News from May 2023
Hawaii's chief justice involved with environmental advocate, as his court handles fate of climate change lawsuit
HONOLULU (Legal Newsline) - The chief justice of the Hawaii Supreme Court acknowledged he collaborated with a nonprofit environmental group to discuss climate litigation as he prepares to hear an appeal in Honolulu’s lawsuit against the energy industry.
Maxine Waters can be sued for claiming opponent faked Navy discharge papers
LOS ANGELES (Legal Newsline) - Congresswoman Maxine Waters must face trial over a political opponent’s claim she said he had been dishonorably discharged from the Navy even after he produced documents showing the statement was false, a California appeals court ruled.
Delaware judge puts 77,000 Zantac lawsuits in motion
WILMINGTON, Del. (Legal Newsline) - A Delaware judge has decided how 77,000 lawsuits filed in the state over the heartburn medicine Zantac will proceed, while a California court prepares for the first trial in the country.
Suit: Kroger leads customers to falsely believe 'Farm Fresh' eggs are cage-free
PEORIA, Ill. (Legal Newsline) — Kroger is facing a class action lawsuit claiming its "Farm Fresh" eggs mislead consumers to believing they are from cage-free chickens.
Reed Smith announces Five from Reed Smith recognized in DC/Virginia Super Lawyers 2023
Five lawyers, located at Reed Smith offices in District of Columbia and Richmond, Va., have gained recognition as top practitioners in updated lists from Super Lawyers.
Private lawyers pocket $73 million in Florida's opioid case; Is it against state law?
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Legal Newsline) - Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody says she found a way to pay private lawyers tens of millions of dollars for negotiating opioid settlements without triggering the state’s $50 million cap on contingency fees, though a state legal reform group disagrees.
Chicago judge warns class action food lawyer about 'not close to viable' lawsuits
CHICAGO (Legal Newsline) - A Chicago federal judge promises to keep an eye on a prolific class action lawyer who has filed more than 400 lawsuits since 2020.
Locked out, man chooses to drop from roof to balcony; Now he can sue landlord over his fall
LOS ANGELES (Legal Newsline) - A California court has ruled that a man who was locked out of his apartment can sue the building's owner after he tried to scale down to his balcony from the roof but instead fell.
Transgender worker alleges he was fired after supervisor discovered biological gender
TAMPA, Fla. (Legal Newsline) — A transgender worker alleges he suffered discrimination and was fired from a Florida company after a supervisor discovered his biological gender was female.
HP faces class action alleging 'Omen' line of laptops are defective
SAN FRANCISCO (Legal Newsline) — HP is facing a class action alleging its Omen line of laptops are defective.
Thompson Coburn announces Mona Patel and Jessica Wang attend CCWC Law Firm Associates Conference
Thompson Coburn associates Mona Patel and Jessica Wang attended the 2023 Corporate Counsel of Women of Color Law Firm Associates Conference in New York.
Fla. court: Jury overshot punitive damages with $24 million verdict in tobacco case
TAMPA, Fla. (Legal Newsline) - A major punitive damages award for a smoker's estate that sued Philip Morris USA and R.J. Reynolds Tobacco should be reduced, a Florida appeals court has ruled.
Targeting jurors by race 'poisons' the trial process, Texas Supreme Court rules
AUSTIN, Texas (Legal Newsline) - Courts continue to grapple with the issue of race on juries, as Texas' highest court has found a trial was sullied after the plaintiff's attorney announced a preference for Black women jurors during selection.
Defendants in PFAS trial can't call high-profile plaintiff expert an advocate during bellwether trial
CHARLESTON, S.C. (Legal Newsline) - Defendants in the coming bellwether trial over chemicals known as PFAS will not be able to test the motivations of one of the plaintiff's experts.
Lawsuit alleges stroller's defective frame can cause infants to fall
BROOKLYN, N.Y. (Legal Newsline) — The manufacturer of the "Mockingbird" brand strollers is facing a class action lawsuit alleging the strollers are defective and pose a serious risk to infants.
Lawsuit: Florida inmate suffered severed finger from automatic door
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Legal Newsline)— An inmate at a Florida corrections facility is alleging negligence after he says a door at the facility slammed shut and severed his finger.
Shook Hardy Bacon LLP hosts Driving Diversity in Law and Leadership Conference Features Shook Partner on May 18, 2023
Shook Partner Veronica Gromada will deliver the opening remarks and serve as a panelist at the Centerforce Diversity Law Series, Driving Diversity in Law and Leadership Conference.
Littler Mendelson PC announces Addition of Jacqueline Langland in Growing Phoenix Office
Littler, the world’s largest employment and labor law practice representing management, has added Jacqueline Langland as the latest attorney to join its Phoenix office.
Approve REINs Act or continue to watch the 'administrative state run amok,' free market advocates say
A ditch filled with rainwater in a farmer’s field is fair regulatory game for Washington under proposed Clear Water Act rules that the Biden EPA resurrected from the Obama Administration.
General contractor not protected by Workers' Comp law in case of fatal accident
BISMARCK, N.D. (Legal Newsline) - General contractors are “deemed” to be employers under one section of North Dakota’s workers compensation law but they don’t get immunity from lawsuits by employees of their subcontractors, the state’s highest court ruled.