Hospitality

  • April 11, 2024

    $24M Hidden Fee Deal Between Class, AIG Units Gets 1st OK

    A California federal court granted preliminary approval of a nearly $24 million settlement between a class of travel insurance buyers and several AIG units resolving claims that the companies stacked hidden fees on top of insurance travel premiums.

  • April 10, 2024

    Texas Panel Seeks Evidence In $1M Real Estate Quagmire

    A Texas appellate panel suggested Wednesday that both sides fighting about a soured real estate financing deal need to do more to make their cases, asking attorneys during oral arguments to point to evidence that either confirms or refutes the existence of a contract.

  • April 10, 2024

    Cleaning Co. To Pay $400K In H-2B Workers' Exploitation Suit

    Mexican guest workers and a cleaning company that recruited them to work at a Colorado luxury hotel asked a federal judge on Wednesday to grant initial approval of a $400,000 settlement on claims that the company committed myriad wage and visa law violations and threatened to deport workers who complained.

  • April 10, 2024

    Pharmacy Gets Eli Lilly's Mounjaro Suit Tossed

    A Florida federal judge has thrown out Eli Lilly & Co.'s suit accusing an online pharmacy of wrongly selling a compounded version of its drug Mounjaro, saying Eli Lilly was "using state law to enforce the terms of" federal law.

  • April 10, 2024

    'Let's Get Physical': Pa. Justices Tune In To COVID-19 Coverage

    One of late singer Olivia Newton-John's greatest hits struck a chord with a Pennsylvania Supreme Court justice Wednesday as he considered whether insurers should cover business losses stemming from government shutdown orders during the COVID-19 pandemic 

  • April 10, 2024

    NBC, Universal Sued Over 'Harry Potter' Ride Malfunction

    Riders who were stuck for over an hour on a ride at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Universal Studios Hollywood that left them suspended midair have sued NBCUniversal and the theme park in California court, accusing them of negligently failing to safely maintain the attraction.

  • April 10, 2024

    KKR, Inovia Lead Rental Platform Guesty To $130M Series F

    Short-term rental platform Guesty said Erdinast Ben Nathan Toledano & Co. advised as it has raised $130 million in its Series F funding round in a bid to grow its reach, with representatives from new investors KKR and Inovia Capital joining the company's board.

  • April 10, 2024

    Blackwells Unveils Takeover Plans For Hospitality REIT

    Blackwells Capital told Braemar Hotels & Resorts Inc. investors on Wednesday that its intention to take the reins of the real estate investment trust's board of directors is necessary to stop a manager from "milking" the company for all it's worth.

  • April 10, 2024

    Starbucks Fired Barista For Having Panic Attack, Court Told

    A Starbucks manager berated a barista who suffered from anxiety and depression until he had a panic attack, then fired him, according to a suit filed in Florida federal court.

  • April 09, 2024

    9th Circ. Says Hotel, Restaurant Virus Losses Not Covered

    The Ninth Circuit on Tuesday said two groups of Washington state restaurants and hotels can't claim COVID-related business losses under their insurance policies because they failed to show they physically lost functional use of their properties as a result of the virus.

  • April 09, 2024

    Healthcare Co. Can't Sue Ex-Exec For Causing Canada Tax Hit

    A Colorado federal judge shot down a pharmacy automation company's suit alleging its former chief commercial officer cost it nearly CA$1.2 million ($907,000) in Canadian taxes by not telling his employer he had moved out of the country, saying the company hasn't shown it suffered any damage as a result.

  • April 09, 2024

    Hotel Owed Union Bargaining Over Renovation, DC Circ. Says

    A Hilton hotel in Alaska is on the hook for federal labor law violations after renovating rooms in a way that changed housekeepers' work conditions without sufficiently looping in the employees' union, the D.C. Circuit held Tuesday, enforcing a National Labor Relations Board decision.

  • April 09, 2024

    GM Rips 'Word Salad' Discovery Request, Fights Sanction Bid

    General Motors and its Detroit Renaissance Center told a Michigan federal judge Monday that guests of the center's Marriott hotel are unfairly demanding sanctions over allegedly unreasonable discovery requests, saying the businesses are making every effort to respond in a timely fashion to the "burdensome" interrogatories.

  • April 09, 2024

    Ex-DraftKings Exec Loses Bid For $310K In Atty Fees

    A California federal judge will not award the $310,000 in attorney fees a former DraftKings executive claims it cost to handle the ping-ponging of his lawsuit between federal and state court, ruling the removal at the behest of his ex-employer was "suspect" but not unreasonable.

