The last year has brought both highs and lows for the litigation finance industry, an increasingly significant area of interest for many of the top law firms and corporations across the globe. Here, we explore the five most crucial developments in this sector throughout 2023. Firstly, the controversial Sysco Corp. case saw the corporation file…
The sale of US Steel Corp. to a Japanese firm presents a contemporary example of unions’ potential to utilize U.S. labor law and political sway to thwart a foreign purchase of a significant domestic employer. The United Steelworkers union, representing the workforce of the Pennsylvania-based steel company, has argued that the sale to Nippon Steel…
Guidehealth, a startup focusing on value-based care enablement that only emerged a month ago, has announced its acquisition of Arcadia‘s value-based care service division. Although the terms of the deal have not been disclosed, this purchase marks a bold step forward in Guidehealth’s pursuit of transforming the healthcare sector. Guidehealth was founded by healthcare veterans…
In a significant decision for the rights of detainees, the Washington Supreme Court recently ruled that civil immigration detainees employed in private facilities are considered legal employees and thus, are entitled to the state-mandated minimum wage. This represents another setting point in what has been an ongoing argument regarding the compensation practices of certain facilities….
Allen & Overy, a renowned global law firm, has initiated a new step in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) by developing a tool to aid in drafting contracts. The tool, named ContractMatrix, was brought to fruition through a collaborative effort with technology giant Microsoft and Harvey. According to Allen & Overy, the tool is…
Contracts, in their ideal form, are meant to represent terms voluntarily chosen by all parties involved. For the greater part, courts dutifully enforce the contract terms as expressed by the participating entities, even if fairness could be drawn into question in some cases. While upholding the principle of freedom of contract supports liberty and prosperity,…
The future implementation of large language models and broader foundation models into artificial intelligence spheres remains uncertain. A wide array of outlooks exist concerning the safety and reliability of such models, most notably in their role within final products. The primary anxieties lie around the role these tools will play as auxiliary mechanisms for legal…
The distress expressed by a federal judge, obliged by precedents to refer a wage-and-hour case to arbitration, reflects a broader critique of the practice, even as it is duly enforced. However, the legislative remedy he proposes appears doubtful of realization. When starting a new job, employees frequently sign arbitration agreements. These contracts can later impede…
Australia’s significant tax victory over PepsiCo is likely to have serious repercussions for multinational enterprises (MNEs) operating within the country as it could lead to increased examination of embedded royalties emerging from the use of intellectual property (IP), as well as potential shifts in the interpretation of tax treaties. The Federal Court of Australia on…
Over the weekend, thousands of protestors, led by various opposition parties, demonstrated outside the Mumbai offices of the Adani Group, a conglomerate owned by billionaire Gautam Adani. The objection focused on the organization’s proposed $614 million redevelopment plans for one of the city’s largest slums. The protest revolved around a series of demands by those…
Baroness Michelle Mone, a former member of the UK Conservative Party, has admitted in a recent interview with the BBC that she stands to benefit from the profits made by the personal protective equipment (PPE) company, PPE Medpro. The company gained a lucrative contract with the UK government during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to this…
A former high-ranking lawyer for LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton Inc. has sued the luxury brand conglomerate, alleging retaliation after she reported a case of sexual harassment. If the case is upheld, it may bypass the customary process of arbitration due to a federal law that the plaintiff assisted in passing. Ex-Vice President of Legal…
In a recent legal event in Texas, the office of the Attorney General (AG), headed by Ken Paxton, has elected not to obstruct a whistleblower retaliation lawsuit brought forward by four of its former senior staff members. The plaintiffs claim that the AG unjustly terminated or suspended their employment contracts in reprisal for their reported…
In a recent update, Saul Ewing announced the addition of Julie Workman to their team as a partner at the Chicago office. Workman comes with robust expertise in real estate, where she has a track record of negotiating contracts for property acquisitions and dispositions. She has successfully led teams of developers, landowners and consultants in…
This week, two bipartisan members of the Senate Budget Committee, Sheldon Whitehouse (D-Rhode Island) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), launched an investigation into the infamously secretive world of private equity and its impact on healthcare. The senators initiated the probe to investigate what they’ve termed as “questionable financial transactions” that could be negatively affecting care quality…
Legal professionals are often inundated with numerous processes that could be better handled with the right technology. The deadline calendaring and matter management company, LawToolBox, has recognized this and introduced new artificial intelligence features to its platform. Integrated with Microsoft Outlook and Teams, these features automate the charting of court dates and contractual deadlines. With…
In a recent legal dispute, AmTrust Financial Services Inc., an insurance unit, won against a former partner at Wachtel Missry LLP. The verdict was delivered by the Second Circuit, ruling that the insurer is not obligated to pay for the legal malpractice defense costs of the law firm. The dispute further highlights the need for…
In a recent legal update, the New Jersey District Court ruled in favor of enforcing a forum selection clause contained within an employee’s offer letter, leading to the transfer of a retaliation claim from a New Jersey federal court to one in New York. The plaintiff, Michael Saul, was formerly a senior copywriter for the…
As we head into 2024, a recent survey reveals that law firm leaders may not be as optimistic as they were at the beginning of the previous year, signaling potential challenges ahead for the legal industry. The report suggests this change in sentiment has been noted even before certain law firms began to introduce associate…
In a recent case of first impression, the Appellate Division validated a Camden County Superior Court ruling that the Public Works Contractor Registration Act is valid for joint ventures. The court specified that being registered as a contractor under the act is necessary at the time of submission of bids to local governments. The appellants,…
In a recent decision remaining unpublished, the Appellate Division turned down the claims made by the well-known fashion brand, Tory Burch. The lawsuit was directed against their insurer, Zurich American, citing property damage and business interruption due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, as well as a breach of contract issue. The legal conflict arose from…
The commercial contracts legal landscape experienced an unexpected shift amid the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a recent report, litigation in this domain significantly decelerated, resulting in last year’s case filings plummeting to a ten-year low. Despite this downturn, an upturn emerged in 2023. This upsurgence followed an intense but transient increase in…
Today, legal technology is facilitating more swift and efficient operations in the legal profession. One such advancement is VerifAI, a Microsoft Word add-in from SpotDraft, a contract lifecycle management company, designed to significantly expedite the contract review process for legal professionals. VerifAI employs generative artificial intelligence (AI) to scrutinise contracts paralleling an individual’s personal criteria….
In a recent ruling that is gathering significant attention within the legal community, the Court of Appeals has significantly reduced a damages award in a breach of construction contract case. Aptly referred to as “No Double Dipping,” the details of the case provide essential insights for legal professionals working in both corporate and law firm…
A drawn-out battle is ongoing as 16 Democratic Attorney Generals (AGs) have made an unprecedented move by filing an amicus brief before the U.S. Supreme Court. The case in question is Bissonnette v. LePage Bakeries, here, the AGs are urging the Supreme Court to reverse a lower court’s ruling that has deemed truck drivers for…