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Product Liability

  • June 23, 2025

    Samsung Back On Hook To Pay $10M Over Exploding Battery

    Samsung Electronics America Inc. is back on the hook for a $10 million default judgment won by a Georgia man who alleged one of its batteries exploded in his e-cigarette, after a state appellate panel said Monday a trial court wrongly found the suit should have been filed in a different county.

  • June 23, 2025

    Olaplex Cites Slack Ruling In Attempt To Curtail Investor Suit

    Hair care brand Olaplex is urging a California federal judge not to certify a class of investors who allege the company failed to flag a regulatory risk ahead of its initial public offering, arguing that "at a minimum" the proposed class should be narrowed under the rubric of the U.S. Supreme Court's 2023 Slack decision.

  • June 23, 2025

    Cessna Maker Says Crash Suits Lack 'Jurisdictional Hook'

    The maker of a Cessna private jet that crashed in Connecticut, killing four people, including a married pair of New England doctors, told a state court judge Monday that it is not subject to the personal jurisdiction of the state's courts, so two product liability lawsuits against it must be dismissed. 

  • June 23, 2025

    9th Circ. Revives False Ad Suit Over 'Zero Calorie' Supplement

    The Ninth Circuit on Monday reinstated a proposed class action claiming that ProSupps' dietary supplement powder products are mislabeled as containing zero calories and zero carbohydrates, in violation of California consumer protection laws, after ruling that the suit alleges enough facts to avoid preemption by the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. 

  • June 23, 2025

    Apache Nonprofit Asks Justices For Rehearing In Mining Row

    An Apache nonprofit is urging the U.S. Supreme Court to reconsider a decision to deny its petition that looked to block the transfer of nearly 2,500 acres to an Arizona copper mining company, arguing the outcome of a case now before the justices could sway their analysis.

  • June 23, 2025

    Imerys Ditches Italian Talc Unit In Updated Ch. 11 Plan

    Bankrupt talc producer Imerys Talc America has filed an updated Chapter 11 plan that contemplates the dismissal of its Italian affiliate from the case, noting that skepticism from a Delaware bankruptcy judge about the unit's ability to survive a challenge to its bankruptcy filing led to the decision.

  • June 23, 2025

    Paxton, Airline Co. Ask To Take Biz Doc Case Out Of 5th Circ.

    The Texas attorney general's office and an airline parts manufacturer have agreed to remove a dispute over a state law allowing the office to examine business records from the Fifth Circuit back to district court.

  • June 23, 2025

    NJ Justices Greenlight Renewed Bid For Roundup Mass Tort

    The New Jersey Supreme Court has granted a renewed application for lawsuits against Monsanto Co. and its parent company, Bayer AG, alleging injuries from exposure to the company's weed killer Roundup to be designated as multicounty litigation, according to a Monday notice to the bar.

  • June 23, 2025

    Ga. Family Slams Ford's New Trial Bid In $2.5B Rollover Case

    A Georgia family hoping to safeguard its $2.5 billion punitive damages verdict against Ford Motor Co. has urged a federal judge to reject the auto giant's bid to introduce interviews it says will show jurors were aware of a prior verdict faulting the company for similar rollover deaths.

  • June 23, 2025

    Litigation Funders Fight 'Kill Shot' In 'Big Beautiful Bill'

    Litigation funders are in panic mode over a provision in the massive federal spending bill that would impose a 41% punitive tax on the $16 billion industry, with one executive calling it a "kill shot" and an academic warning it amounts to "unprecedented" weaponization of the U.S. tax code.

  • June 23, 2025

    Walgreens Tossed From L'Oreal Hair Relaxer Cancer MDL

    An Illinois federal judge has thrown out the lone complaint naming Walgreen Co. as a defendant in multidistrict litigation against L'Oréal USA Inc. alleging that it made, and that retailers sold, hair relaxer products that could cause cancer.

  • June 23, 2025

    Kennedys Expands With Litigators In Philly, Midwest

    Kennedys Law LLP expanded its litigation team with the recent addition to its offices in Philadelphia and Chicago of four attorneys specializing in liability, insurance and cybersecurity.

  • June 20, 2025

    High Court Urged To Rein In FDA Oversight Of Stem Cells

    The Association of American Physicians and Surgeons asked the U.S. Supreme Court Friday to review a Ninth Circuit decision the organization argued would wrongly give the government control over a patient's own stem cells.

