The legal community was recently met with the significant development in New Zealand’s legal landscape, following the appeal court’s decision to overturn a High Court ruling. This ruling had previously blocked a summons order for Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, aiming to summon her for evidence provision before the Waitangi Tribunal under section 6(1)(c)…
The Hong Kong legal sector is undergoing significant changes. More and more international law firms are reducing their presence in the city, and cross-border operations have nearly come to a halt. This situation puts local law firms in Hong Kong in jeopardy. Cases such as Mayer Brown cutting ties with its Hong Kong affiliate have…
Tesla has reportedly sought to dissuade a law professor from filing an amicus brief concerning Elon Musk’s $56 billion compensation package, which is currently the source of investor litigation. The professor has claimed that Tesla threatened to terminate their long-term relationship with outside legal firm Holland & Knight LLP if the brief was submitted. This…
Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his supporting super PAC have lodged a lawsuit against Meta Platforms Inc. in a California federal court. The litigation, filed on Monday, asserts that Meta Platforms Inc. has imposed censorship on a 30-minute campaign video, alleging a contravention of the First Amendment. As the digital ecosystem continues…
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has asked a Texas federal judge to issue a court order to halt the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) proposed noncompete rule. This request comes in the midst of ongoing litigation challenging the proposed ban. According to the Law360 report, the Chamber is arguing that implementing such a rule, especially during…
Television personality Judge Judy has filed a defamation lawsuit against the owner of National Enquirer. The lawsuit states that the publication spread misleading reports alleging her involvement in advocating for a new trial for the infamous Menendez brothers. Known for her time on the bench, Judge Judy’s legal action underscores her commitment to counter misinformation…
In a recent copyright case, the Second Circuit Court of Appeal’s panel of judges thwarted a complaint from a Miami-based rapper who contended that the 2018 song, “This Is America,” by Childish Gambino, incorporated the rhythm from his preceding 2016 record, “Made In America.” The appealing rapper alleged a breach of copyright by attributing the…
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is reportedly considering a significant alteration to its patent application protocol. Specifically, the Office is contemplating the addition of a requirement necessitating the filing of terminal disclaimers for overcoming patent examiner rejections predicated on ‘obviousness-type double patenting’. A recently published report detailed that this move could noticeably alter…
U.S. Supreme Court Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson and Sonia Sotomayor have expressed dissent over the higher court’s refusal to review a case involving due process. Defendant Gustavo Tijerina Sandoval and his legal team were excluded from attending initial juror qualification in a 2018 murder case. The justices have called the circumstances significant and certworthy, as…
Governor Gavin Newsom’s recent budget proposal reduces California’s trial courts’ funding by $97 million, starting this July. This major cutback has been made in response to an anticipated $27.6 billion deficit. Moreover, the proposal, known as the May Revise, mandates the state’s appellate courts and the judicial branch administration to decrease their operating budgets by…
U.S. law firm Paul Weiss, known mainly for its New York roots, seems to be charting a course onto the global stage. The company has not only been actively adding top-tier lawyers in London but also recently established a presence in Brussels, signifying its strategic ambition to grow beyond its traditional boundaries. Adding another feather…
The ongoing trial of Archegos Capital Management executives took an interesting turn as Barry Berke, a partner at Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel, defended his client, Sung Kook “Bill” Hwang. Speaking to a jury in the Southern District of New York, Berke asserted that Hwang did not violate any laws in the year before the…
In wake of the recent Supreme Court’s ‘Tyler’ decision, an influx of lawsuits have emerged in multiple states with the common goal of overturning what has become known as ‘equity theft’. This pivotal decision spurred legal activity in states as diverse as New York, New Jersey, Michigan and Oregon. The ‘Tyler’ decision, broadly interpreted by…
A panel for the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has sided with a private security company against accusations of stolen secrets and unfair business practices. The case revolved around allegations that the company had teamed up with another business in the same industry, dishonestly acquiring trade secrets to bolster its own growth while directing the…
There’s a shifting balance in the judicial system as the pace of appointments appears to slow down. In comparison to the 13 judicial appointments made during the first quarter of 2023, Georgia’s Governor Brian Kemp appointed only eight judges to judicial vacancies from January 1 to March 31, 2024. The reasons and implications behind this…
In the wake of a potentially major development in the oil sector, Senate Majority Leader Schumer has expressed reservations about the proposed Chevron and Hess merger. In a tweet released on Sunday, Schumer raised an alarm against what he referred to as “yet another proposed Big Oil merger.” This sentiment underscores the current scrutiny faced…
Law firm Simmons Hanly Conroy, situated in the St. Louis metropolitan area, is facing a lawsuit with allegations of engaging in dubious practices in their handling of asbestos cases. Filed by plastic pipe manufacturer J-M Manufacturing, the lawsuit accuses the legal firm of initiating sham legal actions and coaching witness testimonies. Although the accusation of…
In an unusual move, the CEO of a leading company has been ordered to attend a deposition in a multidistrict litigation (MDL) case. The executive initially avoided participating in the deposition, invoking the Apex Doctrine. This doctrine aims to limit depositions received by individuals at the head of corporations, favouring those employees with more direct…
Congressional investigations into corporations are increasing in frequency and present a host of challenges for the companies involved. Such probes often come with unique struggle points such as deeply ingrained political divisions, a lack of precedent, and the potential for multiple committees to conduct parallel investigations simultaneously. Having experienced these investigations firsthand, Kimberly Hamm, a…
Former California State Bar executive, Joseph Dunn, has petitioned to dismiss the ethics case lodged against him on the grounds of alleged deceit regarding expenses from his trip to Mongolia. Dunn contends that these charges should not have been initiated given that a prior probe into the matter concluded in 2014 without discerning any valid…
In the wake of the landmark decision by New York’s high court to overturn Harvey Weinstein’s rape conviction due to the introduction of improper evidence, state legislators are moving to expand the scope for admitting ‘prior bad acts’ evidence in criminal trials. This suggests a significant shift in New York’s legal landscape, potentially impacting the…
Earlier this week, the Tenth Circuit made a decision to reconsider an appeal from Netflix Inc. This pertains to a copyright issue over its docuseries “Tiger King”. This move was prompted after filmmakers, along with other concerned parties, approached the appeal court with claims that it had wrongly applied the precedent of the U.S Supreme…
A shower building material manufacturer that previously settled a $5.5 million trademark lawsuit over the color purple is potentially in violation of that agreement, says an Illinois federal judge. Amidst indications of non-compliance, the judge has refrained from issuing a formal judgment to give the involved parties an opportunity to resolve the matter. The 2019…
Starbucks Corp. is currently litigating a case against a Louisiana-based coffee company in a New York federal court. The Seattle-based multinational alleges that the Louisiana coffee firm has infringed its logo trademark by unveiling a “nearly identical” logo. This accusation levied by Starbucks underscores the importance multinational corporations place on safeguarding their branding from potential…
A California federal judge has temporarily dismissed a proposed class action brought by investors of Allbirds Inc., a sustainable shoe retailer. The claimants argue that the company made deceptive statements in its registration documents affiliated with its Initial Public Offering (IPO). The judge, however, stated that the complaint fails to specify which of the company…