  • April 08, 2024

    Red Robin Reaches $600K Deal To End EEOC Claims In Wash.

    Red Robin has agreed to pay $600,000 and bolster its anti-sexual harassment policies to end a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission lawsuit alleging a line cook in Washington state retaliated against female co-workers for objecting to his offensive comments, according to a proposed consent decree filed in federal court in Seattle.

  • April 08, 2024

    Mich. Judge Not Persuaded Wineries' Agritourism Is Speech

    A Michigan federal judge has found a local ban on wineries hosting weddings is not a commercial speech restriction despite the advertising potential of such events, again trimming a contentious zoning dispute ahead of trial. 

  • April 08, 2024

    Starbucks Drops TM Suit After Fake Websites Go Dark

    Starbucks has agreed to drop a trademark lawsuit claiming a pair of websites ripped off its "twin-tailed siren" logo and other brand material to sell fake franchise deals, saying in a recent Washington federal court filing that the allegedly unauthorized activity has stopped.

  • April 08, 2024

    Hormel Settling Pork Price-Fixing Claims For Over $11M

    Three plaintiff classes in the ongoing pork price-fixing litigation against Hormel Foods have reached preliminary settlements worth over $11 million with the company and are now asking the Minnesota federal judge overseeing the case to grant them initial approval.

  • April 08, 2024

    Atlantic City Hotels Say Gov't Backing Can't Save Pricing Suit

    Atlantic City casino-hotels continue to push a New Jersey federal judge to toss room rate price-fixing allegations they say get no help from a U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission intervening brief that argued algorithmic collusion is just as liable under antitrust law.

  • April 08, 2024

    Hotel Co. Comes Out On Top In Passover Fiasco Row 

    A bench trial over a "Passover celebration gone wrong" at a Pennsylvania hotel ended Friday largely in favor of the hotel operator, with $1,447.60 in contract damages for the caterer plaintiff offset by a $5,164.28 judgment in the hotel's favor for damages allegedly caused by guests who created plumbing issues.

  • April 08, 2024

    Royal Caribbean Settles Passenger's Suit Over Wife's Death

    Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and the husband of a passenger who died of congestive heart failure while on a Mediterranean cruise opted Friday to settle their dispute over whether the cruise company had provided adequate medical care, avoiding a trial set to start Monday.

  • April 08, 2024

    3 Firms Build $2.3B Hospitality Biz SPAC Merger

    Singapore-headquartered Hotel101 Global Pte Ltd., a hotel prop-tech operator pioneering a standardized "condotel" business model, announced Monday that it plans to go public through a merger with blank-check company JVSPAC Acquisition Corp. in a deal built by three firms that will give it an equity value of $2.3 billion post-closing.

  • April 05, 2024

    Wow Bao Says Customer Can't Prove Kiosk Data Collection

    Asian fast-food chain Wow Bao has urged an Illinois state court judge to grant it summary judgment in a biometric privacy suit targeting the company's self-serve kiosks, arguing it cannot be held liable for collecting or possessing data it never in fact had.

  • April 05, 2024

    Marriott Wants $5M Repair Work Bill Stayed Pending Appeal

    Marriott International asked a Colorado federal judge Friday to hold off on enforcing a $5 million judgment it was ordered to pay a construction company over mudslide repair work in Brazil while the hotel appeals the order, noting it has secured a surety bond with Liberty Mutual.

  • April 05, 2024

    Starbucks Tells Judge Union Dealings Aren't 'Mission Critical'

    Starbucks denied Friday that complying with federal labor law was "mission critical" to its business as it urged a Washington state judge to dismiss a shareholder suit accusing company leaders of union busting, which they say tanked Starbucks' reputation.

Expert Analysis

  • Law Firm Professional Development Steps To Thrive In AI Era

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    As generative artificial intelligence tools rapidly evolve, professional development leaders are instrumental in preparing law firms for the paradigm shifts ahead, and should consider three strategies to help empower legal talent with the skills required to succeed in an increasingly complex technological landscape, say Steve Gluckman and Anusia Gillespie at SkillBurst Interactive.

  • What Upholding Of Short-Term Rental Law Means For NYC

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    A New York state judge's dismissal of Airbnb's challenge against the Short-Term Rental Registration Law will benefit the city's hospitality industry and exert downward pressure on apartment rents, and potentially provide a model for other local governments around the U.S. to curb short-term apartment rentals, says Alexander Lycoyannis at Holland & Knight.

