Try our Advanced Search for more refined results
Corporate
-
October 31, 2024
JPMorgan To Pay $151M To Resolve SEC Disclosure Claims
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission announced Thursday that two JPMorgan Chase & Co. affiliates agreed to pay $151 million to resolve five separate enforcement actions over a number of allegations, including making misleading disclosures to investors and failing to make recommendations in the best interest of customers.
-
October 31, 2024
Latham Hit With Sanctions In Banc Of California Securities Suit
A California federal judge found Latham & Watkins LLP and its ex-client, former Banc of California CEO Steven A. Sugarman, in civil contempt for "flagrant violations" of a protective order covering discovery produced by investment firm Muddy Waters Capital in a securities fraud class action, according to an order unsealed this week.
-
October 31, 2024
Feds: No 'Willfulness' Needed In Texas AG-Tied Investor Case
Federal prosecutors asked a Texas federal judge to reject an attempt by an investor at the center of the failed impeachment of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to toss the fraud case, saying Wednesday that "willfulness" isn't needed for a conspiracy to commit wire fraud conviction.
-
October 31, 2024
10 Firms Vie To Lead, Consolidate Super Micro Investor Suits
Ten firms have submitted competing bids to lead and consolidate proposed class actions alleging that artificial intelligence server manufacturer Super Micro Computer Inc.'s shares fell roughly 20% after a short seller report accused it of violating its previous settlement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission over accounting improprieties.
-
October 31, 2024
IP Forecast: Another Apple Watch Trial Kicks Off In California
Apple and Masimo will face off next week in their long-running feud over whether the tech giant misappropriated Masimo's trade secrets for some of the health-monitoring features used in newer versions of the Apple Watch. Here's a spotlight on that case — plus all the other major intellectual property matters on deck in the coming week.
-
October 31, 2024
CVS Unit Exec's Ex-Partner Charged With Insider Trading
The former domestic partner of a top executive at Oak Street Health Inc., a primary care provider network owned by CVS Health Corp., was charged in Philadelphia federal court Thursday with insider trading on advance information about CVS' $10.6 billion deal to buy Oak Street in 2023.
-
October 31, 2024
9th Circ. Won't Revive 'Ghost Cattle' Contract Fight With Tyson
The Ninth Circuit said Thursday a rancher who admitted to invoicing Tyson Foods Inc. for nonexistent cattle cannot sue the meat company for allegedly using his name and photograph in marketing materials without giving him a cut of the profits, rejecting the rancher's argument that Tyson had agreed orally to the deal.
-
October 31, 2024
Rebar Giant's Economist Rips Rival's 'Narrow' Antitrust Market
Commercial Metals Co.'s expert economist testified in a federal antitrust jury trial Thursday that Pacific Steel Group's theory of the rebar market is "too narrow" by only focusing on California, although he conceded under cross-examination that CMC sold most of its rebar within 500 miles of its since-shuttered California mill.
-
October 31, 2024
Masimo Sues Ex-CEO Over 'Unprecedented' $450M Demand
Masimo Corp. has sued its founder in Delaware Chancery Court, seeking a declaration that a $450 million payout triggered in part by the founder's loss of control or his ouster as CEO and chairman is unenforceable, saying the amount is "unprecedented" and shouldn't be paid by shareholders who were simply exercising their voting rights.
-
October 31, 2024
Ex-Conn. Utility Execs Must Report To Prison, Judge Orders
The former CEO of the Connecticut Municipal Electric Energy Cooperative and two ex-board members must report to prison by Dec. 4, a federal judge has ordered, after the Second Circuit upheld their convictions over their roles in the theft of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
-
October 31, 2024
Instructure Sued In Del. For Books On $4.8B Take-Private Deal
A stockholder of educational technology venture Instructure Holdings LLC has sued the company for records on its $4.8 billion take-private sale to Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. LP, citing concern that Instructure's controller, Thoma Bravo, abandoned another prospect for its own benefit.
-
October 31, 2024
Dallas Judge Kicks 2022 Energy Case Out Of Biz Court
A Dallas business court judge sent a multimillion-dollar energy dispute back to state district court this week, marking the first time a Texas Business Court judge has weighed in on whether cases in existence before the court's opening could be litigated in the new venue.
