Bruce Nye at Cal Biz Lit finds the notion of requiring companies to assess, explain and quantify their litigation exposures, and then put the results up on the internet for opponents to peruse, “not helpful. Not helpful at all.” [earlier at Point of Law] Much more from Beck at Drug and Device Law.
Godzilla’s lawyers would like a word with you
A little food stand in scenic Damariscotta, Maine calls itself Grill Zilla BBQ, and recently received a letter from trademark lawyers. Even if its owners hadn’t made the mistake of using a green reptile mascot, they would probably have heard from the Japanese conglomerate Toho, which is quite vigorous about policing verbal and visual echoes of its “Godzilla” mark. [Kennebec Journal]
Lowe’s drywall settlement
The home improvement chain says it never sold drywall from China at all, let alone the contaminated kind that has generated problems for thousands of homeowners. But it’s still agreed to a gift-card deal that includes $2.2 million in fees for plaintiff’s attorneys. [WSJ; ProPublica (“Proposed Lowe’s Drywall Settlement Offers Small Payouts to Victims, Big Fees for Attorneys”)] More: Fulton County Daily Report.
A case of sour cranberries?
Ocean Spray sues a competitor over its alleged involvement in a social media campaign. [Charlie Mead, AmLaw Daily]
“Sick Duck: Did Tigger and Donald Duck grope women at Disney World?”
William Saletan investigates a curious genre of harassment case [Slate; more at Atlantic Wire]
August 13 roundup
- Lawyer sued for sexual harassment countersues, wins $1.55 million in damages [The Recorder]
- Court rejects another challenge to tobacco multistate settlement agreement [Sullum, Reason]
- European human rights claim: “Fury as German doctor seeks injunction against victim’s sons” [Daily Mail]
- New CPSC rulemakings on CPSIA testing frequency and component testing could sink many small businesses [Woldenberg]
- Connecticut AG Blumenthal picks fight with life insurers [Hartford Courant, with comments]
- Undies moral: “Excess litigiousness is part of the whole shebang of dangerizing everything.” [Skenazy, Free-Range Kids]
- “False-Marking Suits Head for a Showdown” [Robbins, Texas Lawyer]
- “I think my years in the [adult film] industry will make me a great lawyer.” [Above the Law]
“Lower Your Newspaper Advertising Prices, Pay a $21 Million Fine”
Matt Welch scrutinizes a San Francisco “predatory pricing” antitrust verdict that you’d really think would be raising more alarm in publishing, and other, circles. [Reason]
Suit: music festival didn’t deter underage drinking in parking lot
In 2008 a one-car accident killed a Mansfield, Mass. 19-year-old and her 20-year-old friend; their car hit a tree. Now a lawyer for the passenger’s family has sued the town of Foxboro and the Kraft Group, saying the operators of the New England Country Music Festival did not do enough to deter underage drinking in the parking lot outside Gillette Stadium. [Boston Globe]
Camera said to capture $12.8 M winner’s “victory dance”
“The city of Seattle is seeking to overturn a $12.8 million judgment awarded to a former firefighter, who claimed he was permanently disabled by an on-duty fall, after investigators secretly shot video of the man chopping wood, playing horseshoes and bocce ball, and even breaking into a victory dance.” [Jennifer Sullivan, Seattle Times]
August 12 roundup
- “Father demands $7.5 million because school officials read daughter’s text message” [KDAF via CALA Houston]
- How many different defendants can injured spectator sue in Shea Stadium broken-bat case? [Melprophet]
- Prominent trial lawyer Russell Budd of Baron & Budd hosts Obama at Texas fundraiser [PoL]
- DNA be damned: when actual nonpaternity doesn’t suffice to get out from under a child support order [Alkon, more]
- “Sean Coffey, a plaintiffs’ lawyer-turned-candidate for New York Attorney General, made more than $150,000 in state-level campaign contributions nationwide over 10 years.” [WSJ Law Blog] “Days before announcing a shareholder lawsuit against Bank of America, state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli accepted $14,000 in campaign donations from a law firm hired to help litigate the case.” [WSJ]
- Big new RAND Corp. study on asbestos bankruptcy trusts may spur reform [Lloyd Dixon, Geoffrey McGovern & Amy Coombe, PDF, via Hartley, more, Daniel Fisher/Forbes, background here and here] Update: Stier.
- Public contingency suits? Of course the elected officials are in control (wink, wink) [The Recorder via Cal Civil Justice]
- Copyright enforcement mill appears to have copied its competitor’s website [TechDirt via Eric Goldman]