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Massachusetts
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August 08, 2024
FedEx Sued By 15K Drivers After OT Collectives End
About 15,000 drivers who worked for FedEx across the U.S. through intermediary employers have filed lawsuits in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts federal courts arguing the logistics giant is responsible for their lack of overtime wages as a joint employer, launching individual claims following a failed effort to sue as a collective.
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August 07, 2024
Robot Vacuum Cleaner Patent Ruling Remains Undisturbed
Federal Circuit judges proved unpersuaded on Wednesday to do anything to touch an administrative board ruling that wiped out most, but not all, of the claims in a patent that allegedly covered a new feature in the Roomba brand of robotic vacuum cleaners.
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August 07, 2024
Fund Seeks Forced Sale Of Long-Stalled Baltimore Project
A Boston-based investment fund that backs development projects in disadvantaged communities is seeking to recoup $13 million it poured into a stalled mixed-use project in Baltimore, including through a forced sale, according to a complaint filed in Massachusetts state court.
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August 07, 2024
RELX Hit With Proposed Greenwashing Class Action
RELX PLC has been hit with a proposed class action by a former employee alleging the information and analytics company retaliated against him and committed securities fraud by making various business decisions that contradicted its investor disclosures and public-facing statements.
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August 07, 2024
Ex-Pharma Exec Gets 20 Months In SEC Contempt Case
A former pharmaceutical executive who used an alias to flout a 2016 U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission consent judgment barring him from the securities industry was sentenced Wednesday to 20 months in prison by a judge who called him "incorrigible."
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August 07, 2024
Gun Cos. Exit Mexico's Suit As Judge Cites 'Thin' Mass. Ties
A Massachusetts federal judge on Wednesday dismissed six U.S. gun companies from a suit over Mexican cartel violence after finding the alleged conduct has virtually no ties to the Bay State.
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August 07, 2024
Insurer Can't Dodge $13.4M Conn. Death Verdict, Estate Says
A mother who won a $13.4 million judgment after her son died in a Connecticut group home says its insurer, Hanover Insurance Co., is trying to use "misplaced" arguments to escape her bid to collect a portion of the judgment, urging a judge not to dismiss her compensation request.
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August 07, 2024
1st Circ. Backs Boston Prayer Policy With Political Warning
The First Circuit rejected a satanic temple's challenge to the Boston City Council's practice of inviting local leaders to pray at its meetings, but warned that the practice could conceivably cross constitutional red lines if it became a vehicle to curry favor with voters.
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August 07, 2024
Morgan Stanley Loses Bid To Arbitrate Background Check Suit
A Boston federal judge ruled Tuesday that Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC can't force arbitration in a proposed class action claiming the bank illegally used protected criminal history information to discriminate against job applicants.
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August 06, 2024
4 Takeaways From Landmark Google Search Ruling
A landmark ruling in D.C. federal court Monday found that Google illegally maintains its search engine monopoly, and experts say the case could have broad implications for the company as well as the wider internet and shows how existing antitrust laws can apply to modern technology.
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August 06, 2024
1st Circ. Denies Removal Relief Over Bank Fraud Guilty Plea
A Massachusetts resident facing deportation after pleading guilty to bank fraud couldn't convince the First Circuit to revive his efforts to stay in the country, after the circuit court ruled that the crime rendered him ineligible for removal relief.
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August 06, 2024
Robins Kaplan Appoints New Trial, IP Leaders
National trial firm Robins Kaplan LLP has named a new co-head and head of its trial and IP practice groups, respectively, the firm announced Tuesday.
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August 06, 2024
Feds Say Marathon Bomber Can't Oust Judge Amid Retrial Bid
Federal prosecutors said lawyers for Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev misconstrued a local rule in seeking a different judge to consider his bid for a new sentencing trial.
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August 06, 2024
Harvard Can't Ax Claim It 'Failed' Jewish Students, Judge Says
Harvard University will have to face a federal civil rights complaint alleging it turned a blind eye to antisemitic intimidation of Jewish students in the wake of Hamas' terror attack on Israel, a Boston federal judge said Tuesday.
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August 06, 2024
Ex-Army Contract Officer Gets 1 Year For GF's No-Show Job
A former U.S. Department of Defense contracting officer has been sentenced to a year in prison for getting his girlfriend a high-paying, no-show job at a defense contractor, then taking multiple trips to Disney World and other vacation spots with her on taxpayers' dime.
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August 05, 2024
EBay Resists Calif. Damages In Mass. Stalking Case
Married Massachusetts bloggers who were stalked and terrorized by eBay Inc. employees shouldn't be able to seek punitive damages available under California law while having Massachusetts law otherwise govern liability for their myriad civil claims, the e-commerce giant is arguing.
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August 05, 2024
Inari Agriculture Can't Sink Patent Case Over Corn Seed
A legal fight between a DowDuPont spinoff and a Massachusetts plant breeding startup over the exporting of patent-protected corn seed will continue to grow in Delaware federal court, unimpeded by DuPont researchers' decision to publicly deposit their seeds.
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August 05, 2024
Pegasystems Slams Appian's 'Animus' After $2B Verdict Axed
Business software maker Pegasystems says rival Appian's "animus" is behind a series of what it says are irrelevant, premature and burdensome discovery requests, after a Virginia appeals court vacated a $2 billion trade secrets judgment against Pegasystems.
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August 05, 2024
Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court
Sunken treasure, rock band discord, a wrestling competition, and more news about Elon Musk — all in all, a colorful week in Delaware's Court of Chancery. The First State's famous court of equity also pushed forward on disputes involving a famous social media app, Delaware's largest hospital system, an artificial intelligence company and a budding commodity futures exchange.
