Afternoon Briefs: Google hit with third antitrust suit; more troubles for Girardi Keese
Google Headquarters, Mountain View, California. Photo from Shutterstock.com.
Google is hit with third antitrust lawsuit
Google is facing a third lawsuit that alleges anti-competitive conduct. The new suit—filed Thursday by 35 states, along with Puerto Rico, Guam and the District of Columbia—alleges that Google used its dominance to maintain monopolies in search and search-related advertising services. The suit follows suits filed by the U.S. Department of Justice and a separate group of 10 states that also allege that Google has suppressed competition. (Politico, New York attorney general press release, the Dec. 17 lawsuit)
More troubles for Girardi Keese, which got $1.5M in PPP loans
Troubles continue to mount for Girardi Keese after firm founder Tom Girardi was accused of embezzling settlement money. Three former partners, including Robert Keese, filed a lawsuit Monday contending that they are owed $2.3 million in lost earnings and equity on a partnership property that Girardi used as collateral for $7.5 million in loans. On Wednesday, a lawyer said creditors plan to file an involuntary bankruptcy petition against Girardi and the law firm. At the same time that Girardi allegedly stole the settlement funds, Girardi Keese accepted a $1.5 million loan from the government’s Paycheck Protection Program. (Law360, Law.com, the Recorder)
Quinn Emanuel fights bias suit
Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan is denying claims by a former associate who alleged that she was fired in retaliation for raising concerns about a hostile environment at the law firm. Crystal Nwaneri alleged in an amended lawsuit, filed pro se in September, that the law firm tolerated and even welcomed a “frat-house atmosphere” in which partners engaged in racially offensive and sexually explicit discussions. Quinn Emanuel said Nwaneri was fired for poor performance. (The National Law Journal, Nwaneri’s amended lawsuit, Quinn Emanuel’s motion to dismiss)
