Over the course of the past week, London’s legal scene has been buzzed with key litigation news. To start, leading budget airline Ryanair has filed a claim against NATS PLC following a system collapse at the air-traffic controller. Law360 reports that Mastercard and Visa Europe are also embroiled in group claims headlined by Christian Dior…
Recently, we’ve turned our attention to the pivotal role General Counsels (GCs) play in shaping the operational dynamics within their respective organizations. In a Law.com recent dispatch, Angela Steele, the U.S. general counsel at McDonald’s, drew attention by modestly shying away from the spotlight. However, beyond this seemingly modest attitude often lies a complex and…
Amid a re-energized market for initial public offerings (IPOs), companies in the US are increasingly gearing up to go public. The much-anticipated end of the so-called ‘scorched earth’ years for US IPOs could hinge on lower interest rates – in essence, if the Federal Reserve finally ceases its stance of “punting” on interest rate cuts….
In an intriguing turn of events, certain patent infringement claims against Microsoft’s virtual assistant program have been dismissed by a Delaware federal judge. The now-dismissed claims were based on a patent that was initially issued to a company known for developing Apple’s renowned Siri software. Despite this, the judge did not completely absolve Microsoft of…
In the competitive world of law, one’s practice serves not only as a business but also as an indicator of capability and potential for top-tier leadership positions. An assertion echoed by Jason Novak of Norton Rose Fulbright in a recent piece for FeedBlitz. According to Novak, “at the end of the day, every lawyer’s currency…
In recent developments at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), some key clarifications have been made in the wake of the Federal Circuit’s decision in the Axonics case. Authors and legal professionals Joseph Myles and Timothy May at Finnegan shed light on these issues in their diligent coverage of ongoing trends. The PTAB has…
In what may be a precedent-setting development, a substantial $3.5M has been awarded in the first two cases of revenge porn tried under a relatively new New York State law. The law, which has been in effect since 2019, gives victims of non-consensual pornography avenues to seek justice. The victors in these significant cases are…
In a significant development in the legal and corporate world, former general counsel of Moody’s Corp., John Goggins, has pleaded guilty to charges of not filing his tax returns for four consecutive years. Goggins was arraigned in a federal court in New Jersey last Thursday, where he admitted failing to file his tax returns from…
In a recent development, a Dallas County jury ruled against Walker Engineering, an Irving-based company. The firm has been found liable in the case related to the death of a worker on one of its job sites, leading to an award of $71.95 million to the deceased worker’s widow and four children. The victim, Hernan…
The unprecedented rise of generative artificial intelligence has started to shift the global landscape of intellectual property law. This shift has opened a pandora’s box of pertinent issues that both seasoned and rookie legal professionals are grappling with in today’s highly digitalized and increasingly AI-dependent global society. The emergent legal issues stem from the proliferation…
The Donald Trump ‘Hush-Money’ trial has attracted global attention over the past week, shining a light on a number of key elements related to his 2016 presidential campaign. Amid various testimonies and statements, the role of a notable tabloid publisher in the alleged silencing of women claiming to have had extramarital affairs with Trump has…
In a recent decision related to the intellectual property rights of popular brands, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) has ruled that the petition for cancelling the trademark of the beverage, Zima, has become obsolete. This follows the decision by its proprietor, Molson Coors, to allow the expiration of the product’s registration. Zima, famously…
Erich Andersen, the US-based general counsel for TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance Ltd., is said to be stepping down from his role. The news was announced by TikTok in a statement on Friday, with Andersen’s departure slated for June. Andersen was a pivotal figure in assuaging US governmental concerns regarding the company’s connections to…
This week in legal news, several high-profile cases have made headlines. The U.S. Department of Justice has settled for a nine-figure sum over its flawed sexual abuse investigation involving former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar. This comes after a series of failures on the part of the department in sufficiently and promptly addressing the allegations…
Kirkland & Ellis LLP, a renowned law firm, has recently defended its representation of Invitae Corp during recent bankruptcy litigation, arguing against objections asserting the existence of a conflict of interest. Issues were raised by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) and some junior creditors of Invitae. These objection parties expressed their belief that…
The journey from lofty stacks of leather-bound law books to the sleek and speedy online databases of today has been remarkable for lawyers worldwide. Yet, this transition is but a step in the legal profession’s ongoing digital transformation journey, with the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) pegged as the next significant milestone. As we navigate…
Two weeks into the criminal trial of Donald Trump in Manhattan, not a single family member of the Trump clan has been spotted inside the courtroom. Specifically, Melania Trump, Trump’s wife, has not been seen supporting her husband throughout the trial, despite their residence being just a short trip from the courthouse. These details, paired…
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) has raised a complaint against former president Donald Trump following curious vendor payments that were brought to light by the Daily Beast. It is suggested that these payments may be a disguise for concealing campaign payments towards lawyers, as reported by USA Today. A recent list has revealed certain law…
Ellena Erskine, a renowned journalist at SCOTUSblog, published an interesting selection of news articles, commentaries, and noteworthy links related to the USA Supreme Court on Friday, April 26, 2024. Her regular weekday column provides a fascinating perspective on legal developments, court judgments and legal news linked to the highest court in the land. The article,…
The UK’s financial watchdog, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), has responded to criticism of a controversial proposal: plans to disclose the names of firms under investigation at an earlier stage. In response to concerns raised by the House of Lords Financial Services Regulation Committee, the FCA has maintained that the move is designed to enhance…
With the “Run for the Bonuses” chapter closed for most law firms and ATL signifying ‘closed for business’ until the last month of the year, the attention amongst associate interest is firmly trained on a firm’s Return to Office (RTO) policy. A random survey of more than 25 prominent Am Law firms revealed an industry…
Advocate General (AG) Athanasios Rantos of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) recently took the view that Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, misused personal user data to target ads, according to his opinion. The case pertained to an Austrian privacy lawyer, Max Schrems, who initiated legal action against Meta…
Last week, India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) apprehended key suspect Inderpal Singh Gaba for his alleged role in the attack on the Indian High Commission in London in March 2023. Gaba was arrested on suspicion of unlawful activities during the protests taken up by alleged separatists commonly referred to as “Khalistanis”. Notably, the NIA, earlier…
Tesla Inc.’s Autopilot is once again under scrutiny by the top US auto-safety regulator. The focus of this new investigation is to ascertain whether the automaker took sufficient measures to resolve issues pertinent to its driver-assistance system in the past months. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced on Friday that it’s launching a…
On April 26, 2024, Darktrace Plc, a prominent UK cybersecurity firm, accepted an offer for acquisition from the private equity entity Thoma Bravo. This transaction is agreed upon a sizeable equity sum of approximately $5.32 billion. The complete details of the acquisition are available on Bloomberg Law. The initiative will substantially benefit Darktrace shareholders, who…