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Product Liability
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October 29, 2024
Texas Judge Rejects Early Win In Water Pollution Dispute
A Texas federal judge denied on Tuesday an insurer's bid for an early win in its lawsuit against a water supply company accused of providing contaminated water to Cameron County residents, despite the insurer's argument that pollution exclusions in multiple policies bar coverage for the underlying claims.
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October 29, 2024
Purdue Creditors Can Sue Sacklers For $11.5B
Creditors of bankrupt OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma LP will get the right to sue the company's owners — certain members of the Sackler family — and others for $11.5 billion, should they choose to do so, a New York judge said on Tuesday.
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October 29, 2024
Court Closure Sought Over Taunts By Florida Gun Shop Owner
The Connecticut Attorney General's Office urged a state judge to protect the identity of its investigator in filings and to close the courtroom during their testimony at trial in a lawsuit alleging a Florida company deceptively sold do-it-yourself gun kits, saying anonymity is needed because of the owner's online taunts.
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October 29, 2024
Ga. Judge Says Merger Of BioLab Fire Cases Imminent
A Georgia federal judge said Tuesday that within the week, she would likely consolidate most if not all of the nearly 20 lawsuits filed against chemical manufacturer BioLab Inc. in the aftermath of a massive industrial fire at its Conyers, Georgia plant last month.
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October 29, 2024
1st Circ. Scraps Securities Fraud Case Against 3D Printing Co.
The First Circuit has affirmed a ruling throwing out a securities fraud lawsuit against 3D printing business Desktop Metal, finding the investor behind the action abandoned one of her claims and failed to adequately allege the other.
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October 29, 2024
Circuit Judge Rips Atty's 'Unearned Windfall' In Liability Case
Although the Sixth Circuit has affirmed a decision awarding roughly $353,000 to a Texas attorney in a decadelong fee dispute over his representation of a client in a product liability case, one circuit judge expressed "extreme disapproval" over the lawyer's conduct in the matter.
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October 29, 2024
PE-Owned Implant Maker Plagued By Lawsuits Hits Ch. 11
Joint implant maker Exactech Inc. on Tuesday filed for Chapter 11 protection in Delaware bankruptcy court with an offer from its lenders to take over the company, as a wave of lawsuits tied to product recalls weighs on the private equity-owned firm.
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October 28, 2024
Hershey's 'Bubble Yum' Contains PFAS, Consumer Alleges
The existence of "forever chemicals" in The Hershey Co.'s Bubble Yum brand bubblegum undermines the multinational candy company's commitment to transparency about the ingredients in its products, a new proposed false advertising class action filed in California state court alleges.
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October 28, 2024
Partner Sues Over Firm Breakup After $100M Conn. Verdict
Ryan C. McKeen, the former CEO of a trial firm known for high-dollar verdicts, is wrongfully trying to arbitrate a dispute over the terms of the practice's breakup, his former law partner Andrew P. Garza alleged in a state court showdown between the two 50% owners and their families.
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October 28, 2024
Sterigenics Says Residents Can't Tie Harms To Ethylene Oxide
Medical sterilization company Sterigenics US LLC and its parent, Sotera Health LLC, are asking a Georgia state judge to exclude expert testimony put forward by Peach State residents alleging their ethylene oxide emissions harmed them, and to dismiss the residents' claims against them.
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October 28, 2024
Wash. AG Candidates Clash On Consumer Protection, Guns
The candidates vying to replace Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson, who carved out a national reputation as an antitrust champion, present starkly different visions on whether to build upon his tenure or reverse course, clashing not just on consumer protection, but also gun safety and access to reproductive care.
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October 28, 2024
Monsanto Attys Fined $20K For Late Reports In PCB Trial
A Washington state judge has ordered eight attorneys defending Monsanto in a Seattle PCB poisoning trial to pay $2,500 each to the local bar foundation for late disclosure of expert reports, saying the "sting" of personal sanctions should deter any future bad behavior causing "chaos and disruption."
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October 28, 2024
Where's The Beef? Subway Customer Sues Over Meaty Ads
Subway was hit with a putative class action Monday in New York federal court claiming ads for the popular chain's Steak & Cheese sandwich show the product with at least 200% more meat than the subs that are handed to customers.