  • The Basics Of Being A Knowledge Management Attorney

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Michael Lehet at Ogletree Deakins discusses the role of knowledge management attorneys at law firms, the common tasks they perform and practical tips for lawyers who may be considering becoming one.

  • The 7 Most Notable FCRA Cases Of 2023 So Far

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    Both consumer reporting agencies and furnishers should take note of Fair Credit Reporting Act decisions by federal district and appellate courts so far this year, especially those concerning dispute processing and the distinction between legal and factual inaccuracies, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.

  • To Hire And Keep Top Talent, Think Beyond Compensation

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    Firms seeking to appeal to sophisticated clients and top-level partners should promote mentorship, ensure that attorneys from diverse backgrounds feel valued, and clarify policies about at-home work, says Patrick Moya at Quaero Group.

  • Perspectives

    More States Should Join Effort To Close Legal Services Gap

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    Colorado is the most recent state to allow other types of legal providers, not just attorneys, to offer specific services in certain circumstances — and more states should rethink the century-old assumptions that shape our current regulatory rules, say Natalie Anne Knowlton and Janet Drobinske at the University of Denver.

  • Identifying Trends And Tips In Litigation Financing Disclosure

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    Growing interest and controversy in litigation financing raise several salient concerns, but exploring recent compelled disclosure trends from courts around the country can help practitioners further their clients' interests, say Sean Callagy and Samuel Sokolsky at Arnold & Porter.

  • Series

    The Pop Culture Docket: Judge Elrod On 'Jury Duty'

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    Though the mockumentary series “Jury Duty” features purposely outrageous characters, it offers a solemn lesson about the simple but brilliant design of the right to trial by jury, with an unwitting protagonist who even John Adams may have welcomed as an impartial foreperson, says Fifth Circuit Judge Jennifer Elrod.

  • Upcoming High Court ADA Cases May Signal Return To Basics

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    Recent cases, including Acheson Hotels v. Laufer, which will be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court in October, raise a fundamental question of whether Americans with Disabilities Act litigation has spiraled out of control without any real corresponding benefits to the intended beneficiaries: individuals with true disabilities, says Norman Dupont at Ring Bender.

  • 4 Business-Building Strategies For Introvert Attorneys

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Introverted lawyers can build client bases to rival their extroverted peers’ by adapting time-tested strategies for business development that can work for any personality — such as claiming a niche, networking for maximum impact, drawing on existing contacts and more, says Ronald Levine at Herrick Feinstein.

  • Opinion

    3 Ways Justices' Disclosure Defenses Miss The Ethical Point

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    The rule-bound interpretation of financial disclosures preferred by U.S. Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas — demonstrated in their respective statements defending their failure to disclose gifts from billionaires — show that they do not understand the ethical aspects of the public's concern, says Jim Moliterno at the Washington and Lee University School of Law.

  • Series

    In A 'Barbie' World: Questions On Kid Brands In Gambling Ads

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    A recent "Barbie" film marketing partnership with a casino raised some eyebrows as the iconic children's toy brand was being used to promote gambling in possible contravention of advertisement regulations for adult activities, but the campaign's particularities signal that the shtick may comport with responsible ad principles after all, says Abbey Block at Ifrah Law.

  • Ch. 11 Ruling Sets New Standard For Using Reinstatement

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    A New York bankruptcy court’s recent ruling in Golden Seahorse, which concluded that Section 365(b)(2)(D) of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code only creates a cure exception for nonmonetary defaults, sets a high bar for challenging the requirement to pay default interest as a condition to reinstatement of a loan agreement under a Chapter 11 plan, says Debra Dandeneau at Baker McKenzie.

  • For Tribes, Online Gambling May Soon Be A Safe Bet

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    The Bureau of Indian Affairs' proposed changes to the Indian Gaming Regulation Act would expressly allow tribes to execute compacts with states that enable online gambling and sports betting activities, strengthening tribes' ability to position themselves in the gambling industry despite protests from casino operators, says Blair Will at Hall Estill.

  • Caregiver Flexibility Is Crucial For Atty Engagement, Retention

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    As the battle for top talent continues post-pandemic, many firms are attempting to attract employees with progressive hybrid working environments — and supporting caregivers before, during and after an extended leave is a critically important way to retain top talent, says Manar Morales at The Diversity & Flexibility Alliance.

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