With the increasingly global landscape of corporate law, it’s no surprise to see experienced executives taking on new overseas roles. Most recently, this trend includes Anna Suchopar, the former head of legal at clothing retail giant ASOS, who has accepted a position as general counsel for Agoda, a Asia Pacific-based online travel agency. Suchopar’s move…
The previous year, 2023, posed significant challenges for the worldwide industry. Financial markets battled escalating inflation rates and geopolitical contention, leading to a tense waiting period. Law firms grappled with these adverse market conditions, anticipating improved circumstances, increased mandates, and a revival of prosperous transaction trends familiar from booming years. The focus remains on deal-making…
In a recent interview, Reena Jain, partner at Blank Rome, shared some valuable insight into her journey to making partner. Instead of shying away from potential challenges, Jain encouraged others to be proactive in their careers. A common aspect of this is addressing your first oral argument. This can be nerve-racking for many, as it…
Despite the uncertainty of the market in 2024, most Big Law firms are predicted to report steady growth. This is largely dependent on the performance of four crucial practices areas, each with its own set of challenges and opportunities. Having reported their worst performance over the last decade according to data from the first nine…
The complex dynamics between the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) Democratic majority and the agency’s top lawyer is proving to be a significant factor in efforts to reshape labor law. The ultimate aim is to provide workers and unions with beneficial changes. However, it has been observed that the path to this goal sometimes lacks…
The US Labor Department finds itself in the midst of a great undertaking. After proposing a rule intended to augment and solidify investor safeguards against conflicts of interest in retirement advice, the department has received an outpour of public sentiment. The comments numbering more than 17,000, each one poised to potentially shape the future of…
State lawmakers in multiple regions are turning a scrutinizing eye toward environmental marketing claims. With the intent to curb the practice of “greenwashing,” — an approach where the sustainability or environmental benefits of a product or business are overstated — new proposals are emerging to limit such claims. Lawmakers in multiple states, including New York,…
In recent legal personnel news, Akin Gump has announced the recruitment of James Munsell as a partner within its New York-based investment management practice. Akin Gump, an international law firm recognized for its capabilities in special situations, revealed the information on Wednesday. Munsell brings considerable expertise to the table, with a specialization in the formation…
A remote judiciary system, considered novel today, is taking a rather unconventional turn. A federal courtroom in Asheville, North Carolina recently experienced this first-hand when U.S. Senior District Judge William Young conducted a bench trial from Boston, virtually. For around 30 minutes, Judge Young was not visible to the courtroom audience in North Carolina. However,…
Renowned Chinese technology conglomerate, Baidu, recently announced its decision to abandon the $3.6 billion attempt to procure Joyy Inc’s popular live streaming arm, YY Live. It has consequently demonstrated the intricate dynamics involved with tech acquisitions, involving both regulatory and strategic aspects. Expressed in a filing to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, the cancellation of…
The hit Netflix anthology series, “Black Mirror”, is renowned for incisively futuristic narratives filled with ethical quandaries and technological conundrums. Among the topics it broaches most frequently is artificial intelligence (AI), its potential for misuse, and the consequential legal questions that arise. A recent episode, “Joan Is Awful”, presents a compelling case that grapples with…
In November, the Ohio electorate took the bold step of bypassing the legislature, voting through Issue 2 and making Ohio the 24th state in the US to allow adult-use cannabis sales. Issue 2 sets a moderate taxation rate on adult-use cannabis, while also remaining heavily focused on social equity. The passing of a citizen-initiated statute…
The evolving landscape of federal and state policies for drug pricing continues to place significant pressure on pharmaceutical manufacturers. The industry already experienced plenty of turbulence in 2023 and it appears likely that this trend will persist throughout 2024. A significant part of this strain stems from the introduction and further development of the Inflation…
Donald Trump, who faces 91 felony counts for acts allegedly committed as the US president, including events surrounding the riot at the US Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, has contended he’s immune from prosecution for any acts he committed while president. But if we look into history, the answer should be no. The constituents during…
Legal queries concerning former President Donald Trump’s disqualification from future presidential elections have been the recent hot topic of discussion in the law circle. The ultimate onus lies on the U.S. Supreme Court to ascertain whether the disqualification under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment holds, a prospect the court seeks to avoid given its…
The U.S. Copyright Office is actively seeking feedback on a proposal aimed at simplifying the registration process for online news publishers, according to a recent article by Lauren Berg in Law360. The proposed rule change would introduce a new group registration option, potentially providing a more streamlined approach for publishers looking to secure copyright protection…
In a recent announcement, Husch Blackwell LLP has welcomed the chair of Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP’s transportation practice and four other attorneys from the same group to its Phoenix office. The attorneys have made a strategic move as they have decided to leave their previous firm, Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP, and…
The Seattle Kraken, owned by the National Hockey League (NHL), is currently facing a significant legal challenge. A recent trademark lawsuit filed in a Washington federal court alleges that the team’s owner has been distributing jerseys and other retail merchandise adorned with a historic ‘S’ logo, originally belonging to a celebrated Emerald City hockey team….
District of Columbia Attorney General Brian Schwalb has once more refuted requests from Republican congress members for information surrounding speculated investigations into Leonard Leo, a report by Gina Kim discloses. In his response, dated Tuesday, Schwalb noted that these inquiries do not specify any valid legislative objective. Moreover, Schwalb indicated that the requests seemingly attempt…
On Tuesday, Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check LLP emerged victorious over two competing law firms when a federal judge in California named them the lead counsel. The firm will be at the forefront of the consolidated litigation concerning a proposed group of shareholders. The litigation alleges that Wells Fargo executives took actions that were detrimental…
In a recent development within the Evergreen State legal field, a Washington appeals court has breathed new life into a lawsuit initiated by an online fundraising platform. The digital fundraising entity had accused its former sales representatives of defecting unlawfully to a competitor firm. Interestingly, this case in Washington brings forth different aspects when contrasted…
The fallout from The New York Times (NYT)’s copyright infringement lawsuit against Microsoft and OpenAI continues to reverberate through the international legal community. In a surprising development, the suit alleges that Microsoft and OpenAI utilized millions of articles from NYT’s archives to refine their artificial intelligence (AI) text mode, ChatGPT, without acquiring necessary permissions or…
In a recent turn of events, Apple and the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) have urged the Supreme Court of the United States to reject an appeal lodged by VirnetX. The pivotal case concerned VirnetX’s claim that Apple was unjustly allowed to enter into patent challenges, which eventually resulted in overturning a hefty…
Amidst the ever-evolving terrain of intellectual property rights, a seed-selling startup has recently made a unique argument against so-called “double patenting”. The startup drew an analogy between this legal concept and the informal social rule against “double dipping”, highlighting a key debate in the patent world. In a twist of humor, they have dubbed counterarguments…
In a move likely of interest to legal professionals within the food industry, the Federal Circuit this week upheld a lower court’s decision to invalidate a couple of patents on non-caloric food sweeteners, held by PureCircle USA Inc. The patents were deemed problematic as most of the claims they contained were not adequately described within…