News from May 2018
North Carolina AG files complaint against Insys Therapeutics for alleged fentanyl kickback scheme
RALEIGH, N.C. (Legal Newsline) — North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein announced May 21 that he filed a complaint against Insys Therapeutics Inc. for allegations of deceptive marketing and sales practices in violation of the Fair Claims Act.
South Carolina AG suing feds over plans to end mixed oxide project along Savannah River
COLUMBIA, S.C. (Legal Newsline) — South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced May 22 that he plans to sue the United States, the Department of Energy (DOE), the National Nuclear Security Administration, and their respective officers in their official capacities over allegations the U.S. plans to terminate the MOX (Mixed Oxide) Project at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina.
Dollar General subsidiary will pay $70,000 for sexual harassment allegations
OXFORD, Miss. (Legal Newsline) — The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced May 22 that Dolgencorp LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Dollar General Corporation retail chain, will pay $70,000 after allegations of sexual harassment.
Heritage Home Group fined $50,000 for firing employee with diabetes
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Legal Newsline) — The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced May 22 that Heritage Home Group LLC will pay $50,000 after allegations of disability discrimination.
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Arkansas AG certifies ballot titles for proposals to raise the minimum wage, authorize casino gambling
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (Legal Newsline) — Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge announced May 23 that she is certifying ballot titles for proposals to raise the minimum wage, authorize casino gaming and revise the legislative redistricting process.
EEOC: Happy Jack's Casino revoked job offer after applicant tested positive for prescribed medication
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Legal Newsline) — The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced May 18 that M.G. Oil Company, which does business as Happy Jack’s Casino, will pay $45,000 after allegations of disability discrimination.
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.
Trial lawyer panel: Plaintiffs' lawyers adapting strategies to fit post-BristolMyersSquibb legal landscape
While the U.S. Supreme Court's Bristol Myers Squibb ruling has resulted in some big wins for businesses targeted by the plaintiffs' bar, new strategies and theories deployed by plaintiffs' lawyers may be blunting the further impact of that decision, despite high hopes from some it would largely thwart the ability of out-of-state plaintiffs to sue out-of-state defendants in a favorable court forum.
DOJ: Pfizer will pay $23.85 million to resolve massive kickback scheme allegations
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) — The U.S. Department of Justice announced May 24 that Pfizer Inc., a major pharmaceutical company in New York, will pay $23.85 million after allegations of a massive kickback scheme.
DOJ reaches settlements with 2 Hawaiian fishing companies accused of polluting ocean
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) — The U.S. Department of Justice announced May 24 that Triple Dragon LLC and Capt. Millions III LLC, two fishing companies headquartered in Hawaii, agreed to settle allegations of illegal ocean pollution.
PayPal settles allegations related to its Venmo peer-to-peer transaction service
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) — The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced May 24 that it approved a settlement with PayPal Inc. that resolves allegations the company’s peer-to-peer payment service, Venmo, misled consumers about how transfers to external bank accounts worked.
Judge dismisses FTC's antitrust complaint against Impax Laboratories
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) — The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced May 24 that its antitrust complaint against generic pharmaceutical company Impax Laboratories Inc. has been dismissed by Chief Administrative Law Judge D. Michael Chappell.
Douglas N. Higgins utility cited by OSHA after employee dies on job
NAPLES, Fla. (Legal Newsline) — The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently announced that it cited Douglas N. Higgins Inc., a utility company based in South Florida, over allegations that an employee at the company suffered fatal injuries on the job.
John Deere wins case filed by fired manager; Iowa civil rights law can't extend to China
DES MOINES, Iowa (Legal Newsline) – The Iowa Supreme Court stated that the Iowa Civil Rights Act cannot extend extraterritorially on May 18, granting summary judgment to Deere & Co. in a former manager’s lawsuit claiming civil rights violations under the Iowa Civil Rights Act after he was fired.
New state AG opioid lawsuits show diverging strategies, outside counsel pay scales
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Legal Newsline) - The latest wave of state lawsuits over the opioid crisis illustrates sharp differences emerging in how governments litigate these cases, both in whom they choose to sue and whether private lawyers stand to get a piece of the action.
Attorney: $21.7 million California verdict in talc, mesothelioma case 'probably changes the complexion of things a bit'
JACKSON, Miss. (Legal Newsline) – Defense attorney Walter “W.G.” Watkins Jr. thinks the impact of a $21.7 million mesothelioma-related verdict recently reached against Johnson & Johnson and its talc suppliers by a Los Angeles jury could have implications that extend far beyond that region.
Fracking industry fights allegations it caused earthquakes in Oklahoma
GUTHRIE, Okla. (Legal Newsline) – Two defendants in a lawsuit that claims hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, activities increased earthquake activity in Oklahoma are seeking to have the lawsuit dismissed.
OSHA cites C & D Technologies for alleged unsafe lead levels
MILWAUKEE, WI (Legal Newsline) — The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently announced that it cited C & D Technologies Inc. for allegedly exposing its employees to lead and failing to implement an effective lead management program.
San Diego couple ask judge not to reconsider dismissal denial in class action against Frito-Lay
SAN DIEGO (Legal Newsline) – With a hearing less than a month away, a San Diego couple have asked a federal judge not to reconsider her previous decision to not dismiss the couple's would-be class action against Frito-Lay over the company's allegedly misleading potato chip label.