Corporate Law

Whataburger Files ‘Very Unusual’ Suit, Says Debt Collector Made Harassing Calls to Employee at Work

A Texas-based burger chain has sued one of the country’s largest debt collectors, contending that NCO Financial Services is hararassing an unidentified employee by making calls to the company’s San Antonio corporate headquarters despite a cease-and-desist letter. Describing the alleged calls to a toll-free number for Whataburger Restaurants as “a…

Aug 24, 2012 10:49 AM CDT

Putting ‘A’ on Law School Cookies Poses Problem for Alabama Bakery, Cease-and-Desist Letter Says

It isn’t clear that Mary Cesar did anything wrong by filling an order from the University of Alabama School of Law for 10 dozen cookies decorated with the letter A, for consumption at a reception for recent graduates. But after receiving a cease-and-desist letter from an Atlanta, Ga., company that…

Aug 23, 2012 6:36 PM CDT

Record $22.5M Google Pact Sparks Self-Scrutiny by Other Companies re Privacy, Data Security

It isn’t just individuals who can find companies’ privacy and data security policies confusing. Companies themselves don’t always follow their own rules for protecting user information. Now, in the wake of a record $22.5 million settlement by Google Inc. with the Federal Trade Commission, albeit without admitting any liability, other…

Aug 21, 2012 10:07 PM CDT

Ex-Dewey Partners Agree to Pay at Least $50M; Proposed Individual Payments Between $5K and $3.5M

Former Dewey & LeBoeuf partners agreed today to pay at least $50 million toward a bankruptcy court settlement, Reuters is reporting. The defunct firm, which filed for bankruptcy in May, owes creditors approximately $315 million, according to court filings. If the the settlement is approved, former partners will pay between…

Aug 16, 2012 10:15 PM CDT

Cybersecurity Is Top of Mind for General Counsel and Co. Directors

For the first time in 12 years of surveying general counsel and corporate directors of public companies, data from the “Law and the Boardroom Study” show that data security is the top concern. The annual survey by FTI Consulting and Corporate Board Member reached out to 1,957 general counsel and…

Aug 15, 2012 10:07 AM CDT

Medical Photos May Be Posted Online with Patient Names, Says Lawyer for 8 Ex-Patients of Mo. Doctor

Ten women who reportedly agreed to let a St. Louis plastic surgeon put before-and-after photos of their augmented breasts on the Internet are now suing in federal court there, contending that Dr. Michele Koo violated their privacy by linking their names to the photos, which otherwise would not have been…

Aug 14, 2012 7:57 PM CDT

Consumer Lawyer Says Credit Card Debt Collection Suits Are a ‘Robo-Signing Redux’

As debt-collection suits against credit-card holders surge, so do complaints of wrongful conduct on the part of those seeking to get their mitts on consumers’ money. Even when the debt is legitimately owed, companies may not be able to prove the account due to poor record-keeping. In other cases, erroneous…

Aug 13, 2012 10:36 PM CDT

Lawyer Gets 18 Months in Claimed Scheme to Steal and Sell Corporate Identities

One of two Texas lawyers convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud by a federal jury in Florida concerning a claimed scheme to steal the identities of dormant publicly traded companies has been sentenced to prison time. Roger Lee Schoss, 68, got 18 months followed by 36 months of home…

Aug 13, 2012 8:09 PM CDT

A Long Line at Nick Haney’s Law Office After Chevron Refinery Fire in Richmond, Calif.

Over 1,000 people lined up outside Nick Haney’s law office in Richmond, Calif., on Wednesday, two days after smoke from a Chevron refinery fire enveloped the city. Apparently drawn by two signs stating “Chevron Claims Filed Here,” they likely will get perhaps a few thousand dollars from the oil company…

Aug 10, 2012 7:41 PM CDT

Google Fined Record $22.5M by FTC re Claimed Safari Privacy Violations on Macs, iPhones and iPads

Google Inc. has agreed to pay a record $22.5 million fine to the Federal Trade Commission for allegedly overriding privacy settings on Apple computer users’ Safari browsers in order to track individuals’ Web-surfing behavior. The fine is both the first ever assessed by the FTC for an Internet privacy violation…

Aug 9, 2012 4:34 PM CDT

Law Firms Are Looking to Hire In-House Counsel for Lateral Positions

A July hiring surge among Pennsylvania law firms featured an unusual trend–lateral lawyers moving back into private practice from in-house counsel positions. A number of factors may be combining to encourage such moves. Among them, there is a dearth of lawyers in certain practice areas, such as corporate law and…

Aug 6, 2012 12:00 PM CDT

Federal Judge Sanctions Law Firm and Client re Withheld Docs, Finds TD Bank Knew of Rothstein Fraud

Saying that a well-known law firm and its client bank had often handled a major case “in an Inspector Clouseau-like fashion,” a federal judge in Miami has sanctioned both for what she called a “pattern of discovery abuses before, during, and after trial.” U.S. District Judge Marcia Cooke declined, however,…

Aug 6, 2012 11:02 AM CDT

John Quinn Faces Off with Federal Judge in Apple v. Samsung iPhone Case; Apple Seeks Severe Sanction

Updated: A name partner of litigation powerhouse Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan has gotten crosswise with the federal judge hearing the the hard-fought patent case beween Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., and counsel for his opponent is now trying to knock John Quinn out of the trial arena.…

Aug 2, 2012 5:37 PM CDT

3M Co. Sues Covington for ‘Betrayal,’ Says Firm Switched Sides to Work for Minn. AG on Enviro Suit

Facing a big-bucks environmental lawsuit by the Minnesota attorney general, 3M Company is firing back with a federal court complaint against its longtime former counsel. Covington & Burling has betrayed the company by suddenly ending its representation and switching sides in 2010 to help the AG sue 3M, the tech…

Aug 2, 2012 10:34 AM CDT

Ill. Gov Signs ‘Facebook Bill’; As of Jan. 1, Employers Who Ask For Passwords Can Be Fined $200-Plus

A new law on a cutting-edge social media issue has gotten a sign-off from the governor of Illinois. Under the “Facebook bill,” which takes effect Jan. 1, employers can be fined $200 or more if they request personal passwords to the social media site, reports the Chicago Tribune. However, employers…

Aug 1, 2012 9:56 PM CDT