Contracts

Venture capital firm sues its former general counsel, once a child actress on ‘The Wonder Years’

A lawyer who portrayed Becky Slater on The Wonder Years, a TV show than ran from 1988 to 1993, is facing a lawsuit of more than $1 million stemming from her work as a general counsel for a venture capital firm.

Oct 8, 2019 10:23 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: New win for flag burner in SCOTUS case; Johnson & Johnson seeks mistrial for stricken closing

News Roundup

Sep 11, 2019 4:00 PM CDT

Lawyers can be sued for allegedly violating confidentiality deal in Monster Energy suit

A lawyer who sued Monster Energy in the cardiac death of a teenager can be sued for allegedly violating a confidentiality clause that was part of the case settlement, the California Supreme Court has ruled. In its July 11 decision, the court said Monster Energy could sue Bruce Schechter and…

Jul 16, 2019 1:30 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: China forces tourists to download surveillance app; House Dems sue IRS for Trump’s taxes

• House Democrats filed a federal lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service and Treasury Department after months of requesting President Donald Trump’s tax returns. The lawsuit accuses the Trump administration of an “extraordinary attack” on Congress in preventing disclosure of the records. (Washington Post, CNN, Wall Street Journal) • The…

Jul 2, 2019 4:30 PM CDT

Lawyers, songs and money: Music that changed the law

Some songs or albums move the law. A band or artist will be involved in a lawsuit so groundbreaking and important that it will set a precedent, either enshrined in law or otherwise binding future generations.

Jul 1, 2019 12:05 AM CDT

Judge orders transfer of gorilla from sanctuary to zoo; bacterial infection could aggravate trip

A federal judge in San Francisco has ordered that Ndume the gorilla be transferred from a California sanctuary to the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden this week amid a dispute over the advisability of travel. U.S. District Judge Richard Seeborg ordered the transfer of Ndume in two orders. In his…

Jun 11, 2019 7:00 AM CDT

Federal contract filings are on a decadelong decline, new report finds

Federal contracts case filings have been in decline since the Great Recession, according to a new report from Lex Machina, a legal analytics company. Released Tuesday, the Contracts Litigation Report analyzed 146,000 federal district court contracts cases between 2009 and 2018.

May 7, 2019 7:01 AM CDT

ACLU suit says bail bond industry is a RICO enterprise, bounty hunters traumatized family

The American Civil Liberties Union is taking on the bail bond industry in a suit filed after bounty hunters stormed a Montana home at gunpoint to apprehend a man who missed a court date. The federal suit was filed April 17 on behalf of Eugene Deshane Mitchell, his wife and…

Apr 22, 2019 7:00 AM CDT

Ernst & Young entity acquires Thomson Reuters’ business; should law firms worry?

EY, the corporate entity that includes the Big Four accounting firm Ernst & Young, has announced an agreement to buy the legal managed services business Pangea3 from Thomson Reuters. The Artificial Lawyer and LawSites view the announcement as a major development. “Those who should be paying closest attention to this…

Apr 5, 2019 6:30 AM CDT

Lawyer accused of groping two employees can’t force suits into arbitration, appeals court rules

A Michigan personal injury lawyer accused of groping a receptionist and a paralegal can’t compel arbitration of their harassment lawsuits, a Michigan appeals court has ruled. The mandatory arbitration agreement signed by the employees doesn’t apply to sexual assault allegations because it covered claims “related to employment,” the Michigan Court…

Mar 19, 2019 9:30 AM CDT

Traumatized crime and courts reporter entitled to damages, Australian court says

An Australian court has awarded about $127,000 in U.S. currency ($180,000 in Australian currency) to a former journalist for a Melbourne newspaper for the psychological injury she suffered while covering crime and courts for a decade. The County Court of Victoria ruled on Feb. 22 in a case by a…

Mar 11, 2019 11:16 AM CDT

In dueling suits, Kanye West alleges contract ‘servitude,’ while music publisher claims deal breach

Music publisher EMI has sued Kanye West for alleged breach of contract after the rapper filed his own suit referring to the expansive deal as “servitude” and asserting that it could bar his retirement.

Mar 11, 2019 7:30 AM CDT

Michael Cohen sues Trump Organization for nearly $2M in unpaid legal fees

President Donald Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen filed a lawsuit against the Trump Organization on Thursday that alleges that the company violated an agreement to pay his legal fees and related costs. Cohen filed the suit in New York state court, report the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal,…

Mar 7, 2019 3:19 PM CST

Law firm sues associate for alleged breach of employment contract

Recruiters are questioning the wisdom of a Louisiana law firm’s decision to sue an associate for allegedly breaching an employment contract that requires three years of employment. The associate, Jane “Megan” Daily, left the Preis law firm Nov. 26 after spending a little more than a year there, according to…

Mar 6, 2019 7:00 AM CST

At least 8 theaters drop ‘Mockingbird’ productions after producer of newer play threatens suit

Updated: At least eight theater companies throughout the United States have canceled productions of To Kill a Mockingbird because of litigation threats from the producer of a newer version of the play on Broadway. The New York Times report includes an interview with 11-year-old Olivia Mongelli, who was cast as…

Feb 28, 2019 2:35 PM CST