Retail & E-Commerce

  • March 27, 2025

    Google, Apple Staff Want Out Of Testifying In FTC-Meta Case

    Current and former employees of Google, Apple, TikTok, X Corp., Snap and Epic Games asked a D.C. federal judge Wednesday to quash subpoenas seeking their live testimony in the Federal Trade Commission's upcoming antitrust trial against Meta Platforms, arguing their taped depositions make the burden of testifying unnecessary.

  • March 27, 2025

    German Paper Co. Can't Dodge $268M Duty Evasion Suit

    A German paper producer once again failed to escape nearly $270 million in unpaid duties and interest Thursday when the U.S. Court of International Trade ruled that the company's various corporate mutations do not remove it from the jurisdiction of U.S. courts.

  • March 27, 2025

    WordPerfect Software Co. Settles 'Alludo' TM Suit In Wash.

    The company behind the 1990s word-processing application WordPerfect has settled a Washington-based education technology firm's lawsuit accusing it of stealing a trademarked name for a 2022 revamp, ending the case ahead of an early April trial date in Seattle federal court.

  • March 27, 2025

    FCC Ready To Explore Earth-Based Backstop For GPS

    The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday started looking into methods of backing up the satellite-based Global Positioning System, which national security experts say is vulnerable to foreign attacks and signal interference in space.

  • March 27, 2025

    Nu Skin Can't Avoid Distributor Dispute In Wash. Court

    The Washington Supreme Court said Thursday that Nu Skin Enterprises Inc. can't jettison a case in Washington state court and force product distributors to go to Utah to settle claims that the multilevel marketing company violated a Washington law against pyramid schemes, in a question that had split lower appellate courts.

  • March 27, 2025

    Costco Settles Listeria-Contaminated Chicken Wrap Claims

    Costco Wholesale Corp. has settled a putative class action brought by a Florida man who claimed he ate a chicken wrap contaminated with listeria from one of its stores and had to be hospitalized.

  • March 27, 2025

    CFPB Says It Will Scrap Buy Now, Pay Later Policy

    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will withdraw guidance that asserted buy-now, pay-later products were subject to some of the same federal safeguards as traditional credit cards, the regulator said in a court filing in a suit challenging the interpretive rule.

  • March 27, 2025

    Minn. Pot Regulators Submit Proposed Rules For Retail Sale

    The Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management, or OCM, has submitted draft rules for the retail sale of adult-use cannabis products to an administrative law judge for final approval.

  • March 27, 2025

    Guo Trustee Settles Clawbacks From Versace, Firms

    The Chapter 11 trustee handling convicted Chinese exile Miles Guo's estate has asked a Connecticut bankruptcy judge to approve 10 clawback settlements with Hodgson Russ LLP, BakerHostetler, luxury retailer Versace and others, ending claims totaling $8.6 million but keeping the terms under wraps for six months.

  • March 27, 2025

    Curaleaf Units Slam Pot Farm's Sanctions Bid In $32M Suit

    Two Curaleaf units are pushing back on a Michigan farm's bid for sanctions following a $32 million verdict in its favor, saying the farm is the party dragging proceedings out by seeking sanctions over a disagreement on the law.

  • March 27, 2025

    Gastropub Chain Bar Louie Hits Second Chapter 11 In 5 Years

    Texas-based gastropub chain Bar Louie filed for Chapter 11 protection in Delaware, listing nearly $70 million of debt, about five years after the chain sold itself to creditors in a previous bankruptcy.

  • March 26, 2025

    Sotomayor Urges Caution On Nondelegation Doctrine Revamp

    U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor cautioned her colleagues during oral arguments Wednesday against using a challenge to the Federal Communications Commission's administration of a broadband subsidy program as a way to resurrect the long-dormant nondelegation doctrine. Several conservative justices, however, seemed willing to disregard that admonition.

