OpenAI, Inc. develops artificial intelligence software involving large language models (“LLM”) known as ChatGPT. In 2023, several authors, including the comedian Sarah Silverman, filed putative class action lawsuits alleging...more
Mohanan, et al. v. Liberty Mutual Personal Insurance Company, 2023 WL 8026106 (E.D. Pa. Nov. 20, 2023) - The court granted the defendant’s motion to dismiss to strike references to a “special relationship” owed to the...more
While California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) generally holds employers strictly liable for harassment by a supervisor, a recent decision from the California Court of Appeal establishes an important limitation for...more
When performing governmental functions, municipal agencies are immune from tort liability for negligence unless it is shown that there was a “special relationship” between the plaintiff and the agency at the time the claim...more
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (“SJC”) has created an actionable duty of care of colleges and universities to helplessly intoxicated students. On July 27, 2020, the court held that, where a college or university has...more
In Tifer v. New York Life Ins. Co., 2019 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 119702 (N.D. Fla. July 18, 2019), a U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida dismissed a state law claim for breach of fiduciary duty against an...more
Now is not the time to be placing new limits on insurance agent liability. Think of insurance agents as the foot soldiers for the new Michigan auto insurance law. Insurance agents are now – more than ever before – tasked...more
In Budri v. FirstFleet, Inc., an employee sued his employer and supervisor for a number of causes of action, including a claim for breach of fiduciary duty. No. 3:19-CV-0409-N-BH, 2019 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 188251 (N.D. Tex....more
On May 24, 2019, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit affirmed in a unanimous decision the dismissal of a putative securities class action against a major financial services company and several of its...more
Old dogs can learn new tricks and maturing lawyers can learn something new in the law. In Koczera v. Steele, Case No. E2017-02056-COA-R3-CV, on August 20, 2018, the Tennessee Court of Appeals held that litigants...more
In recent times, the M&A landscape has been dominated by the “Special Relationship” between the United States and the United Kingdom. As two of the most consistently stable members of the global economy, they have made the...more
A divided Second Circuit panel (Katzmann, Pooler (dissenting), Chin) on Wednesday upheld the insider trading conviction of former SAC Capital portfolio manager Mathew Martoma. Confronting its precedent in United States v....more
A New York federal court has dismissed a ceding insurer’s counterclaims against its reinsurance broker, finding the insurer’s claims for negligence and breach of fiduciary were barred by New York’s economic loss doctrine, and...more
A negligent misrepresentation claim against laundry detergent brand The Sun Products Corp., for an allegedly deceptive label was dismissed by a New York federal district judge, while an unjust enrichment claim against...more
In a case likely to have ongoing ramifications, the Second Circuit recently upheld the conviction of Matthew Martoma, a former portfolio manager for Stephen Cohen’s SAC Capital. In so doing, the court clarified, at least for...more
Last week's dueling Second Circuit opinions in United States v. Martoma – Chief Judge Katzman’s 37-page majority opinion and Judge Pooler vigorous 44-page dissent – once again transformed insider trading law. In the aftermath...more
• A divided 2nd Circuit holds that there is no requirement for a “meaningfully close personal relationship” between a tipper and tippee in order for the tipper to reap a personal benefit from the disclosure sufficient to give...more
A Second Circuit Panel held that the Supreme Court’s Salman decision abrogated the Circuit’s Newman requirement of a “close personal relationship” under the “gift theory” of insider-trading; the dissent claims the Panel...more
The Second Circuit ruled today that a “meaningfully close personal relationship” is not required for insider-trading liability where a tipper discloses inside information as a gift or in exchange for some other type of...more
In a highly anticipated decision, a divided Second Circuit panel (Katzmann, Pooler (dissenting), Chin) yesterday upheld the insider trading conviction of former SAC Capital portfolio manager Mathew Martoma, ruling that the...more
In Surloff v. Regions Bank, et al., No. 4D14-842, 2015 WL 7275207 (Fla. 4th DCA Nov. 18, 2015), the Fourth District Court of Appeal of Florida was faced with the issue of whether Regions Bank (the “Bank”) had any duty or...more
In Doe v. Superior Court (filed 5/29/15, No. H040674), the California Court of Appeal, Sixth Appellate District, held that a defendant’s reasonable duty of care to prevent harm to a minor and her parents encompassed the duty...more
Beer distribution laws differ from traditional franchise laws in many ways, but the two regimes do share some commonalities. As a matter of fact, many states now regulate the relationship between those who brew or import beer...more
In a case involving alleged broker malpractice with respect to certain underinsured business interruption losses under a commercial property insurance policy, the New York high court reversed a lower appellate court’s...more