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Connectu v. Facebook (and vice versa)

The Facebook, Inc. v. Connectu, LLC et al Filed: March 9, 2007 California Northern District Court
Connectu, Inc. v. Facebook, Inc. et al Filed: March 28, 2007 Massachusetts District Court
ConnectU is suing Facebook in Massachusetts for copyright infringement, breach of actual or implied contract, misappropriation of trade secrets, breach of fiduciary duty, unjust enrichment, unfair business practices, intentional interference with prospective business advantage, breach of duty of good faith and fair dealing, fraud and breach of confidence. Facebook is suing ConnectU in California for business torts and unfair business practices. Read More
Case Name Case Filed Last Update
The Author's Guild et al v. Google Inc. September 20, 2005 July 2, 2009
Plaintiffs The Author's Guide. Herbert Mitgang, Betty Miles and Daniel Hoffman sued Google Inc. for reproducing a digital copy of plaintiffs' works without the copyright holders' permission and in violation of the authors' rights under the copyright laws.
Perfect 10 Inc v. Google Inc et al November 19, 2004 July 2, 2009
Plaintiff Perfect 10 sued defendant Google Inc. for displaying thumbnails of photographs copyrighted by the plaintiff. Consolidated with Perfect 10 Inc. v. Amazon.com Inc. et al. Additional Resources Ninth Circuit Opinion in Perfect 10 v. Google and Amazon.
Cambridge University Press et al v. Patton et al April 15, 2008 July 2, 2009
Publisher lawsuit against public university that makes electronic copies of course readings available to students without paying royalty fees.
ESN LLC v. Cisco Systems, Inc. et al January 31, 2008 July 2, 2009
Plaintiff ESN, LLC alleged that Defendants Cisco Systems, Inc. and Cisco-Linksys, LLC infringed on U.S. Patent No. 7,283,519 entitled "Distributed Edge Switching System for Voice-Over-Packet Multiservice Network."
Leader Technologies Inc. v. Facebook Inc. November 19, 2008 July 2, 2009
Specht et al v. Google Inc et al April 28, 2009 July 2, 2009
Salinger et al v. John Doe et al June 1, 2009 July 2, 2009
IN RE: PET FOOD PRODUCTS LIABILITY LITIGATION June 20, 2007 July 1, 2009
Virgin Records America, Inc v. Thomas April 19, 2006 July 1, 2009
Jury verdict in favor of RIAA - $222,000 judgment against Minnesota woman for making music files available via Kazaa, despite her denials of doing so.
Show More Featured Cases »
Case Name Case Filed Last Update
ASCENTIVE, LLC v. GOOGLE, INC. June 25, 2009 June 25, 2009
Owens et al v. Apple, Inc. June 24, 2009 June 24, 2009
As Reported on Ars Technica, the Plaintiffs allege that Apple intentionally misleads consumers by marketing on their iTunes Gift Cards that songs are $0.99 when many are $1.29
Bedrock Computer Technologies, LLC v. Softlayer Technologies, Inc. et al June 16, 2009 June 16, 2009
Case Name Case Filed Last Update
The Author's Guild et al v. Google Inc. September 20, 2005 July 2, 2009
Plaintiffs The Author's Guide. Herbert Mitgang, Betty Miles and Daniel Hoffman sued Google Inc. for reproducing a digital copy of plaintiffs' works without the copyright holders' permission and in violation of the authors' rights under the copyright laws.
Perfect 10 Inc v. Google Inc et al November 19, 2004 July 2, 2009
Plaintiff Perfect 10 sued defendant Google Inc. for displaying thumbnails of photographs copyrighted by the plaintiff. Consolidated with Perfect 10 Inc. v. Amazon.com Inc. et al. Additional Resources Ninth Circuit Opinion in Perfect 10 v. Google and Amazon.
Cambridge University Press et al v. Patton et al April 15, 2008 July 2, 2009
Publisher lawsuit against public university that makes electronic copies of course readings available to students without paying royalty fees.
Virgin Records America, Inc v. Thomas April 19, 2006 July 1, 2009
Jury verdict in favor of RIAA - $222,000 judgment against Minnesota woman for making music files available via Kazaa, despite her denials of doing so.
Blackwell Publishing, Incorporated et al v. Miller June 28, 2007 June 29, 2009
Plaintiffs allege that defendant Norman Miller d/b/a Excel Test Preparation operates a copy shop near the University of Michigan that allows students to reproduce their own coursepack, which includes journals articles and excerpts from books. Plaintiffs further allege that defendant does not arrange for permission to copy the materials in the coursepacks from the Copyright Clearance Center, INc.
Case Name Case Filed Last Update
Specht et al v. Google Inc et al April 28, 2009 July 2, 2009
Mikhlyn et al v. Bove et al August 18, 2008 June 26, 2009
Vulcan Golf, LLC v. Google Inc. et al June 15, 2007 June 24, 2009
Plaintiff sued Google and several "parked domain" companies for trademark infringement over the use of AdSense for Domains on websites with allegedly infringing domain names.
