litigation News

Two More States Pass Bills to Require Disclosure of Litigation Funding

Lawmakers in two states passed bills this year to require disclosure of litigation funding contracts. Business groups are pushing for similar rules in federal courts nationwide. Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte on May 2 signed into law Senate Bill 269, which …

25,000 Lawsuits by Today? Florida Plaintiff Firms Rushing to File Before Tort-Reform Bill Signed into Law

The Florida Senate approved a take-no-prisoners tort-reform bill Thursday and Gov. Ron DeSantis signed it into law Friday. The bill, which extends limits on one-way attorney fees, assignments of benefits, and other provisions to most types of insurance claims, would …

Koch Industries Gets $2.5B in Dividends From Unit That Offloaded Asbestos Liability

Industrial conglomerate Koch Industries received nearly $2.5 billion in dividend payments last year from its Georgia-Pacific unit, which had spun off a subsidiary that took on its liability from asbestos litigation and then filed bankruptcy to limit lawsuit payouts, according …

A Class-Action Wave Is Coming for ESG Claims

Lawyers are bracing for an increase in ESG-related cases as corporate disclosure requirements stiffen around the world. A survey by the law firm Norton Rose Fulbright found that 28% of more than 430 general counsel and in-house litigation leaders said …

Appeals Court Rules Against Transgender Man in Florida Bathroom Suit

A federal appeals court has ruled that a Florida school district’s policy of separating school bathrooms based on biological sex is constitutional. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals announced its 7-4 decision on Friday, ruling that the St. Johns …

McDonald’s Ordered to Face Byron Allen’s $10B Discrimination Lawsuit

McDonald’s Corp. has been ordered by a U.S. judge to defend against media entrepreneur Byron Allen’s $10 billion lawsuit accusing the fast-food chain of “racial stereotyping” by not advertising with Black-owned media. In a decision on Friday, U.S. District Judge …

More Coaches Named in South Carolina Cheerleader Abuse Lawsuit

A lawsuit alleging the rampant sexual abuse of underage athletes at a competitive cheerleading gym in South Carolina has been amended to name six more coaches as defendants and three more accusers. The accusers — now seven female and two …

COVID Impacts Linger in Courtrooms, Often a Disadvantage for Defendants

Courts have reopened and trials have resumed, but the impacts of COVID-19 continue to linger in the judicial system, a panel of claims litigation experts said during the Combined Claims Conference on Thursday. For one thing, jurors are far more …

Another State Supreme Court Rules No Coverage for COVID-19 Shutdown

The South Carolina Supreme Court on August 10 became the fourth state high court in the nation to rule that the virus that causes COVID-19 cannot cause a direct physical damage or loss covered by a commercial property insurance policy. …

Oregon Heat Wave Puts State Workplace Safety Rules to Test

New state rules require access to water, shade and breaks on hot days, but workers say they’re still laboring in unsafe conditions. Skyler Fischer is forklift driver at a Fred Meyer distribution center in the town of Clackamas. He’s been …