News from September 2014
Another class action filed against Pixar, others alleging Sherman Act violations
SAN JOSE, Calif. (Legal Newsline) - A California woman is suing Pixar after she claims it violated the Sherman Act by entering into anti-solicitation and compensation-suppressing agreements with other animation studios.
Olympic Oil required to remediate spill into Chicago ship canal
Olympic Oil Ltd. will be required under a court order to remediate contaminated soil and groundwater at the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal after a series of spills during the summer, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan announced on Friday.
Mass. AG settles with John Hancock Life Insurance
Some senior citizens in Massachusetts will be refunded more than $550,000 in a settlement reached on Friday by state Attorney General Martha Coakley with John Hancock Life Insurance Company following allegations that a company representative sold unsuitable insurance and financial products.
Attorney: Texas asbestos decision 'absolutely not' gaining traction in other jurisdictions
ST. LOUIS (Legal Newsline) – A Texas defense attorney recently said that as asbestos litigation changes, the laws governing legal causation must also change – and the recent Bostic decision from the Texas Supreme Court is a prime example of that change despite the fact that it is not having a nationwide impact yet.
Partners Healthcare agrees to price cap in Hallmark acquisition
As part of its acquisition of Hallmark Health Centers, Partners Healthcare has agreed to additional concessions, including a price cap for six-and-a-half years and an agreement to maintain mental health services, Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley announced on Thursday.
Attorneys pushing for more face time with patent examiners
MENLO PARK, Calif. (Legal Newsline) - All Arrienne “Angel” Lezak wants is to meet with a patent examiner, in person.
Sylvania agrees to $30M settlement in headlight class action
NEWARK, N.J. (Legal Newsline) - Osram Sylvania Inc. has agreed to a $30 million settlement in a class action lawsuit alleging it falsely claimed its headlights were superior and lured customers into overpaying.
New York AG settles with jail medical care company
New York Attorney General Eric T.
La. U.S. Senate race: Cassidy publicly criticizes Landrieu for aiding keg stand
BATON ROUGE, La. (Legal Newsline) – A widely circulated photo of Democratic U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu assisting a Louisiana State University fan with a keg stand has prompted her chief rival to openly criticize her.
Dunkin' Donuts hit with overtime pay class action
PITTSBURGH (Legal Newsline) - A former assistant manager is suing Dunkin' Donuts for allegedly failing to pay overtime pay and wrongfully classifying her as exempt from overtime pay.
Company ordered to return money to veterans in Final Order from Maryland Consumer Protection Division
Maryland Attorney General Douglas F.
U.S. Sen. Warner leads GOP challenger by nine points in Va. senate race
RICHMOND, Va. (Legal Newsline) – A new poll shows Virginia U.S. Sen. Mark Warner leads his Republican challenger, Ed Gillespie, by a 48-39 percent margin, with six percent of likely voters favoring Libertarian candidate Robert Sarvis.
Legal reform group endorses GOP justice to Dallas appellate court
DALLAS (Legal Newsline) – A month after his appointment, Justice Craig Stoddart received the endorsement of Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC to the Fifth Court of Appeals in Dallas.
Maryland AG announces settlement agreement with Medtronic
A case brought by the Maryland Attorney General Douglas F.
Next asbestos bankruptcy could see Garlock-style fight or Bondex-style deal
WILMINGTON, Del. (Legal Newsline) – When the next asbestos-related bankruptcy occurs, the Garlock Sealing Technologies case and Bondex International case will provide the debtor with two separate approaches for resolving disputes over asbestos liability.
Judge: Asbestos claimant only included defendants to keep case out of federal court
NEW ORLEANS (Legal Newsline) – When determining whether the court had jurisdiction over an asbestos case, a Louisiana district judge has concluded that the claimant only joined certain defendants to the case in an effort to keep it in state court.
Study examining defensive medicine costs fuels med-mal cap debate
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Legal Newsline) – A Southern California columnist who calls the savings from tort reform “mythical” is pointing to a new study examining the costs of defensive medicine to support his argument.
Cardholder says American Express wrongfully charged late fees on holidays
NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) - An American Express cardholder has filed a class action complaint after she claims the company charged customers late fees on credit card payments due to holidays.
Sports55 customers to receive restitution
BALTIMORE (Legal Newsline) - Customers of the company Sports55 will receive restitution under a settlement reached on Wednesday with Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler after the company allegedly failed to deliver orders or sent incomplete or incorrect orders.