Case Name Case Filed Last Update
The Author's Guild et al v. Google Inc. September 20, 2005 July 2, 2009
Plaintiffs The Author's Guide. Herbert Mitgang, Betty Miles and Daniel Hoffman sued Google Inc. for reproducing a digital copy of plaintiffs' works without the copyright holders' permission and in violation of the authors' rights under the copyright laws.
Perfect 10 Inc v. Google Inc et al November 19, 2004 July 2, 2009
Plaintiff Perfect 10 sued defendant Google Inc. for displaying thumbnails of photographs copyrighted by the plaintiff. Consolidated with Perfect 10 Inc. v. Amazon.com Inc. et al. Additional Resources Ninth Circuit Opinion in Perfect 10 v. Google and Amazon.
Specht et al v. Google Inc et al April 28, 2009 July 2, 2009
Performance Pricing, Inc. v. Google Inc. et al September 27, 2007 July 1, 2009
Plaintiff Performance Pricing, Inc. sued Google Inc., AOL LLC, Microsoft Corporation and Yahoo! Inc. for infringing U.S. Patent No. 6,978,253 entitled "Systems and Methods for Transacting Business Over a Global Communications Network such as the Internet."
Bedrock Computer Technologies, LLC v. Softlayer Technologies, Inc. et al June 16, 2009 July 1, 2009
Aloft Media, LLC v. Google, Inc. November 19, 2008 June 30, 2009
Plaintiff Aloft Media, LLC alleged that Defendant Google, Inc. infringed on U.S. Patent No. 7,194,691 entitled "Network Browser Window with Adjacent Identifier Selector Interface for Storing Web Content."
Aloft Media, LLC v. Yahoo! Inc. et al December 30, 2008 June 30, 2009
Plaintiff Aloft Media, LLC alleged that Defendants Yahoo!, Inc., Google, Inc. and AOL LLC infringed on U.S. Patent No. 7,472,351 entitled "Mobile E-Mail Manager Interface with Integrated Instant Messaging and Phone Call Initiator Feature."
Show More Featured Google Cases »

ABA Journal Daily News

Law Trails Behind as Disputes Over Genetic Patents Intensify July 3, 2009
After being diagnosed with an aggressive type of breast cancer, Lisbeth Ceriani had a double mastectomy last year followed by chemotherapy that caused her hair to fall out in clumps. Just when she thought the worst was over, she learned that some of the genes in her body that led to the cancer were patented. Myriad Genetics, based in Salt Lake City, holds pat�ents on two genes and their mutations that have been linked to hereditary forms of breast and ovarian cancer. As a result, the private ... more
Google Books Settlement May Violate Antitrust Law, DOJ Contends July 2, 2009
A pending settlement between Google Inc. and groups representing authors and publishers could violate antitrust law, the U.S. Department of Justice says in a letter to the federal judge in the Southern District of New York who is overseeing the case. Although the DOJ has made no finding that antitrust law would, in fact, be violated by the planned settlement concerning Google's plan to make a large number of books available online, it is investigating the settlement, reports the New York Times ... more
Sotomayor?s Nomination: Today?s News July 2, 2009
Agence France-Presse: "Sotomayor hearings: No weapons, clothing with profanity" Associated Press: "White House slams GOP document search on Sotomayor" CQ Politics: "White House Says GOP Request on Sotomayor ?Not Relevant?" Fort Worth Star-Telegram (opinion): "Detractors to Obama?s high-court nominee pollute honest debate of Sotomayor?s record through distortion" Opening Arguments (Washington Post): "Former Colleagues Come Out for Sotomayor" Scripps Howard News Service (opinion): "Sotomayor Could ... more
Counsel for Accused Lawyer Must Be Given Control of Claimed Child Porn July 2, 2009
Defense counsel for an attorney and former New Jersey lawmaker accused in a child pornography case must be given access to the images allegedly found on Neil Cohen's computers, a state appeals court has ruled. Prosecutors had argued that Cohen's defense team should only be allowed to view the evidence on state-controlled computers. But "the need for defense counsel to have unfettered access to the images and the need for defense experts to maintain anonymity will be compromised by the presence ... more
Federal Judge Plans to Acquit Mom Convicted in Landmark Cyberbullying Case July 2, 2009
A federal judge in Los Angeles reportedly has said he intends to acquit a Missouri mother accused of helping to drive a neighboring teen to suicide by participating in a hoax on the MySpace social networking site. Lori Drew was cleared of more serious charges but convicted by a federal jury in Los Angeles last year of misdemeanor counts of accessing computers without authorization. However, interpreting the federal law under which she was found guilty in this manner, says U.S. District Judge ... more
Should On-Campus Interviews Be Postponed Until Spring? July 2, 2009
For decades, it has been customary for BigLaw firms to conduct on-campus interviews for summer associates shortly after the law school year begins in the fall. In recent years, there has even been an increasing trend toward starting as early as August. But, given a seeming seismic shift in the way corporate law practice is being conducted, it might well make more sense to postpone the on-campus interviewing season until spring, according to a number of participants at a recent conference in ... more
New Mich. Jury Rule: No Texts, Tweets or Google Searches July 2, 2009
Stepping up to the plate to deal with an electronic communications issue that has plagued courts throughout the country recently, the Michigan Supreme Court has issued a new rule requiring trial judges to warn jurors they cannot surf the Internet while they are in court or during deliberations. The ban includes, but is not limited to, text messages, Google searches and tweets on Twitter, reports the National Law Journal. The article doesn't make clear whether the rule bans juror cell phones ... more
