Litigation-Business
Target Pays $3.7M to Settle Lawsuit Over Racial Disparity in Use of Criminal Background Checks
News
As part of the settlement of the class-action complaint, independent consultants will recommend changes to Target’s current screening guidelines, The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
Facebook Privacy Scandal Unleashes Nationwide ‘Litigation Swarm’
News
Damages could be substantial for shareholders, with one group of investors estimating that at least $50 billion in the company’s market capitalization has been wiped out as a result of the disclosure, Bloomberg Technology reports.
Holland & Knight Wins Reversal of $34.5M Malpractice Verdict
News
A wealthy investor who accused Holland & Knight of facilitating a Ponzi scheme was not entitled to the $34.5 million verdict that a jury awarded him in 2012, a California appeals court ruled.
Arbitrability Basics: An Illustration of the ‘Autonomy’ Principle
Insight
When considering an arbitration clause in a contract, one must always bear in mind the “separability” or “independence” of the arbitration agreement &mdaqsh; the autonomy principle, writes Narges Kakalia for Mintz Levin.
Judge Dismisses Exxon’s Lawsuit, Letting Multi-State Fraud Investigation Continue
News
A U.S. district judge in New York on Thursday dismissed Exxon’s lawsuit claiming officials in New York and Massachusetts conspired with environmental groups in planning the securities-fraud probe.
Barclays Wins Its DOJ Gamble With $2 Billion Mortgage Settlement
News
Two former executives at the bank also settled Thursday and agreed to pay $2 million to resolve claims without admitting wrongdoing.
An Indemnity Agreement Means What it Says
Insight
Parties can write an agreement to indemnify one another against claims they later assert against each other. To do so, the parties must expressly and specifically state that intention, writes Charles Sartain of Gray Reed.
Remington Bankruptcy Leaves $500M Question Over Pending Legal Claims
News
Remington is embroiled in litigation over trigger defects on guns such as its iconic Model 700 rifle, as well as another lawsuit by survivors of the children and teachers killed in the 2012 elementary school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, Bloomberg reports.
Supreme Court Prepares for Right Turn
News
CNN reports that indications from the few decisions issued so far and from oral arguments in yet-to-be decided cases suggest the five conservatives on the nine-member bench may be ready to wield their majority power.
Savannah Law School Student Sues for Fraud, Breaching Trust in Planned Closing
News
The plaintiff alleged the school’s pending closure results “at least in part from the defendants’ mismanagement of funding for the law school.”
AT&T Wants to Buy Time Warner To ‘Weaponize’ Its Content, Government Says in Antitrust Trial
News
In opening arguments, Justice Department lawyer Craig Conrath said AT&T could use Time Warner’s content as a weapon against competitors that rely on the programming.
Judge Stunned by Ex-Rolls-Royce Counsel Switching Sides in Litigation
News
Rolls-Royce’s former in-house counsel switched sides to sue Rolls-Royce for allegedly reusing defective airplane parts, according to a Bloomberg report.
Patent Lawyer Honored by Federal Court
News
Trial lawyer Clyde M. Siebman of Siebman, Burg, Phillips & Smith, LLP, recently was honored by Chief Judge Ron Clark of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas based on his years of work benefitting the district.
Paying the Price: The Pitfalls of Ineffective Liability Waivers
Insight
Hellmuth & Johnson lawyers Micheal D. Howard and Jason S. Raether describe a recent case involving a fitness studio that demonstrates how a poorly drafted waiver can be as effective as having no waiver at all.
Whistleblower Says Walmart, Eyeing Amazon, Cheated on E-Commerce
News
The former executive alleges various wrongdoing, including the mislabeling of products, enabling Walmart to charge excessive sales commissions, and failure to properly process customer returns, enabling it to boost results, reports Reuters.
Dallas Judge Denies Toyota Request to Seal Safety, Product Defect Documents
News
District Court Judge Dale Tillery said that it is in the public interest to keep such documents open for review because they detail issues involving public health and safety.
Houston Trial Lawyer Courtney Ervin Joins Hicks Thomas as a Partner
News
Trial lawyer Courtney Ervin has joined commercial litigation boutique Hicks Thomas LLP, the firm announced.
Morgan Lewis Scolded for Possible Conflict in Hotel Wage Case
News
Bloomberg Law reports that a judge concluded that Morgan Lewis “plainly violated” California attorney professional conduct rules by representing “both sides of the case” in a hotel workers’ class action suit.
5 Steps to Creating the Most Defensible Legal Hold Audit Process
Insight
Sometimes companies may not have a clear record of when a legal hold was issued or who received it &emdash; meaning they have to scramble to put notices together when litigation arises.
Plaintiff Lawyers See Nationwide Settlement As Only End For Opioid Lawsuits
News
The sheer complexity of the litigation raises questions about how the parties will craft an agreement that ends the threat of further lawsuits against the industry while distributing cash to all the varied entities who have sued, reports Forbes.