-
October 31, 2024
Madigan Ally Set Up Work For Speaker's Fired Aide, Jury Told
An ex-lobbyist on trial alongside former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan made arrangements for a political operative that Madigan fired to receive monthly payments while he was unemployed, suggesting he enter into contracts with loyal lobbyists and write up reports on legislators "in case the IRS checks this out," a federal jury heard Thursday.
-
October 31, 2024
Judge Says White Worker's Seattle DEI Suit Lacks 'Specifics'
A Washington federal judge hinted Thursday a former municipal employee's suit claiming Seattle's workplace diversity training discriminated against him as a white man might not have enough detail to survive, as the city's attorneys accused the plaintiff of trying to dismantle its racial justice initiative.
-
October 31, 2024
2nd Circ. Backs GE's Win In Ex-Exec's Benefits Denial Suit
The Second Circuit affirmed the dismissal Thursday of a former General Electric executive's suit claiming the company should have awarded her pension and stock benefits when it moved her into an independent contractor role, ruling that her claims were filed too late.
-
October 31, 2024
Valero To Pay 'Historic' $82M Fine For Bay Area Air Pollution
Valero Refining Co. will pay a record $82 million penalty to settle claims that it failed to report cancer-causing emissions from its Northern California petroleum refinery for nearly two decades, state and Bay Area air pollution regulators announced Thursday, saying nearly all of the fine will fund local community projects.
-
October 31, 2024
Meta Users Fight Uphill For Cert., But Advertisers Have A Shot
A California federal judge who was asked to certify two classes in litigation alleging that Facebook parent Meta Platforms monopolized the social media advertising market and misused users' data said Thursday that the users' damage theory wasn't "plausible," but appeared open to the advertisers' claim they suffered the same alleged injury.
-
October 31, 2024
What DOJ's New National Security Obsession Means For Attys
The Justice Department’s emerging criminal crackdown on corporate national security violations is putting increased pressure on white collar lawyers to be conversant, if not experts, on opaque, complex and swiftly evolving regulations.
-
October 31, 2024
Exxon Entitled To Interest Deduction On Qatar Deal
Exxon Mobil is entitled to an interest expense deduction on payments to Qatar under a natural gas deal, a Texas federal judge ruled, rejecting the U.S. government's classification of an underlying transaction as a royalty rather than a loan.
-
October 31, 2024
Abbott, Mead Cleared In Baby Formula Trial
A St. Louis jury cleared Abbott Laboratories and Mead Johnson of liability Thursday in the companies' first joint trial over claims their baby formula causes a serious gut condition in preterm infants.
-
October 31, 2024
Monthly Merger Review Snapshot
Kroger and Albertsons endured overlapping trials in cases challenging their planned grocery store megamerger, as the Federal Trade Commission got a major fashion industry deal paused and pushed its bid to block the $4 billion merger of Tempur Sealy and Mattress Firm.
-
October 31, 2024
AI Co. Fires CEO As BigLaw Counsel Probe Revenue Issues
Security tech company Evolv Technology, which last week announced it had brought on Debevoise & Plimpton LLP and Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP as part of an internal investigation into possible revenue inflation, said Wednesday it has ousted its CEO.
-
October 31, 2024
6th Circ. Split Over NLRB Remedy In Starbucks Firing Case
The Sixth Circuit was divided Thursday over Starbucks' challenge to a National Labor Relations Board order finding the coffee giant unlawfully fired a worker at a Michigan cafe, with the judges probing the limits of the board's power to remedy unfair labor practices.
-
October 31, 2024
SBA Cries Foul On Globetrotters' $10M COVID Grant Suit
The U.S. Small Business Administration has defended its denial of a $10 million COVID-19 relief grant to the Harlem Globetrotters, telling a D.C. federal judge that it had no legal obligation to hand over the money to the basketball entertainment organization.
-
October 31, 2024
Lowenstein Sandler Snags Another VC Pro From Boutique
Lowenstein Sandler LLP has added a New York City lawyer from prominent boutique corporate law firm Buhler Duggal & Henry LLP to its emerging companies and venture capital group, the firm announced.
Expert Analysis
-
The Strategic Advantages Of Appointing A Law Firm CEO
The impact on law firms of the recent CrowdStrike outage underscores that the business of law is no longer merely about providing supplemental support for legal practice — and helps explain why some law firms are appointing dedicated, full-time CEOs to navigate the challenges of the modern legal landscape, says Jennifer Johnson at Calibrate Strategies.