Disgraced Pa. Judge: I Didn?t Discuss $3.5M Libel Case July 2, 2009
A Pennsylvania lawyer initially portrayed by his counsel as a victim has now pleaded guilty to criminal charges related to a $2.5 million juvenile detention judicial kickbacks case that has already resulted in guilty pleas by two senior Luzerne County jurists. But yesterday's plea by Robert Powell is just the latest milestone in an ongoing inquiry into the extent to which the two judges, while they were still on the bench, may have been improperly influenced in rendering their verdicts. At a ... more
Alston & Bird Chops $5K Off ?09 Pay for Associates, Says ?Market is Shifting? July 2, 2009
Joining a growing number of law firms that are cutting associate pay, essentially, because they can, Alston & Bird has announced that it will reduce the salaries of all 451 of the firm's associates by $5,000 for the rest of the year. "It is no secret the market is shifting," managing partner Richard Hays tells the Fulton County Daily Report. However, the Atlanta-based national firm apparently hasn't yet decided what to do concerning associate salaries in 2010 and thereafter. The firm's ... more
Appeals Court Rules MySpace Not Liable for Teens? Rapes July 2, 2009
A California appeals court has ruled that MySpace isn?t liable for the rapes of teenage girls who were assaulted by men they had met on the social networking site. The Second District Court of Appeal in Los Angeles ruled that MySpace is protected from liability by the federal Communications Decency Act, which protects websites that post materials written by others, according to the San Francisco Chronicle and Reuters. The sexual assault victims were between the ages of 13 and 15 when they posted ... more
Montana Judge Rules After 24 Years in Forgotten Case July 2, 2009
A retired Montana judge issued a ruling this week in a case apparently put on hold in 1985 when he was diagnosed with cancer. On Monday, former District Judge Ronald McPhillips of Toole County ruled against the plaintiff, who had contended his partner swindled him out of his share of natural gas revenue, the Great Falls Tribune reports. McPhillips told the newspaper he was searching his home for the case file after the newspaper wrote about the unresolved dispute. Elda Nichols, who had worked ... more
Probe Finds Kozinski?s Sexually Explicit Photos Were ?Judicially Imprudent? July 2, 2009
A federal judicial council has admonished Judge Alex Kozinski for keeping sexually explicit materials on a personal website, concluding an ethics investigation spurred by a June 2008 Los Angeles Times article. How Appealing reported on the June 5 opinion (PDF), released yesterday. The judicial council of the Philadelphia-based 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals was appointed to investigate after the Los Angeles Times reported that images and videos on Kozinski?s personal website included "a photo ... more
Blank Rome Cuts Pay of New Associates to $130K July 2, 2009
New associates at Blank Rome are getting a $15,000 pay cut. New salaries for first-year associates will drop to $130,000, while others will see pay cuts ranging from 2 percent to 10 percent, the Philadelphia Business Journal reports. The firm announced the slashed salaries after at least five other Pennsylvania firms dropped pay, including Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis. But no salary cuts have been announced at Philadelphia firms Dechert, Morgan Lewis & Bockius, Pepper Hamilton and ... more
?Catcher? Ruling Will Discourage Other Would-Be Parodies, Lawyer Says July 2, 2009
A federal judge has enjoined publication of a sequel to The Catcher in the Rye, saying the new book is an unauthorized infringement of the copyright held by the original novel?s author, J.D. Salinger. U.S. District Judge Deborah Batts of Manhattan issued the injunction yesterday, rejecting claims that the new book, 60 Years Later: Coming Through the Rye, was transformative and thus a fair use of Salinger?s original book, the New York Law Journal reports. She said the new book simply rehashed ... more
Unpaid Student Loans Derail Law Grad?s Quest for NY Bar Admission July 2, 2009
Robert Bowman managed to pass the New York bar exam after the fourth try, but there is one more obstacle keeping him from getting a license to practice law: about $430,000 in student debt and penalties. A New York appeals court ruled (PDF) in March that Bowman had not established his character and fitness to practice law because of his failure to make substantial payments on the debt and his inflexibility in discussions with loan servicers. The opinion doesn?t name the lawyer; the New York Times ... more
New Details of Michael Jackson?s Will: Diana Ross Is Backup Guardian July 2, 2009
A will values Michael Jackson?s estate at more than $500 million and names Diana Ross as a backup guardian for his children if his mother is unable to provide care. The 2002 will puts the estate in a family trust, a mechanism that will keep secret many details of Jackson?s assets, the New York Times reports. Court documents say the trust?s primary asset is Jackson?s 50 percent stake in music royalties, including rights to songs by the Beatles, the Washington Post reports. It is unclear whether ... more
SEC Lawyer Warned About Madoff in 2004 July 2, 2009
A lawyer with the Securities and Exchange Commission had sounded a warning in 2004 about irregularities at the financial management firm run by Bernard Madoff, but her superiors asked her to put aside concerns to work on an investigation of the mutual fund agency. The lawyer, Genevievette Walker-Lightfoot, found inconsistencies in information provided by Madoff, and sent her superiors an e-mail suggesting questions that should be posed to his firm, the Washington Post reports. The questions ... more
