News from August 2020
R.J. Reynolds won't owe punitive damages in Fla. Engle case
MIAMI (Legal Newsline) – R.J. Reynolds has defeated claims for punitive damages in one of the so-called Engle cases in Florida in which plaintiffs can blame tobacco companies for health problems.
Johnson & Johnson makes plea against multibillion-dollar verdict from bundled talc trial
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (Legal Newsline) - Johnson & Johnson has asked the Missouri Supreme Court to reverse a $2.1 billion talc verdict against it, saying lower courts misapplied the law and improperly bundled nearly two dozen plaintiffs from around the country into a single trial despite a U.S. Supreme Court decision prohibiting the practice.
David Beckham's Miami soccer stadium clears legal hurdle
MIAMI (Legal Newsline) – The ballot measure that approved a new soccer stadium in Miami was written adequately, a Florida appeals court has ruled.
Colorado church continues fight against gathering restrictions
DENVER (Legal Newsline) – The Colorado church denied an injunction against Gov. Jared Polis’ social-gathering restrictions has appealed.
Class action lawyers abandon suit over recalled Graco sleepers
LOS ANGELES (Legal Newsline) – Rather than try again, class action lawyers suing Graco over the recall of its children’s sleepers have given up on their case.
D.C. police say post-George Floyd law strips them of negotiating power
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) – District of Columbia police are suing the district and Mayor Muriel Bowser over laws passed in the wake of George Floyd’s death during an arrest in Minneapolis.
Nonprofits' lawsuit seeks to impose heavy penalties on Certainteed over emissions
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Legal Newsline) – A wildlife rescue, environmental advocates and a group of “irritated residents” are suing Certainteed, claiming it is violating the Clean Air Act at its Chowchilla, Calif., plant.
Mounting Covid lawsuits will challenge dozens of state liability shield laws and executive actions
It will take a few years before we know the extent of the effectiveness of laws approved in 15 states, and executive actions in 23 more, shielding health care providers and businesses from Covid lawsuits, says Cary Silverman, partner with Shook Hardy & Bacon, and expert in product liability and tort law, and civil justice reform.
L.A. deputy on hook for $8M verdict after arrest killed Black man who was chasing woman
LOS ANGELES (Legal Newsline) – An officer involved in the fatal arrest of a Black man who chased a woman who claimed he was trying to kill her is on the hook for the entire $8 million verdict despite being found to be only 20% at fault.
Family of man burned alive at work loses suit against property owner
LOS ANGELES (Legal Newsline) – Property owners aren’t at fault for the nightmarish death of a man who was burned alive at work in 2016.
Ongoing sexual harassment has pool company in hot water
RIVERSIDE, Calif. (Legal Newsline) – A California pool company can’t escape a former employee’s sexual harassment lawsuit by claiming she had stopped reporting the conduct because nothing would have been done about it anyway.
Lawsuit doubts Schwan's pizzas are "preservative free"
ST. LOUIS (Legal Newsline) – Schwan’s has removed a class action lawsuit against it to federal court as it fights allegations its pizzas aren’t as natural as it claims.
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Lawsuit filed over PlayAGS stock drop, problems getting gaming machines in Oklahoma
LAS VEGAS (Legal Newsline) – A public pension is suing PlayAGS, a designer of electronic gaming machines that primarily distributes them to Native American tribes.
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Ruling might help Calif. dispensary get its thousands of marijuana plants back
SAN JOSE, Calif. (Legal Newsline) – A marijuana dispensary that ran afoul of Santa Cruz County might get its 2,000 plants back, thanks to a California appeals court ruling.
Mass protests not a reason to lift gathering restrictions, Colorado judge rules
DENVER (Legal Newsline) – A Colorado church that claimed it was unfair to encourage mass protests while restricting the amount of people who could attend religious services has lost its bid for an injunction.
Class action lawyers target Charlotte's Web
LOS ANGELES (Legal Newsline) – Cannabidiol products sold by Charlotte’s Web Inc. are actually illegal, says a new class action intended to stop the company.
Hollywood Foreign Press Association hates foreign press, lawsuit alleges
LOS ANGELES (Legal Newsline) – The group that gives out Golden Globes discriminates against members of foreign press outlets, a new antitrust lawsuit says.
Class action lawyers sue over PFAS without needing to prove it is hazardous
SAN FRANCISCO (Legal Newsline) - Plaintiff lawyers, having tried and failed to assemble class actions over Teflon pans and dental floss, are now targeting disposable plates and bowls with PFAS litigation.
ORRICK HERRINGTON & SUTCLIFFE: American Lawyer Names Orrick #5 on 2020 A-List
Congratulations to The American Lawyer’s 2020 A-List firms, and thank you to our team for earning a top 5 spot for the third year in a row.
Bare-facers head to court to challenge facemask requirements
Confusion and outrage over facemask requirements have spilled over into courtrooms around the country as private citizens claim public officials have violated their Constitutional rights.