Archive for October, 2017
Dismissal of $472 Million Verdict v. J&J is Disaster for Talc Plaintiffs
News
A ruling that throws out a plaintiff’s $417 million jury verdict against John & Johnson will affect many of the nearly 5,000 women who claim they developed ovarian cancer from J&J power containing talc, reports Reuters.
Fired Associate Takes Plea Deal In Biglaw Extortion Charge
News
Above the Law reports that Michael Potere accepted the deal that included dismissal of an underlying indictments that included a charge of extortion. That charge carried a possible sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
Webinar on Improving Legal and Contract Collaboration, Featuring Forrester
Event, Nov. 2, 2017, 11 a.m. ET
Optimus BT will present a free webinar providing a comprehensive overview of Legal Contract Collaboration by Optimus and Forrester for the Microsoft Cloud.
Texas Supreme Court Examines $48,000 An Hour Legal Fee in H.L. Hunt Case
News
Attorney Gregory Shamoun claims to have made a 50 percent contingency agreement with Albert Hill Jr. to settle the high-dollar family fight – an agreement that Hill Jr. is challenging, reports the Houston Chronicle.
The Coal Ash Rule: Regulation, Litigation, and Strategies to Minimize Risk
Event, Dec. 13, 2017
Steptoe & Johnson’s Energy and Environmental, Products & Mass Tort Groups will host a webinar to discuss the implementation of the Coal Ash Rule, the current litigation landscape surrounding coal ash, and strategies for avoiding courtroom and regulatory challenges.
Supreme Court Leaves Holes in Anti-Hacking Law
News
The U.S. Supreme Court declined last week to consider two cases concerning the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA), leaving certain questions unresolved regarding liability for computer hacking and the prospect for potentially harsh criminal and civil penalties.
Microsoft SPLA Self-Assessment – What It Is, and How to Respond
Insight
Christopher Barnett of Scott & Scott LLP writes that many of his clients have been contacting his firm in recent weeks regarding notices they received from Microsoft requesting an internal self-assessment of their license positions under their Services Provider License Agreements.
Presenting Alice-Friendly Patent Claims: Is McRo Worth a Second Look?
Event, Oct. 25, 2017, 11 a.m. CDT
Fitch, Even, Tabin & Flannery LLP will present a free webinar, “Presenting Alice-Friendly Patent Claims: Is McRo Worth a Second Look?,” featuring Fitch Even partner Steven G. Parmelee.
Business With a Friend: Lessons from a Liftboat Contract
Insight
Charles Sartain, a partner in Gray Reed, uses a recent 5th Circuit ruling on a liftboat construction contract to illustrate his advice on how to administer and perform a contract, especially one with a friend.
When Contracts and Bankruptcy Collide, a Short Term May Be Better in the Long Term
Insight
The U.S. Bankruptcy Code has a lot to say about the rights of both the debtor and the non-debtor party once a bankruptcy is filed – often to the chagrin of the non-debtor party, writes Jeffrey A. Krieger, a partner in Greenberg Glusker.
Mitigating Cyber Risk: Third-Party Service Provider Contract Considerations
Insight
If data is trusted to a third party, the parameters of what is expected to keep your data safe should be memorialized in a contract with that service provider, writes Marc C. Tucker of Smith Moore Leatherwood LLP.
Webinar: Contract Compliance – Why it Matters to Procurement
Event, Oct. 24, noon EDT
Determine, Inc. and Jason Busch of Spend Matters will co-host a webinar titled Contract Compliance – Why it Matters to Procurement, on Tuesday, Oct. 24 at noon Eastern time.
Hogan Lovells Adds Three Business and Securities Litigators in New York
News
Hogan Lovells has added Michael Hefter, Seth Cohen and Ryan Philp have joined the firm’s New York office as partners in the Litigation practice.
How Lawyers Protect the Harvey Weinstein in Your Workplace
News
NDAs are geared to ensure that the fraction of people who do come forward can’t warn others or bring claims to light, all of which contributes to the culture of silence around workplace harassment, according to Bloomberg Law.
Florida Law Firm Fined $9 Million By Federal Court Over Tobacco Litigation
News
Farah & Farah and the Wilner Firm filed 1,250 frivolous tobacco claims against a trust fund for Floridians and survivors who suffered because of smoking, the court found.
GM to Pay $120M in Multistate Defective Ignition Switch Settlement
News
The settlement is tied to violations of consumer protection laws and is on top of GM’s previous penalties and settlements of an estimated $2.5 billion, according to The Detroit Free Press.
Webinar: Focus on Higher Value Work – How GC Can Improve Their Contracting Process
Event, Nov. 1, and on-demand
ContractWorks will host a complimentary live webinar titled “Focus on Higher Value Works: How General Counsel Can Improve Their Contracting Process” on Wednesday, Nov. 1, at 11 a.m. Pacific time.
Appeals Court Tosses $72 Million Award in Talcum Powder Case
News
The appeals court cited a Supreme Court ruling in June that placed limits on where injury lawsuits could be filed, saying state courts cannot hear claims against companies not based in the state where alleged injuries occurred.
Lawsuit Alleging General Electric Ripped Off Its Workers Shows the Pitfalls of 401(k) Plans
News
The Los Angeles Times explains that the suit alleges that GE managed the plan for its own benefit by loading it with mutual funds owned by its own subsidiary.
Disney Takes Insurer AIG to Court Over ‘Pink Slime’ Defamation Settlement
News
The Walt Disney Company is going to battle with its insurer, AIG, as it seeks coverage for a massive settlement in the “pink slime” defamation case, Variety is reporting.
