Corporate Law

Workers sue McDonald’s in three states over claimed ‘stolen wages,’ seek class-action status

Already under fire from proponents of higher pay for fast-food workers, McDonald’s was the subject of a litigation attack this week that contends the chain and some of its franchise owners have underpaid workers in violation of wage-and-hour laws. Seven lawsuits filed in three states allege that the defendants denied…

Mar 13, 2014 6:45 PM CDT

See the video: Both $4 plastic cup of beer and taller $7 version hold the same amount, lawsuit says

A YouTube video which seems to show that a $4 cup of draft beer sold at a hockey game in Boise, Idaho, holds the same amount of brew as a “large” $7 cup was quickly followed by a lawsuit. Four other Idaho Steelheads fans filed suit in state court in…

Mar 13, 2014 3:40 PM CDT

GM hires Valukas of Jenner & Block for internal recall probe

General Motors has hired Jenner & Block chairman Anton Valukas to help lead an internal investigation of its delayed recall related to faulty ignitions. Valukas will work with general counsel Michael Millikin to investigate the automaker’s handling of complaints about the faulty ignitions, which are linked to 13 deaths, report…

Mar 11, 2014 12:02 PM CDT

Justices consider middle ground to curb securities class actions

The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday mulled a middle ground as the justices considered the viability of a presumption that helps plaintiffs in securities-fraud class actions. At issue is a rebuttable presumption in investor suits that the plaintiffs relied on public, material misrepresentations that affected stock prices. The presumption was…

Mar 6, 2014 3:46 PM CST

Federal judge rules for Chevron in civil-racketeer case, bans collection of $9B enviro award in US

In the latest blow to the plaintiffs and their lawyers in hard-fought litigation against Chevron Corp. over environmental damage in Ecuador, a federal district court judge in New York has issued a blistering ruling in an unusual civil racketeering case. It blocks their ability to collect, here in the U.S.,…

Mar 4, 2014 9:41 PM CST

Can whistleblower protections apply to law firms? SCOTUS says yes in case involving mutual fund

Federal whistleblower protections that shield employees of public companies from retaliation also protect those who work for the companies’ privately held contractors and subcontractors, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled. The court ruled in a case involving whistleblowers who work at privately held companies advising Fidelity mutual funds, but Justice…

Mar 4, 2014 3:49 PM CST

Sprint worker uploaded intimate photos from my trade-in phone to my Facebook page, woman’s suit says

A woman is suing Sprint Corp., contending that an employee browsed through her phone—which she traded in for an upgraded model at a Sprint store last year—then posted intimate photos on the plaintiff’s Facebook page through an application on the phone. The woman—who had forgotten those photos were among the…

Mar 3, 2014 9:30 PM CST

Companies claim contraceptive mandate goes against owners’ religious beliefs

The Hobby Lobby chain of crafts and home decor stores has grown to more than 500 nationwide from its Oklahoma origins as a picture-frame business run out of the garage of founder David Green in 1970. The family-controlled company has a statement of purpose committing to operate the chain “in…

Mar 1, 2014 10:10 AM CST

Law firm won’t split $250K check with attorney’s estate, says his suicide voided fee-share agreement

After Ira Bordow committed suicide at his Wisconsin home last year, his brother found a $250,000 check from an insurance company on the front seat of the dead man’s Lexus. It was made out to Bordow and Styles & Pumpian, the law firm with which the 54-year-old practitioner had been…

Feb 24, 2014 7:30 PM CST

Longtime supplier sues Trader Joe’s over claimed peanut-butter-filled pretzel monopoly

A longtime supplier of peanut-butter-filled pretzels to Trader Joe’s has filed an antitrust and breach-of-contract suit contending that the supermarket chain conspired with manufacturer ConAgra Foods Inc. to corner the market on the snack treat. The suit, filed last month in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleges that “ConAgra and Trader…

Feb 21, 2014 11:00 PM CST

Bill to ban employer demands for social media passwords is amended to allow limited access

A proposed Florida bill intended to ban employers from demanding workers’ social media logins and passwords has been tweaked to allow those demands in certain circumstances. On Monday, a state senate committee amended the legislation to allow companies to demand access to accounts that are used for a “business purpose,”…

Feb 18, 2014 10:29 PM CST

License-plate-reader businesses file First Amendment suit over new Utah privacy law

In an unusual First Amendment challenge to a revised state law seeking to protect individual privacy, two companies that offer license-plate readers and data services to private businesses such as automobile finance and repossession companies have sued the state of Utah. The plaintiffs, Digital Recognition Network Inc. and Vigilant Solutions…

Feb 14, 2014 9:15 PM CST

How to advise clients on legal-marijuana issues? Some bar associations mull ethics rule changes

Image from Shutterstock. Marijuana remains an illegal drug under federal law. But a growing number of states have moved to allow medical marijuana, or even recreational pot use and sales, some lawyers feel they are between a rock and a hard place. State and local government entities, as well as…

Feb 12, 2014 6:15 PM CST

Chris Christie’s settlement deals as US Attorney reportedly helped spur change in DOJ rules

The U.S. Justice Department issued new rules in 2008 governing out-of-court settlement agreements by federal prosecutors, partly because of unease about deals negotiated by the office of then-U.S. Attorney Chris Christie, according to a published report. The Washington Post spoke with three former Justice Department officials who said the department…

Feb 11, 2014 3:43 PM CST

ABA resolution urges businesses to adopt policies against child labor and labor trafficking

The ABA House of Delegates has adopted a resolution urging businesses to adopt policies against child labor and trafficking that are consistent with four model principles. The principles outlined in Resolution 102B say the business will prohibit child labor and labor trafficking in its operations, will assess the risk of…

Feb 10, 2014 7:32 PM CST