IP Boutique Day Casebeer to Merge with Howrey July 2, 2009
The rumors are true: Intellectual property boutique Day Casebeer Madrid and Batchelder will merge with Howrey, a law firm with 17 offices and more than 725 lawyers, including more than 300 in the IP field. The merger was effective yesterday, according to a press release. Nine partners and 16 associates from the Cupertino, Calif., IP firm will join Howrey. Howrey has aggressively expanded in the Bay area, according to the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal. Last year it took on most of the ... more
Sotomayor?s Nomination: Today?s News July 1, 2009
ABAJournal.com: "Court Makes ?Patient & Steady? Turn to Right, Kennedy the Decider" Associated Press: "Group advised by Sotomayor campaigned against Bork" Atlantic (opinion): "The Limits of Law: Ricci and the Elusive Quest for Workplace Fairness" Politics (FOX News): "Sotomayor Helped Hispanic Police Officers Challenge Promotions Exam" New Republic: "Sotomayor is Set" Ninth Justice (National Journal): "Sotomayor In Context: A Moderately Liberal Nominee" Roll Call: "More Documents Delivered ... more
Lawyers Remember Michael Jackson for ?Smooth? Shoe Patent July 1, 2009
As many remember Michael Jackson for his Thriller work or read his will in the Smoking Gun today, some lawyers recall him for an innovative dance shoe patent. The design, which was patented in 1993 by the pop singer and two partners, contains a special heel slot. Retractable pegs in a stage floor allowed the singer to anchor the shoes so he could lean forward beyond his center of gravity, as he did in his "Smooth Criminal" video, reports USA Today. "Most people think of Michael Jackson's ... more
Orrick Axes Lockstep Pay and Staffing, Amps Up Training in New Practice Model July 1, 2009
In a press release posted on its website today, Orrick trumpets a new "talent model" that will, as the law firm puts it, "re-engineer the way the law firm delivers high-value legal service." Central to the plan is the elimination of a so-called lockstep pay scale that ups the ante each year for partner-track associates based on the year they graduated from law school, the 1,100-attorney San Francisco-based international firm explains in its press release. The plan will also eliminate so-called ... more
Partner Profits Plummet 37% at Clifford Chance; Skadden Now #1 Firm By Revenue July 1, 2009
What was until recently the world's top-grossing law partnership has announced its preliminary results for the fiscal year that ended April 30, and the picture isn't a pretty one. Profits per equity partner at London-based Clifford Chance dropped 37 percent compared to the previous fiscal year, and the firm's overall revenue fell by 5 percent, reports Legal Week. The revenue drop means that the London-based megafirm Chance is now no longer the world's top-billing law partnership; New York-based ... more
Layoffs a ?Blessing? for Now-Liberated Former BigLaw Attorneys, Writer Says July 1, 2009
Few may have realized it when Calawalader Wickersham & Taft last July became the first major firm to initiate what eventually became a tsunami of BigLaw associate layoffs during the past year. But Calwalader and the other law firms involved were actually doing many associates a favor, writes attorney Dan Slater in the DealBook blog of the New York Times today. "These layoffs, � which in many cases have been paired with salary freezes or cuts and significant reductions in law school ... more
For the 2nd Time in Less Than 3 Months, Judge Sullivan Castigates DOJ July 1, 2009
For the second time in less than three months, Judge Emmett Sullivan offered blistering comments from the bench yesterday castigating the U.S. Department of Justice concerning its compliance with ethical obligations to turn over exculpatory evidence to the defense. In the latest case, the Washington, D.C., federal district judge questioned whether the DOJ had violated D.C. Rules of Professional Conduct and standards contained in a U.S. Attorneys manual for federal prosecutors by either making or ... more
Wis. Appeals Court Orders Man to Turn Over Claimed Roadkill Deer Trophy July 1, 2009
It's too late for John Longo to return the deer carcass he is accused of taking from beside a Wisconsin roadway without a permit: He ate it. But a state appeals court has ordered the 69-year-old to return the head, which he had mounted, to state wildlife officials, reports WKOW-TV. The article doesn't explain how the February 2008 incident came to the attention of authorities. The appeals court was asked to weigh in on the deer trophy fray after Racine County Circuit Court judge ordered Longo to ... more

Law.com

Federal Judge Stresses Trial Record on Calif. Gay-Marriage Ban July 3, 2009
Holding his first hearing Thursday on Proposition 8, the controversial state ballot measure that outlawed same-sex marriage in California, Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker repeatedly stressed the importance of establishing a record that will stand the test of time. Telling a packed courtroom that the challenge launched by high-profile litigators Theodore Olson and David Boies is presumably a "prelude" for things to come, Walker said: "How we do things here is more important than what we ... more
Beazer Homes Enters Deferred Prosecution Agreement, Agrees to Pay $53 Million July 3, 2009
