John Breslin News
Binding arbitration bill passes CA Assembly in face of strong opposition
SACRAMENTO - A bill barring employers from inserting binding arbitration clauses into contracts as a condition of employment has passed the California State Assembly.
Whistleblower advocate: Large awards can undermine public's confidence in process
WASHINGTON – A leading advocate for whistleblowers has warned that the large bounty rewards involved following settlements has the potential to erode public solidarity for the practice.
California Assembly takes on lawyer ads, unanimously passes bill that would punish misleading claims
SACRAMENTO - California's lawmakers have passed a bill aimed at combating what supporters claim is misleading advertising by plaintiffs attorneys.
Concealment or interference with evidence does not amount to destruction, Ohio Supreme Court rules
COLUMBUS, Ohio (Legal Newsline) – Intentional interference or concealment of evidence does not rise to the level of destruction, the Ohio Supreme Court has ruled, dealing with an issue that has divided appeals courts in the state.
Hockey player has second chance to prove respiratory problems from zamboni fumes
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Legal Newsline) – A court was wrong to issue summary judgment in a case filed by a former college hockey player who claimed he was poisoned by noxious gases at a sports arena, the Rhode Island Supreme Court has found.
R.I. court rules man serving life sentence is legally dead, but entitled to hearing on amended complaint
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Legal Newsline) – An inmate serving life for murder cannot sue over an alleged behind-bars attack because he is, by almost all legal standards, dead, the Rhode Island Supreme Court has ruled.
DuPont: Lawsuit over discharges into Cape Fear River 'rests on a mistaken premise'
GREENVILLE, N.C. (Legal Newsline) – A major chemical company has filed a motion asking a federal court to dismiss a lawsuit claiming it polluted a North Carolina river, causing sickness and property damage to those living near its banks.
Labor Department's pursuit of pastor who ran restaurant 'troubling,' Sixth Circuit says; Restaurant closed after district court ruling
CINCINNATI (Legal Newsline) – A pastor and his church will not have to pay hundreds of thousands in back pay to congregants who volunteered to work at a restaurant he operated in Ohio following a federal appeals court ruling.
Monkey has no copyright over 'selfies,' Ninth Circuit court rules
SAN FRANCISCO (Legal Newsline) – Naruto, a crested macaque monkey, is not entitled to copyright of pictures the animal snapped of himself, a federal appeals court has ruled.
Dispute over asbestos lawsuit fees to continue; Calif. lawyer is suing Paul Napoli and his former partner
LOS ANGELES (Legal Newsline) – A dispute among attorneys over fees generated by asbestos litigation can proceed, a federal court has ruled.
More aggressive defenses expected in asbestos cases as new information emerges of other cancer causes
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) - Companies named in asbestos lawsuits may employ more aggressive defenses as information emerges that other factors can cause the particular type of cancer that leads to the costliest settlements and verdicts.
Sugar in lollipops? Of course, says candy maker fighting 'nonsensical' lawsuit
LOS ANGELES (Legal Newsline) – A woman who says she was tricked into thinking lollipops are healthy will be able to continue her lawsuit in a California court, as the defendant that has labeled the case as “nonsensical” attacks the class action lawyers who filed it.
Third-party litigation funding a topic of discussion at plaintiffs lawyer seminar
LAS VEGAS (Legal Newsline) – Plaintiff lawyers and those in legal marketing and funding businesses gathered last week in Las Vegas for an annual mass tort conference.
KCIC report: Asbestos cases drop in 2017, still filed by same firms in same jurisdictions
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. (Legal Newsline) – Asbestos lawsuits declined last year, but the number remains high, concentrated in certain jurisdictions, and filed by a small grouping of firms, according to the latest data on litigation across the country.
Business leaders welcome passage of Wisconsin civil litigation bill
MADISON, Wis. (Legal Newsline) – Small business leaders are welcoming the passage of a bill in Wisconsin that changes certain civil litigation rules likely to benefit contractors.
Judiciary Committee approves amended legal reform bill in Wisconsin
MADISON, Wis. (Legal Newsline) - Wisconsin lawmakers could vote Thursday on changes to the state's rules regarding civil litigation.
New York City mayor on podcast: 'Let's help bring the death knell' to the fossil fuel industry
NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) – New York Mayor Bill de Blasio is unashamedly up-front about what he wants to see happen to the fossil fuel industry.
In Wisconsin legal reform debate, GOP lawmakers split from party while lobbyist firm with corporate clients stumps for trial lawyers
MADISON, Wis. (Legal Newsline) – As Wisconsin Republicans and their governor push a legal reform agenda that includes a bill that would reform the state’s electronic discovery and class action rules, a lobbying firm seeking to derail it on behalf of the state's trial lawyers may be at odds on this one with other clients it has represented.
Georgia will soon decide controversial 'lawsuit lending' topic
DUBLIN, Ga. (Legal Newsline) – Questions over the future of litigation funding remain in Georgia as the state Supreme Court prepares to decide the issue and another case continues to move through a federal court in the state.
Ky. bill would allow caps on damages; State Chamber glad to see 'true legal liability reform' getting a shot
FRANKFORT, Ky. (Legal Newsline) – Kentucky's business community has welcomed a bill that may lead to a change in the constitution that would allow the General Assembly to cap damages in personal injury lawsuits.