In recent legal news, employers sailing through the rough waters of worker claims under California’s distinct PAGA labor law might have discovered a new lifeline. According to a concurrent opinion by a Ninth Circuit judge, an interesting defense has emerged. The Private Attorney General Act (PAGA) law in California allows aggrieved employees to act as…
As legal professionals are no doubt aware, disputes involving cryptocurrencies are increasingly finding their way to the world’s most prominent courts. An ongoing Dogecoin arbitration dispute is now making headlines as it reaches the United States Supreme Court. Coinbase and Suski, the parties at the heart of the dispute, have both been grappling with a…
In a recent ruling, a California state appeals court confirmed an arbitration award. It included quantum meruit damages, outstanding contract awards, arbitration fees, expenses, and interest amounting to over $1 million favoring the Golden State civil rights firm, The Bloom Firm. This development comes two years following the dissolution of its partnership with a competitor…
Mark Mangan, former head of international arbitration at Dechert Asia, has announced his departure to join a New Zealand-based disputes boutique that will henceforth be known as Lindsay Francis & Mangan. The firm, previously named Lindsay & Francis, was initiated in 2017 by Timothy Lindsay and Kim Francis, both ex-partners from Dechert and Meredith Connell…
The Singapore International Mediation Centre (SIMC) and The Hague Court of Arbitration for Aviation (Hague CAA) have recently entered into a significant partnership. Both parties signed a memorandum of understanding that seeks to promote the facilitation and adoption of mediation in aviation-related disputes throughout Asia. The agreement, which was signed at the Singapore Airshow, denotes…
Novavax, a biotechnology company known for its protein-based Covid-19 vaccine, has agreed to pay up to $475 million to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, over the course of five years to settle a dispute over a $700 million advance purchase agreement, thus avoiding a potentially costly arbitration. Like other Covid-19 vaccine manufacturers, Novavax relies on advance…
A trustee for a former employee of the prestigious legal recruitment firm, Major Lindsey & Africa, who is currently involved in a negligence lawsuit tied to a reported sexual assault, has vehemently opposed the company’s motion to compel arbitration. The legal representative, handling the affairs of the ex-employee, brought the opposition proposal to the New…
In August 2021, MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell staged an election fraud event in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where he publicized an illicit violation of Colorado voting machines. During the event, Lindell challenged experts to debunk his proposition that the 2020 election was manipulated via hacked voting machines in his “Prove Mike Wrong Contest”, putting $5…
Last month, a landmark announcement was made by David Elsberg, a founding member of the Selendy Gay Elsberg firm. Elsberg revealed that he would be leaving to start his own firm, Elsberg Baker & Maruri, in partnership with his former Quinn Emanuel colleagues, Rollo Baker and Silpa Maruri. Above The Law covered the story in-depth….
Law firm Boies Schiller Flexner has welcomed a new partner, Kristen Young, into its international arbitration group based in Washington, D.C. The information was made public on the firm’s official website. Young is a specialist in international investment and commercial arbitration matters. In her capacity, she has represented both respondent states and claimant investors. Her…
David Elsberg, a co-founder of the litigation firm Selendy Gay Elsberg, just launched a new Wall Street boutique named Elsberg Baker & Maruri. The firm also includes two partners from his original operation, Michael Duke and Vivek Tata. Elsberg Baker & Maruri will engage in both plaintiff and defense work and is poised to take…
The question of classifying workers within the scope of the Federal Arbitration Act’s (FAA) exemption was under the lens of U.S. Supreme Court Justices, as they deliberated the scope of the term ‘transportation workers’. An example of this debate was seen in the contentious case of Bissonnette v. LePage Bakeries Park St., where truck drivers…
French law firm Fidal has made a strategic addition to its team in the form of a new Africa-focused international arbitration partner, Manuel Tomas, in order to steer and scale its regional practice. This move can be seen as part of an ongoing trend where international corporations and their law firms are showing increased interest…
A variety of important legal issues have recently come up, making headlines in various news outlets from Reuters to MSNBC. Today we examine some of the most notable, offering our thoughts and links for you to delve deeper. In a major legal maneuver, the Supreme Court is set to consider an argument challenging the conventional…
In a recent move to strengthen their respective teams, both DLA Piper and Simmons & Simmons have made strategic hires. DLA Piper has onboarded Milbank counsel Brian Youn as a partner in their South Korea office, a move aimed at bolstering their presence in the region. Youn’s deep understanding of the legal landscape in South…
Workers have spent years arguing that the Federal Arbitration Act’s transportation worker exemption means their wage-based claims against companies such as Amazon.com Inc., Domino’s Pizza, and Uber Technologies Inc. should be heard in court, not behind closed doors. A federal appellate court added a new obstacle in 2022 when it ruled that both the worker’s…
In a recent decision by the Seventh Circuit, it was ruled that children whose DNA is entered into Ancestry.com, a website dedicated to assisting individuals in DNA testing for ancestry purposes, are not bound by the website’s arbitration agreement. This verdict derived from the court’s determination that these children were not express parties to the…
In an ongoing legal battle taking place within the U.S Supreme Court, the case of Bissonnette v. LePage Bakeries Park St. revolves around the contested field of mandatory arbitration imposed by employers on their employees. This case, specifically, concerns commercial truck drivers who work for Flowers Foods, the producers of the iconic Wonder Bread. The…
In a recent legal tussle, a considerable chunk of a shareholder’s lawsuit against Bressler, Amery & Ross PC was paused in readiness for arbitration. According to Law360, the plaintiff in the case is a former equity principal of the firm who claims he experienced negative repercussions for standing up against biased conduct towards a female…
International law firm Greenberg Traurig has fortified its relationship with real estate law through recent additions to the team. Both Robert L. Crewdon and John S. Ducat have come on board as shareholders in the firm’s Atlanta office, transitioning from their previous roles at DLA Piper. Greenberg Traurig made the official announcement last Wednesday, marking…
In a formidable shift in Saudi Arabia’s legal landscape, no fewer than 30 multinational law firms have opened branches or applied for licenses within the country in the past nine months. This rush to lay a foundation in the oil-rich kingdom comes in response to regulators now permitting outside legal labor. Firms such as King…
A recent California legal development has seen government contractor Peraton Corp. tentatively denied its discovery bid in its case with ArentFox Schiff. This initial decision came down from a state judge, who reasoned that since the discovery bid related to an arbitration clause in Peraton’s retainership agreement, any developments post-signing were not considered relevant to…
In a rapidly evolving legal landscape, international arbitration is seeing shifts in preferences for arbitral institutions. A recent article by Gary Born, chair of the international arbitration practice group at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr, sheds light on this phenomenon, particularly focusing on the development of the Middle East as an arbitration hub. Commercial…
As we look to 2024 and beyond, US multinational enterprises (MNEs) must closely follow the progress of the OECD’s Pillar Two rules, which are rapidly becoming reality in numerous jurisdictions worldwide. These rules, aimed at tackling tax challenges stemming from digitalised economies, require MNEs with yearly consolidated revenues exceeding 750 million euros ($809 million) to…
A recent analysis of the arbitration sector indicates that corporations are increasingly prioritizing the quality and reputation of arbitral institutions in their arbitration agreements. This trend, often termed as a ‘flight to quality’, is changing the landscape of dispute resolution. As per Gary Born, chair of the international arbitration practice group at Wilmer Cutler Pickering…