Weekly Brief: Patent Jury Awards, Law Firm Hiring, Scalia's Hat
A federal court jury in Texas has awarded more than $30 million in damages to woman-owned beauty start-up Lashify Inc. The jury found that Qingdao Lashbeauty Cosmetic Co., a Chinese company doing business as Worldbeauty,...more
In today’s legal landscape, the defense industry faces the unprecedented challenge of Nuclear Verdicts®. They pose a financial threat to businesses and individuals alike. It is vital for defense attorneys to embrace a...more
What is a Nuclear Verdict®? We have all heard news of juries awarding incomprehensible piles of money in lawsuits where the injuries and the verdict just don’t seem to add up. These cases may leave you scratching your head...more
Garced v. United Cerebral Palsy of Phila., 307 A.2d 103 (Pa. Super. 2023) - This matter involved a plaintiff’s claim that he developed reactive airway disease syndrome (RADS) from exposure to the fogging disinfectant...more
Philadelphia is famously known for Rocky, soft pretzels, and infamously, for snowballing Santa Claus , but it is now becoming notable for Nuclear Verdicts®. In 2023, the five highest jury verdicts in Pennsylvania were...more
Chamblee Ryan, P.C. v. JBS Carrier, Inc., No. 12-23-00125-CV (Tex. App. — Tyler June 12, 2024) - Brief Summary - Plaintiff, JBS Carriers, Inc. (“JBS”), sued Chamblee Ryan, P.C. (the “defendant”) for legal malpractice related...more
All lawsuits start with the potential to someday reach the view of a jury. Yet, the jury’s perspective is often forgotten by attorneys preoccupied with discovery, motion practice, the preparation of witnesses, and the hiring...more
Here’s an interesting case from the California Court of Appeals dealing with a unique issue that can arise in beverage distribution contracts – can a supplier “constructively terminate” a distribution agreement through its...more
On May 20, 2024, US District Court Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald rejected a popular over-the-counter eyedrop seller’s bid for a new trial and granted a pricing injunction impacting two large wholesale membership clubs following...more
On April 18, 2024, a jury in Seattle, Washington, determined that a not-for-profit hospital system employer would be required to pay nearly $100 million for time clock rounding and meal period violations, raising concerns for...more
Earlier this month, I previewed a Federal Circuit oral argument in In re: California Expanded Metal Products Co., No. 2023-1140, where the district court vacated a jury award of a 12 percent royalty and denied a motion for an...more
The risk of a large verdict has always been a major factor in any litigation. In recent years, the potential for a punitive damages instruction reaching a jury and a consequent verdict has grown as well. US juries have not...more
On November 1, 2023, a jury in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California awarded damages to Skye Orthobiologics, LLC (“Skye”) and Human Regenerative Technologies, LLC (“HRT”) for breach of contract,...more
A California jury has awarded a photographer reportedly the “largest maximum statutory damages verdict for photography infringement in U.S. history,” according to the photographer’s lawyer. The jury awarded $150,000 in...more
A federal jury in Kansas City deciding a class-action lawsuit involving a class of home sellers recently found that the National Association of Realtors (NAR) and certain other residential real estate brokerages conspired to...more
Last month, Vital Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Vital”), the manufacturer of the Bang energy drink, fell short in its post-trial challenge to a “monster” jury award in favor of Monster Energy Company (“Monster”). ...more
Earlier this year, a district court for the Middle District of Florida upheld a jury award of $225,000 in punitive damages in a debt collection case finding the defendant’s conduct “reprehensible” based on the physical harm...more
Juries in Philadelphia and San Diego recently awarded damages of $175 million and $332 million to two men who were diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma after being exposed to the weedkiller Roundup. The two verdicts are...more
Have you heard of social inflation? Learn about the trend and why it matters for businesses, consumers, and the rule of law. The term “social inflation” speaks to a trend of dramatic increases in costs and verdicts linked to...more
“Social inflation” is a phrase that crops up these days when people are talking about civil damage awards. As an explanation for a wave in so-called “nuclear verdicts,” social inflation refers to the phenomena of typical...more
An advisory jury’s substantial front pay award to a plaintiff in a retaliation case was drastically reduced by the judge....more
Nearly three years after its decision in Johnson v. NPAS Solutions LLC, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals remains the only circuit in the nation to categorically bar class representatives from receiving incentive awards....more
On June 12, a federal jury in Camden, New Jersey returned a verdict in favor of Shannon Phillips, a white Starbucks Regional Director who claimed that she was terminated from her management level position on the basis of her...more
“Everything’s Bigger in Texas.” That has certainly been true of personal injury and wrongful death verdicts in recent years. But for how much longer? The Supreme Court of Texas recently issued a ruling that may limit the...more
On May 25, 2023, the Second Circuit issued an opinion in Syntel Sterling Best Shores Mauritius Ltd. v. TriZetto Group, Inc., No. 21-1370 (2d Cir. 2023) that provides guidance regarding recoverable damages in trade secret...more