Product Liability

  • November 06, 2024

    Albertsons Hit With Discovery Sanctions In Wash. Opioid Suit

    A Washington state judge has partially granted the state's sanctions request in its suit accusing Albertsons of exacerbating the opioid crisis, agreeing that the grocery store chain took an "unreasonable" stance in refusing to respond to outstanding discovery requests because a deadline had passed while the case was paused.

  • November 06, 2024

    Customers Look To Preserve Lead Class Action Against AT&T

    AT&T shareholders are telling a Texas federal judge that the company acted with scienter when it allegedly misled investors about the removal of lead-covered copper cables from its network, pushing back on AT&T's motion to dismiss the suit stemming from a drop in the company's stock price.

  • November 06, 2024

    After Electoral Defeats, Cannabis Advocates Eye Next Steps

    Cannabis industry advocates and reform activists struck a note of cautious optimism Wednesday following an expected Republican electoral sweep of the federal government, while opponents of legalization touted the defeat of multiple statewide ballot measures as proof of their position that marijuana reform efforts were losing support.

  • November 06, 2024

    Hyundai, Kia Rip Cities' Bellwether Trial Bid In Car-Theft MDL

    Hyundai and Kia have asked a California federal judge to reject several cities' request for bellwether trials in consolidated litigation alleging that the automakers knowingly sold vehicles with design flaws that spawned a car-theft crime wave after a viral TikTok trend popularized tips for breaking into their cars.

  • November 06, 2024

    Calif. Truckers Seek Scrub Of State's New Emissions Rule

    The California Trucking Association is asking a federal court in the state to give it a win in its challenge to the California Air Resources Board rule requiring that they switch to zero-emissions vehicles, saying the rule is preempted because it will impact trucking rates and routes.

  • November 06, 2024

    Kratom Co. Failed To Warn Of 'Addictive Potential,' Suit Says

    The company behind Kryptic Kratom and K-Chill branded supplements was hit with a proposed class action accusing the company concealing the "addictive potential" of kratom, which the suit likens to opioids, morphine and heroin.

  • November 06, 2024

    Mass. Tobacco Law's Penalty Provision Hits State's Top Court

    Massachusetts' highest court on Wednesday attempted to reconcile a state law mandating a $1,000 fine for selling flavored tobacco products with a separate statute requiring local officials to file a criminal complaint if they seek to enforce penalties of that amount.

  • November 06, 2024

    Business Groups Urge Calif. Justices To Nix HIV Drug Ruling

    Business groups led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce are asking the California Supreme Court to throw out a suit alleging Gilead Sciences Inc. deprived customers of a safer form of its HIV drug for profits, saying the current ruling creates an untenable duty and liability even when there's no harmful defect in a product.

  • November 06, 2024

    NJ Co. Not Giving Refunds For Lead-Tainted Toys, Suit Claims

    Three consumers have alleged in Garden State federal court that New Jersey-based toy-maker Red Toolbox is refusing to issue refunds for a gardening toy set that was recalled because it contained levels of lead that exceed the federal lead paint threshold, according to a proposed class action.

  • November 06, 2024

    What A Second Trump Term Could Mean For FDA And CPSC

    The historic reelection of former President Donald Trump could lead to shake-ups at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, while questions remain about what policies he will enact.

  • November 06, 2024

    Tesla Defeats Sanctions Bid Over Atty's Mediation Appearance

    A widow suing Tesla Inc. for the wrongful death of her late husband can't pursue sanctions against the automaker for allegedly wasting her time in mediation, a California federal judge ruled Wednesday.

  • November 06, 2024

    Contractors Say Osprey Crash Suit Lacks 'Who, What, When'

    The families of five Marines killed in the June 2022 crash of a V-22 Osprey aircraft haven't specified the "who, what, when, where, and how" of an alleged fraud on the U.S. government by three defense contractors, and should lose their claims for misrepresentation and breach of contract, the defendants told a California federal court Tuesday.

