News from July 2013
Minn. AG announces $1.7 million in funds from multi-state agreement with Abbott Laboratories
SAINT PAUL, Minn. (Legal Newsline) - Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson announced Wednesday that the state would recover $1.7 million from a multi-state settlement with Abbott Laboratories to resolve allegations that Abbott marketed a drug for non-approved uses.
Report: D.C. Council thinking about delaying AG election
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) -- Members of the D.C. Council, which voted to authorize a referendum on an elected attorney general in the District of Columbia in 2010, reportedly are considering delaying the election.
Members of Congress tell McConnell to stop blocking NLRB nominees
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) -- U.S. Reps. Linda Sanchez and Joe Courtney on Tuesday joined a group of American workers in calling on Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to stop threatening to block a Senate vote on nominees to the National Labor Relations Board.
BP plaintiffs lawyer once represented Scruggs
NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) -- One of the lawyers representing a group of class action plaintiffs against oil giant BP also helped represent disgraced Mississippi attorney Richard "Dickie" Scruggs.
N.J. AG announces ruling against grower to restore destroyed farmland
TRENTON, N.J. (Legal Newsline) - New Jersey Acting Attorney General John Hoffman announced a legal victory for the state's efforts to preserve farmland Tuesday with a court ruling that a commercial plant grower must restore damaged farmland.
Michigan AG warns consumers of online ticket scams
LANSING, Mich. (Legal Newsline) - Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette issued a warning to consumers Monday cautioning them to be wary of online ticket purchasing scams during the busy summer event and concert season.
Lawyer for plaintiffs in BP case known as a Renaissance man in legal community
NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) -- Samuel Issacharoff, the New York University School of Law professor who is representing a group of class action plaintiffs against oil giant BP, often is described as a Renaissance man.
BP faces off against class action plaintiffs
NEW ORLEANS (Legal Newsline) - A federal appeals court today heard arguments involving the administration of claims processing to individuals and businesses negatively affected by the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
Federal judge rules in favor of mortgage registry, banks in R.I. recording fee lawsuit
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Legal Newsline) -- A federal judge last month dismissed a class action lawsuit filed against the national mortgage registry known as MERS and various banks over alleged violations of Rhode Island's recording requirements.
N.Y. AG announces agreement with Thomson Reuters
NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) - New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced an agreement Monday with financial information company Thomson Reuters to stop the company from providing high-frequency traders with market-moving information before other subscribers.
Pa. AG praises General Assembly for budget increase
HARRISBURG, Pa. (Legal Newsline) - Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane thanked lawmakers in the General Assembly on Saturday for passing a budget that will partially restore effective funding levels for her office.
Mass. AG awards $1.5 million to local mediation, consumer programs
BOSTON (Legal Newsline) - Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley announced Friday that her office awarded $1.5 million in grants to local mediation and consumer programs through the Local Consumer Aid Fund Grants.
Oregon AG announces court order against debt settlement company
SALEM, Ore. (Legal Newsline) - Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum announced a court order on Wednesday against a Texas-based debt settlement company that allegedly charged excessive fees and lied about using Oregon attorneys to handle client cases.
Colorado AG obtains restraining order against allegedly deceptive charity
DENVER (Legal Newsline) - Colorado Attorney General John Suthers has announced a temporary restraining order against a for-profit company that allegedly deceived consumers into thinking they were donating money to a breast cancer charity.
Md. high court: Manufacturer owed no duty to warn household members of asbestos dangers
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (Legal Newsline) -- Maryland's highest court ruled Monday that the maker of a joint compound owed no duty of care to a household member who, in this case, came in contact with the dust of the asbestos-containing compound while doing laundry.
Consumer, worker advocates praise N.Y. AG for investigation into prepaid cards
NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) -- The National Consumers League, one of the nation's leading consumer and worker advocacy groups, says New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is right to launch an investigation into retailers that use prepaid cards to pay their employees.
Federal Circuit clarifies law on 'race to judgment' in concurrent federal, PTO proceedings
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) -- A federal appeals court ruled last week that federal trial and appellate courts are required by statute to dismiss pending patent cases if the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has cancelled the asserted claims through reexamination.
Former solicitors general write letter in support of Millett for D.C. Circuit
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) -- A bipartisan group of seven former U.S. solicitors general, including Kenneth W. Starr, say they support Patricia Ann Millett's nomination to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
BP seeks reversal, says settlement easy set up for fraud
NEW ORLEANS (Legal Newsline) -- Attorneys for BP claim a judge's ruling has allowed payments for fictitious claims from the 2010 oil spill, and they are asking a federal appeals court to reverse the decision.