Retail & E-Commerce

  • October 01, 2024

    From AI To Enviro: The Top Biz Bills Calif. Gov. Inked Into Law

    California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed hundreds of bills into law ahead of an Oct. 1 deadline, meaning major changes are on the horizon for employers, tech companies, healthcare providers and others doing business in the Golden State.

  • October 01, 2024

    Peloton Beats Investor Suit Over COVID-19 Sales For Good

    Peloton has won the permanent dismissal of a shareholder suit accusing it of intentionally misleading investors to believe that its COVID-19 spike in demand was sustainable, with a New York federal judge saying the investors have not "articulated sufficient factual allegations to carry their assertions beyond the speculative level."

  • October 01, 2024

    9th Circ. Cites 'Sunscreen' Song In Reviving Banana Boat Suit

    The Ninth Circuit on Tuesday revived a proposed class action claiming Banana Boat sunscreen contains unsafe levels of benzene, citing a one-hit wonder from an Academy Award nominated director and saying a lower court judge erred by prematurely resolving disputed issues of fact and the merits of the consumer case.

  • October 01, 2024

    4 Firms Guide PE-Backed Polish Retailer's Expected $1.6B IPO

    Private equity-backed Polish convenience store giant Zabka Polska SA outlined plans Tuesday for an initial public offering estimated to raise 6.2 billion zloty ($1.6 billion), potentially Poland's largest listing in four years, under the guidance of four law firms.

  • October 01, 2024

    Gap Escapes Privacy Suit Over Email Tracking, For Now

    A California federal judge on Monday tossed a proposed class action alleging that the Gap Inc. invaded consumers' privacy by using tracking technology in its marketing emails without consent, saying the complaint doesn't plausibly allege that the software unlawfully captures content protected by state privacy law.

  • October 01, 2024

    Kroger Says Labor Costs Led To Price Hikes At Colo. Stores

    A Kroger Co. pricing director testified Tuesday that the company raised prices at eight Colorado stores that have little competition in order to cover higher labor and operational costs in those mountain communities, during a trial in the state's bid to block the grocer's proposed $24.6 billion merger with Albertsons.

  • October 01, 2024

    NJ Hotels Beat Room Price-Fixing Suit For Good

    Another algorithmic antitrust suit is off the table after a New Jersey federal judge said Monday that a room-rate proposed class action against Atlantic City casino-hotels has the same failings that doomed a case over room prices on the Las Vegas Strip.

  • October 01, 2024

    Google Ad Tech Trial: 15 Days On The Rocket Docket

    The Justice Department wrapped an extraordinary antitrust trial last week that left a Virginia federal judge pondering whether Google is even dominant in the display advertising placement technology market or just another player.

  • October 01, 2024

    Amazon Gets $47M Voice Patent Verdict Slashed By $7M

    Amazon was able to shave off about $7 million from a nearly $47 million verdict against it in a voice software technology patent case by a defunct startup after convincing a Delaware federal court that there was a hole in expert testimony over the online retail giant's Alexa software.

  • October 01, 2024

    Amex Sued By Merchants Over 'Anti-Steering' Rule

    American Express violates federal antitrust laws by effectively preventing nearly all businesses that accept credit cards from incentivizing customers to use other cards with lower fees, a proposed class action alleges.

  • October 01, 2024

    Starbucks Investor Suit Seems 'Premature,' Court Official Says

    A Washington appellate commissioner gave Starbucks another chance to end a shareholder suit accusing the company's leadership of turning a blind eye to union-busting by managers, saying the lawsuit appears "premature" since it mostly relies on unfair labor practice complaints that are still pending.

  • October 01, 2024

    NC Man Defends $1.6M Verdict Over Vape Battery Explosion

    A North Carolina man is asking a state appeals court to affirm his $1.6 million verdict in a suit against a distributor over injuries he suffered when a lithium-ion battery for his vape exploded in his pocket, saying there was plenty of evidence for the jury to conclude the distributor sold the battery in question.