  • November 06, 2024

    Ariz. Judge Blocks Lithium Exploration Drilling Project

    An Arizona federal judge blocked a third phase of a Sandy Valley lithium exploration project Tuesday, ruling that the Bureau of Land Management likely fell short of its duties to weigh potential impacts to a hot spring known as Ha'Kamwe' that is sacred to the Hualapai Indian Tribe.

  • November 06, 2024

    Mining Developer Wants In On Nevada Lithium Project Row

    The owner and developer behind the Rhyolite Ridge Lithium-Boron Mine asked a Nevada federal judge to let it intervene in a challenge brought by environmental and tribal groups seeking to upend the U.S. Department of the Interior's authorization of the mine project.

  • November 06, 2024

    Tobacco Cos. Side With FDA In Menthol Cigarette Ban Fight

    Tobacco giants R.J. Reynolds and Philip Morris have come to the aid of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in a pair of friend-of-the-court briefs, urging a federal court to toss a suit against the agency over its purported delays in implementing a ban on menthol cigarettes.

  • November 05, 2024

    Trump Has Official Immunity. What About His Aides?

    Whether the U.S. Supreme Court's decision on presidential immunity extends to subordinates who follow a president's orders has become a more pressing question in the wake of Donald Trump's projected election win, according to legal experts.

  • November 05, 2024

    How Trump Can Quash His Criminal Cases

    Donald Trump's projected victory at the polls also translates to a win in the courts, as the second-term president will have the power to end both of his federal criminal cases. And the U.S. Supreme Court's decision on presidential immunity would shield him from any consequences for ordering his charges to be dismissed, experts say.

  • November 05, 2024

    An Early Look At Trump's Supreme Court Shortlist

    With former President Donald Trump projected to win the 2024 presidential election and the Republicans' success in securing the U.S. Senate majority, Trump may now get the chance to appoint two more justices to the U.S. Supreme Court, cementing the court's conservative tilt for decades to come.

  • November 05, 2024

    GOP's Senate Win Hands Future Of The Judiciary To Trump

    Republicans were projected to take back the White House and Senate and possibly the House early Wednesday, putting the GOP in position to back Donald Trump's agenda and his slate of young, conservative judicial nominees. 

  • November 05, 2024

    The Firms With An Inside Track To A New Trump Admin

    Law firms that have represented Donald Trump and the Republican Party on everything from personal legal woes to election-related lawsuits could see the risks of that work pay dividends as Trump is projected to secure a second term in office.

  • November 05, 2024

    Ex-US Attorney Wins Wash. Attorney General Race

    Seattle's former U.S. attorney Nick Brown will become Washington's next attorney general and the first Black man to hold the position, beating a mayor from the eastern part of the state who ran on his record as a gun rights advocate, the Associated Press projects.

  • November 05, 2024

    Ford To Face Punitives Bid At Next Ga. Trial Over Truck Roof

    Ford Motor Co. must face a punitive damages request at an upcoming jury trial over allegations that a defective pickup truck roof caused a husband and wife to suffocate during a rollover crash, a Georgia federal judge held Tuesday.

  • November 05, 2024

    Mich. Judge Won't Delay Benton Harbor Lead Pollution Suit

    A federal magistrate judge in Michigan rejected a request to push back a scheduling conference in litigation over lead contamination in a Michigan city's drinking water, ordering the parties on Monday to press forward with resolving the significantly narrowed case.

  • November 05, 2024

    Lyft Must Face Sex Assault Suit Under Product Liability Law

    A Kansas federal judge on Friday left product liability claims standing against Lyft Inc. in a suit by a passenger who alleges she was sexually assaulted by a couple posing as a driver, saying she has sufficiently alleged the company's ride-sharing app is defective.

  • November 05, 2024

    EPA's Superfund 'Blank Check' Dooms PFAS Rule, Groups Say

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency wrote itself a legal "blank check" to increase the number of chemicals subject to required cleanups under federal Superfund law, industry advocates told the D.C. Circuit.

Expert Analysis

  • The Strategic Advantages Of Appointing A Law Firm CEO

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    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.