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October 28, 2024
Judge Hopes To Avoid Vote Issue Repeat In Talc Ch. 11 Plan
A Delaware bankruptcy judge on Monday told a pair of talc producers that the proposed creditor voting procedures on their joint Chapter 11 plans will need some work to avoid a repeat of the voting problems that derailed a previous attempt to settle asbestos injury claims.
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October 28, 2024
X Says Watchdog's Discovery Can't Target Musk In Libel Suit
X Corp. fired back Monday at a left-leaning watchdog's attempt to secure information concerning how the social media platform polices its content, telling a Texas federal judge that the organization is merely trying to get a "scoop" by obtaining Elon Musk's personal messages.
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October 28, 2024
Philip Morris Nicotine Pouch Suit Not About Labels, Court Told
A lawsuit accusing Philip Morris International of misleading customers of its ZYN nicotine pouches asserts claims under business practices and false advertising statutes, but not the federal labeling law the tobacco giant is invoking in its dismissal bid, the suing consumer told a Connecticut federal court.
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October 28, 2024
Navajo See Growing Trend After Return Of Ceremonial Masks
The Navajo Nation says there is a growing trend among the descendants of collectors and amateur archaeologists to give Indigenous artifacts back to their rightful owners, after a donor returned a set of 11 ceremonial masks that the tribe says vitally define its sovereignty.
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October 28, 2024
Flint Bellwether Delayed On Eve Of Trial, Again
A Michigan federal judge delayed Monday a bellwether trial set to determine if a water engineering firm was professionally negligent for its role in the Flint water crisis one day before jury selection was scheduled to begin and without explanation.
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October 28, 2024
Judge Tosses Hearing-Loss MDL Bellwether With Voided Law
Horizon Pharmaceuticals Inc. on Monday was able to remove one of the 12 cases selected as bellwethers in multidistrict litigation over claims that its thyroid eye disease treatment causes hearing loss, relying on a repealed Michigan law to create a dismissal-worthy conflict.
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October 28, 2024
Surge In Nicotine Fee Suits Shows Wellness Program Risks
A recent crop of suits accusing large employers of violating nondiscrimination provisions in federal benefits law by making workers who use nicotine pay more for health insurance underscore the risk of using fees to offset healthcare costs, attorneys say. Here are five nicotine surcharge suits to keep an eye on.
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October 28, 2024
Apple's $20M Watch Defect Deal Gets OK With More Details
A California federal judge gave his blessing Friday to Apple's $20 million settlement to resolve a proposed class action alleging certain Apple Watches have a battery defect that can cause serious injuries, after telling counsel earlier this month to submit additional information about the deal's value.
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October 28, 2024
Feds Defend DEI Monitor Provision In Boeing Plea Deal
The U.S. Department of Justice said it will consider diversity and inclusion when it picks an independent compliance monitor for The Boeing Co. under a proposed plea agreement in the company's criminal conspiracy case, reassuring a Texas federal judge that the selection process will be rigorous.
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October 28, 2024
Amazon, Google Accuse Website Of Selling Fake Reviews
Amazon and Google filed parallel lawsuits Monday in federal court against the entities behind a website they say facilitates fake product and business reviews, saying in an announcement that the two tech giants teamed up to "take action against bad actors attempting to deceive customers."
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October 28, 2024
Calif.'s 2018 Fire Reimbursement Suit Meets Skeptical Judge
A Los Angeles judge appeared dubious Monday that the state of California can use litigation against Southern California Edison to recover emergency funds distributed to local agencies that responded to the destructive Woolsey Fire in 2018.
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October 28, 2024
CrowdStrike Fires Back At Delta In IT Outage Blame Game
CrowdStrike filed a federal lawsuit against Delta Air Lines on Friday, the same day the airline filed a $500 million complaint in Georgia state court blaming the cybersecurity firm for implementing "untested and faulty updates" to its software that knocked out computers with Microsoft Windows operating systems worldwide.
Expert Analysis
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Series
Playing Diplomacy Makes Us Better Lawyers
Similar to the practice of law, the rules of Diplomacy — a strategic board game set in pre-World War I Europe — are neither concise nor without ambiguity, and weekly gameplay with our colleagues has revealed the game's practical applications to our work as attorneys, say Jason Osborn and Ben Bevilacqua at Winston & Strawn.
