Retail & E-Commerce

March 21, 2025
Chancery Nixes Mid-Case Appeal In Sears Appraisal Suit Fix

A Delaware vice chancellor refused on Friday to certify a mid-case appeal sought by bankrupt Sears Hometown Stores and its billionaire controller after a Court of Chancery ruling that an investor should get a full $4.06 per share post-squeeze-out merger award despite pursuing an alternative stock appraisal that was dead-ended by bankruptcy.
March 21, 2025
NJ, Pa. Claims Over Amazon Price Hike Project Cut For Good

Pennsylvania and New Jersey's attorneys general's efforts to shore up state law claims in the Federal Trade Commission monopolization lawsuit against Amazon.com failed after a Washington federal judge found nothing "unconscionable" about a project that matches rivals' price increases or deceptive about its concealment.
March 21, 2025
Lululemon Secures PTAB Decision Axing Nike Shoe Patent

Lululemon persuaded a panel of administrative judges on Friday to wipe out all of the claims in a Nike footwear manufacturing patent, which Nike had already dropped from its New York suit against the athletic apparel retailer by the time that case went to trial earlier this month.
March 21, 2025
Amazon Beats Consumer's Suit Over Late Delivery Again

A Washington federal judge on Friday permanently threw out a proposed class action accusing Amazon of breaking scheduled delivery promises, finding that the e-commerce giant did not engage in deception by requiring customers to request shipping fee refunds for packages that arrive after a guaranteed time.
March 21, 2025
Latham-Led Online Ticket Giant StubHub Files IPO

Private equity- and venture-backed online ticket reseller StubHub Holdings Inc. on Friday filed its long-awaited initial public offering plans, represented by Latham & Waktins LLP and underwriters counsel Cooley LLP.
March 21, 2025
Buyers' Gripe Is With Timber Sector, Not Charmin, P&G Says

A false advertising lawsuit accusing Procter & Gamble of overhyping the forest-friendly bona fides of Charmin toilet paper should be dismissed, the company told a Washington federal judge, arguing that the buyers' suit is misdirected at P&G when their actual disappointment is with the "forestry industry."
March 21, 2025
Meta Defends Need For Current Data In FTC Case

Meta Platforms Inc. told a D.C. federal court the company should be able to use the most recent data it has during next month's trial in the Federal Trade Commission's case accusing the Facebook parent company of monopolizing personal social networking.
March 21, 2025
Gibson Gets Infringement Finding Plus $1 In Guitar TM Retrial

A Texas federal jury on Friday found that a Florida-based guitar maker infringed Gibson Brands Inc.'s trademarks on shapes of some of its famous guitars like the Flying V and Explorer but handed Gibson $1 after finding that it delayed bringing its claims.
March 21, 2025
No 'Cosmic Coincidence,' Atty Suggests In Peet's Privacy Suit

Counsel for a digital marketing company on Friday urged a California federal judge to reject a class certification bid in a suit accusing it and Peet's Coffee of unlawfully tracking internet users' browsing activity, accusing a would-be lead plaintiff of trying to intentionally trigger the tracking to become a class representative.
March 21, 2025
Crocs Defends News Release In Bid To Beat Defamation Suit

Footwear maker Crocs Inc. told a Colorado federal judge Friday that a 2022 news release in which it said Crocs secured "a judgment of infringement" against a rival company was at least substantially true, contending that's enough to defeat the rival's summary judgment bid in a defamation suit.
March 21, 2025
Evenflo To Pay $3.5M In Booster Seat MDL Settlement

Parents who purchased "Big Kid" vehicle booster seats are asking a Boston federal judge to grant preliminary approval on a $3.5 million deal that would end multidistrict litigation against baby product maker Evenflo Co., which was accused of overstating the safety of its boosters.
March 21, 2025
Unlockd To Take Google Antitrust Battle To 9th Circ.

Defunct advertising app maker Unlockd is hoping the Ninth Circuit will revive its antitrust suit accusing Google of allowing the then-up-and-coming business to build a reliance on Google platforms and then cutting it off once it became a threat.
March 21, 2025
Fed Defends Swipe Fee Cap Against Ky. Pizzeria's Challenge

The Federal Reserve Board asked a Kentucky federal judge to uphold its existing cap on debit card swipe fees, defending the regulatory measure's substantive and procedural merits in a suit brought by a family-owned pizza shop operating in the state.
March 21, 2025
Black Ex-Manager Hits Lowe's With Racial Bias Claims In NC

A Black former manager at Lowes Companies Inc. has said that she was fired because of her race and that before her termination she was treated differently from white colleagues by her supervisor to the point that she was not given resources necessary to do her job.
March 21, 2025
DC Circ. Won't Let Apple Intervene For Google Search Fix Trial

A D.C. Circuit panel on Friday rejected Apple's appeal seeking to participate in the remedy trial for the U.S. Department of Justice's search monopolization case against Google next month.
March 20, 2025
FTC Asks 8th Circ. To Nix Click-To-Cancel Rule Challenges

The Trump administration's Federal Trade Commission isn't planning an about-face on the "click-to-cancel" rule debuted last year under the Biden administration, at least according to a recent filing asking the Eighth Circuit to dismiss a petition challenging the rule.
March 20, 2025
Industry Groups Criticize Withdrawal Of PTAB Denial Memo

Groups representing major industries have written to the White House expressing "grave concern" about the patent office's withdrawal of a guidance memo limiting when patent challenges can be denied, and large tech companies told a court the office's move bolsters their case against such denials.
March 20, 2025
Class In Bayer 'One A Day' Gummies Lawsuit Gets Judge's OK

A New York federal judge on Wednesday certified a class of consumers who allege that the labeling on Bayer's "One A Day" vitamin gummies is misleading, finding that an expert's survey found that the consumers found that it was so.
March 20, 2025
State AGs Want 11th Circ. Redo Of FCC Robocall Reg Ruling

Attorneys general from more than half the states and Washington, D.C., are urging the full Eleventh Circuit to reverse a panel decision that nixed a federal rule restricting the use of comparison shopping sites to generate robocall leads.
March 20, 2025
Walgreens Can't Dodge Wash. Law In 'Non-Drowsy' Label Suit

The Washington Supreme Court said Thursday that Walgreens could not avoid claims under the state's consumer protection law alleging its "non-drowsy" cough medicine label was deceptive, rejecting the retailer's contention that the law's safe harbor provision shielded it from a proposed class action in Illinois federal court.
March 20, 2025
Texas Senators Approve Bill Banning THC Consumables

The Texas state Senate has approved a bill that would broadly ban consumable products with hemp-derived cannabinoids, such as delta-8 THC, sending the legislation to the state House of Representatives.
March 20, 2025
Samsung's Phone Screen Patent Case Dies At ITC

Samsung has failed to convince the U.S. International Trade Commission to second-guess an administrative law judge who decided last year that the smartphone giant could not bring a patent case at the agency against a major Chinese rival that makes replacement screens for smartphones.
March 20, 2025
9th Circ. Won't Renew Consumers' Amazon 'Buy Box' Suit

A Ninth Circuit panel has declined to revive a consumer antitrust suit against Amazon, ruling on Thursday the plaintiffs have failed to show they were injured by the e-commerce company's practices incentivizing third-party sellers to use its logistics services with the "Buy Box" feature.
March 20, 2025
Chinese Pool Firms Banned From US Sales Until Judgment Is Paid

A North Carolina federal judge barred multiple Chinese companies and their owner from importing and selling pool equipment in the United States until they pay off a prior $17.8 million judgment after finding them in contempt for "actively frustrating" collection efforts by moving money around despite restraining orders.
March 20, 2025
Saatva Misled Consumers About Mattress Material, Suit Says

Saatva, a direct-to-consumer mattress brand, has been hit with a proposed class action in a New York federal court, with shoppers accusing it of misrepresenting that its products are nontoxic, natural and chemical-free, even though its mattresses contained materials that pose health and environmental concerns.

Expert Analysis

Series

Playing Esports Makes Me A Better Lawyer

Competing in a global esports tournament at Wimbledon last year not only fulfilled my childhood dream, but also sharpened skills that are essential to my day job, including strategic thinking, confidence and networking, says AJ Schuyler at Jackson Lewis.
Fed. Circ. In December: A Patent Prosecution History Lesson

Despite relying on two rock-solid principles of patent law, DDR lost its Federal Circuit case against Priceline.com, highlighting how a change in the scope of the invention from the provisional to the nonprovisional application can affect the court's analysis of how a skilled artisan would understand claim terms after reading the prosecution history, say attorneys at Knobbe Martens.
Retailers Must Adapt As Courts Shift On False Price Claims

The increasing frequency with which courts are denying motions to dismiss false reference price claims signals that these lawsuits are not going away anytime soon, so retailers must be prepared for a more complex and prolonged defense process, say attorneys at Akerman.
An Associate's Guide To Career Development In 2025

As the new year begins, associates at all levels should consider establishing career metrics, fostering key relationships and employing other specific strategies to help move through the complexities of the legal profession with confidence and emerge as trailblazers, say EJ Stern and Amanda George at Fractional Law Firm.
Reviewing 2024's Crucial Patent Law Developments

As 2024 draws to a close, significant rulings and policies aimed at modernizing long-standing legal practices or addressing emerging challenges have reached patent law, says Michael Ellenberger at Rothwell Figg.
Series

Fixing Up Cars Makes Me A Better Lawyer

From problem-solving to patience and adaptability to organization, the skills developed working under the hood of a car directly translate to being a more effective lawyer, says Christopher Mdeway at Kaufman Dolowich.
2024's Most Notable FTC Actions Against Dark Patterns And AI

In 2024 the Federal Trade Commission ramped up enforcement actions related to dark patterns, loudly signaling its concern that advertisers will use AI to manipulate consumer habits and its intention to curb businesses' use and marketing of AI to prevent alleged consumer deception, say attorneys at Goodwin.
Making The Pitch To Grow Your Company's Legal Team

In a compressed economy, convincing the C-suite to invest in additional legal talent can be a herculean task, but a convincing pitch — supported by metrics and cost analyses — may help in-house counsel justify the growth of their team, say Elizabeth Smith and Roger Garceau at Major Lindsey.
Data Privacy Landscape After Mass. Justices' Wiretap Ruling

In Vita v. New England Baptist Hospital, Massachusetts’ highest court recently ruled that the state’s wiretap law doesn’t prohibit all tracking of website user activity, but major financial and reputational risks remain for businesses that aren't transparent about customer’s web data, says Seth Berman at Nutter.
Del. Dispatch: The 2024 Corporate Cases You Need To Know

The Delaware Court of Chancery in 2024 issued several decisions that some viewed as upending long-standing corporate practices, leading to the amendment of the Delaware General Corporation Law and debates at some Delaware corporations about potentially reincorporating to another state, say attorneys at Fried Frank.
Unwrapping Retailer AI Risks Amid Holiday Shopping Season

While generative artificial intelligence tools can catalyze game-changing results for retailers looking to stay ahead of the competition during the holiday season, and year-round, it can also bring certain legal risks, including product liability concerns, say attorneys at King & Spalding.
When US Privilege Law Applies To Docs Made Outside The US

As globalization manifests itself in disputes over foreign-created documents, a California federal court’s recent trademark decision illustrates nuances of both U.S. privilege frameworks and foreign evidentiary protections that attorneys must increasingly bear in mind, say attorneys at Hunton.
Notable 2024 Trademark Cases And What To Watch In 2025

Emerging disputes between established tech giants and smaller trademark holders promise to test the boundaries of trademark protection in 2025, following a 2024 marked with disputes in areas ranging from cybersquatting to geographic marks, says Danner Kline at Bradley Arant.
Examining Vidal's Guidance On PTAB Section 315 Time Bar

Last month's decision by outgoing U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Director Kathi Vidal in Luminex v. Signify addresses the Section 315 statutes that preclude institution of inter partes review proceedings after certain civil actions are filed, and is instructive as PTAB panels are likely to follow this approach going forward, says Amanda Wieker at McGuireWoods.
What 2024 Trends In Marketing, Comms Hiring Mean For 2025

The state of hiring in legal industry marketing, business development and communications over the past 12 months was marked by a number of trends — from changes in the C-suite to lateral move challenges — providing clues for what’s to come in the year ahead, says Ben Curle at Ambition.