Contracts

Harper Lee’s estate sues over Atticus Finch’s depiction in planned Broadway adaptation

Who has the final authority to determine whether an upcoming Broadway adaptation of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird remains consistent with the spirit of the novel? That is one of the questions raised in a suit filed on behalf of Lee’s estate seeking a declaratory judgment that the determination…

Mar 15, 2018 12:17 PM CDT

Lawyers can contribute to the rise of blockchain by understanding it

Blockchain technology can make legal services more efficient and less costly by establishing automated smart contracts that don’t have to rely on human intermediaries to be enacted. According to David Fisher, founder and CEO at Integra Ledger, lawyers need to first understand how blockchain functions before it can be effectively used in the legal industry.

Mar 9, 2018 9:30 PM CST

Could Stormy Daniels’ lawsuit open the door to Trump depositions and a ‘fishing expedition’?

Stormy Daniels’ lawsuit against President Donald Trump “opens what could be a precarious new legal front” for the White House, the New York Times reports. After all, the article points out, it was Paula Jones’ sexual harassment suit against Bill Clinton that led to impeachment proceedings for allegedly lying under…

Mar 9, 2018 1:06 PM CST

Stormy Daniels sues Trump, says confidentiality deal is void because he didn’t sign it

Updated: Porn star Stormy Daniels on Tuesday filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump that contends her confidentiality agreement is null and void because he didn’t sign it.

Mar 7, 2018 10:00 AM CST

Frances McDormand has people asking: What is an inclusion rider?

Updated: Best actress winner Frances McDormand had some people scratching their heads Sunday evening when she ended her acceptance speech at the Oscars with two words of advice: “inclusion rider.”

Mar 5, 2018 9:01 AM CST

Give victims of workplace sexual harassment access to courts, 56 US attorneys general tell Congress

Victims of sexual harassment on the job should be allowed to evade “the impediment of arbitration requirements” in employment contracts, according to a letter signed by attorneys general of every state and U.S. territory. The 56 attorneys general signed the letter calling on Congress to end secret, forced arbitration, report…

Feb 13, 2018 10:22 AM CST

11th Circuit blasts BigLaw partner for remand argument against its mandate; ‘We really did mean it’

A federal appeals court is blasting a Troutman Sanders partner for a successful argument on remand in a dispute between Winn-Dixie and competitors Big Lots and Dollar General.

Feb 1, 2018 11:02 AM CST

Judges refuse to toss suits claiming law firm ads interfered with timeshare contracts

Federal judges in Tennessee and Florida have refused to completely dismiss lawsuits claiming two law firms sought to interfere with timeshare contracts through ads seeking clients who want to dump their timeshares. Both suits were filed by Diamond Resorts International, a timeshare developer managing more than 420 membership resorts, according…

Jan 30, 2018 3:38 PM CST

Shelter claims it is entitled to cat custody because adoptive owner breached indoors-only contract

A woman who named her cat after Reggie Watts is getting some help from the comedian in her custody battle with a shelter that claims it is entitled to the animal’s return because of a contract violation. Watts has tweeted about the cat-custody battle, sending his followers to a fundraising…

Jan 30, 2018 10:20 AM CST

If Trump sues Bannon for violating a nondisclosure agreement, what are his damages?

Stephen K. Bannon reportedly signed a nondisclosure agreement that included a nondisparagement clause when he went to work for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign.

Jan 9, 2018 7:00 AM CST

Jan. 7, 1795: The Yazoo Land Fraud Becomes Law

A state-sanctioned land grab tested issues of state sovereignty and federal power in the newly independent United States. Claims under the Yazoo Land Act ultimately were resolved by the Supreme Court in Fletcher v. Peck.

Jan 1, 2018 1:00 AM CST

Celebrity chef sues NYC restaurant, saying it shouldn’t be using her name after missed payments

Celebrity chef Cat Cora claims in a lawsuit that the owners of the Fatbird Southern Kitchen in Manhattan no longer have a right to use her name and likeness in advertising and marketing. Cora’s Oct. 23 lawsuit says Fatbird breached an agreement to pay her the use of her name…

Oct 30, 2017 8:00 AM CDT

Congress overturns consumer bureau rule limiting mandatory arbitration in bank contracts

Vice President Mike Pence cast a tie-breaker vote in the Senate on Tuesday to overturn a rule to limit mandatory arbitration clauses in contracts between consumers and financial institutions.

Oct 25, 2017 8:52 AM CDT

Delaware loses long-held No. 1 ranking for business-friendly legal climate to South Dakota

A periodic survey of corporations by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s legal-reform arm found that Delaware has lost its No. 1 ranking for being business-friendly in legal matters, dropping to No. 11, the Associated Press reports. Delaware had been No. 1 in the previous 10 surveys, and fell out of…

Sep 12, 2017 1:45 PM CDT

Axiom adds machine learning to contract review

The global legal services provider Axiom will take a deeper dive into artificial intelligence as a way to better understand contract language. On Aug. 2, Axiom announced that it would incorporate AI software in its merger and acquisition reviews with clients. “We expect our enhanced M&A offering to be live…

Aug 8, 2017 4:32 PM CDT