Retail & E-Commerce

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.
March 20, 2025
Oracle Eyes Stake In TikTok's US Entity, And More Rumors

Oracle is considering acquiring a stake in TikTok's U.S. operations that would allow the social media giant to continue doing business here under certain security assurances. Meanwhile, Brookfield Asset Management has emerged as the top contender to acquire Colonial Pipeline, and German drugmaker Stada is delaying its IPO until at least September because of market volatility. Here, Law360 breaks down the notable deal rumors from the past week.
March 19, 2025
Beech-Nut Beats Baby Food Metals Case Revived By 2nd Circ.

A New York federal judge tossed Wednesday a recently revived consolidated proposed consumer class action alleging Beech-Nut Nutrition Co. sold baby food contaminated with metals, finding that the consumers have not shown they were economically harmed, while rejecting their claims they overpaid for the products or did not receive the benefit of the bargain.
March 19, 2025
Philip Morris Must Face Bulk Of Fla. Zyn Injury Suits

A Florida federal judge trimmed on Wednesday a single fraudulent concealment claim against Philip Morris' subsidiary in a pair of consumer lawsuits alleging ongoing injuries caused by addictions to Zyn nicotine pouches, but the judge refused to toss other claims, rejecting Philip Morris' jurisdictional challenges.
March 19, 2025
DOJ Says Anthropic View Of Google Search Fix Is Now Moot

The U.S. Department of Justice is urging a D.C. federal judge to dismiss Anthropic's bid to submit witness declarations in the remedies phase of the government's search antitrust case against Google, arguing that it already dropped the proposed remedy that drew Anthropic's input in the first place.
March 19, 2025
Crisco Slips Proposed Class Cert. In Butter False Ad Suit

A Crisco cooking spray purchaser looking to hold its manufacturer liable for an allegedly deceptive "butter" label cannot pursue those claims on behalf of other consumers because his intended classes aren't solid enough to proceed as one, an Illinois federal judge said Wednesday.
March 19, 2025
DOJ Defends Rejection Of Agri Stats Bid For Data Points

The U.S. Department of Justice is defending a decision in Minnesota federal court denying a bid from Agri Stats Inc. to make enforcers identify specific data fields in company reports that allegedly allow chicken, pork and turkey producers to share competitively sensitive information.
March 19, 2025
Fed. Circ. Backs Partial Ax Of 'Money Mart' TM In Pawn Fight

The Federal Circuit has backed the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board's finding that two Dollar Financial Group trademark registrations for the phrase "Money Mart" can't be used for pawn brokerages and pawn shops.
March 19, 2025
Insurers End Dispute Over Pizza Chain Salmonella Coverage

Two insurers for a "take 'n' bake" pizza chain have settled a dispute over their contributions to a deal reached by their mutual insured in an underlying case over salmonella-tainted cookie dough, with a Washington federal court tossing the suit.
March 19, 2025
Judge Tosses Vroom Investors' IPO Suit Due To Vague Claims

A New York federal judge has tossed a stockholder class action against Vroom Inc. over issues with its $468 million initial public offering, finding that none of the more than 50 challenged statements in the complaint made about the online car retailer's customer service or business plan are actionable.
March 19, 2025
Conn. Barber Says She Faced Anti-Polish Bias, Docked Pay

A former barber at a Greenwich, Connecticut, hair salon has taken her ex-employer to federal court for allegedly discriminating against her for being from Poland, failing to pay overtime, and docking her pay for "house charges" to cover amenities she was never given at work.
March 19, 2025
EU Accuses Google Of Breaking New Big Tech Rules

European enforcers accused Google on Wednesday of violating the bloc's new rules for digital markets by favoring its own services in search results and through restrictions in its Play Store, while also outlining steps Apple needs to take to comply.
March 19, 2025
Court Tosses Challenge To Indiana's Delta-8 THC Policy

An Indiana federal judge has dismissed a challenge brought by hemp industry stakeholders against Indiana's policy to rein in hemp-derived delta-8 THC, saying the case was a matter for a state court.
March 19, 2025
Revlon Settles Trade Secrets Case Over Britney Spears' Scent

A federal court signed off on settlements ending Revlon's trade secrets case against an upstart Italian beauty brand, and one of its former marketing executives, who were both accused of stealing trade secrets when luring Britney Spears' perfume line abroad.

Expert Analysis

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.
How Trump's Tariff Promises May Play Out In 2nd Term

While it is unclear which of President-elect Donald Trump's promised tariffs he intends to actually implement in January, lessons from his first administration, laws governing executive action and U.S. trade agreements together paint a picture of what may be possible, say attorneys at Butzel.
Series

Group Running Makes Me A Better Lawyer

The combination of physical fitness and community connection derived from running with a group of business leaders has, among other things, helped me to stay grounded, improve my communication skills, and develop a deeper empathy for clients and colleagues, says Jessica Shpall Rosen at Greenwald Doherty.
Marketing Messages Matter In State AG Consumer Protection

Attorneys general interpret marketing claims far more broadly than many companies may realize, so to mitigate potential risk, businesses should be vigilant about all consumer messaging, including communications that may not traditionally be considered advertising in the colloquial sense, say attorneys at Cozen O'Connor.