-
Don't Phone A Friend: Disclosing Friendships With Executives
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recent settlement against a former Church & Dwight chairman for violating proxy disclosure rules by neglecting to disclose his friendship with an executive officer amid a CEO search illustrates the perils of relying solely on responses to questionnaires circulated to boards, say attorneys at BCLP.
-
Planning For Cyber Incident Reporting Requirements In Sports
Attorneys at Wiley discuss the proposed rules under the Cybersecurity Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act that would impose extensive reporting requirements on professional and collegiate athletic organizations, universities and sports venues, including defining a covered entity and analyzing the types of events that would trigger reporting.
-
Why Diversity Jurisdiction Poses Investment Fund Hurdles
Federal courts' continued application of the exacting rules of diversity jurisdiction presents particular challenges for investment funds, and in the absence of any near-term reform, those who manage such funds should take action to avoid diversity jurisdiction pitfalls, say attorneys at Sher Tremonte.
-
The Ups And Downs Of SEC's Now-Dissolved ESG Task Force
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's Climate and ESG Enforcement Task Force, which was quietly disbanded sometime over the summer, was marked by three years of resistance from some stakeholders to ESG regulation, a mixed record in the courts and several successful enforcement actions, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.
-
Series
Beekeeping Makes Me A Better Lawyer
The practice of patent law and beekeeping are not typically associated, but taking care of honeybees has enriched my legal practice by highlighting the importance of hands-on experience, continuous learning, mentorship and more, says David Longo at Oblon McClelland.
-
The OIG Report: Bad Timing For FEC To Be Underresourced
With less than two weeks to the election, the Federal Election Commission’s job has never been more urgent, but a report from its Office of the Inspector General earlier this year found that the agency is facing a resource squeeze that will only get worse without corrective action, says Diana Shaw at Wiley.
-
Opinion
It's Time To Sound The Alarm About Lost Labor Rights
In the Fifth Circuit, recent rulings from judges appointed by former President Donald Trump have dismantled workers’ core labor rights, a troubling trend that we cannot risk extending under another Trump administration, say Sharon Block and Raj Nayak at the Center for Labor and a Just Economy.
-
SEC Fine Shows Risks Of Nonpublic Info In X, LinkedIn Posts
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission recently announced a settlement with DraftKings over charges arising from posting material nonpublic information on the CEO's social media accounts, highlighting that information posted to company websites and social media sites does not automatically qualify as "publicly disclosed" for purposes of Regulation FD, say attorneys at O'Melveny.
-
Election Unlikely To Overhaul Antitrust Enforcers' Labor Focus
Although the outcome of the presidential election may alter the course of antitrust enforcement in certain areas of the economy, scrutiny of labor markets by the Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice is likely to remain largely unaffected — with one notable exception, say Jared Nagley and Joy Siu at Sheppard Mullin.
-
Anticipating Jarkesy's Effect On Bank Agency Enforcement
Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission v. Jarkesy, federal courts may eventually issue decisions on banking law principles and processes that could fundamentally alter the agencies' enforcement action framework, and the relationship between banks and examiners, says Brendan Clegg at Luse Gorman.
-
CFTC Anti-Fraud Blitz Is A Warning To Carbon Credit Sellers
With its recent enforcement actions against a carbon offset project developer and its senior executives for reporting false information about the energy savings of the company's projects, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission is staking out its position as a primary regulator in the voluntary carbon credit market, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.
-
Unpacking State AG Approaches To Digital Asset Enforcement
Attorneys at Cozen O'Connor survey recent digital asset enforcement by attorneys general nationwide driven by concerns over regulatory gaps where technological developments and market changes have outpaced legislation.
-
3 Takeaways From Navy Shipbuilder's Fraud Guilty Plea
Austal USA’s recent plea agreement over accounting fraud charges highlights for other companies the benefits of cooperating with government investigations, the challenges posed by senior executives’ involvement in misconduct, and the high stakes for defense contractors, say Michael DeBernardis and Shayda Vance at Hughes Hubbard.
-
Opinion
Legal Institutions Must Warn Against Phony Election Suits
With two weeks until the election, bar associations and courts have an urgent responsibility to warn lawyers about the consequences of filing unsubstantiated lawsuits claiming election fraud, says Elise Bean at the Carl Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy.