Corporate

March 18, 2025
NLRB Judge Won't Issue Bargaining Order At Mo. Starbucks

Starbucks violated the National Labor Relations Act once during Workers United's organizing drive at a Missouri store, but the violation wasn't severe enough to have caused the union's loss in a representation election, a National Labor Relations Board judge said, rejecting board prosecutors' request for a bargaining order.
March 18, 2025
Ancora Wants US Steel Meeting Delayed After Blocked Sale

U.S. Steel Corp. shareholder Ancora Holdings Group on Tuesday urged the company's board to delay its upcoming 2025 annual meeting of shareholders until more information comes out about the company's blocked $14.9 billion deal with Japan's Nippon Steel Corp.
March 18, 2025
DC Circ. Denies Copyright For AI-Created Artwork

The D.C. Circuit on Tuesday rejected an inventor's appeal to obtain a copyright for an artwork made by his artificial intelligence system, affirming the stance from the U.S. Copyright Office that the law protects only human creations.
March 18, 2025
Google Buying Cybersecurity Co. Wiz In $32B Deal

Google said Tuesday it has agreed to acquire Wiz for $32 billion and integrate the growing cloud security platform into Google Cloud, as the tech giant looks to become a dominant security player in the cloud computing space with the largest acquisition inked in 2025.
March 17, 2025
Meta Facing Investor Suit Over €1.2B EU Data Privacy Fine

A pair of pension funds on Monday filed suit against Meta Platforms Inc. in Delaware's Court of Chancery, accusing the company of repeatedly violating data privacy laws, a pattern that the funds say led to the company being fined €1.2 billion ($1.3 billion) by European authorities.
March 17, 2025
Yeti Escapes Suit Over Third-Party Info Sharing

A California federal judge has freed Yeti from a woman's proposed class action accusing the cooler and drinkware company of disclosing people's personal and financial information to a payment processor without consent, saying the woman's now twice-amended complaint didn't fix problems the court had previously highlighted.
March 17, 2025
Poppi Buyers Ink $8.9M Deal Over 'Gut Healthy' Soda Claims

A group of Poppi-brand soda consumers asked a California federal judge Friday to greenlight an $8.9 million proposed settlement that would resolve consolidated false advertising claims alleging the beverage company misleadingly touted its products as "prebiotics for a healthy gut."
March 17, 2025
Debevoise Atty Goes In-House As TPG's Legal Chief

Global asset manager TPG announced Monday that it has hired Debevoise & Plimpton LLP partner Jennifer Chu to take over as its chief legal officer and general counsel, saying her deep "experience, leadership expertise and judgment" are an ideal match for the rapidly expanding firm.
March 17, 2025
Ex-Opioid Co. CEO Wants Out Of Law Firm's Billing Suit

A convicted former CEO of an opioid distributor is urging a New York federal judge to dismiss his criminal defense firm's suit against him over an alleged unpaid $150,000 expert witness tab, saying the suit fails because of "the clear and unambiguous language of the retainer agreements."
March 17, 2025
Google To Pay $28M On Claim It Favored White, Asian Workers

Google LLC will pay $28 million to put to rest allegations it pays and promotes certain nonwhite employees less than their white and Asian colleagues, counsel for a class of workers said Monday.
March 17, 2025
Biz Groups Push For High Court Review Of Cisco Spying Case

National business groups are urging the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a Ninth Circuit decision reviving a suit from a class of Falun Gong practitioners alleging that Cisco aided in the Chinese government's crackdown on the religious movement, claiming that the circuit's ruling could chill foreign investment and disadvantage American companies.
March 17, 2025
BYD Affiliate Beats Megaclaim Over N95 Mask Deal

A company with corporate ties to Chinese electric vehicle company BYD Co. Ltd. has fended off a megaclaim over a supply contract for personal protective equipment asserted by a Florida medical supply company that sought hundreds of millions of dollars in damages.
March 17, 2025
Gogo Says Rival Pivoted From Competing To Suing

In-flight entertainment company Gogo Business Aviation wants out of a $1 billion lawsuit accusing it of wielding its monopoly over air-to-ground broadband tech to keep competitors at bay, telling the court that SmartSky is just trying to convert their intellectual property dispute into an antitrust one.
March 17, 2025
Wells Fargo Says OCC Has Closed Home Loan Consent Order

Wells Fargo & Co. on Monday said the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has closed a consent order related to its home lending business, marking the eleventh consent order against the bank that regulators have closed in recent years and another step forward in its regulatory rehabilitation efforts.
March 17, 2025
Ford Seeks New Trial After $2.5B Ga. Rollover Verdict

Ford Motor Co. has asked a Georgia federal judge for a new trial after being hit with a $2.5 billion punitive damages verdict last month in a fatal Super Duty truck rollover trial, claiming jurors improperly learned about a prior, now-scrapped $1.7 billion verdict against the company over a similar accident.
March 17, 2025
Del. Corporate Law Rework Has Roots In 2 Academic Papers

A proposed overhaul of Delaware's corporations law that has rocked the First State's legal world has its origins in two works published in 2021 and 2001, written by some of the same jurists who helped draft legislation driven by alarm over corporate charter exits and shareholder suits.
March 17, 2025
9th Circ. Says Capital One Cyberattacker Sentence Too Light

A split Ninth Circuit panel Monday said a lower court judge was too lenient in sentencing a former Amazon.com Inc. coder to probation for orchestrating one of the nation's latest data breach crimes, finding that the district court judge erred in finding her actions were not "malicious."
March 17, 2025
Amazon Hit With Greenwashing Suit Over Paper Products

Consumers in four different states have launched a proposed class action against Amazon in Washington federal court, accusing the retail giant of greenwashing its claims about its "Basics" line of paper products and misleading buyers about the sustainability of products whose supply chains are in fact "deeply unsustainable."
March 17, 2025
DJI Says DOD Chinese Military Co. Listing Was Irrational

Drone manufacturer SZ DJI Technology Co. Ltd. has urged a D.C. federal judge to order the U.S. Department of Defense to take the company off a list of Chinese military companies, saying the listing was based on faulty reasoning and a failure to consider relevant evidence.
March 17, 2025
Exxon Committed 'Straightforward Fraud,' Investors Say

Exxon Mobil Corp. investors told a Texas federal court that the energy giant's antics surrounding its operations in Kearl Lake amount to a "straightforward fraud," and that the court should reject Exxon's bid for judgment as a matter of law.
March 17, 2025
Amazon Beats Investor Suit Over Third-Party Seller Practices

A Washington federal judge on Monday tossed a consolidated proposed securities class action claiming Amazon and its top brass duped investors about the company's fulfillment capacity and third-party seller practices, finding the lawsuit doesn't sufficiently allege the executives were deliberately reckless or motivated to deceive shareholders.
March 17, 2025
Burger King Workers Defend Revived No-Poach Case

Burger King employees are defending their proposed class action over the fast-food chain's past use of no-poach provisions in its franchise agreements, as the restaurant urges a Florida federal court to toss the claims despite an appeals court reviving them in 2022.
March 17, 2025
4 Suits Benefits Attys Should Watch As ESG Pressures Persist

A New York City pension fund recently escaped a proposed class action challenging its decision to divest nearly $4 billion in fossil fuel stocks, but experts say potential liability related to environmental, social and governance investment factors in retirement plan investment decisions is on the rise. Here are four suits involving challenges to employee retirement plan investing and ESG that attorneys say they're watching after New York City escaped a suit from its workers.
March 17, 2025
Wash. AG Backs Tribe's $400M Trespass Win Against BNSF

The state of Washington has said the Ninth Circuit should uphold a trial judge's ruling that BNSF Railway Co. owes nearly $400 million for years of illegally running oil cars across tribal territory, arguing in an amicus brief the railroad must be held accountable for perpetuating "a pattern of disregard for the sovereignty of Native people."
March 17, 2025
Execs Stole $5.4M In Fla. Trucking Co. Investments, SEC Says

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has brought a Florida federal lawsuit against three principal members of a trucking company over securities violations, alleging that they raised at least $5.4 million after falsely promising investors significant profits but returned only a fraction of the money.

