News from March 2021
Coalition of AGs sue U.S. Treasury over tax cut provision in COVID relief package
CHARLESTON – West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey is part of a 13-state coalition that has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Treasury regarding states’ ability to cut taxes despite a provision in the most recent COVID-19 release package.
Texas AG wants Twitter's lawsuit against him thrown out of court
SAN FRANCISCO (Legal Newsline) – Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is fighting back against Twitter after it sued him for alleged retaliation for its decision to ban former President Donald Trump from its platform.
Interior Dept. defends off-road vehicle use at Glen Canyon in Utah
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) – A group hoping to protect the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area from all-terrain vehicles faces resistance in its lawsuit against the Department of the Interior.
San Diego within its rights to ban flavored tobacco, judge rules
SAN DIEGO (Legal Newsline) – Retailers have lost their bid to stop San Diego County’s ban on flavored tobacco products.
New York's attorney general wonders why landlords are suing her over eviction moratorium
BROOKLYN, N.Y. (Legal Newsline) – New York Attorney General Letitia James says it was wrong for property owners fed up with the COVID-19 pandemic’s ban on evictions to sue her.
Objectors say $200M for lawyers in Flint water settlement is way too high
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (Legal Newsline) - Three Flint residents have filed an objection to the $200 million fee plaintiff lawyers want to carve out of the $641 million the State of Michigan and other defendants have agreed to pay to settle lawsuits over lead contamination, saying it is at least three times too high and unfairly penalizes claimants who haven’t hired lawyers.
Amended intermediate court bill passes W.Va. House, heads back to Senate
CHARLESTON – An amended bill that would create a new intermediate appellate court has passed the House of Delegates and now heads back to the state Senate.
Nevada's high court allows extension of statute of limitations, but not in this sex assault case
CARSON CITY, Nev. (Legal Newsline) - Nevada’s highest court gave judges the power to extend the state’s two-year statute of limitations in tort lawsuits, but rejected the appeal of a woman who sued her alleged attacker more than two years after she reported the sexual assault to police.
Judge denies asbestos lawyer who wants to practice in Iowa
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (Legal Newsline) – An Iowa state court judge won’t let an asbestos lawyer into his courtroom after defendants put a spotlight on her record of honesty.
Moving company accused of stealing $15,000 worth of valuables from Arkansas father and son
A Faulker County father and son want payback from a moving company after over $10,000 in valuables was allegedly stolen from their belongings during a move, according to documents filed on February 11 in the Faulkner County Circuit Court.
Mom gets $70K settlement after daughter breaks elbow doing a cartwheel
A New York woman filed a settlement agreement with the State and County of New York and the Mission Society on behalf of herself and her young daughter after the child was reportedly injured at the River Bank State Park in 2018.
Litigation funder accused of trying to hijack billion-dollar whistleblower lawsuit
MIAMI (Legal Newsline) - A litigation funder considered a pioneer in the business of investing in corporate lawsuits is accused of using offshore shell companies and improper tactics to take control of a potentially lucrative lawsuit seeking billions of dollars in abandoned life insurance payouts for the state of New York.
Worker wins lawsuit against restaurant but loses chance to pursue class action
NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) - A man who won his lawsuit against Joe’s Shanghai restaurant over wage violations lost a subsequent appeal of a judge’s order dismantling a class action on behalf of his fellow workers.
Man can sue for emotional distress after brother's corpse used for tests at fire department
OLYMPIA, Wash. (Legal Newsline) – The brother of a man whose dead body was filled with tubes for a fire department’s training exercise can sue for the emotional harm it caused.
HGTV's Fixer to Fabulous contractors accused of deceiving homeowners, inspectors
Behind-the-scenes drama has landed the contractors of the "Fixer to Fabulous" HGTV home renovation show in legal hot water in the Benton County Circuit Court.
Couple sick of their neighbor's loud, offensive music file lawsuit, seek $20,000 in payback
CONWAY, Ark. (Legal Newsline) - An Arkansas couple want damages from their neighbor, who is accused of being a nuisance while they work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic.
PR campaign, not law, driving climate change lawsuits against energy industry, critic says
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (Legal Newsline) - Climate activists funded by old money have been championing contingency fee lawyers who are piling up litigation to chase a tobacco-like settlement against the energy industry.
COZEN O'CONNOR: Cozen O’Connor Welcomes Back James J. Sullivan, Jr., Former Chairman, Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission to the Firm’s Labor and Employment Department
Cozen O’Connor is proud to announce James J. Sullivan, Jr., former chairman of the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC), is returning to the firm after serving for three and a half years as one of three commissioners of the OSHRC.
NELSON MULLINS: S.C. Supreme Court Recognizes 62 Nelson Mullins Attorneys for Pro Bono Service
The South Carolina Supreme Court has recognized 62 Nelson Mullins lawyers who provided 50 or more hours of pro bono legal services in 2020 in its latest Pro Bono Honor Roll.
LITTLER MENDELSON PC: Littler Earns Industry Accolades
Littler, the world’s largest employment and labor law practice representing management, has been ranked among the top 10 firms for client service excellence by BTI Consulting in its new report, BTI Client Service A-Team 2021: Survey of Law Firm Client Service Performance, featured as Latin America’s Top International Labor Law Firm 2021 by Latinvex and named among the top 20 law firms in the Thomson Reuters U.S. Law Firm Brand Index 2021.