The Mississippi Commission on Environmental Quality (“MCEQ”) and Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Mississippi, Inc. (“Toyota”) entered into an August 16th Agreed Order (“AO”) addressing an alleged violation of a Title V Operating...more
In technology news . . . Darling Ingredients Inc. (NYSE: DAR) and Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE: VLO) recently announced that the companies had made the final investment decision on a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF)...more
This post summarizes some of the significant developments in the Western District of Texas and the Eastern District of Texas for the month of February 2023....more
4.5 million Americans—a new record—voluntarily left their jobs in November, continuing a trend that marked much of 2021 thanks to “strong employer demand” that’s allowing some workers to “pursue better opportunities.” While...more
Ford Motors has hired a new senior exec in an effort to further the company’s push into e-vehicles. Doug Field formerly ran Apple’s “secretive car project,” and his “departure could be a blow to Apple’s auto ambitions, which...more
The Federal Trade Commission refiled its antitrust lawsuit against Facebook on Thursday 2 months after a federal judge dismissed the agency’s original case. The updated action repeated many of the same allegations against...more
Lyft is letting go of its self-driving car unit, Level 5—reaching a deal with Toyota’s Woven Planet subsidiary for $200M, with an additional $350M in payments over the next 5 years. Lyft revealed that “unloading Level 5 would...more
PE firm CVC Capital Partners has made an unsolicited bid to acquire Japan’s Toshiba Corp. “in a deal that could be valued at more than $20 billion if completed.” The proposal, which would need Japanese government approval...more
The NFL has scored a new media deal spread across outlets from CBS, NBC, and Fox to ESPN and Amazon worth nearly $110 billion over 11 years, “nearly doubling the value of its previous contracts” and “cement[ing]” the league’s...more
Seismic news out of Seattle yesterday, with Amazon founder and CEO informing employees that he’s stepping out of the top spot at the e-commerce giant this summer after a nearly 30-year run and transitioning “into the role of...more
On January 14, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a settlement with four Toyota entities for violations of reporting regulations related to emissions defect investigations under the Clean Air Act (CAA). Under the...more
DOI unveils plan to weaken protections for millions of acres of California desert - Reuters – January 13 - The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) on Wednesday proposed weakening environmental protections for millions...more
California recognizes two different torts involving interference with economic relations - interference with performance of a contract and interference with prospective economic advantage. Originally California courts...more
Capital One Required to Produce Forensic Report in Class Action - As a litigator, when responding to any security incident, thoughtful consideration is given to the possibility that the security incident may wind up in...more
Toyota plans to build a prototype ‘city’ of the future called Woven City, which is meant to be a ‘living laboratory’ that will serve as a home to full-time residents who will test and develop various technologies, including...more
On March 3, the Central District of California denied class certification in a putative automotive class action against Toyota. The court found that the plaintiffs failed to establish commonality under Rule 23(a)(2), as well...more
McDermott’s Annual European Competition Review summarizes key developments in European competition rules. During the previous year, several new regulations, notices and guidelines were issued by the European Commission. There...more
In the past several years, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Vegas has become a hot ticket to see futuristic cars and automotive technology. This year is no exception, where the automotive industry claimed nearly half of...more
The SEC will vote today on what it’s calling Regulation Best Interest, “which says brokers can’t put their own paychecks ahead of a customer’s needs”—the more-industry-acceptable revision of an Obama-era fiduciary duty rule...more
While traditional automakers may be keen to avoid patent wars, as discussed in a previous blog post A Patent War Without Fighting, high tech companies developing innovative connected or autonomous vehicle technologies may not...more
Either as a lesson from the smartphone patent wars, or a non-confrontational culture, automakers are keen to avoid patent wars as they computerize their vehicles. However, in an effort to capture as much of the electric...more
Each year, the Detroit Auto Show includes spectacular “reveals” by automakers- new vehicles, concept cars, and new advances in technology. This year is shaping up to include some exciting new releases for fans of the next big...more
Federal prosecutors filed criminal charges yesterday against two former Goldman Sachs investment bankers for their alleged role in the Malaysian 1MDB scandal....more
On October 1, 2018, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued its “Medical Device Cybersecurity Regional Incident Preparedness and Response Playbook” to address continued threats to medical devices that could affect...more
Toyota Industries North America (TINA) has discovered that a hacker was able to access its corporate email system, compromising the personal and protected health information of approximately 19,000 individuals, apparently...more