News from November 2020
Emergency petition in Wisconsin Supreme Court seeks injunction to prevent certifying Biden's victory
MADISON, Wis. (Legal Newsline) - Attorneys from the Thomas More Society's Amistad Project filed an emergency petition with the Supreme Court of Wisconsin, alleging that election officials nullified Joe Biden’s victory by violating state election laws.
Expect 'regulation as springboard for litigation' during Biden presidency, top defense attorney says
A prominent business defense attorney foresees an unprecedented role for trial lawyers in the regulatory aspirations of federal agencies invigorated under a Joe Biden presidency.“The trial lawyers haven’t been this close to any other president in history,” Victor Schwartz, co-chair of Shook, Hardy & Bacon’s Public Policy Practice Group, told Legal Newline.
Settlement comes after Fourth Circuit's ruling in N.C. hog farm case
RICHMOND, Va. (Legal Newsline) – A federal appeals court has overturned a $2.5 million punitive damage award against a subsidiary of Smithfield Foods Inc. in a suit by North Carolina residents who complained about odors, pests and noise from an industrial-scale hog farm.
Defense lawyers: Federal PREP Act offers some protection against COVID injury lawsuits, but more legislation needed
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) - Protection from liability claims is all but certain in the fight against COVID-19 for the vaccine manufacturers, distributors of the new drugs and pharmacists immunizing the public who follow government-mandated protocols, according to attorneys on a recent conference call sponsored by Lawyers for Civil Justice that discussed the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.
GREENBERG TRAURIG LLP: Greenberg Traurig Attorneys Recognized in ‘LACCA Approved 2021’
Attorneys from the Latin America Practice of global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP were recognized in the Latin America Corporate Counsel Association (LACCA) list of recommended lawyers in the 2021 edition of LACCA Approved.
LITTLER MENDELSON PC: Equal Justice and the Law: Diversity & Inclusion and Equal Pay Initiatives in the Workplace
As the national conversation grows regarding equal justice, employers are motivated to understand their obligations in this fast-changing landscape.
NELSO MULLINS: Nelson Mullins Among Firms Honored with Boston Bar Empowerment Award
The Boston Bar Association has awarded Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP with its annual Empowerment Award, along with the 16 other law firms that are participating in the COVID Relief Coalition.
FOLEY & LARDNER LLP: Webinar: Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave 2021
Massachusetts will soon join the growing list of states mandating paid family and medical leave for employees.
TROUTMAN PEPPER HAMILTON SANDERS LLP: Two Troutman Pepper Partners Recognized in Washingtonian’s ‘Top Lawyers’ List
Troutman Pepper partners Henry Liu and Todd Reinstein have been recognized by Washingtonian in its annual list of “Top Lawyers” in the D.C.
NLRB affirms penalty for Federalist founder's Twitter joke
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) - A National Labor Relations Board panel affirmed an administrative law judge’s ruling that the publisher of The Federalist newsletter violated federal labor law when he tweeted he would send any employee who tried to unionize the publication “back to the salt mine.”
Exasperated Delaware judge rejects chicken farm's appeal in lawsuit over its smell
GEORGETOWN, Del. (Legal Newsline) - The judge overseeing a long-running, acrimonious nuisance suit over a Delaware chicken farm rejected the latest attempt to reverse his rulings on whether the case belongs in his court, saying the plaintiffs “would suffer serious prejudice from delay.”
Judge: Doctor's deposition 'correction' more like a do-over
WILMINGTON, Del. (Legal Newsline) - A doctor’s attempt to “correct” her deposition after a plaintiff expert accused her of violating the standard of care was excessive and, if allowed, could undermine the legal process, a Delaware judge ruled.
Groups want exception for franchises from California's independent contractor test
SAN DIEGO (Legal Newsline) – The International Franchise Association and other groups are suing to keep California from enforcing its new test for determining whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor.
Maryland Judiciary restricts operations amid COVID-19 surge
The Maryland Judiciary has announced a shift to Phase II of its reopening plan in response to the rising number of COVID-19 cases.
Ohio Supreme Court: Cities aren't victims of crimes under Marsy's Law
COLUMBUS, Ohio (Legal Newsline) - You may not be able to fight city hall, but in Ohio you can avoid being ordered to pay a city restitution under a state law designed to compensate crime victims for their losses.
Expired coupons on not-expired waffles is deceptive, lawsuit claims
BROOKLYN, N.Y. (Legal Newsline) – A New York lawyer has filed a class action lawsuit over a three-year-old coupon offer on Kellogg’s products that expired after the offer did.
Gripe between lawyer and referral service comes to close
HARTFORD, Conn. (Legal Newsline) – A prolific plaintiffs lawyer who files telemarketing and debt-collection lawsuits has ended his lawsuit against a lawyer referral service he alleged failed to disclose it isn’t a law firm.
Lawsuit: Nestle charging illegal late fees on water delivery
LOS ANGELES (Legal Newsline) – A monthly subscriber to a water service says in a class action lawsuit that Nestle charges a late fee that is more than allowed by California law.
Court hears arguments in appeal by Ohio prof who won't use transgender pronouns, titles
As a philosophy professor of 24 years, Dr. Nicholas Meriwether knows that words and language carry meaning and that they express what a person believes regarding reality. That’s why he was unable to address a male student with a feminine pronoun or title
Court: Dark room with no floor possibly poses a risk
LANSING, Mich. (Legal Newsline) – A dark room with no floor might not be an open and obvious hazard, the Michigan Court of Appeals has decided.