News from February 2023
Insurance coverage counsel announce new law firm, website
Attorneys C. Anthony Ashford and Guy S. DiMartino are pleased to announce the formation of the law firm Ashford DiMartino, P.C.
Court: Objectors added little to $85M Zoom settlement, won't get attorney fees
SAN FRANCISCO (Legal Newsline) - Objectors whose efforts led to changes in an $85 million class action settlement with Zoom won't be awarded nearly $125,000 in attorneys fees.
Settlement in Kenneth Feinberg's $3.5M lawsuit
NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) - Famed lawyer and deal-facilitator Kenneth Feinberg has quickly settled a lawsuit alleging he was owed more than $3 million from a company that provides litigation technology services.
S.F. Chronicle fends off defamation lawsuit from failed Congressional candidate accused of sexual harassment
SAN FRANCISCO (Legal Newsline) - California Democrat Shahid Buttar, an attorney and civil rights advocate, has lost the rest of his defamation lawsuit over 2020 articles in the San Francisco Chronicle that followed sexual harassment allegations.
Oasis Legal Finance points to Cook County clause as it fights usury class action
TRENTON, N.J. (Legal Newsline) - Oasis Legal Finance says a proposed class action against it should be tossed from New Jersey court.
Greenberg Traurig Senior Counsel and Former U.S. Ambassador to Portugal Robert A. Sherman Presents at UMass Lowell
Robert A. Sherman, senior counsel at global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP and former U.S. ambassador to Portugal, spoke at the University of Massachusetts Lowell Feb. 23 as part of the Dean’s Speaker Series.
Reed Smith adds distinguished white collar partner Evan Barr in New York
Reed Smith announced the addition of Evan Barr as a partner in its Regulatory and Investigations Group.
Homeowners policy doesn't cover kidnapping of boss' assistant
HARTFORD, Conn. (Legal Newsline) - Nationwide Insurance doesn’t have to cover damages awarded to a woman who was bound, gagged and terrorized by a masked intruder who turned out to be a close friend of her boss, the Connecticut Supreme Court ruled.
True Value not liable for van crushing customer against a wall
LANSING, Mich. (Legal Newsline) - A Michigan True Value hardware store isn’t liable for a tragic accident in which the driver of a U-Haul truck unexpectedly hit the gas pedal and crushed a customer against the wall of the building, an appeals court ruled.
Bill would take away rights for homeowners, critics say
CHARLESTON – Critics of a bill introduced in the House of Delegates would take away some major consumer protection rights for homeowners.
New Florida bill would limit lawsuits against senior-living providers
New constraints would be placed on litigation filed against senior living facilities, including a ban on expert witnesses testifying on a contingency fee basis, under provisions of a bill introduced this week in the Florida Legislature.
Balance of Wisconsin Supreme Court hinges on April 4 election
Conservative Dan Kelly advanced out of the Feb. 21 primary
ICYMI: From the New Jersey Law Journal: Berger Joins Obermayer’s NJ Office
Family law partner Rebecca Berger, who recently joined Obermayer’s Mount Laurel office talked about her move in an article published in the New Jersey Law Journal on February 7, 2023.
Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate fights soft-on-crime allegations
Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Janet Protasiewicz' record as a Milwaukee County judge has drawn the scrutiny of conservative critics who highlight a pair of egregious sex crimes where she handed down light sentences.
Morrisey, other AGs ask court to review SEC rule requiring more disclosures on proxy votes
CHARLESTON — West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey this week joined his colleagues in Louisiana, Texas and Utah in urging the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit to review a Securities and Exchange Commission rule that requires investment managers to make more disclosures about their proxy votes.
Bar not liable for death of woman who ran into truck
LAKE CHARLES, La. (Legal Newsline) - A Louisiana bar wasn’t responsible for the death of a young woman who ran headlong into a truck exiting the parking lot after getting into a fight with her girlfriend, an appeals court ruled, upholding a jury verdict for the defense.
School worker can sue over claim boss targeted 'overpaid white people'
ST. PAUL, Minn. (Legal Newsline) - A school district employee who resigned after receiving her first poor job reviews in nearly 20 years can sue the district for age discrimination after presenting evidence her boss was targeting older, white workers for dismissal, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled.
Consumers claims Fabuloso cleaner contains dangerous bacteria
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (Legal Newsline) — A consumer class action lawsuit alleges Fabuloso cleaning products contain dangerous bacteria.
Cozen O’Connor adds Eight More Intellectual Property Professionals to its Fast-Growing International IP Practice; Will Open New Office in Boulder, Colorado
Cozen O’Connor today announced the addition of eight veteran IP professionals with a substantial U.S. and international client base to its fast-growing international IP practice.
Judge stops Maine law preventing political work from outsiders
BANGOR, Maine (Legal Newsline) - A Maine federal judge has entered judgment for a political group that challenged the state's petition circulation law.