The Department of Justice, under pressure to mete out blame for the credit crisis, has wrapped up a deferred prosecution agreement with Beazer Homes USA. The Atlanta-based company has been under scrutiny for reportedly issuing questionable mortgages to local homeowners. As part of the agreement, the company agreed to pay $53 million in restitution and penalties and said it "accepts and acknowledges" that it was responsible for criminal actions taken by employees at its now-defunct mortgage arm ... more
Just How Much Do Lawyers in the White House Make? July 3, 2009
Lawyers who work in the White House don't talk much, but they can't avoid having their salaries reported. The Obama administration, complying with an annual congressional requirement, has released salary figures for all White House lawyers, including more than 40 in the Counsel's Office. White House Counsel Gregory Craig tops the list, at $172,200. By comparison, the former partner at Williams & Connolly made $1.7 million last year, according to a disclosure report released in April ... more
Law Firm Cost Recovery Is Here to Stay July 3, 2009
Lawyers incur tremendous administrative costs in servicing clients who are resistant if not hostile to the idea of these costs being billed back to them. Mattern & Associates CEO and founder Robert Mattern brings to light trends in law firm cost recovery in an increasingly digital world ... more
Tenets of a Global GC July 3, 2009
In between the rush and flow of working as general counsel of global computer company Lenovo, Mike O'Neill realized that there are some basic principles that guide his work. He calls these tenets -- some of them he's learned along the way, and some he is still learning every day. He shares those at the top of his list, including the single most important rule for a successful in-house role: We don't get paid for what we do -- we get paid for what we get done ... more
Blank Rome to Cut Associate Compensation by $15,000 July 3, 2009
Blank Rome has become the latest law firm to put the squeeze on associate salaries, with much of the focus on more junior associates. Effective July 17, first-year associates face a $15,000 pay cut. Other associate classes will see a 2 percent to 10 percent pay reduction, the firm said in a statement, adding that the cuts are a market adjustment. One recruiter predicts that first-year associate salaries will ultimately fall to a "natural level" of between $110,000 and $120,000 ... more
9th Circuit's Kozinski Admonished but Not Disciplined for Online Pornography July 3, 2009
The judicial misconduct complaint against 9th Circuit Chief Judge Alex Kozinski over sexually explicit material on his family Web site has been resolved with a public admonishment but no discipline imposed on the judge. An 11-judge council from the 3rd Circuit issued a unanimous opinion that said Kozinski had cured the problem himself by removing and destroying the explicit material. The opinion also revealed new details about the incident, including the identity of the disgruntled litigant who ... more
Ruden McClosky Slashes Pay, Lays Off 8 Lawyers July 3, 2009
Florida-based Ruden McClosky has laid off eight attorneys as part of a cost-reduction effort that includes 18 percent pay cuts for most of its lawyers, according to sources. The laid-off attorneys worked in the firm's litigation, corporate and land-use practice areas. The latest layoffs follow three rounds of dismissals conducted since late last year. An attorney at the firm who asked not to be named said morale has declined because of the cuts in jobs and pay and that many of the firm's lawyers ... more
2nd Circuit Upholds N.Y. Statute Barring Direct Sale of Wine July 3, 2009
The 2nd Circuit has rejected a challenge from out-of-state wine retailers to New York state's prohibition on direct sales and delivery of wine to New Yorkers. Deciding a closely watched case that drew three intervenors and a number of amici, the federal appeals court said New York's Alcoholic Beverage Control Law does not violate the commerce clause of the U.S. Constitution because it does not favor in-state sellers at the expense of out-of-state sellers ... more
$231 Million Approved for Payments to Madoff Victims July 3, 2009
The court-appointed trustee responsible for liquidating Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities has announced that $231 million in Securities Investor Protection Corp. funds has been set aside to satisfy 543 claims by victims of Bernard Madoff's massive Ponzi scheme. The figure reflects "major progress" since May 14, when $61.4 million in SIPC funds had been committed to 125 Madoff claimants, SIPC said in a statement ... more
Texas and Ohio Pension Funds Picked to Lead Class Action Against Bank of America July 3, 2009
A lengthy battle to lead the securities class actions facing Bank of America over its merger with Merrill Lynch now has a winner: three firms representing Texas and Ohio teacher pension funds. In a ruling last week, a federal district court judge in Manhattan decreed the pension funds would be lead plaintiffs and that Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann; Kaplan Fox & Kilsheimer; and Barroway Topaz Kessler Meltzer & Check would be co-lead counsel in the now-consolidated securities actions ... more
Judge Denies Class Certification to Magazine Subscribers Alleging Deceptive Renewals July 3, 2009
A New Jersey federal judge, finding insufficient common issues, has denied class certification to magazine subscribers who claim a Time Warner subsidiary charged for renewals without their authorization. Connecticut-based Synapse offers trial subscriptions to more than 1,000 publications, which are typically billed to subscribers' credit cards and subject to automatic renewal. The suit sought certification on behalf of Synapse subscribers in New Jersey, New York and Washington, D.C., who were ... more
Litigation Over Johnson & Johnson Antibiotic Levaquin Designated N.J. Mass Tort July 3, 2009