  • June 20, 2025

    Boeing Nears Dismissal From Calif. Door Blowout Lawsuit

    A California federal judge indicated Friday that he's leaning toward dismissing Boeing from a lawsuit over the midair blowout of a door plug on an Alaska Airlines flight in January 2024, saying Boeing's ties to California are not strong enough for his court to exercise jurisdiction.

  • June 20, 2025

    Texas High Court Finds Pilots Union's Can Sue Over 737 Max

    The Texas Supreme Court on Friday put wind beneath the wings of a Southwest Airline Pilots Association's suit aiming to hold Boeing responsible for its members' economic losses after regulators grounded the 737 Max aircraft, finding the Railway Labor Act does not preempt the union's claims.

  • June 20, 2025

    NJ Court Upholds Some Claims In Athlete's Cannabis Suit

    New Jersey marijuana retailers can't shake a lawsuit by a champion collegiate athlete who claims their products caused him to develop cannabis-induced psychosis resulting in a suicide attempt, a state judge has ruled, saying the plaintiff's defective design and failure to warn claims are valid.

  • June 20, 2025

    9th Circ. Says NY Claims Against Hyundai Raise 'Novel' Issue

    A split panel of the Ninth Circuit Friday refused to toss negligence claims from cities in Ohio and Wisconsin in consolidated litigation alleging Hyundai and Kia, of which Hyundai is a major shareholder, sold vehicles with design flaws that enabled car thefts nationwide, but said negligence claims under New York law "raise a novel issue" of state law.

  • June 20, 2025

    DEA Judge Backs Federal Ban On 2 Research Chemicals

    A U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration judge determined Friday that two unrestricted psychoactive research chemicals belong in Schedule I, the most stringent tier of prohibited substances under the federal Controlled Substances Act.

  • June 20, 2025

    Atty Interaction Prompts Recusal In Google AI Suicide Suit

    A Florida federal judge and former Gunster shareholder has recused himself from a suit accusing Character.AI and Google of causing the suicide of a teen who was addicted to an artificial intelligence chatbot, after a Munger Tolles & Olson LLP attorney said he discussed the case with the then-attorney last year.

  • June 20, 2025

    737 Max Families Push For Special Prosecutor In Boeing Case

    Families of victims of the 737 Max 8 crashes have asked a Texas federal judge to appoint a special prosecutor in Boeing's criminal conspiracy case, saying the U.S. Department of Justice's latest nonprosecution agreement with the American aerospace giant sets a dangerous precedent for corporate defendants to evade accountability.

  • June 20, 2025

    Mich. Says Feds Can't Block AG's Climate Tort Suit

    The Trump administration's lawsuit to block Michigan from suing fossil fuel companies for climate harms is based on guesswork about a hypothetical lawsuit and should be dismissed, Michigan argued Friday.

  • June 20, 2025

    2nd Purdue Plan Heading For Creditor Vote, Nov. Hearing

    A New York bankruptcy judge Friday set OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma's second try at a bankruptcy plan on course for a November confirmation hearing, clearing the plan disclosure statement to be sent out for a creditor vote.

  • June 20, 2025

    9th Circ. Finds Calif. One-Gun-A-Month Law Unconstitutional

    The Ninth Circuit on Friday struck down California's so-called one-gun-a-month law, finding that it violates the Second Amendment by categorically preventing state residents from buying more than one firearm every 30 days.

  • June 20, 2025

    Attys Face Sanctions For 'Sweeping' Copying Of Firm's Motion

    A California federal judge has ordered The Neil Jones Food Co.'s defense counsel to explain why she shouldn't sanction them for filing a dismissal motion that appears to plagiarize a losing motion filed by another firm in another case in the district, slamming the "sweeping copy and paste" conduct as "patently unacceptable."

  • June 20, 2025

    Microplastics Focus May Force Change In Biz Practices

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency confirmed it's considering research that could lead to microplastics regulation, and although policies may be years away, businesses are already facing pressure to change their practices from increasing state regulation and consumer litigation.

Expert Analysis

  • Tools For Witness Control That Go Beyond Leading Questions

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    Though leading questions can be efficient and effective for constraining a witness’s testimony, this strategy isn’t appropriate for every trial and pretrial scenario, so techniques like headlining and looping can be deployed during direct examination, depositions and even witness interviews, says Allison Rocker at Baker McKenzie.