  • March 26, 2025

    Pepperidge Farm Can't Outswim Goldfish False Ad Suit

    Pepperidge Farm can't escape a proposed class action alleging it falsely labels its Goldfish crackers as containing no artificial flavors or preservatives, despite citric acid being part of the ingredients list, after a New York federal judge said Wednesday the plaintiff demonstrated the statement could be deceptive to reasonable consumers.  

  • March 26, 2025

    Apple Cites Amazon Ruling To Toss Web App Antitrust Suit

    Apple is hoping the Ninth Circuit will allow it to wash its hands of a proposed antitrust class action accusing it of preventing iPhones from running web-based apps for the same reason the court just refused to revive a consumer antitrust action over Amazon's fulfillment service, according to a recent filing.

  • March 26, 2025

    Judge Knocks Amazon For Mislabeled Docs In Antitrust Suits

    Amazon.com Inc. must hand over dozens of records previously flagged as confidential to the consumers in a series of class actions alleging antitrust violations, a Washington federal judge has ruled, concluding that the e-commerce giant wrongly marked the documents as "attorney-client communications or attorney-work product."

  • March 26, 2025

    Ex-IATSE Officer's Discipline Claims Over Porn Issue Survive

    A New Mexico federal court on Wednesday sustained some claims from a former vice president for an International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees affiliate who said he was wrongly disciplined after raising concerns about another officer's name appearing on porn websites, while dismissing other allegations under federal racketeering and state laws.

  • March 26, 2025

    Walgreens Receipt Standing Fight Set For Illinois' Main Stage

    Illinois' top court on Wednesday accepted Walgreens' request to review an intermediate appellate panel's ruling affirming class certification in an Arizona customer's proposed class lawsuit targeting overdisclosed debit card numbers.

  • March 26, 2025

    Walgreens, Kroger Claim Takeda Cut Illegal TWi Generics Deal

    Walgreens, Kroger, Albertsons and H-E-B hit Takeda and TWi Pharmaceuticals with an antitrust suit in California federal court Tuesday, accusing the pharmaceutical companies of conspiring to delay the release of the generic version of Takeda's heartburn medication Dexilant, causing the retailers to pay more for the brand-name drug.

  • March 26, 2025

    Judge Blocks Build-A-Bear's Bid To Inspect 3K Squishmallows

    A California federal judge has rejected an attempt from Build-A-Bear Workshop to physically inspect thousands of Squishmallows stuffed toys in order to defend itself against trade dress infringement claims by the company that makes them, saying the defendant's request is overbroad and unnecessary.

  • March 26, 2025

    Whirlpool's Mixer TM Award Of $27M Is Enough, Judge Says

    A Texas federal judge has permanently barred two Chinese companies from infringing the exterior design of Whirlpool's iconic KitchenAid stand mixer but denied Whirlpool's request to increase a $27 million award it recently won at trial, saying Whirlpool's award, along with the permanent injunction, was more than enough.

  • March 26, 2025

    Sysco Can't Tap Out Of $50M Price-Fix Deal With JBS

    Sysco can't back out of a $50 million agreement it made with JBS for the meat producer to exit sprawling litigation accusing it of working to fix the price of poultry, beef and pork, even though Sysco has since signed away its interest in the antitrust claims, a federal court has ruled.

  • March 26, 2025

    Worker Says Koch Foods Fails To Pay For Off-Clock Tasks

    Koch Foods refused to pay workers for the time they spent putting on and taking off protective gear, and it deducted money from their paychecks if they needed items replaced during a workweek, a proposed class action filed in Illinois federal court said.

  • March 26, 2025

    2nd Circ. Finds Pieces Missing From Lego IP Ruling

    The Second Circuit instructed a Connecticut federal judge Wednesday to rethink his decision that an injunction blocking the sale of a Lego competitor's figurines also applies to a later design, saying the lower court's failure to explain its decision suggests it "may have simply imported its prior reasoning."

  • March 26, 2025

    Medical Pot Center Not Exempt From 2017 Michigan Sales Tax

    A Michigan appeals panel has rejected a medical cannabis provisioning center's argument that it was exempt from sales tax in 2017, saying it is not entitled to the same exemption as primary caregivers and could not rely on a 2011 nonbinding letter in its argument.