The New Jersey Supreme Court has designated mounting litigation over the Johnson & Johnson antibiotic Levaquin as a mass tort and has assigned it to an Atlantic County, N.J., judge. The suits charge that the drug, which is prescribed for bacterial infections of the lungs, urinary tract and skin, has caused Achilles' tendon ruptures and other damage. Johnson & Johnson had supported mass-tort designation but asked for venue in Middlesex County, N.J., where its headquarters is located ... more
Young Attorney Victorious in First Supreme Court Case July 3, 2009
Jason Murtagh says that the most nerve-wracking moment during his work on Haywood v. Drown was when the U.S. Supreme Court granted writ of certiorari in June 2008. That's because he was the one set to argue the case. But it turned out well for the 34-year-old attorney and his client in the prisoner rights case -- the Court ruled in their favor in May. Murtagh took the pro bono case while an associate at Dechert, but he's moved on to 40-attorney Rubin Fortunato to pursue a greater amount of ... more
New Lawyer Stationed in Iraq Gets Sworn In Via Video Conference July 3, 2009
In a what may be a first-of-its-kind swearing-in ceremony for a lawyer, a soldier in Iraq became an attorney last week via a live video conference, taking his oath before a Michigan judge who was over 6,300 miles away. The long-distance ceremony for Army Major Miles Gengler was a promise made good by an associate dean at Thomas M. Cooley Law School, John Nussbaumer. "I promised Miles that if he passed the bar exam, I would find a way to get him sworn in even though he would still be in Iraq," ... more
Linklaters and Freshfields Take 2009 Euro M&A Top Spots July 3, 2009
Linklaters and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer dominated European M&A activity during the first half of 2009. Research from Mergermarket shows that Freshfields has moved to the top of the European rankings by value, working on 63 deals worth 94.29 billion euros ($132.25 billion). Linklaters sits in second place by value in Europe, working on 72 deals worth 81.66 billion euros ($114.54 billion). The tallies mean the firms switch places in the European rankings by volume, with Linklaters in first ... more
Copyright 2009. Incisive Media US Properties, LLC. All rights reserved.

LegalTimes.com - Legal News Online from the Nation's Capital

All Eyes On Kennedy During Firefighters Argument July 3, 2009
When the city of New Haven, Conn., in 2003 tossed out a promotion test for firefighters after learning that no African-Americans had passed, was it striking a blow for or against civil rights? The Supreme Court heard vigorous debate on that question Tuesday in the case of Ricci v. DeStefano, with Justice Anthony Kennedy likely holding the key vote in deciding the answer ... more
Drugs in Schools Take Centerstage in Arguments Over Strip-Search July 3, 2009
The Supreme Court struggled Tuesday to find the right balance between student privacy and public school safety in the case of an Arizona middle-school girl who was strip-searched on suspicion of having an ibuprofen pill ... more
Government Jobs Elusive for Laid-Off Lawyers July 3, 2009
Legal career counselors and agency officials say there's been a surge in lawyer applicants for government jobs, thanks to the crashing private sector economy, and the swelling talent pool is making the cumbersome process even tougher ... more
D.C. Appeals Judge Ruiz Pushed for Circuit Slot July 3, 2009
There are two vacant slots on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, but as far as many Washington lawyers are concerned one is already spoken for. Lawyers at several D.C. firms, along with the Hispanic Bar Association of D.C., have launched an aggressive campaign to get D.C. Court of Appeals Judge Vanessa Ruiz onto the circuit ... more
Final Arguments of Term Filled With Big Cases July 3, 2009
An intense two-week period begins April 20 for the Supreme Court, for the Solicitor General's Office, and especially for Austin, Texas, lawyer Gregory Coleman.Coleman, a former Texas solicitor general and Clarence Thomas clerk who is building a significant Supreme Court practice from Austin, will appear for the conservative side in the highest-profile cases of the next two weeks, on affirmative action and voting rights ... more
Inadmissible: Inadmissible: Culvahouse Speaks on Palin Vetting, plus more... July 3, 2009
Points of View: Free Speech Does a Body Good July 3, 2009
A 1st Circuit decision threatens to choke off the free flow of drug data. The court wrongly upheld a state law banning certain commercial uses of prescription histories of individual doctors. The Supreme Court should step in ... more
Points of View: Still Trapped On Torture July 3, 2009
Eric Holder Jr. is clearly not eager to prosecute CIA agents for recent misdeeds. But as attorney general he has a responsibility to honor U.S. treaty obligations. He needs to convene a grand jury to look at torture ... more
Points of View: Shiver Me Lawyers July 3, 2009
Before anyone turns Somali pirates into criminal defendants, we need to remember how the United States has historically dealt with piracy. It wasn't with an abundance of complicated legal proceedings ... more
Special Report: Stay Alert on Road to Lower Patent Costs July 3, 2009
The rewards of the Patent Prosecution Highway program will go to those who manage the risks wisely. Watch out for issues of inequitable conduct ... more
Special Report: See the First Flights of the Bilski Test July 3, 2009
The Patent Office's appeals board is weighing in with its early views on the Federal Circuit's new machine-or-transformation test ... more
Copyright 2009. Incisive Media US Properties, LLC. All rights reserved.

