julienne Pasichow at HWG.

  • Practicing Law With Parkinson's Disease

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    This Parkinson’s Awareness Month, Adam Siegler at Greenberg Traurig discusses his experience working as a lawyer with Parkinson’s disease, sharing both lessons on how to cope with a diagnosis and advice for supporting colleagues who live with the disease.

  • Series

    Playing Hockey Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Nearly a lifetime of playing hockey taught me the importance of avoiding burnout in all aspects of life, and the game ultimately ended up providing me with the balance I needed to maintain success in my legal career, says John Riccione at Taft.

  • A Snapshot Of The Evolving Restrictive Covenant Landscape

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    Rachael Martinez and Brooke Bahlinger at Foley highlight recent trends in the hotly contested regulation and enforcement of noncompetition and related nonsolicitation covenants, and provide guidance on drafting such provisions within the context of stand-alone employment agreements and merger or acquisition transactions.

  • For Lawyers, Pessimism Should Be A Job Skill, Not A Life Skill

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    A pessimistic mindset allows attorneys to be effective advocates for their clients, but it can come with serious costs for their personal well-being, so it’s crucial to exercise strategies that produce flexible optimism and connect lawyers with their core values, says Krista Larson at Stinson.

  • Handling Customer Complaints In Bank-Fintech Partnerships

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    As regulators mine consumer complaint databases for their next investigative targets, it is critical that fintech and bank partners adopt a well-defined and monitored process for ensuring proper complaint handling, including by demonstrating proficiency and following interagency guidance, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.

  • Trump's NY Civil Fraud Trial Spotlights Long-Criticized Law

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    A New York court’s recent decision holding former President Donald Trump liable for fraud brought old criticisms of the state law used against him back into the limelight — including its strikingly broad scope and its major departures from the traditional elements of common law fraud, say Mark Kelley and Lois Ahn at MoloLamken.

  • What NAR Settlement Means For Agent Commission Rates

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    If approved, a joint settlement agreement between the National Association of Realtors and a class of home sellers will likely take the onus off home sellers to compensate buyers' agents, affecting considerations for all parties to real estate transactions, say attorneys at Jones Foster.

  • Opinion

    Requiring Leave To File Amicus Briefs Is A Bad Idea

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    A proposal to amend the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure that would require parties to get court permission before filing federal amicus briefs would eliminate the long-standing practice of consent filing and thereby make the process less open and democratic, says Lawrence Ebner at the Atlantic Legal Foundation and DRI Center.

  • 4 Ways To Motivate Junior Attorneys To Bring Their Best

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    As Gen Z and younger millennial attorneys increasingly express dissatisfaction with their work and head for the exits, the lawyers who manage them must understand and attend to their needs and priorities to boost engagement and increase retention, says Stacey Schwartz at Katten.

  • How 3 Unfolding Cases Could Affect The Energy Industry

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    Three judicial decisions now in the pipeline — Texas' challenge to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's methane regulations, Delaware's climate suit against big energy companies, and a case before the Supreme Court of Texas on royalty lease interpretation — could have important implications for the energy industry, say Michelle Scheffler and Rachael Cox at Skadden.

  • Flexibility Is Key In Hybrid Capital Investment Strategies

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    Flexible or hybrid capital funds have become a solution for some owners adverse to private debt or requiring short-term capital support not otherwise available in the market, but the complexity and possible range of structures available means that principals need to consider how they may work in different scenarios and outcomes, says Daniel Mathias at Cohen Gresser.

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