  • March 26, 2025

    UK Antitrust Arm Probing Food Services Merger

    Britain's antitrust watchdog has launched an initial enforcement order into global catering giant Aramark Group's acquisition of Entier, a Scottish rival, over concerns the transaction could result in a "substantial lessening of competition" in the food services sector.

Expert Analysis

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

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    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

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    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

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    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.

  • Opinion

    6 Changes I Would Make If I Ran A Law School

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    Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner identifies several key issues plaguing law schools and discusses potential solutions, such as opting out of the rankings game and mandating courses in basic writing skills.

  • Firms Still Have The Edge In Lateral Hiring, But Buyer Beware

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    Partner mobility data suggests that the third quarter of this year continued to be a buyer’s market, with the average candidate demanding less compensation for a larger book of business — but moving into the fourth quarter, firms should slow down their hiring process to minimize risks, say officers at Decipher Investigative Intelligence.

  • Reviewing 2024's State Consumer Privacy Law Enforcement

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    While we are still in the infancy of state consumer privacy laws, a review of enforcement activity this year suggests substantial overlaps in regulatory priorities across the most active states and gives insight into the likely paths of future enforcement, says Thomas Nolan at Quinn Emanuel.

  • Preparing For The New Restrictions On Investment Into China

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    In light of a new regulatory program governing U.S. investments in China-related technology companies of national security concern, investors should keep several considerations in mind, including the rules' effect on existing and new investments, compliance hurdles, and penalties for noncompliance ahead of the rules' January implementation, say attorneys at Gunderson Dettmer.

  • Think Like A Lawyer: 1 Type Of Case Complexity Stands Out

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    In contrast to some cases that appear complex due to voluminous evidence or esoteric subject matter, a different kind of complexity involves tangled legal and factual questions, each with a range of possible outcomes, which require a “sliding scale” approach instead of syllogistic reasoning, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.

  • Netflix Dispute May Alter 'Source' In TM Fair-Use Analysis

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    ​The Ninth Circuit’s upcoming decision in Hara v. Netflix​, about what it means to be source-identifying​, could change how the Rogers defense protects expressive works that utilize trademarks in a creative fashion, says Sara Gold at Gold IP.

  • What Bisphenol S Prop 65 Listing Will Mean For Industry

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    The imminent addition of bisphenol S — a chemical used in millions of products — to California's Proposition 65 list will have sweeping compliance and litigation implications for companies in the retail, food and beverage, paper, manufacturing and personal care product industries, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

  • Think Like A Lawyer: Note 3 Simple Types Of Legal Complexity

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    Cases can appear complex for several reasons — due to the number of issues, the volume of factual and evidentiary sources, and the sophistication of those sources — but the same basic technique can help lawyers tame their arguments into a simple and persuasive message, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.

  • Tracking The Uncertainty Of The FTC's Negative Option Rule

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    The fate of the Federal Trade Commission's final rule requiring businesses that utilize negative options to provide consumers with a simple cancellation method remains in limbo as it faces multiple legal challenges and the threat of possible congressional action looms, say attorneys at Manatt.

  • Antitrust in Retail: Handbag Ruling Won't Go Out Of Fashion

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    Although a New York federal court’s recent decision to enjoin a proposed $8.5 billion merger between the owners of Michael Kors and Coach applied noncontroversial antitrust interpretations, several notable aspects of the opinion stand out as likely candidates for further discussion in future merger litigation, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • Series

    Gardening Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Beyond its practical and therapeutic benefits, gardening has bolstered important attributes that also apply to my litigation practice, including persistence, patience, grit and authenticity, says Christopher Viceconte at Gibbons.

  • What New Calif. Law Means For Cannabis Lounges

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    With a recently enacted California law authorizing licensed cannabis retailers and microbusinesses to prepare and sell noncannabis food and beverages, the door opens for a more sustainable business model — but challenges related to costs and liability remain, says Tracy Gallegos at Duane Morris.

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