Litigation-Business

Big Law Trial Lawyer Goes Solo

News
Veteran trial lawyer James Edward “Jim” Maloney, formerly of Baker Botts and Andrews Kurth, has opened a solo practice in Houston.

MasterCard-Visa Settlement With Retailers Is Overturned

News
A federal appeals court has overturned a historic antitrust settlement between retailers and Visa and MasterCard, reviving more than a decade of legal battles over processing fees, according to a report in The New York Times.

Oracle Ordered to Pay HP $3 Billion in Itanium Case

News
Reuters is reporting that a California jury ordered Oracle Corp. to pay Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Co. $3 billion in damages in a case over HP’s Itanium servers, an Oracle spokeswoman said on Thursday.

The 20 Richest Lawyers in the World

News
Money Inc. has compiled a list of the 20 richest lawyers in the world, and they’re a diverse group: one went to prison, one was disbarred, another is deceased, one manages a law firm in Kenya, and a couple of them are TV judges.

For Conservatives, High Court’s Term Was a Letdown

News
The most high-profile cases, including affirmative action, abortion restrictions, labor union fees, gerrymandering and the use of executive power, ended either with liberal victories or draws that set no precedent.

Simon Greenstone’s Erin Nowell of Dallas Named Among Top Young Litigators

News
Litigation associate Erin Nowell from the Dallas office of Simon Greenstone Panatier Bartlett, PC, has earned a spot on the 2016 National Bar Association “40 Under 40 Best Advocates” list.

Report: VW to Pay About $10.2B to Settle Emissions Claims

News
USA Today is reporting that German automaker Volkswagen Group is expected to deliver a $10 billion settlement to cover government fines and compensate owners of vehicles fitted with software that cheated emissions standards.

Supreme Court Rejects Challenge to Patent Review Process

News
The ruling is seen as a victory for technology companies like Apple and Google, which have used the procedures to invalidate patents they believed to be weak.

Watchdog Group Denied Depositions in Third Clinton Email Case

News
The ruling gives some relief to the State Department and Clinton, which have both been the subject of intense scrutiny over the private email setup that the former secretary of State used throughout her time in the Obama administration, reports The Hill.

Contract Indemnity and Duty to Defend vs. Insurance Duty to Defend

Insight
An explicit contractual duty to defend against allegations of negligence or breach by the indemnitor may well be construed to require such a defense from the outset, even when parties are still arguing over ultimate liability, writes Stan Martin of Commonsense Construction Law LLC.

What U.S. GCs Should Know About Drafting International Arbitration Clauses

Insight
Kevin Perry and Joanne Elieli of of Cooley offer some insight for American general counsel on the drafting of international arbitration clauses, covering preliminary considerations and specific drafting issues.

Survey of International Litigation Procedures: A Reference Guide

Reference Guide
The International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) Foundation has published its first Survey of International Litigation Procedures: A Reference Guide that offers an overview of the civil justice systems of 49 countries, including key aspects of litigation in each jurisdiction.

Indemnification: Are Attorneys’ Fees Incurred in Claims Between Contracting Parties Covered?

Insight
Unlike most contractual disputes, it is not just merely the language used but also the circumstances in which the parties were contracting that will be determinative of whether direct claims are covered by the indemnity (and thus whether there will be reimbursement of legal fees), according to Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP’s Global Equity Watch.

Unanimous Ruling for Beck Redden Clients Statoil ASA and Fargo Acquisition

News
The case, Brigham Exploration Co. et al. v. Boytim et al., involves Statoil’s 2011 acquisition of Brigham Exploration Company, Beck Redden said in a release.

Could $200 Billion Tobacco-Type Settlement Be Coming Over ‘Climate Change?’

News
Seventeen state attorneys general are investigating whether fossil fuel companies mislead investors in public disclosures about the risks associated with climate change, reports Bloomberg.

FedEx Agrees to $240 Million Settlement With Drivers in 20 States

News
FedEx Ground Package System Inc. has agreed to pay drivers in 20 states $240 million to settle lawsuits claiming the second-largest U.S. parcel delivery company misclassified them as independent contractors, it said on Thursday, according to a Reuters report.