Expert Analysis

8 Trends And Predictions Following PE's Late 2024 Surge

Private equity will remain at the forefront of value creation in 2025, and anticipated market trends include sponsors' desire to return capital to investors and a more business-friendly tack by the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, say attorneys at Weil.
Series

Playing Esports Makes Me A Better Lawyer

Competing in a global esports tournament at Wimbledon last year not only fulfilled my childhood dream, but also sharpened skills that are essential to my day job, including strategic thinking, confidence and networking, says AJ Schuyler at Jackson Lewis.
Lessons From The SEC's 2024 Crackdown On AI Washing

AI washing was the subject of increased scrutiny from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in 2024 following a surge in the commercial adoption of generative artificial intelligence technologies in 2023, highlighting the importance of transparency, accuracy and accountability when communicating about AI, say attorneys at Perkins Coie.
The 6 Most Significant FCRA Litigation Developments Of 2024

From a key sovereign immunity decision at the U.S. Supreme Court to a ruling on creditworthiness out of the Seventh Circuit, several important Fair Credit Reporting Act cases wound their way through the courts in 2024, each offering takeaways for both plaintiffs and defendants, say attorneys at Shipkevich.
An Associate's Guide To Career Development In 2025

As the new year begins, associates at all levels should consider establishing career metrics, fostering key relationships and employing other specific strategies to help move through the complexities of the legal profession with confidence and emerge as trailblazers, say EJ Stern and Amanda George at Fractional Law Firm.
The Securities Litigation Trends That Will Matter Most In 2025

2025 is shaping up to be a significant year for securities litigation, as plaintiffs and defendants alike navigate shifting standards for omission theories of liability, class certification, risk disclosure claims and more, say attorneys at Willkie.
Top 10 Employer Resolutions For 2025

While companies must monitor for policy shifts under the new administration in 2025, it will also be a year to play it safe and remember the basics, such as the importance of documenting retention policies and conducting swift investigations into workplace complaints, say attorneys at Krevolin Horst.
5 Antitrust Issues For In-House Counsel In 2025

Attorneys at Squire Patton evaluate the top areas where U.S. antitrust policy is likely to change in the next 12 months, including major challenges to the Federal Trade Commission's authority that could reshape enforcement.
Reviewing 2024's Crucial Patent Law Developments

As 2024 draws to a close, significant rulings and policies aimed at modernizing long-standing legal practices or addressing emerging challenges have reached patent law, says Michael Ellenberger at Rothwell Figg.
How White Collar Enforcement May Shift In Trump's 2nd Term

After President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House next month, the administration’s emphasis on immigration laws, drug offenses and violent crime will likely reduce the focus on white collar crime overall, but certain areas within the white collar world may see increased activity, say attorneys at Keker Van Nest.
New Trump Admin May Bring Financial Oversight Turbulence

As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to begin his second term, his top financial market regulatory and securities law enforcement appointees, campaign promises, and regulatory preferences foretell a period of muddy regulatory waters, say attorneys at Kroll.
The Justices' Securities Rulings, Dismissals That Defined '24

The U.S. Supreme Court's 2024 securities rulings led to increased success for defendants' price impact arguments, but the justices' decisions not to weigh in on important issues relating to the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act's pleading requirements may be just as significant, say attorneys at Skadden.
2024 Election Results May Prove Fortuitous For Family Offices

Thanks to the decisive Republican victories in the 2024 elections, family offices have a unique opportunity for accelerated growth and influence, particularly through the benefits afforded by patient capital, says Edward Taibi at Olshan Frome.
10 Noteworthy CFPB Developments From 2024

In a banner year for consumer finance regulation, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau made significant strides in its efforts to rein in Big Tech and nonbank financial firms, including via rules regarding open banking, credit card late fees, and buy now, pay later products, say attorneys at Wiley.
What To Expect From EEOC Next Year After An Active 2024

While highlights this year for the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission include its first-ever Pregnant Workers Fairness Act cases and comprehensive workplace harassment guidance, the question for 2025 is whether the commission will sustain its momentum or shift its focus in a new direction, says Shannon Kelly at GrayRobinson.