Litigation-Business
Sluggish Supreme Court Poised to Deliver Big Decisions
News
The Supreme Court typically leaves its contentious and high-profile cases for closer to the end of the term.
New York Company Must Pay $5.1 Million for Demanding Religious Practices From Employees
News
The EEOC alleged that United Health Programs of America employees were being forced to follow an internal “Harnessing Happiness” system that required them to engage in activities such as prayers, religious workshops and “spiritual cleansing rituals.”
Husch Blackwell Beats Suit Alleging It Tried to Silence Critic of Wealthy Client
News
A Missouri ruling is likely to end a contentious nine-year dispute between a local activist who claims that Husch Blackwell LLP, an AmLaw 100 firm — used the legal system to squelch his speech rights, according to Bloomberg Law.
Texas Anti-SLAPP Statute Used in Oil & Gas Lease Dispute
News
The case involves the dispute over whether a petroleum company’s oil and gas lease had expired.
Software Deliverables and Damage Provisions Must Be in Agreement
Insight
One of a court’s most frequent tasks is interpreting ambiguous contracts created by the use of ambiguous language in contracts; however, by the time a court is deciding the issue, costly litigation may have taken years, according to Holland & Knight.
Franchise ‘No-Hire’ Agreement Class Actions and the Single Enterprise Defense
Insight
Franchisor employers should assess whether the joint employer risk is worth accepting in order to pursue the single-enterprise defense, warns Seyfarth Shaw.
5th Circuit Nixes $151M J&J Verdict, Cites Plaintiff Lawyer’s Alleged ‘Deceptions’
News
DePuy Orthopaedics and Johnson & Johnson will get a new trial after the previous one in 2016 ended with the companies having to pay $151 million in damages to five plaintiffs with alleged hip replacement injuries, reports the SE Texas Record.
Patent ‘Death Squad’ System Upheld by U.S. Supreme Court
News
The 7-2 court found that a U.S. Patent and Trademark Office review board that critics call a patent “death squad” wasn’t unconstitutionally wielding powers that belong to the courts.
Is the DNC’s Lawsuit against Russia DOA?
News
Dallas attorney David Coale of Lynn Pinker Cox & Hurst says the lawsuit has a lot of interesting points, but doesn’t think it will survive long-term judicial scrutiny.
What to Do When You’re in the Sexual Harassment Hot Seat
Webinar, May 2, 2018, 1 p.m. CDT
The #MeToo movement has many employers uncertain about the best ways to protect themselves from sexual harassment complaints and the right way to respond after a complaint has been made.
Could Be Forced to Pay Billions Over Alleged Violations of Illinois Biometrics Law
News
Facebook has argued that if its collection of biometric information did not harm individuals, they do not have grounds to sue under Illinois’ biometrics law, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Judge Says No to Law Firm on NFL Concussion Settlement
News
The Associated Press reports that a federal judge has denied a law firm’s request to be added as an administrator of the NFL’s estimated $1 billion concussion settlement.
Sandy Hook Parents Accuse Alex Jones, InfoWars of Defamation, Seek Damages
News
Plaintiffs in two lawsuits filed in Austin, Texas, allege that Jones and his media organization spread false information related to the tragedy, reports the Austin Statesman.
Ward, Smith & Hill Helps Secure $502.6M Patent Infringement Win Against Apple
News
A jury has awarded internet security software company VirnetX $502.6 million, finding Apple Inc. willfully infringed on four patents used for VPN on Demand and Facetime in Apple products.
‘Tax Case of the Millennium’ Hits High Court: A Primer
News
Bloomberg Law reports the case directly challenges the 1992 decision in Quill Corp. v. North Dakota, prohibiting states from imposing sales tax collection obligations on vendors lacking an in-state physical presence.
Sexual Misconduct and D&O Claims
Insight
Companies that have the suggested processes and procedures in place are less likely to find themselves getting hit with these kinds of claims, writes Kevin LaCroix in The D&O Diary.
Pennsylvania, Texas Courts Disagree on Whether Rule of Capture Applies to Fracturing
Insight
A recent Superior Court of Pennsylvania ruling in a case concerning hydraulic fracturing runs counter to a ruling in a similar case by the Texas Supreme Court, reports Graves, Dougherty, Hearon & Moody.
Making the Business Case for Upgrading Your Legal Hold System
Insight
Research results demonstrate a real rate of return on investment generated by automated cloud-based legal hold software, Zapproved says on its website.
PwC Faces Largest-Ever Auditor Malpractice Damages Verdict
News
The judge in the case has already ruled that PwC had been professionally negligent in not detecting the criminal fraud that led to the failure of Colonial Bank Group in 2009.
JPMorgan Juror Says Doomed $8 Billion Award Was Message to Bank
News
Bloomber reports that the jury award was the largest of 2017 and the ninth-largest in U.S. history.
