On March 20, 2026, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued a sweeping decision that significantly constrains how the Federal Trade Commission may pursue deceptive advertising claims. In Intuit, Inc. v. FTC, the...more
On September 18, 2025, the District Courts of Harris County announced a major development: the addition of five new district courts within Harris County. This long-awaited expansion comes amid a period of momentous change and...more
Aperçu Le 10 juillet 2025, la Cour du Banc du Roi de l’Alberta (la « Cour ») a publié un avis intitulé Mandatory Litigation Plans in Civil (Non-Family) Cases (l’« Avis ») à l’intention de la profession et du public. L’Avis...more
On January 24, 2025, the Illinois Supreme Court issued its long-awaited decision in Martin v. Goodrich Corp., upholding the constitutionality of a 2019 amendment to the Illinois Workers’ Occupational Diseases Act (the...more
On October 4, 2024, US Representatives Darrell Issa (R-CA) and Scott Fitzgerald (R-WI) introduced HR 9922, the Litigation Transparency Act of 2024. If enacted, the act would require the disclosure of third parties receiving...more
On December 22, 2023, the Court of King's Bench issued a Notice to the Profession setting out the procedure for adjudicating a civil action by a new process known as a “streamlined trial”, which replaces the old and...more
A recent decision in the Birmingham County Court has added to the body of case law growing around the test for listing multiple claimants on the same claim form. In Angel and others v Black Horse Limited, unreported, 8...more
In December 2022, the Alberta legislature passed a bill allowing for an increase to the limit on civil claims in the Alberta Court of Justice (formerly, the Provincial Court of Alberta and sometimes referred to as "small...more
This is an update to our February 2023 Blakes Bulletin: Provincial Court of Alberta: New Year, New Maximum Claims Limit? regarding the passing of Bill 5 by the Alberta Legislature on December 15, 2022. The Alberta...more
Thanks to Bill 5, recently passed by the Alberta Legislature, the maximum amount for a Provincial Court of Alberta (Court) civil claim could significantly increase from C$50,000 to C$200,000. Currently, the maximum...more
Four months ago, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed the Adult Survivors Act (ASA) (S.66A/A.648A), creating a one-year window, beginning November 24, 2022, for adult survivors of sexual assault to bring civil claims against...more
Do Not Forget about State “RICO” Laws - In Part I of this series Defending RICO Claims in the Business Context, we described why a plan to defend against potential claims under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt...more
Since the creation of the State of West Virginia, the West Virginia Supreme Court has provided the only review of the decisions of the trial courts and administrative agencies. That meant that the West Virginia Supreme Court...more
Washington State’s “Silenced No More Act”—one of the nation’s strictest prohibitions against nondisclosure and nondisparagement agreements—went into effect on June 9, 2022. ...more
Dear YouDig?, We just went through a ridiculous three-year odyssey with our commercial plumbing contractor on a 250 unit housing development. Plumber failed in designing its work, installing its work and, even when asked...more
On May 24, 2022, New York State Governor Kathy Hochul signed the Adult Survivors Act (“ASA”), which creates a one-year lookback window, beginning on November 24, 2022, for the revival of otherwise time-barred civil claims...more
In what is known as a “snap” removal, a non-resident defendant may be able to remove a state court case to federal court based on diversity jurisdiction, despite resident defendant(s) being named in the suit. To effect a snap...more
On March 3, 2021, the German Federal Cabinet adopted an act on corporate due diligence obligations in supply chains (“Due Diligence Act”; sometimes also referred to as “Supply Chain Act”) (“Government Draft”). The Government...more
Your next-door neighbor has a bone to pick with you. Maybe he thinks you have encroached onto his property. Maybe he is mad about a fence you put up on the property line. Maybe he just isn’t in a good mood. Whatever the...more
COVID-19 litigation has begun across the nation, prompting concerns about liability exposure for colleges and universities. Although the federal SAFE TO WORK Act, which was introduced in the Senate on July 27, 2020, would...more
Q: What should I expect if a civil lawsuit has been filed against me? A: The litigation process can be a lengthy affair. Usually a trial is scheduled a year or more after the petition was filed....more
It is not uncommon for various government agencies and offices to investigate the same company, particularly following a major scandal. We have grown accustomed to seeing simultaneous investigations by the U.S. Department of...more
In law school, the correct answer to in-class queries was frequently “it depends.” In law, often there is no black or white, right or wrong – it all depends on the facts and the analysis of the law. This dynamic also applies...more
Relief from the burdens and threat of litigation from plaintiffs’ attorneys under the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act (MMPA) will take effect on August 28, 2020. The MMPA, set out in Chapter 407RSMo., is intended to...more
It doesn’t take long for those who read judicial opinions to come across an unsigned, “per curiam” decision. Many decisions from the U.S. Supreme Court, federal circuit courts, and our state Supreme Court are short-ish...more