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August 05, 2024
CooperSurgical Says Lab Hid Flawed IVF Product Tests
Fertility technology company CooperSurgical Inc. has accused a Massachusetts testing lab of failing to follow proper procedures and misrepresenting the results of quality assurance testing on a product used in the in vitro fertilization process, leading to a recall.
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August 05, 2024
Google Abused Monopoly Over Search Market, Court Finds
A D.C. federal judge ruled on Monday that Google is a monopolist in the general search market and has violated antitrust law by paying billions of dollars to make its search engine the default on devices made by Apple, Samsung and others.
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August 05, 2024
JetBlue, Spirit Scoff At Flyers' $34M Fee Bid Over Nixed Deal
JetBlue and Spirit said air travelers who challenged their merger shouldn't get a cent of a late and exorbitant request for up to $34 million in attorney fees in a case where they simply "piggybacked" on the U.S. Department of Justice's successful effort to block the deal.
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August 02, 2024
Dems Launch Bill To Expand Zelle, Venmo Fraud Protections
U.S. Senate and House Democrats on Friday proposed revisions to the Electronic Fund Transfer Act aimed at bolstering protections for consumers who fall victim to scams perpetrated by means such as mobile wallets, payment apps and wire transfers.
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August 02, 2024
Class Suit Over Changed Music Venue Changes Conn. Forums
A proposed class of ticket buyers who claim to have been shortchanged when an organizer suddenly shortened a three-day Connecticut music festival and moved the event to a much smaller venue have refiled consumer protection, contract and negligence claims in state court Thursday after pulling a short-lived federal complaint.
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August 02, 2024
How Two Non-Bankruptcy Attys Won A Rare Ch. 7 Jury Trial
A pair of Boston-based attorneys from Davis Malm scored a victory in a rare bankruptcy-related jury trial despite not being bankruptcy practitioners themselves, after a Delaware panel rejected a trustee's bid to recoup $44 million from a former grocery store magnate.
Expert Analysis
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Series
Whitewater Kayaking Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Whether it's seeing clients and their issues from a new perspective, or staying nimble in a moment of intense challenge, the lessons learned from whitewater kayaking transcend the rapids of a river and prepare attorneys for the courtroom and beyond, says Matthew Kent at Alston & Bird.
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Cannabis Ruling Lights Path For Bankruptcy Protection
A recent Massachusetts bankruptcy appellate court ruling in Blumsack v. Harrington leaves the door open for those employed in the cannabis industry to seek bankruptcy relief where certain conditions are met, but rescheduling marijuana as a Schedule III drug may complicate matters, say Jane Haviland and Kathryn Droumbakis at Mintz.
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This Earth Day, Consider How Your Firm Can Go Greener
As Earth Day approaches, law firms and attorneys should consider adopting more sustainable practices to reduce their carbon footprint — from minimizing single-use plastics to purchasing carbon offsets for air travel — which ultimately can also reduce costs for clients, say M’Lynn Phillips and Lisa Walters at IMS Legal Strategies.
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Blocked JetBlue-Spirit Deal Illustrates New Antitrust Approach
The U.S. Department of Justice’s recent successful block of a merger between JetBlue Airways and Spirit Airlines demonstrates antitrust enforcers’ updated and disparate approach to out-of-market benefits versus out-of-market harms, say Lisa Rumin and Anthony Ferrara at McDermott.
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What Minority Biz Law Ruling Could Mean For Private DEI
A Texas federal court’s recent decision to strike down key provisions of the Minority Business Development Act illustrates the wide-reaching effects of the U.S. Supreme Court's 2023 Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard decision across legal contexts, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.
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What Bankruptcy Deadline Appeal May Mean For Claimants
If the Third Circuit reverses a recent appeal made in In re: Promise Healthcare, litigation claimants within the circuit will not be able to rely on the proof of claim process to preserve the claim — but if the court affirms, the U.S. Supreme Court may need to step in to resolve the circuit split on this issue, say attorneys at DLA Piper.
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Practicing Law With Parkinson's Disease
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.
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Opinion
Aviation Watch: Not All Airline Mergers Hurt The Public
The U.S. Department of Justice's actions to block recent attempted airline mergers have been touted as serving the interests of the consumers — but given the realities of the deregulated air travel market, a tie-up like the one proposed between JetBlue and Spirit might have been a win for the public, says Alan Hoffman, a retired attorney and aviation expert.
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Series
Playing Hockey Makes Me A Better Lawyer
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.
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For Lawyers, Pessimism Should Be A Job Skill, Not A Life Skill
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.
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Opinion
Requiring Leave To File Amicus Briefs Is A Bad Idea
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.
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4 Ways To Motivate Junior Attorneys To Bring Their Best
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.
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Series
Serving As A Sheriff's Deputy Made Me A Better Lawyer
Skills developed during my work as a reserve deputy — where there was a need to always be prepared, decisive and articulate — transferred to my practice as an intellectual property litigator, and my experience taught me that clients often appreciate and relate to the desire to participate in extracurricular activities, says Michael Friedland at Friedland Cianfrani.
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Former Minn. Chief Justice Instructs On Writing Better Briefs
Former Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Lorie Gildea, now at Greenberg Traurig, offers strategies on writing more effective appellate briefs from her time on the bench.
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Stay Interviews Are Key To Retaining Legal Talent
Even as the economy shifts and layoffs continue, law firms still want to retain their top attorneys, and so-called stay interviews — informal conversations with employees to identify potential issues before they lead to turnover — can be a crucial tool for improving retention and morale, say Tina Cohen Nicol and Kate Reder Sheikh at Major Lindsey.