  • 7 Tips To Help Your Witness Be A Cross-Exam Heavyweight

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    Because jurors tend to pay a little more attention to cross-examination, attorneys should train their witnesses to strike a balance — making it tough for opposing counsel to make their side’s case, without coming across as difficult to the jury, says Ken Broda-Bahm at Persuasion Strategies.

  • Series

    Beekeeping Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    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.

  • Useful Product Doctrine May Not Shield Against PFAS Liability

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    Courts have recognized that companies transferring hazardous recycled materials can defeat liability under environmental laws by showing they were selling a useful product — but new laws in California and elsewhere restricting the sale of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances may change the legal landscape, says Kyle Girouard at Dickinson Wright.

  • Opinion

    Legal Institutions Must Warn Against Phony Election Suits

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    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.

  • How Cos. Can Build A Strong In-House Pro Bono Program

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    During this year’s pro bono celebration week, companies should consider some key pointers to grow and maintain a vibrant in-house program for attorneys to provide free legal services for the public good, says Mary Benton at Alston & Bird.

  • Series

    Home Canning Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Making my own pickles and jams requires seeing a process through from start to finish, as does representing clients from the start of a dispute at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board through any appeals to the Federal Circuit, says attorney Kevin McNish.

  • Navigating The Bankruptcy Terrain After Purdue Pharma

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s June ruling in Harrington v. Purdue Pharma is having a significant impact on bankruptcies, with recent cases addressing nonconsensual third-party releases and opt-out mechanisms, and highlighting strategies practitioners can employ to avoid running afoul of the decision, say Brett Axelrod and Agostino Zammiello at Fox Rothschild.

  • Use The Right Kind Of Feedback To Help Gen Z Attorneys

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    Generation Z associates bring unique perspectives and expectations to the workplace, so it’s imperative that supervising attorneys adapt their feedback approach in order to help young lawyers learn and grow — which is good for law firms, too, says Rachael Bosch at Fringe Professional Development.

  • Opinion

    Congress Can And Must Enact A Supreme Court Ethics Code

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    As public confidence in the U.S. Supreme Court dips to historic lows following reports raising conflict of interest concerns, Congress must exercise its constitutional power to enact a mandatory and enforceable code of ethics for the high court, says Muhammad Faridi, president of the New York City Bar Association.

  • Perspectives

    Pop Culture Docket: Justice Lebovits On Gilbert And Sullivan

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    Characters in the 19th century comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan break the rules of good lawyering by shamelessly throwing responsible critical thought to the wind, providing hilarious lessons for lawyers and judges on how to avoid a surfeit of traps and tribulations, say acting New York Supreme Court Justice Gerald Lebovits and law student Tara Scown.

  • California's AI Safety Bill Veto: The Path Forward

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    California Gov. Gavin Newsom's veto of a bill that sought to impose stringent regulations on advanced artificial intelligence model development has sparked a renewed debate on how best to balance innovation with safety in the rapidly evolving AI landscape, say Bobby Malhotra and Carson Swope at Winston & Strawn.

  • Deadline Extension Highlights PFAS Reporting Complexities

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    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's recent extension of reporting and recordkeeping timelines for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances under the Toxic Substances Control Act offers relief to the regulated community, but the unprecedented volume of data required means that businesses must remain diligent in their data collection efforts, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

  • 6th Circ. Preemption Ruling Adds Uncertainty For Car Cos.

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    Automakers and their suppliers need uniformity under the law to create sufficient scale and viable markets — but the Sixth Circuit's recent decision in Fenner v. General Motors creates more uncertainty around the question of when state law consumer claims related to violations of federal vehicle emissions and fuel economy standards are preempted, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • State Of The States' AI Legal Ethics Landscape

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    Over the past year, several state bar associations, as well as the American Bar Association, have released guidance on the ethical use of artificial intelligence in legal practice, all of which share overarching themes and some nuanced differences, say Eric Pacifici and Kevin Henderson at SMB Law Group.

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