Patent ‘death squad’ rules draw US Supreme Court scrutiny
The U.S. Supreme Court will scrutinize a new system that helps technology companies like Google Inc. and Apple Inc. eliminate troublesome patent disputes without going to court.
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Employee wellness programs not so voluntary anymore
Dale Arnold, who worked for Wisconsin plastics maker Flambeau, chose not to take his work-sponsored health assessment and biometric screening. The company responded by pulling his insurance coverage.
GM faulty-switch trial begins with claim of deadly cover-up
General Motors Co. found a deadly flaw in its ignition switches but chose to keep customers and regulators in the dark for years, a lawyer for an injured postal carrier told jurors in the first trial over the defect.
Red-hot M&A target comes with a little legal problem in the US
For months now, Swiss seed maker Syngenta AG has been publicly courted by the likes of Monsanto Co. and China National Chemical Corp., part of a historic consolidation wave sweeping the agri-chemicals business. But lurking behind any deal are lawsuits against Syngenta in which U.S. farmers and grain handlers are claiming losses of up to $6 billion.
GM ignition nightmare won’t go away, for victims or company
The car maker, which faces at least 16 trials on death and injury claims in state and federal courts in the U.S. in 2016, has said in regulatory filings that it couldn’t estimate its potential liability.
Study: Future lawyers are hiding depression and drug and alcohol use
Law students with addiction and mental health issues may be afraid to report the problems because they think that doing so would jeopardize their chances of being admitted to the bar or getting a good job after graduating, according to new study, which was conducted by a law professor, a dean of law students, and the programming director of a nonprofit focused on lawyers' mental health.
State Department watchdog finds ‘inaccurate’ response to Clinton email questions
A report released Thursday by the State Department's Inspector General found the department provided inaccurate responses in 2012 to inquiries about then-Secretary Hillary Clinton's email practices.
Anthem workers target high 401(k) fees
Anthem Inc.’s retirement plan is accused in a lawsuit of forcing about 60,000 workers and retirees to pay excessive fees by having to invest in Vanguard Group funds billed as low-cost options.
Obama says expanding gun background checks no threat to rights
President Barack Obama said expanding background checks to cover more firearms transactions won’t trample on the right of Americans to own guns or lead to confiscation of weapons, as he made an emotional pitch for a package of executive actions intended to stem gun violence.
Mike Oxley, congressman behind anti-fraud law, dies at 71
Mike Oxley, the former U.S. congressman who co-sponsored the landmark Sarbanes-Oxley Act requiring corporate executives to vouch for company financials in the wake of the Enron and WorldCom accounting scandals, has died at age 71.
New York raises stakes in daily fantasy sports sites battle
The new year brings no sign of letup in the battle between New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and daily fantasy sites DraftKings Inc. and FanDuel Inc.
Facebook’s suit against Ceglia lawyers thrown out on appeal
Facebook Inc.’s malicious-prosecution lawsuit against lawyers and firms that represented Paul Ceglia in his claim to own half the social media giant was thrown out on appeal.
DraftKings asks Illinois court to call fantasy sports legal
DraftKings Inc., one of the two main providers of daily fantasy sports games in the U.S., asked an Illinois court to overturn a finding by the state’s attorney general that the games are illegal gambling.
Lender discrimination may be pushing black churches into bankruptcy
A long line of research shows that black consumers pay higher rates for credit, including mortgages and car loans. A new study by an Indiana University Maurer School of Law professor suggests the same kind of financial discrimination may apply to black churches.
Judge puts brakes on California Uber drivers’ suit outcome
Uber Technologies Inc. won a ruling that may put off the outcome of a bid by California drivers to be treated as employees in a lawsuit that has grown dramatically both in size and potential liability.
Driverless cars give lawyers bottomless list of defendants
Imagine a robot car with no one behind the wheel hitting another driverless car. Who’s at fault?
Apple CEO Tim Cook keeps support for unbreakable encryption
Apple Inc. Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook repeated his strong support for unbreakable encryption technology, despite criticism from global law enforcement agencies that believe the digital tools impede criminal and terrorism investigations.
Shkreli’s lawyer accused of templating sham retrophin share deal
A handcuffed Evan Greebel walked out of the FBI’s New York headquarters a few steps ahead of ex-Retrophin Inc. CEO Martin Shkreli, but prosecutors say the men were side- by-side when it came to a multimillion dollar fraud at the company’s expense.
Uber barred from pushing new contract on drivers in pay suit
Uber Technologies Inc. was barred from imposing a new contract on drivers who are suing the company to be treated like employees after a federal judge said the reworded agreement is confusing.
Obama’s ‘no fly, no buy’ policy would test limits of gun rights
President Barack Obama is trying to put Republicans on defense in the U.S. debate over gun rights with a call to ban people on the government’s no-fly list from buying firearms. The trouble is his proposal may be unconstitutional.