Verdicts & Settlements

Former ‘The Apprentice’ contestant drops defamation suit against Trump with no compensation

Former The Apprentice contestant Summer Zervos has dropped her lawsuit alleging that former President Donald Trump defamed her when he denied her allegations of unwanted groping and kissing.

Nov 15, 2021 10:55 AM CST

Weekly Briefs: Steven Bannon indicted for contempt of Congress; DC Circuit gives Trump initial records victory

Steve Bannon is indicted for contempt of Congress Steve Bannon, a former adviser to former President Donald Trump, was indicted Friday for contempt of Congress for failing to comply with a subpoena issued by the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Bannon is charged with…

Nov 12, 2021 3:43 PM CST

$465M verdict against maker of opioids is tossed; top state court finds no public nuisance

The Oklahoma Supreme Court on Tuesday overturned a $465 million verdict against Johnson & Johnson, accused of creating a public nuisance through a misleading marketing campaign that promoted opioid use.

Nov 10, 2021 9:44 AM CST

Kirkland & Ellis apparently wins huge fee in contingency case

Kirkland & Ellis has apparently received a $200 million contingency fee in its representation of a company claiming that its purchase of chemical businesses was marred by the seller’s fraud and breach of contract.

Nov 9, 2021 9:21 AM CST

Opioid plaintiffs in $50B suit failed to prove a public nuisance, judge tentatively rules

A lawsuit seeking to hold drug companies liable for the opioid crisis must fail because the plaintiffs didn’t show that false and misleading marketing caused an increase in medically inappropriate prescriptions, a California judge has ruled in a tentative decision.

Nov 2, 2021 4:12 PM CDT

DOJ agrees to pay $88M to settle suit over flawed gun check before South Carolina church shooting

The U.S. Department of Justice announced Thursday that it has reached an agreement to pay $88 million to settle litigation stemming from a 2015 mass shooting at a historic Black church in Charleston, South Carolina.

Oct 28, 2021 2:18 PM CDT

Lawyer is disbarred after accusations of ‘pervasive incivility’ and ‘reckless indifference to the law’

A lawyer has been disbarred in Maryland following the same disposition in Virginia for rejecting settlement offers without a client’s consent and demonstrating “pervasive incivility.”

Oct 27, 2021 9:33 AM CDT

Suspended lawyer gets jail time for smuggling drugs into jail

A suspended Massachusetts lawyer has been sentenced to six months in prison after jurors found her guilty Friday for smuggling Suboxone into the Plymouth County Jail.

Oct 27, 2021 8:53 AM CDT

Did pandemic make jurors more skeptical of scientific evidence? Some see a change

Jurors appear more skeptical of scientific and medical testimony following the COVID-19 pandemic, according to some lawyers and experts interviewed by Law.com.

Oct 26, 2021 1:18 PM CDT

Weekly Briefs: Skirts-only dress code gets rehearing; ex-judge reprimanded for ‘sexual innuendo’

En banc 4th Circuit will rehear school dress-code case The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at Richmond, Virginia, has granted an en banc rehearing to consider a challenge to a skirts-and-dresses-only dress code for girls. A 4th Circuit panel ruled in August that the girls attending the Charter Day…

Oct 22, 2021 4:07 PM CDT

9th Circuit tosses Massage Envy settlement, says judge must consider warning signs of lawyer collusion

A federal appeals court has tossed a $10 million voucher settlement and $2.6 million in attorney fees in class action litigation over increased membership fees charged by Massage Envy franchises.

Oct 22, 2021 9:08 AM CDT

Lawyer accused of staging his own shooting now faces allegations of stealing settlement payout

Troubles continue to mount for well-connected South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh, who faces new charges alleging he stole settlement money intended for the sons of his late housekeeper. Murdaugh, 53, was arrested at an Orlando, Florida, drug rehab facility and charged with two felony counts of obtaining property by false…

Oct 15, 2021 10:38 AM CDT

Judge who required jail visit for all arrested juveniles remains on bench after lawsuit payout

A tough-talking juvenile court judge in Rutherford County, Tennessee, established a policy requiring arrested elementary schoolchildren to be taken to the juvenile detention center for screening before charges were filed—even if the charges were minor.

Oct 13, 2021 1:36 PM CDT

New Orleans DA agrees to oversight to settle suit over fake subpoenas and witness intimidation

Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams has agreed to settle a lawsuit alleging that his predecessor’s office used fake subpoenas to pressure victims and witnesses to privately meet with prosecutors.

Oct 7, 2021 1:54 PM CDT

Partial settlement reached in suit involving lawyer accused of staging his shooting and missing millions

A Beaufort, South Carolina, lawyer who sued his friend, suspended lawyer Alex Murdaugh, for wrongful death litigants has settled a suit alleging that they never received the settlement payout.

Oct 6, 2021 10:00 AM CDT