News from July 2024
Buckeye Institute appeals ruling in Cincinnati union wage dispute
The Buckeye Institute filed an appeal on Tuesday against a State Employment Relations Board (SERB) decision in the case of Littlejohn v. American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). The appeal, submitted to the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas, requests the court to instruct the government and its unions to cease deducting money from employees' paychecks after they have resigned from the union.
Justice Department supports church's RLUIPA claim against Arizona city
The Justice Department filed a statement of interest yesterday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona, asserting that a church’s claims under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA) are ready for judicial review in federal court.
Rosie Hidalgo discusses future initiatives at NOVA's annual event
Director Rosie Hidalgo delivered remarks at the National Organization for Victim Advocacy (NOVA) 50th Annual Training Event on July 30, 2024. She expressed gratitude to NOVA for their year-round work in providing critical training and technical assistance to grantees of the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW)’s Campus Grant Program.
Tom Trujillo to Serve as McGuireWoods’ Chief Innovation and AI Officer
Tom Trujillo has become McGuireWoods’ Chief Innovation and AI Officer, effective July 22, 2024.
Drummond asks U.S. Supreme Court to protect parental rights
Attorney General Drummond is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to protect parents’ fundamental rights to make decisions about their children’s welfare.
Attorney General Bonta announces sentencing for smash-and-grab robbers
California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced the sentencing of eight individuals involved in a series of "smash and grab" robberies at high-end retail stores across Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside counties. The crimes occurred between May 11, 2023, and August 23, 2023, resulting in a loss exceeding $1.7 million. The targeted stores included Nordstrom, Yves Saint Laurent (YSL), Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Gucci, and Magnolia Park. One remaining defendant has pled guilty and will be sentenced at a later date.
Attorney General Aaron M. Frey Files Civil Rights Complaint Against Bath Couple
Attorney General Aaron Frey announced that he has filed a civil complaint under the Maine Civil Rights Act in Sagadahoc County Superior Court against Andrew Pinkham, age 44, and Ranada Pinkham, age 43, of Bath.
Meg Hobbins Joins Clark Hill’s Immigration Team
Clark Hill announced that Meg Hobbins has joined the firm as a Member of its immigration practice in Washington, D.C.
Jury awards $495M in bellwether baby formula trial
A St. Louis jury awarded an Illinois mother nearly $500 million in a verdict against Abbott Laboratories after she claimed the company’s Similac was responsible for her daughter’s severe injuries.
Lawsuit: Burger King employee went ballistic, swung box-cutter at customers
TAMPA, Fla. (Legal Newsline) - Florida Burger King customers say they had French fries thrown in their faces and their lives threatened when a worker went crazy.
Wrongful death lawsuit says One Chip Challenge killed teen
BOSTON (Legal Newsline) - A 14-year-old boy died from taking part in the One Chip Challenge with friends, a Massachusetts lawsuit against various defendants who made and sold the extra-spicy snack says.
Oregon given green light to regulate chemicals in kids' toys
SAN FRANCISCO (Legal Newsline) - A federal appeals court won't help industry groups challenging Oregon's Toxic-Free Kids Act, finding certain parts of it aren't preempted by federal law.
Life Sciences Team Advises Hepion Pharmaceuticals in $58.5 Million Merger Agreement with Pharma Two B
Sheppard Mullin’s Life Sciences team is representing Hepion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: HEPA), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company that is developing a treatment for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis hepatocellular carcinoma and other chronic liver diseases, in its merger agreement with Pharma Two B Ltd.
Holland & Knight Recognized in Global and U.S. M&A Rankings
Holland & Knight has again been recognized as a top-ranked law firm in benchmarking league tables published by Bloomberg and LSEG (formerly Refinitiv) for mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and private equity transactions in the first half of 2024.
Husch Blackwell Wins on Appeal, Securing Broad Preemption Ruling and Permits for Tillman Infrastructure to Construct New AT&T Telecommunications Tower
A Husch Blackwell land use litigation team secured a victory on behalf of Tillman Infrastructure in the Wisconsin Court of Appeals.
12th Annual Brewers Briefing on July 31, 2024
Littler Milwaukee's complimentary 12th Annual Brewers Briefing at American Family Field is a half-day conference that will include informational sessions addressing current issues and trends in employment and labor law in 2024 and what to be prepared for in 2025.
Attorney General Bonta Secures Sentencing of Southern California Dentist for Medi-Cal Fraud
California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced the sentencing of a Southern California dentist, along with two employees of her dental practice, for their fraudulent billing scheme that defrauded the state Medi-Cal program of nearly $800,000.
Attorney General Bird Statement on Federal Court Blocking Biden-Harris Title IX War on Women
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird announced victory after a federal court blocked the radical Biden-Harris Administration’s attempt to rewrite more than 50 years of landmark protections for women.
Former leader of Scioto Valley Realtor group indicted for alleged embezzlement
A former executive officer of the Scioto Valley Association of Realtors has been indicted by a Ross County grand jury on two felony counts related to theft from the organization, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced today.
AG Nessel reminds Michigan residents impacted by flight delays about new USDOT rights
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is reminding residents of the rights afforded to airline passengers due to new U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) rules that went into effect on June 25th. A video highlighting the new rules can be found on the Michigan Attorney General’s YouTube page. Attorney General Nessel chairs the USDOT Aviation Consumer Protection Advisory Committee, which evaluates existing aviation consumer protection programs and recommended these changes to U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg in January of last year.