  • October 01, 2024

    EBay Beats Gov't Claims Over Sale Of Polluting Products

    A New York federal judge Monday tossed a government lawsuit accusing eBay Inc. of hawking illegal automotive, paint removal and pesticide products, holding that the e-commerce giant does not meet the definition of a "seller" and has Section 230 immunity as a publisher of third-party content.

  • October 01, 2024

    Arkansas AG Says YouTube Addicts And Harms Youth Users

    The Arkansas attorney general has sued YouTube LLC, Google LLC and their parent company in state court, alleging that the YouTube platform is deliberately designed to addict youth users and shows them harmful content, leading to a mental health crisis that has cost the state hundreds of millions of dollars.

  • October 01, 2024

    Apple, Amazon Hint Hagens Berman Lacked Client's OK

    Amazon and Apple blasted Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP for seeking to withdraw as counsel for the no-show original lead plaintiff in an antitrust suit targeting iPhone and iPad sales, hinting that the firm continued to pursue the case even after knowing its client wished to drop out.

  • October 01, 2024

    Feds Float Duties On Chinese Foam-Making Chemical

    The U.S. Department of Commerce proposed countervailing duties against the Chinese makers of a chemical used to make polyurethane foam, after determining that the producers likely received government assistance that conferred an unfair advantage in the U.S.

  • October 01, 2024

    Febreze Jingle IP Claim Doesn't Pass 2nd Circ. Smell Test

    The Second Circuit on Tuesday rejected an appeal from a New York composer who claims Procter & Gamble's advertisement jingle for Febreze ripped off five notes from a song he wrote in the 1980s, saying those notes by themselves are not protectable under copyright law.

  • September 30, 2024

    FTC's Amazon Monopolization Suit Partly Tossed, For Now

    A Washington federal judge on Monday agreed to trim the Federal Trade Commission's landmark monopolization case against Amazon and split the trial into two parts, although the order itself remains sealed, according to an entry on the case docket.

  • September 30, 2024

    Apple Says Epic's Injunction Can't Survive New Precedent

    Apple Inc. asked a California federal judge Monday to vacate or at least narrow the injunction won by Epic Games Inc. against the iPhone maker's anti-steering rules, arguing that two recent rulings suggest that the judge got the state antitrust law wrong.

  • September 30, 2024

    Colo. Says Kroger Merger Would Divest To 'Retail Liquidator'

    Colorado enforcers told a state judge Monday that Kroger Co.'s plan to inoculate against the anticompetitive effects of its $25 billion merger with Albertsons is doomed to fail because the company that would acquire hundreds of stores is a "liquidator" with no intention of running the stores long term.

  • September 30, 2024

    Epic Judge Slams Apple's 'Bad Behavior' Managing Discovery

    A California federal magistrate judge overseeing discovery in Epic Games' antitrust compliance fight with Apple has refused to grant Apple's request to extend a compliance deadline to produce documents, slamming the tech giant for its "bad behavior" and eleventh-hour extension request and noting Apple has extensive resources to meet Monday's deadline.

  • September 30, 2024

    Amazon's Soured Solar Deal Suit Misses Mark, PE Firm Says

    A California-based private equity firm and firms tied to two solar projects have urged a Washington state judge to toss most of Amazon's claims in a $200 million countersuit over a power purchase deal fallout, accusing the e-commerce giant of making an "end run" around its own contracts to drain them financially.

  • September 30, 2024

    Calif. Court Finds Snapchat Can Seek 'Spectacles' TM

    Following a three-day bench trial earlier this year, a California federal judge has told the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to reverse its refusal to grant Snapchat parent company Snap Inc. trademark protection covering its "Spectacles" brand of digital glasses.

  • September 30, 2024

    Chubb Units Avoid Nearly All Claims In Water Damage Suit

    A Connecticut federal court on Monday tossed nearly all coverage claims a commercial real estate company and its owner lodged against Chubb companies over plumbing issues at their headquarters, finding two of the defendant Chubb companies weren't parties to the policy at issue.

  • September 30, 2024

    Consumer 'Overslept' On Some Drowsy Cough Syrup Claims

    An Illinois federal judge said Monday a consumer can continue her suit alleging Tussin cough syrup's "non-drowsy" label is deceptive because the syrup made her sleepy, but ruled she waited too long to pursue warranty breach claims.

Expert Analysis

  • Litigation Inspiration: Honoring Your Learned Profession

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    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.

  • Opinion

    AI May Limit Key Learning Opportunities For Young Attorneys

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    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.

  • A Class Action Trend Tests Limit Of Courts' Equity Powers

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    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.

  • A Look At How De Minimis Import Rules May Soon Change

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    The planned implementation of executive actions focused on the de minimis rule as it applies to shipments means companies should use this interval to evaluate the potential applicability and impact of Section 301, Section 201 or Section 232 duties on their products, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • Antitrust Issues To Watch Amid Google Ad Tech Trial

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    Regardless of the outcome of the U.S. Department of Justice's advertising technology antitrust suit against Google in Virginia federal court, matters ranging from market definition to unified pricing will likely have far-reaching implications for the digital advertising industry, competition and innovation, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • What To Know About Latest Calif. Auto-Renewal Law Update

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    While businesses have about nine months to prepare before the recently passed amendment to California's automatic renewal law takes effect, it’s not too early to begin working on compliance efforts, including sign-up flow reviews, record retention updates and marketing language revisions, say Gonzalo Mon and Beth Chun at Kelley Drye.

  • How Lucia, Jarkesy Could Affect Grocery Merger Challenge

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    While the Federal Trade Commission is taking a dual federal court and administrative tribunal approach to block Kroger's merger with Alberstons, Kroger's long-shot unconstitutionality claims could potentially lead to a reevaluation of the FTC's reliance on administrative processes in complex merger cases, say attorneys at Saul Ewing.

  • How To Avoid Liability When Using Cookie Consent Managers

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    As companies attempt to comply with consumer protection laws by implementing cookie consent managers on their websites, they must be wary of separate legal risks that can stem from implementing or using these tools incorrectly, says Ian Cohen at LOKKER.

  • Basel Endgame Rules: A Change Is Coming

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    The Federal Reserve Board's recently announced recalibration of the Basel endgame proposal begins a critical chapter in the evolution of not only the safety and soundness of U.S. banks, but also of banks' abilities to lend and support American businesses and consumers, say attorneys at Davis Wright.

  • Series

    Round-Canopy Parachuting Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    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.

  • Why Now Is The Time For Law Firms To Hire Lateral Partners

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    Partner and associate mobility data from the second quarter of this year suggest that there's never been a better time in recent years for law firms to hire lateral candidates, particularly experienced partners — though this necessitates an understanding of potential red flags, say Julie Henson and Greg Hamman at Decipher Investigative Intelligence.

  • Considering Possible PR Risks Of Certain Legal Tactics

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    Disney and American Airlines recently abandoned certain litigation tactics in two lawsuits after fierce public backlash, illustrating why corporate counsel should consider the reputational implications of any legal strategy and partner with their communications teams to preempt public relations concerns, says Chris Gidez at G7 Reputation Advisory.

  • How Labeling And Testing May Help Reduce PFAS Litigation

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    As regulators take steps to reduce consumers’ exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as forever chemicals, companies can take a proactive approach to mitigating litigation risks not only by labeling their products transparently, but also by complying with testing and marketing standards, says Sarah La Pearl at Segal McCambridge.

  • It's No Longer Enough For Firms To Be Trusted Advisers

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    Amid fierce competition for business, the transactional “trusted adviser” paradigm from which most firms operate is no longer sufficient — they should instead aim to become trusted partners with their most valuable clients, says Stuart Maister at Strategic Narrative.

  • Behind 3rd Circ. Ruling On College Athletes' FLSA Eligibility

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    The Third Circuit's decision that college athletes are not precluded from bringing a claim under the Fair Labor Standards Act raises key questions about the practical consequences of treating collegiate athletes as employees, such as Title IX equal pay claims and potential eligibility for all employment benefits, say attorneys at Debevoise.

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