Articles by Joel Rosenblatt

Berkshire Unit Sued Over California’s Largest Wildfire of Season

A Berkshire Hathaway Inc. unit was sued for allegedly causing California’s largest wildfire of the year, which killed four people and destroyed almost 200 structures near the Oregon border. The complaint against PacifiCorp, a power utility based in Portland, Oregon, …

Juul Labs Fails to Knock Out Racketeering Claims in Lawsuits About Marketing Conduct

Juul Labs Inc. failed to knock out racketeering claims in lawsuits accusing it of deliberately targeting teenagers, as individual founders and directors of the e-cigarette maker became the new focus of the litigation. Most of the claims brought by consumers, …

Judge Tosses Wife’s Suit Blaming Employer for Her Husband’s Covid

A federal judge tossed out a first-of-its-kind lawsuit that sought to hold an employer responsible for a worker’s spouse getting sick with Covid-19. U.S. District Judge Maxine M. Chesney in San Francisco on Monday dismissed the complaint filed by Corby …

Wife Sues Husband’s Employer Over COVID-19 Infection

A federal judge is weighing what she called a first-of-its-kind lawsuit that would hold an employer responsible for a worker’s spouse getting sick with Covid-19. Plenty of families have sued businesses, from retailers to meatpacking plants, claiming that unsafe workspaces …

Bayer Fails to Settle U.S. Roundup Lawsuits, Risking Restart of Federal Trials

Bayer AG failed to settle outstanding U.S. Roundup lawsuits by Monday, the deadline set by a judge who has said he’ll resume federal trials over claims the weedkiller caused consumers’ cancer. Ahead of its release of an earnings statement Tuesday, …

On-Demand Firms Seek to Protect ‘New’ Economy, Wealth From ‘Frankenstein’

Uber Technologies Inc. wants to smother what the company calls California’s “Frankenstein” gig-worker protection law before state officials turn it loose. Uber and Postmates Inc. are scheduled Friday to ask a federal judge in Los Angeles to block enforcement of …

Uber, Postmates Sue to Overturn California Gig Worker Law as Unconstitutional

Uber Technologies Inc. and Postmates Inc. sued the state of California, alleging that a labor rights law set to go into effect this week is unconstitutional. The lawsuit filed Monday in Los Angeles federal court is a preemptive strike against …

Alphabet Seeks to Settle Investor Suits Over Google Sex Harassment Claims

Alphabet Inc. is pursuing mediation to settle investor litigation alleging the company let senior leaders at Google get away with sexual harassment and misconduct for years. Company directors this year set up a special committee to evaluate the claims after …

PG&E Open to Extending California Wildfire Victim Claims Deadline

PG&E Corp. told a judge it’s willing to extend the deadline for victims of wildfires caused by the utility’s equipment to file claims in its bankruptcy. U.S. District Judge James Donato criticized the company at a hearing last week, saying …

PG&E Tells Fire Safety Critics Utility is Going Beyond Call of Duty

PG&E Corp. sought to assure a judge it’s making progress on fire prevention, saying it’s exceeding regulatory requirements to clear vegetation from power lines. Kevin Orsini, a lawyer for the utility, on Tuesday acknowledged criticism from a court-appointed compliance monitor, …