Jurist Legal News & Research

British embassy staff facing Iran trial for allegedly provoking protests July 3, 2009
[JURIST] Iranian employees at the British Embassy in Iran [official website] will face trial over accusations they contributed to the political protests that followed Iran's recent disputed presidential election [BBC backgrounder] according to statements [Bloomberg report] made Friday by Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, the head of Iran's Guardian Council for the Constitution [official website, in ... more
Liberia truth commission urges war crimes prosecutions in special court July 3, 2009
[JURIST] Liberia's Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) [official website] urged Thursday that several one-time military and political leaders be prosecuted in a special Liberian court for war crimes. Those named include ex-president Charles Taylor [BBC profile; JURIST news archive], now on trial at The Hague, and Prince Y. Johnson [BBC profile], a senator elected in 2005. The commission ... more
Florida Supreme Court say governor cannot delay judicial appointment for diversity July 3, 2009
[JURIST] The Florida Supreme Court [official website] ruled [opinion text, PDF] on Thursday that Republican Governor Charlie Christ [official profile] could not delay a decision on filling a vacancy in Florida's Fifth District Court of Appeal [official website] in order to consider more diverse candidates. In November, Crist was provided [press release] a list candidates by the Judicial ... more
Israel, Hamas committed Gaza war crimes: Amnesty International report July 3, 2009
[JURIST] Both Hamas and Israeli forces committed war crimes [news release] during fighting in Gaza in December 2008 and January 2009, according to Amnesty International (AI). A report [text, PDF] issued by Amnesty Thursday alleges that Israeli attacks killed 1,400 Palestinians, including 300 children. The report says Israel is bound by the international human rights treaties it has ratified ... more
Italy senate passes law criminalizing illegal immigration July 2, 2009
[JURIST] Italy?s Senate [official website, in Italian] voted 157-124 Thursday to pass a controversial law making illegal immigration a crime [materials, in Italian], punishable by a fine of between 5,000 and 10,000 euros. The law also increases from two months to six [AKI report] the amount of time law enforcement officials may detain suspected illegal immigrants before deporting them. Prime ... more
India court declares anti-sodomy law unconstitutional July 2, 2009
[JURIST] The Delhi High Court [official website] on Thursday decriminalized homosexual conduct [judgment, PDF] by declaring India's anti-sodomy law unconstitutional. In a petition originally filed and rejected [JURIST report] by the court in 2004, the Naz Foundation [advocacy website] challenged the applicability of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code [text, PDF], a colonial-era law that ... more
Ex-Guantanamo detainee civilian trial set for September 2010 July 2, 2009
[JURIST] A federal judge on Thursday set a trial date for terrorism suspect and former Guantanamo Bay [JURIST news archive] detainee Ahmed Ghailani [GlobalSecurity backgrounder; JURIST news archive] of September 13, 2010. Ghailani, the first Guantanamo detainee to be transferred [JURIST report] to the US for a civilian trial, faces charges for his alleged involvement in the 1998 bombings of US ... more
UK court recognizes pre-nuptial agreement in landmark ruling July 2, 2009
[JURIST] A British appellate court on Thursday recognized [judgment, PDF] a pre-nuptial agreement for the first time in the UK, where they have been generally disregarded by courts hearing divorce proceedings. The UK Court of Appeal of England and Wales [official website] overturned a lower court ruling that awarded �5.8 million to the ex-husband of German heiress Katrin Radmacher despite a ... more
Germany leaders agree to set aside Nazi-era treason verdicts July 2, 2009
[JURIST] The political parties that make up Germany's coalition government agreed Wednesday on a proposal to set aside all Nazi-era treason verdicts. The Socialist Democrats (SPD) and the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) [party websites, in German] of Chancellor Angela Merkel [official profile] agreed to draft a law bypassing the current system, in which treason convictions must be considered on ... more
US immigration agency intensifies employer monitoring efforts July 2, 2009
[JURIST] The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement [official website] agency on Wednesday issued [press release] inspection notices to 652 businesses in an increased effort to target employers that use illegal labor. ICE notified selected employers that they would be auditing their I-9 [text, PDF] employee eligibility forms, which employers are required to file and retain for each employee ... more
Israel high court orders stronger penalty in prisoner abuse case July 2, 2009
[JURIST] The Israeli Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) [official websites] to refile indictments on more serious charges against a soldier and an officer accused of shooting a blindfolded prisoner with a rubber bullet. Human rights groups B'Tselem, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI), the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel (PCATI) [advocacy ... more
Iran bars publishing of opposition newspaper July 2, 2009
[JURIST] The Iranian government on Wednesday prevented the publishing [press release, in Persian] of the opposition Etemad-e-Melli [media website, in Persian] newspaper in its latest move to quash anti-government reporting in the country. International journalists in the country have also been ordered to stay indoors [AP report]. The newspaper was linked to opposition candidate Mehdi Karroubi [ ... more
Russia implements nationwide gambling ban July 1, 2009
