Verdicts & Settlements

A purr-fect ending for Grumpy Cat is a $710K win in court

Star of memes Grumpy Cat has a savvy owner who's leveraged the feline's sourpuss face to produce branded products, score a commercial spot and obtain a “spokescat” deal.

Jan 26, 2018 7:00 AM CST

BARBRI settles suit by blind law students who alleged bar prep materials weren’t fully accessible

BARBRI has agreed to make its online bar-review products more accessible to blind and vision-impaired students as part of a consent decree in a disability suit. The suit settled this week, according to a press release. The suit, filed last year in Dallas federal court, had claimed violations of the…

Jan 24, 2018 11:24 AM CST

$20M windfall for UC law schools in wrongful foreclosure suit shrinks to $150K

A federal judge has vacated a punitive damages award against Bank of America that gave $20 million to the University of California’s five law schools in a wrongful foreclosure case. The five law schools will now receive $150,000 as a result of a bank settlement with the plaintiffs, Erik and…

Jan 24, 2018 7:00 AM CST

Federal judge wants nearly 6,000 potentially fraudulent claims in app settlement to be investigated

A federal judge in San Francisco has asked prosecutors to investigate nearly 6,000 potentially fraudulent claims in a $5.3 million class action settlement. U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar acted on Tuesday in a case filed against Apple and some app makers after the claims administrator found 5,924 suspect claims that…

Jan 19, 2018 7:00 AM CST

Judge punishes lawyer for using hashtag #killinnazis, tosses $27.8M Xarelto verdict on other grounds

A Pennsylvania judge on Tuesday overturned a $27.8 million verdict against the makers of the blood thinner Xarelto in a lawsuit by an Indiana woman who claimed the drug caused severe gastrointestinal bleeding.

Jan 11, 2018 7:00 AM CST

Trial of first group of Inauguration Day protesters ends with acquittals

Jurors in Washington, D.C., have acquitted six Inauguration Day protesters on charges of rioting and property destruction. The protesters were the first group tried among nearly 200 people still facing charges, BuzzFeed News reports. A Washington Post story says the acquittals are “a victory not only for the defendants but…

Dec 21, 2017 3:04 PM CST

Libyan militant is convicted of terrorism in Benghazi attacks but is acquitted of murder

A Libyan militia leader was convicted Tuesday in Washington, D.C., on terrorism charges in the 2012 Benghazi attacks, but he was acquitted of murder. Jurors convicted Ahmed Abu Khattala on four charges in the attacks and acquitted him on 14 other charges, report the Washington Post and the New York…

Nov 28, 2017 4:17 PM CST

Law grad settles claims that Chobani co-opted his ‘how’ philosophy in a marketing campaign

A Harvard law grad who helps businesses create ethical cultures has settled state and federal lawsuits that claimed an advertising agency for Chobani yogurt co-opted his “how” philosophy with a “how matters” marketing campaign. Dov Seidman and his company, the LRN Corp., announced the settlement in October. Court documents indicate…

Nov 22, 2017 9:07 AM CST

Jurors reject claim that asbestos in talcum powder caused mesothelioma

Jurors in Pasadena, California, have found no liability in a lawsuit by a woman who said that she contracted mesothelioma by inhaling asbestos in baby powder. Jurors on Thursday ruled against Tina Herford in her lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson and a talc supplier, report Reuters, Courtroom View Network, Law360…

Nov 17, 2017 7:00 AM CST

McDonald’s, Kmart among 4 companies to settle federal ADA suits over website and app access

Four companies have settled lawsuits that claimed they violated the federal Americans with Disabilities Act by failing to make their websites and apps easily accessible to blind people. The companies are McDonald’s, Kmart, Grubhub and Empire Today, the Chicago Tribune reports. The cases were brought in Chicago federal court because…

Nov 7, 2017 3:37 PM CST

Utah nurse to receive $500K settlement after arrest for refusing cop’s blood-draw request

A Utah nurse will receive a $500,000 settlement with Salt Lake City and the university that owns the hospital as a result of a July 26 incident in which a police officer arrested her for refusing to allow a patient blood draw. The nurse, Alex Wubbels, announced the settlement at…

Nov 3, 2017 3:35 PM CDT

GM agrees to pay $120M to settle multistate claims on faulty ignition switches

General Motors has agreed to pay $120 million to settle claims by 49 states and Washington, D.C., over faulty ignition switches. A GM spokesman confirmed the settlement after an announcement by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and other state attorneys general, report Reuters and the Wall Street Journal (sub.…

Oct 19, 2017 1:28 PM CDT

Duane Morris settles with client who said firm went $600K over budget

A Pennsylvania doctor has settled his overbilling dispute with Duane Morris, the Legal Intelligencer reported Wednesday. The law firm reached a confidential settlement with Edward Zaloga in Pennsylvania state court and will dismiss the case, the newspaper says. Zaloga retained Duane Morris in 2010 to sue the municipal government of…

Sep 27, 2017 5:08 PM CDT

800,000 student loans to be audited under proposed settlement; lender would pay at least $19M

The largest holder of private student loans has agreed to an audit of all of its 800,000 loans in a proposed settlement with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Sep 20, 2017 10:30 AM CDT

Photographer settles suit asserting monkey owned the copyright to his selfie

A photographer who claimed he owned the copyright to a selfie snapped by a monkey has settled a suit brought on the macaque’s behalf by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. David Slater agreed to donate 25 percent of future gross revenue from the photo to charities dedicated to…

Sep 13, 2017 12:16 PM CDT