LEGAL NEWSLINE

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (Legal Newsline) - Claims that African-American workers were subjected to nooses, Confederate flags and racist graffiti at a Harley-Davidson factory are enough to allow a hostile workplace suit to proceed even if the plaintiffs never saw such things themselves, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled.

SAN FRANCISCO (Legal Newsline) - 2K Games is asking a federal judge to throw out a proposed class action lawsuit that complains players lose their virtual currency when old versions of games are retired.

ORLANDO, Fla. (Legal Newsline) - Litigation has followed a flag football game at the University of Central Florida, during which one player says he was struck in the face and injured.

The Justice Department has revealed its plan to distribute grant funding for the fiscal year 2024, with the aim of bolstering community safety and improving justice system outcomes. Over 200 grant programs will be made available to community-based organizations, government agencies, research institutions, and nonprofit entities. These grants will be administered by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), and Office on Violence Against Women (OVW). The awards, which are subject to appropriations, will build upon the...

The Judiciary Commission of Louisiana has announced new leadership and appointments.

Donna Byrne, a leading energy regulatory lawyer with a specialty in Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) enforcement matters, has joined Troutman Pepper as a partner in its nationally recognized Energy Practice Group, resident in the Washington, D.C. office.

Holland & Knight Partners Julie Connelly and Annie Malo, Senior Counsels Scott Fenton and Brian Atherton, and Associate Erica Santos were recognized by GlobeSt.com as 2024 Influencers in Commercial Real Estate Technology.

Cozen O’Connor advised Utz Brands, Inc. (NYSE: UTZ), a leading U.S. manufacturer of branded salty snacks, and certain of its subsidiaries, including Utz Quality Foods, LLC, in its definitive purchase agreement for the sale of certain assets and brands to Our Home, an operating company of Better-for-You brands.

Attorney General Aaron Frey announced a $350 million national settlement with Publicis Health to resolve investigations into the global marketing and communications firm’s role in the prescription opioid crisis.

Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown announced that he and other state Attorneys General, working together with tribal governments, have reached a $350 million fifty-state settlement agreement with Publicis Health, LLC (“Publicis”), a division of the Paris-based global marketing conglomerate Publicis Groupe, S.A. Maryland will receive $7.2 million from the settlement for Maryland to use in its ongoing fight against the opioid crisis.

Attorney General Kris Kobach announced today that several Kansas school districts allow employees to hide from parents the fact that a student may be using a different name or pronouns at school. Late last year, Kobach sent letters to six Kansas school districts challenging their policies that require or allow school district staff to conceal from parents a student's "transgender" or "gender non-conforming" status. The policies allow schools to "socially transition" students without the parent's knowledge or consent.

Attorney General Todd Rokita has issued a consumer alert to residents of Indiana regarding several products that were recalled in January. These recalls, as reported by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, highlight potential safety hazards associated with certain items.

Dave Meyers, a partner in Troutman Pepper’s Corporate Practice Group, has been named to the Virginia Law Foundation’s 2024 Class of Fellows.

The American Tort Reform Foundation's (ATRF) "Judicial Hellholes" program, which reports on abuses in the civil justice system, has stated that a decision by a California Appellate Court in a lawsuit against Gilead Sciences could escalate the "tort tax" burden borne by California residents. The ATRF expressed apprehension that this trend might be adopted by the rest of the country.

TALLAHASSEE, Florida – A former adviser to President Donald Trump says her ex-husband fraudulently and inappropriately invoked her name during a disciplinary hearing before a Florida Department of Health board.

The U.S. District Court of the Western District of Washington at Seattle has rejected a request from Changpeng Zhao, co-founder and former CEO of Binance, to exit the United States to attend a surgery scheduled for an individual in his life in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Binance is recognized as the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume.

CHARLESTON – A House of Delegates resolution that would create an amendment to the state Constitution ensuring only United States citizens can vote in West Virginia elections is now with the state Senate.House Joint Resolution 21 passed on a 96-0 vote February 6.

The American Tort Reform Association (ATRA), an organization dedicated to the reform of the civil justice system, has released a report outlining the tactics employed by trial lawyers in mass tort litigation. According to the report, these practices often involve third-party litigation financing (TPLF), reliance on questionable scientific evidence, and extensive advertising campaigns.

CONCORD, N.H. (Legal Newsline) - New Hampshire cops who were shot can't take to trial the company that sold the firearm, the state Supreme Court ruled Jan. 30.

OAKLAND, Calif. (Legal Newsline) - A federal judge has certified a class of customers who allege the "100% natural" claims on certain ChapStick products are misleading.