Brown Rudnick has significantly bolstered its oil and gas litigation capabilities with the recruitment of Lauren Varnado to its Houston office. Varnado brings with her extensive experience in representing clients across the oil, gas, and petrochemical sectors in high-stakes litigation and arbitration nationally. Her expertise spans a variety of issues pertinent to the energy industry,…
Trust plays a critical role in the sustained success of firms, yet it often eludes the quantifiable metrics commonly tracked by corporate departments. Legal departments, being the crossroads where numerous issues are adjudicated, have unique opportunities to either cultivate or undermine that trust. Columnist Rob Chesnut, drawing on his extensive background in legal and ethical…
A recent ruling by U.S. District Judge Edward Chen has set the stage for a class action lawsuit against mobile gaming company AviaGames. The judge denied the company’s motion to compel arbitration, finding that “the agreement to arbitrate is unconscionable and thus not enforceable.” The lawsuit alleges that users were misled into believing they were…
In a notable move within the European legal market, Sergey Alekhin has transitioned from his position as counsel at Willkie Farr & Gallagher’s Paris office to join the partnership at ELWI, the Russian spin-off of Latham & Watkins. Alekhin’s move to ELWI, bringing along two colleagues, marks a significant lateral shift in the landscape of…
An Illinois appellate court has determined that a legal-malpractice action against a Kansas City-area law firm can proceed, due to the attorneys’ failure to review an arbitration provision in their attorney-client agreement. According to an Aug. 30 opinion, the Illinois First District Appellate Court upheld a Cook County judge’s decision denying a motion to compel…
The ongoing controversy surrounding Disney’s arbitration approach is expected to have lasting implications, particularly in the realm of public perception. As noted by Aaron Davis, a partner at Davis Goldman, “What resonates longer is the way that people will feel about Disney, not the recollection of why they feel that way.” This sentiment underscores the…
Mayer Brown defense partner Michael E. Lackey once regarded litigation finance with deep skepticism. “Anything that makes it easier for people to sue my clients is something I don’t want,” he remarked in an interview recently. However, the landscape for funding litigation has changed drastically over the past decade, and now “virtually every large law…
In a recent legal development, Boies Schiller Flexner LLP is facing a lawsuit to return approximately $653,000 to the estate of exiled Chinese businessman Guo Wengui. The claim, initiated by a court-appointed bankruptcy trustee, alleges that the legal fees were part of a fraudulent transfer devised by Guo. The fees were originally ordered to be…
Arnold & Porter has announced the recruitment of Brian Dunphy as a partner in their complex litigation practice based in Boston. Dunphy’s practice focuses on managing intricate commercial litigation, particularly for healthcare, life sciences, and biotech companies. His expertise includes defending product liability cases for pharmaceutical and biotech firms. Moreover, Dunphy advises and represents a…
China and the Philippines continue to exchange accusations over a vessel collision on Saturday, escalating already heightened regional tensions in the South China Sea. Philippine Commodore Jay Tarriela declared in a statement that the Philippine Coast Guard ship, BRP Teresa Magbanua, was “deliberately rammed” three times by a Chinese Coast Guard vessel “despite no provocation.”…
The union representing workers from Canada’s two largest rail companies has filed a court challenge against a labour board order requiring them to return to work. This directive was issued after the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference initiated a lockout on August 22, a move driven by accusations that Canadian National (CN) and Canadian Pacific Kansas…
Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP and one of its former attorneys are facing a lawsuit in a California federal court. The suit alleges negligence in their representation of a consulting business and its president during a 2018 arbitration. The plaintiffs claim that the firm’s alleged mishandling of the arbitration proceedings has resulted in damages amounting…
In a surprising move, Disney has reversed its initial decision to enforce arbitration in a Florida lawsuit involving the death of a theme park patron. Initially, Disney had insisted on arbitration based on a fine-print defense, sidestepping a jury trial for the widower of a doctor who died after allegedly dining at a Disney restaurant….
California is on the verge of enacting a significant piece of legislation that aims to reshape the rules governing neutrals in arbitration processes. The bill, which has garnered strong backing from plaintiffs’ lawyers, is poised to introduce new disclosure requirements for neutrals and establish a certification program through the state bar. According to coverage from…
Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan has filed a petition with the District of Columbia Appeals Court for a rehearing after a previous ruling saw a 2-1 decision to overturn an arbitration award of $474 million to Dubai’s Doraleh Container Terminal (DCT). The Republic of Djibouti had successfully argued that the law firm lacked proper authorization…
Business Court Judge Grant Dorfman recently highlighted his transition from the Texas attorney general’s office to his role as in-house counsel for energy technology company Nabors Industries. His tenure at Nabors, where he became intimately acquainted with complex corporate disputes, played a pivotal role in advocating for a new business court venue in Texas. For…
“Stay in your lane” is generally wise advice. As a legal journalist, I regularly decline invitations to write or to speak about topics that are related to, but distinct from, the law. Lawyers who fail to consider factors beyond the letter of the law, however, sometimes can disserve their clients. Consider three cases, all from…
Prominent trial lawyer Randy Mastro is currently involved in a closed-door arbitration with his former employer, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP, concerning the terms of his 2022 departure to join King & Spalding LLP. The arbitration proceedings were disclosed on Tuesday amidst Mastro’s contentious nomination to the position of New York City’s top lawyer. As…
A recent federal court decision has blocked Uber’s attempt to compel arbitration in a case concerning employment discrimination claims. U.S. District Judge John F. Murphy of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania described Uber’s bid as “creative,” but ultimately ruled against it. This ruling comes after Uber sought to enforce its arbitration agreement with a former…
LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH) has been embroiled in a legal battle involving one of its in-house lawyers, Andowah Newton, who testified about sexual harassment before Congress. Recently, a significant development occurred when the US District Court for the Southern District of New York ruled that LVMH cannot compel Newton to arbitrate her job…
The Canada Industrial Labour Relations Board (CIRB) on Saturday mandated the resumption of normal rail operations, ending what has been an unprecedented nationwide shutdown. As of August 26, both employers and the union have committed to complying with this unanimous decision, though the union intends to seek an appeal to the Federal Court of Canada….
The union representing Canada rail workers on Friday challenged the federal government’s directive imposing final binding arbitration to resolve labour bargaining, according to local media reports. The challenge comes amid a significant disruption, as the union also issued a strike notice set to commence on Monday. The government, led by Minister of Labour Steven Mackinnon,…
Sidley Austin’s disputes practice in Singapore is undergoing significant changes. The firm recently saw partner Jennifer Lim depart for Duxton Hill Chambers. Simultaneously, it is preparing to lose its global arbitration, trade, and advocacy co-leader, Friven Yeoh, who is set to join Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. For more details, visit the source article.
This past week, Disney’s legal team found themselves in the spotlight for reasons they likely would have preferred to avoid. In a controversial move, Disney attorneys initially argued that a free trial to Disney+ obligated plaintiffs in a wrongful death lawsuit to enter forced arbitration, effectively removing the case from the courts. The approach quickly…
The Walt Disney Company, under considerable public scrutiny, has elected to retract its contentious arbitration policy that required Disney+ users to waive their right to a court trial. The policy, which had sparked significant backlash and negative publicity, will no longer be enforced, allowing subscribers the option to pursue legal claims in court if necessary….