  • Opinion

    Weight Drug Suits Highlight Need For Legal Work On Safety

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    The rapid ascent of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists like Ozempic has revolutionized diabetes management and weight loss — but legal wrangling over issues including off-label prescriptions, side effects and compounded versions underscores lawyers' roles in protecting patient safety, says attorney Gregg Goldfarb.

  • Will Independent Federal Agencies Remain Independent?

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    For 90 years, members of multimember independent federal agencies have relied on the U.S. Supreme Court's 1935 ruling in Humphrey's Executor v. U.S. establishing the security of their positions — but as the Trump administration attempts to overturn this understanding, it is unclear how the high court will respond, says Harvey Reiter at Stinson.

  • 4 Do's And Don'ts For Trial Lawyers Using Generative AI

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    Trial attorneys who use artificial intelligence tools should review a few key reminders, from the likelihood that prompts are discoverable to the rapid evolution of court rules, to safeguard against embarrassing missteps, says Nate Sabri at Perkins Coie.

  • Series

    Competitive Weightlifting Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    The parallels between the core principles required for competitive weightlifting and practicing law have helped me to excel in both endeavors, with each holding important lessons about discipline, dedication, drive and failure, says Damien Bielli at VF Law.

  • Opinion

    Inconsistent Injury-In-Fact Rules Hinder Federal Practice

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    A recent Third Circuit decision, contradicting a previous ruling about whether consumers of contaminated products have suffered an injury in fact, illustrates the deep confusion this U.S. Supreme Court standard creates among federal judges and practitioners, who deserve a simpler method of determining which cases have federal standing, says Eric Dwoskin at Dwoskin Wasdin.

  • In-House Counsel Pointers For Preserving Atty-Client Privilege

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    Several recent rulings illustrate the challenges in-house counsel can face when attempting to preserve attorney-client privilege, but a few best practices can help safeguard communications and effectively assert the privilege in an increasingly scrutinized corporate environment, says Daniel Garrie at Law & Forensics.

  • Improving Comms Between Trial Attys And Tech Witnesses

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    In major litigation involving complex technology, attorneys should employ certain strategies to collaborate with companies' technical personnel more effectively to enhance both the attorney's understanding of the subject matter and the expert's ability to provide effective testimony in court, say attorneys at Buchalter.

  • As EPA Backs Down, Expect Enviros To Step Up Citizen Suits

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    As President Donald Trump's U.S. Environmental Protection Agency draws down federal enforcement efforts, environmental groups will step into the void and file citizen suits — so companies should focus on compliance efforts, stay savvy about emerging analytical and monitoring methods, and maintain good relations with neighbors, say attorneys at Beveridge & Diamond.

  • What's Next For State Regulation Of Hemp Cannabinoids

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    Based on two recent federal court cases that indisputably fortify broad state authority to regulate intoxicating hemp cannabinoid products, 2025 will feature continued aggressive state regulation of such products as industry stakeholders wait for Congress to release its plans for the next five-year Farm Bill, say attorneys at Foley Hoag.

  • Series

    Collecting Rare Books Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My collection of rare books includes several written or owned by prominent lawyers from early U.S. history, and immersing myself in their stories helps me feel a deeper connection to my legal practice and its purpose, says Douglas Brown at Manatt Health.

  • What NHTSA's Autonomous Vehicle Proposal Means For Cos.

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    The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's recently proposed framework for review and oversight of vehicles equipped with automated driving systems offers companies a more flexible, streamlined approach to regulatory approvals for AVs, including new exemption pathways, assessments by independent experts and other innovations, say attorneys at Covington.

  • Opinion

    Judge Should Not Have Been Reprimanded For Alito Essay

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    Senior U.S. District Judge Michael Ponsor's New York Times essay critiquing Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito for potential ethical violations absolutely cannot be construed as conduct prejudicial to the administration of the business of the courts, says Ashley London at the Thomas R. Kline School of Law of Duquesne University.

  • Aviation Watch: Litigation Liabilities After DC Air Tragedy

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    While it will likely take at least a year before the National Transportation Safety Board determines a probable cause for the Jan. 29 collision between a helicopter and a jet over Washington, D.C., the facts so far suggest the government could face litigation claims, says Alan Hoffman, a retired attorney and aviation expert.

  • Lights, Camera, Ethics? TV Lawyers Tend To Set Bad Example

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    Though fictional movies and television shows portraying lawyers are fun to watch, Hollywood’s inaccurate depictions of legal ethics can desensitize attorneys to ethics violations and lead real-life clients to believe that good lawyers take a scorched-earth approach, says Nancy Rapoport at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

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