[JURIST] A Russian law outlawing gambling in most of the country went into effect Wednesday, with authorities shutting down casinos and confiscating gambling machines. The law, passed [NYT report] in 2007, bans gaming in Russia's cities and towns, but designates some remote areas [BBC report] of the country where gambling is still allowed, including Primorye and Siberia. Industry representatives ... more
Zimbabwe cabinet nominee trial set for October July 1, 2009
[JURIST] The lawyer for jailed Zimbabwe opposition cabinet member-designate Roy Bennett [BBC profile; JURIST news archive] said Wednesday that his trial on terrorism charges will begin on October 13. Trust Maanda [advocacy profile] said that prosecutors have also revised [Reuters report] the conditions of Bennett's bail [JURIST report], requiring him to report bi-monthly to police, rather than ... more
Fiji PM announces plan for new constitution by 2013 July 1, 2009
[JURIST] Fijian Prime Minister Commodore Josaia Voreqe "Frank" Bainimarama [BBC profile; JURIST news archive] on Wednesday announced [press release] plans to establish a new constitution by September 2013. Bainimarama said that the new constitution would be in place at least one year prior to the elections planned for September 2014 to allow the public to become familiar with the document prior ... more
Rwanda genocide tribunal transfers prisoners to Benin to serve sentences July 1, 2009
[JURIST] The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) [official website] on Wednesday announced [press release] that nine prisoners were transferred Saturday to a detention facility in Benin to serve their sentences. A May 18 order by ICTR President Sir Dennis Byron [official profile] requested the transfer from the UN Detention Facility at Arusha, Tanzania to Beninese custody. The ... more
Ex-Guantanamo detainee lawyers request access to CIA 'black sites' July 1, 2009
[JURIST] The lawyers for terrorism suspect Ahmed Ghailani [GlobalSecurity backgrounder; JURIST news archive] on Tuesday requested access to secret prisons [JURIST news archive] operated by the Central Intelligence Agency [official website] at which their client was held prior to his transfer to Guantanamo Bay [JURIST news archive]. The motion asks Judge Lewis Kaplan of the United States District ... more
White House accepts impeached judge's resignation July 1, 2009
[JURIST] The White House on Monday accepted the resignation of impeached federal judge Samuel Kent [JURIST news archive] from his seat on the US District Court for the Southern District of Texas [official website]. In a resignation letter submitted [JURIST report] last week, Kent said he would step down by the end of June. Kent recieved a letter [AP report] from White House Counsel Greg Craig ... more
Europe rights court upholds Spain ban of Basque separatist parties July 1, 2009
[JURIST] The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) [official website]�on Tuesday upheld�[press release] Spain's ban of Basque political groups Batasuna [BBC backgrounder; JURIST news archive] and Herri Batasuna for their alleged ties to Basque separatist group ETA [BBC backgrounder; JURIST news archive]. In Herri Batasuna and Batasuna v. Spain [judgment, DOC, in French], the ECHR considered the ... more
Netherlands high court upholds conviction of Saddam chemical weapons supplier June 30, 2009
[JURIST] The Dutch Supreme Court [official website] on Tuesday upheld [judgment, in Dutch] the 2005 war crimes conviction [JURIST report] of a Dutch businessman convicted of selling chemicals used by former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein [JURIST news archive] to create chemical weapons. Frans Van Anraat [BBC profile; JURIST news archive] was convicted of selling 1,100 tons of thiodiglycol (TDG) to ... more
EPA grants California request to regulate vehicle emissions June 30, 2009
[JURIST] The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Tuesday granted permission [press release; waiver, PDF] to California to enforce its own greenhouse gas emissions standards. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson [official profile] said that "the decision puts law and science first," and reinforces an automaker-backed [AFP report] agreement on tighter national vehicle emissions standards announced [ ... more
Minnesota high court declares Franken winner of US Senate race June 30, 2009
[JURIST] The Minnesota Supreme Court [official website] on Tuesday declared [opinion, PDF] Democrat Al Franken the winner of the state's 2008 US Senate race over incumbent opponent Norm Coleman [campaign websites]. In an unanimous ruling, the court affirmed the April decision [order, PDF; JURIST report] by the Minnesota State Court for the Second District [official website], resolving the ... more
Spain court suspends investigation into 2002 Israel bombing of Gaza Strip June 30, 2009
[JURIST] A panel for Spain's National Court [CJA backgrounder] on Tuesday ordered an end to the investigation [JURIST report] of alleged crimes against humanity committed by Israel in a 2002 attack on the Gaza Strip [NYT backgrounder]. The court reversed a May order [order, PDF, in Spanish; JURIST report] by judge Fernando Andreu [JURIST news archive] to continue the investigation despite legal ... more
Federal judge dismisses Afghan Bagram detainee habeas petition June 30, 2009
[JURIST] A federal judge on Monday dismissed [opinion, PDF] a habeas corpus challenge brought by Afghan national Haji Wazir detained at Bagram Air Base [JURIST news archive] without charges since 2002. Judge John Bates of the US District Court for the District of Columbia [official website] dismissed Wazir's petition, finding that Section 7 of the Military Commissions Act of 2006 [text, PDF] ... more
China postpones mandatory installation of Internet filtering software June 30, 2009
[JURIST] The Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) [official website, in Chinese] announced Tuesday that it would delay [press release, in Chinese] the mandatory installation of controversial "Green Dam" Internet content filtering software. The software would block websites containing content such as pornography, drugs, homosexuality, or violence, and was scheduled to be ... more
 
 

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