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Tort reform group commends Ala. lawmakers on contingency fee measure

May 22, 2013 10:00 AM
By Jessica M. Karmasek

WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) — A national tort reform group applauded Alabama lawmakers Wednesday for passing legislation designed to provide transparency and limitations on state contracts with private attorneys. The American Tort Reform Association said House Bill 227 will bring “good-government … Read More »

Alabama, Hot Topics, News, State AGs, Tort Reform

House panel passes asbestos trusts transparency bill

May 21, 2013 5:30 PM
By Chris Dickerson

WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) – The House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday passed legislation requiring more transparency from asbestos trusts. The measure — The Furthering Asbestos Claim Transparency (FACT) Act — passed without proposed amendments from House Democrats who feared the bill … Read More »

Asbestos, District of Columbia, Federal Government, Issues, News

Federal court dismisses wrongful foreclosure lawsuit against mortgage registry, others

May 21, 2013 1:00 PM
By Jessica M. Karmasek

SPOKANE, Wash. (Legal Newsline) — A federal judge earlier this month ruled in favor of the national mortgage registry known as MERS and its co-defendants in a lawsuit alleging wrongful foreclosure and violations of Washington’s Consumer Protection Act. Judge Thomas … Read More »

Financial Crisis, Hot Topics, News, Sub-Prime Mortgages, U.S. District Court, Washington

U.S. asks federal court to deny S&P’s motion to dismiss fraud lawsuit

May 21, 2013 11:15 AM
By Jessica M. Karmasek

LOS ANGELES (Legal Newsline) — The U.S. Department of Justice, in a filing Monday, asked a federal court not to dismiss its lawsuit against The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. and its subsidiary Standard & Poor’s Rating Services. The DOJ filed its … Read More »

Federal Government, Financial Crisis, Hot Topics, News, State AGs, Sub-Prime Mortgages, U.S. District Court

Texas AG files lawsuit against BP for oil spill damages

May 20, 2013 1:01 PM
By Bryan Cohen

AUSTIN, Texas (Legal Newsline) – Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott announced a lawsuit Friday against BP America and other defendants for their contributions to the April 2010 Deepwater Horizon offshore oil spill. The enforcement action against BP America, Anadarko, Halliburton, Transocean … Read More »

BP Oil Spill, Issues, News, State AGs, States, Texas, U.S. District Court

Senate committee considers NLRB nominees; ranking GOP member continues to oppose Block, Griffin

May 20, 2013 1:00 PM
By Jessica M. Karmasek

WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) — U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, the ranking GOP member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, said last week he would oppose two of President Barack Obama’s nominations to the National Labor Relations Board. Alexander, … Read More »

Federal Government, Hot Topics, Labor Issues, News

U.S. SC denies Alaskan village’s petition for review of global warming case

May 20, 2013 11:00 AM
By Jessica M. Karmasek

WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) — The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to hear a case by an Alaskan village that claims global warming is eroding its shoreline. The nation’s high court denied the village of Kivalina’s petition for a writ of … Read More »

Alaska, Global Warming, News, U.S. Supreme Court

Judge lets defense lawyers withdraw from Chevron RICO lawsuit

May 20, 2013 9:00 AM
By Jessica M. Karmasek

NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) — A federal judge, in an order Friday, allowed the law firms defending New York attorney Steven Donziger and two Ecuadorian plaintiffs against Chevron Corp. to withdraw from the fraud case, filed by the oil giant … Read More »

Class Action, Hot Topics, News, U.S. District Court

Fifth Circuit dismisses lawsuit over energy companies’ emissions

May 17, 2013 9:30 AM
By Jessica M. Karmasek

NEW ORLEANS (Legal Newsline) — A federal appeals court this week dismissed repeat claims by a group of Mississippi Gulf Coast residents, who alleged that emissions by energy companies contributed to global warming, which intensified Hurricane Katrina and, in turn, … Read More »

Global Warming, Hurricane Katrina, Mississippi, News, U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, U.S. District Court

Ala. SC upholds mortgage registry’s authority to assign mortgages

May 17, 2013 9:15 AM
By Jessica M. Karmasek

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (Legal Newsline) — The Alabama Supreme Court, in a ruling last week, upheld a lower court’s decision which, in part, validated the ability of the national mortgage registry known as MERS to assign mortgages as the nominee for … Read More »

Alabama, Hot Topics, News, State Supreme Courts, Sub-Prime Mortgages