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How Multifamily Property Owners Can Plan For The EV Future
As the electric vehicle market expands, and federal and state incentives and mandates intended to promote EV use come into effect, owners and operators of multifamily residential properties should be prepared to meet the growing demand for onsite EV charging infrastructure, say Sydney Tucker and Andreas Wokutch at Frost Brown.
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Conn. Court Split May Lead To Vertical Forum Shopping
As shown by a recent ruling in State v. Exxon Mobil, Connecticut state and federal courts are split on personal jurisdiction, and until the Connecticut Supreme Court steps in, parties may be incentivized to forum shop, causing foreign entities to endure costly litigation and uncertain liability, says Matthew Gibbons at Shipman & Goodwin.
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Mental Health First Aid: A Brief Primer For Attorneys
Amid a growing body of research finding that attorneys face higher rates of mental illness than the general population, firms should consider setting up mental health first aid training programs to help lawyers assess mental health challenges in their colleagues and intervene with compassion, say psychologists Shawn Healy and Tracey Meyers.
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Enviro Policy Trends That Will Continue Beyond The Election
Come October in a presidential election year, the policy world feels like a winner-take-all scenario, with the outcome of the vote determining how or even whether we are regulated — but there are several key ongoing trends that will continue to drive environmental regulation regardless of the election results, say J. Michael Showalter and Samuel Rasche at ArentFox Schiff.
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Series
Collecting Art Makes Me A Better Lawyer
The therapeutic aspects of appreciating and collecting art improve my legal practice by enhancing my observation skills, empathy, creativity and cultural awareness, says attorney Michael McCready.
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Aviation Watch: Boeing Plea Agreement May Not Serve Public
The proposed plea agreement between the U.S. Department of Justice and Boeing — the latest outgrowth of the company's 737 Max travails — is opposed by crash victims' families, faces an uncertain fate in court, and may ultimately serve no beneficial purpose, even if approved, says Alan Hoffman, a retired attorney and aviation expert.
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Using Primacy And Recency Effects In Opening Statements
By understanding and strategically employing the primacy and recency effects in opening statements, attorneys can significantly enhance their persuasive impact, ensuring that their narrative is both compelling and memorable from the outset, says Bill Kanasky at Courtroom Sciences.
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Litigation Inspiration: Honoring Your Learned Profession
About 30,000 people who took the bar exam in July will learn they passed this fall, marking a fitting time for all attorneys to remember that they are members in a specialty club of learned professionals — and the more they can keep this in mind, the more benefits they will see, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.
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Opinion
AI May Limit Key Learning Opportunities For Young Attorneys
The thing that’s so powerful about artificial intelligence is also what’s most scary about it — its ability to detect patterns may curtail young attorneys’ chance to practice the lower-level work of managing cases, preventing them from ever honing the pattern recognition skills that undergird creative lawyering, says Sarah Murray at Trialcraft.
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A Class Action Trend Tests Limit Of Courts' Equity Powers
A troubling trend has developed in federal class action litigation as some counsel and judges attempt to push injunctive relief classes under Rule 23(b)(2) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure beyond the traditional limits of federal courts' equitable powers, say attorneys at Jones Day.
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Class Actions At The Circuit Courts: September Lessons
In this month's review of class action appeals, Mitchell Engel at Shook Hardy identifies practice tips from four recent class certification rulings involving denial of Medicare reimbursements, automobile insurance disputes, veterans' rights and automobile defects.
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6 Tips For Trying Cases Away From Home
Excerpt from Practical Guidance
A truly national litigation practice, by definition, often requires trying cases in jurisdictions across the country, which presents unique challenges that require methodical preparation and coordination both within the trial team and externally, say Edward Bennett and Suzanne Salgado at Williams & Connolly.
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A Blueprint For Structuring An Effective Plaintiff Case Story
The number and size of nuclear verdicts continue to rise, in part because plaintiffs attorneys have become more adept at crafting compelling trial stories — and an analysis of these success stories reveals a 10-part framework for structuring an effective case narrative, says Jonathan Ross at Decision Analysis.
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Series
Round-Canopy Parachuting Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Similar to the practice of law, jumping from an in-flight airplane with nothing but training and a few yards of parachute silk is a demanding and stressful endeavor, and the experience has bolstered my legal practice by enhancing my focus, teamwork skills and sense of perspective, says Thomas Salerno at Stinson.