Litigation-Personal
7th Circuit Tosses $3M Verdict in Suit Blaming Antidepressant Labeling for Biglaw Partner’s Suicide
News
The ABA Journal reports that a federal appeals court has overturned a $3 million award to the widow of a Reed Smith partner who blamed antidepressant labeling for her husband’s suicide.
Judge Slashes Attorneys’ Fees in Anthem Data Breach Settlement
News
The judge ruled that attorneys for the class action plaintiffs are entitled to $31 million in fees, $2 million in expenses, and $132,000 for other operation costs, according to Bloomberg Law.
Jury Awards Family $242 Million After Finding Toyota Liable for Children’s Injuries in Crash
News
The family’s legal team presented evidence they said showed engineering, design and structural issues with the front seat backs of the vehicle, according to The Dallas Morning News.
Lawyer’s Alleged Misconduct Gets Her Jury Verdict Tossed as Sanction
News
Bloomberg Law reports that a federal appeals court has ruled that a district court had the right to toss a jury verdict as a sanction because of the severity of a lawyer’s “continuous, contumacious” conduct.
Houston Day Care Center Sued over Toddler’s Death in Hot Van
News
The family of a 3-year-old who died after being left for more than four hours in a Houston day care center’s van in late July has sued the operator for negligence.
How IRS Taxes Kill Plaintiff’s $289M Monsanto Weedkiller Verdict
Insight
If you are the plaintiff with a contingent fee lawyer, the IRS treats you as receiving 100% of the money, even if the defendant pays your lawyer directly, writes Robert W. Wood for Forbes.
Jury Hits Monsanto with $289 Million Verdict in Roundup Trial
News
Ruling in favor of former school groundskeeper Dewayne Johnson, the jury awarded $39.25 million in compensatory damages and $250 million in punitive damages.
The Entire W.Va. Supreme Court Faces Impeachment for Alleged Corruption
News
Fourteen articles of impeachment allege corruption, maladministration, incompetence, neglect of duty and potential criminal behavior — impeachable offenses under the state constitution, according to The Washington Post.
Probate Judge Largely Wipes Out Widow’s Big Verdict Against JPMorgan
News
The jury award was the highest in the U.S. for 2017, according to Bloomberg, but the judgment was reduced to $7.1 million, mostly in lawyers’ fees.
Download: Basics of E-Discovery Guide (2nd Edition)
Insight
Exterro has published the second edition of its Basics of E-Discovery Guide and made it available for downloading at no charge.
‘He Has Torn My Head Off’: Manafort Judge Known for Being Tough During Trials
News
T.S. Ellis III regularly interrupts trial testimony with his own questions and demands that certain lines of inquiry be cut short, clearing up ambiguity that defense attorneys hoped to create, reports The Washington Post.
Army of Local Lawyers Itching to Fight Trump’s Policies
News
Lawyers for Good Government is led by executive director Traci Feit Love, a Harvard Law School graduate and former litigator for DLA Piper, one of the biggest law firms in the world.
Brett Kavanaugh Likely to Disappoint Conservatives With Recusals
News
The choice ultimately would be up to him, but analysts said they’d be shocked if he didn’t sit out the case, according to The Washington Times.
Biglaw Partner Suspended After Accusing Small-Firm Litigator of Using Pregnancy to Delay Trial
News
“Parental leave is not a compelling circumstance justifying the severe prejudice” that will be caused by delaying the trial, Paul Reid argued.
US Duck Boat Operators Under Scrutiny Following Branson Drowning Tragedy
Insight
The latest tragedy should spur operators everywhere to take a close look at safety procedures and design issues and ensure that personnel are properly trained to respond to emergencies, said Steve Fernelius of Houston-based Fernelius Simon.
Las Vegas Shooting Victims Outraged Over MGM’s Lawsuit Against Them
News
MGM Resorts International sued victims in at least seven states in a bid to get federal courts to declare the company has no liability for the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history, reports the Associated Press.
Bitcoin Exchange Operator Faces 40 Years in Jail for Lying to SEC
News
The virtual currency operator absconded with investors’ assets, exchanging them into U.S. dollars to buy groceries and to pay for travel and other personal expenses, reports Bloomberg Law.
East Texas Firm Chalks Up $43.3 Million Med-Mal Verdict
News
In a new video, lawyers from Tyler, Texas-based Martin Walker PC discuss a recent medical malpractice case that yielded their client a $43.32 million verdict, including $25 million in exemplary damages.
Oral Revocation of Consent Insufficient Where Contract Required Writing
Insight
A post on the website of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips discusses a case in which an Ohio federal court found that, where a contract required written revocation of consent to be contacted, a consumer’s attempt to orally revoke consent failed.
White House Withdraws Judicial Nominee; GOP Didn’t Have Votes for Confirmation
News
The nomination drew widespread criticism over articles Ryan Bounds wrote in the Stanford Review as an undergraduate that ridiculed multiculturalism and groups concerned with racial issues, according to The Washington Post.
