News published on Legal Newsline in March 2024

The U.S. Department of Justice, along with 16 state and district Attorneys General, including Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, has filed a civil antitrust lawsuit against Apple for monopolization or attempted monopolization of smartphone markets in violation of Section 2 of the Sherman Act.

Attorney General Ashley Moody is leading a multistate coalition of state attorneys general in investigating whether MSCI, Inc. is supporting the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel. Moody expressed, “Israel is our greatest ally in the middle east, and in Florida, we unequivocally support their right to exist. The BDS movement has one goal, the complete elimination of Israel as a Jewish state. The allegations against MSCI are deeply disturbing and we have called for a quick response from the company’s leadership directly addressing our concerns.”...

BOSTON (Legal Newsline) - A Boston woman says she was hit with a beer bottle thrown from the second story of a nightclub located in Encore Boston Harbor.

Samuel Bankman-Fried, the founder of the cryptocurrency exchange FTX, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for orchestrating multiple fraudulent schemes. The sentencing, which also includes three years of supervised release and a forfeiture of $11 billion, follows Bankman-Fried's conviction on various counts including wire fraud, securities fraud, and money laundering.Attorney General Merrick B. Garland emphasized the consequences of financial crimes, stating, "Anyone who believes they can hide their financial crimes behind wealth and power...should think twice."...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (Legal Newsline) - A Florida detox center faces litigation after a resident allegedly obtained the drugs that led to his fatal overdose.

MONTPELIER, Vt. (Legal Newsline) - Walking through brain matter at the scene of a gruesome accident isn't enough to sue over, the Vermont Supreme Court has ruled.

Columbus, OH – On Thursday, The Buckeye Institute took a stand against the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) by filing an amicus brief in Alliance for Fair Board Recruitment v. Securities and Exchange Commission. The organization is urging the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals to bar the SEC from compelling publicly traded companies to adhere to arbitrary racial and gender quotas.Director of litigation at The Buckeye Institute, David C. Tryon, emphasized the importance of the Securities Exchange Acts in a statement, saying, "The Securities Exchange Acts are...

Attorney General Miyares expressed his concerns, stating, “Investment companies making political stands with consumers’ money in the name of ‘environmental, social, and governance’ standards is wrong, reckless, and dangerous. Further leaning into those radical policies by embracing the BDS movement and punishing Israeli companies for defending themselves against terrorist attacks is inexcusable.”In August of 2022, 17 state attorneys general sent a letter to Morningstar, a large investing ratings company, expressing “serious concerns related to reports that...

The District Court of Maryland has announced the appointment of Judges Kerwin A. Miller, Sr. and Wayne A. Brooks as administrative judges for District 9 and District 10, respectively.

Today, a significant development occurred in the lawsuit challenging FEMA's Risk Rating 2.0 for the National Flood Insurance Program. Judge Darrel James Papillion of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana issued a ruling that allows most claims in the lawsuit to proceed.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has opened an investigation into Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, Inc., after reoccurring issues with certain airplane parts provided to Boeing. Spirit AeroSystems, described as "one of the world’s largest manufacturers of aerostructures for commercial airplanes," produces the fuselages for Boeing’s 737 jets. According to reports, manufacturing defects in these parts have led to concerning or dangerous incidents, some of which have occurred during flights.The Texas Business Organizations Code empowers the Office of the Attorney General to...

Attorney General Aaron M. Frey has joined the Justice Department and 15 state and district attorneys general in filing a civil antitrust lawsuit against Apple for monopolization or attempted monopolization of smartphone markets in violation of Section 2 of the Sherman Act.

The Attorney General’s Office has filed a Motion for Preliminary Injunction against Champion Funding, Inc., Champion Funding LLC, Judgment Acquisitions Unlimited, Inc., Andrew Metcalf, d/b/a Judgment Acquisitions Unlimited, Inc., and Andrew Metcalf, individually, to halt harmful debt collection practices. Metcalf is the owner of the above-named corporate entities, both of which are debt collection agencies.

Court chose Iowa to lead the nationwide lawsuit against Biden’s latest green scheme.

Attorney General Anne Lopez is joining a coalition of 20 other state attorneys general on a bipartisan letter asking Congress to fix language in the 2018 Farm Bill that bad actors have used to flood the market with unregulated, intoxicating hemp.

Attorney General Steve Marshall announced the conviction and sentence of an Etowah County woman for Financial Exploitation of an Elderly Person in the First Degree. Gina Cook Gilbert, 63, of Gadsden, pleaded guilty Friday to one count of Financial Exploitation in the First Degree, a Class B felony, of her elderly mother while she was the conservator of her financial accounts.

Attorney General Kris Mayes asked the Maricopa County Superior Court to appoint a receiver to take control of Heritage Village Assisted Living, a Mesa elder care facility.

Attorney General Tim Griffin issued the following statement after co-leading a 20-state, bipartisan letter calling on Congress to affirm states’ authority to ban or regulate intoxicating and dangerous hemp-derived products like Delta-8 THC in the next Farm Bill.

Holland & Knight advised Plug Power Inc. and The Chemours Company in their application and selection for the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) funding for projects to advance electrolysis technologies and improve manufacturing and recycling capabilities for clean hydrogen systems and components.

Holland & Knight continues to strengthen its leading Tax, Executive Compensation and Benefits Practice with the addition of Christopher “Chris” S. Rizek as a partner in Washington, D.C.