PFAS contamination continues to threaten Michigan's environment, as well as the health of its citizens. Over the past month, action at the state level has been taken to fight this problem. In this week's "Issues of the Environment," Rebecca Esselman, executive director of the Huron River Watershed Council, discusses progress and challenges with WEMU's David Fair.

PFAS contamination continues to threaten Michigan's environment, as well as the health of its citizens. Over the past month, action at the state level has been taken to fight this problem. In this week's "Issues of the Environment," Rebecca Esselman, executive director of the Huron River Watershed Council, discusses progress and challenges with WEMU's David Fair.

(United States Third Circuit) - In a class action suit against the National Football League (NFL), brought by former players who alleged that the NFL failed to inform them of and protect them from the risks of concussions in football, the District Court's judgment is affirmed where the District Court was right to certify the class and approve the settlement.

(United States Ninth Circuit) - Held that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security had the statutory authority to expedite construction of physical border barriers near San Diego and Calexico, California. The State of California and multiple environmental groups challenged the agency's 2017 authorization of these projects, which involved wall prototypes and tens of miles of replacement fencing. However, the Ninth Circuit affirmed summary judgment in favor of the federal government.

(United States Ninth Circuit) - Held that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security had the statutory authority to expedite construction of physical border barriers near San Diego and Calexico, California. The State of California and multiple environmental groups challenged the agency's 2017 authorization of these projects, which involved wall prototypes and tens of miles of replacement fencing. However, the Ninth Circuit affirmed summary judgment in favor of the federal government.

(United States DC Circuit) - Revived claims that the U.S. Office of Personnel Management's woefully inadequate cybersecurity practices enabled hackers to steal personal data about millions of past and present federal employees. Reversed a dismissal in relevant part, in a lawsuit brought by labor unions and others arising out of a 2014 cyberattack.

(United States DC Circuit) - Revived claims that the U.S. Office of Personnel Management's woefully inadequate cybersecurity practices enabled hackers to steal personal data about millions of past and present federal employees. Reversed a dismissal in relevant part, in a lawsuit brought by labor unions and others arising out of a 2014 cyberattack.

(United States Ninth Circuit) - In an en-banc decision, affirmed the approval of a class action settlement in a multidistrict litigation brought against two automobile manufacturers, which had been accused of making misrepresentations about their vehicles' fuel economy. Also upheld attorney fee awards, rejecting objectors' challenges.

(United States DC Circuit) - Affirmed. The denial of class certification in the case of thousands of shippers allegedly harmed by a price fixing conspiracy among freight railroads was affirmed because their evidence for proving causation, injury, and damages on a class wide basis measured negative damages for over 2,000 members.

(United States Ninth Circuit) - In an en-banc decision, affirmed the approval of a class action settlement in a multidistrict litigation brought against two automobile manufacturers, which had been accused of making misrepresentations about their vehicles' fuel economy. Also upheld attorney fee awards, rejecting objectors' challenges.

(United States Third Circuit) - Held that a consumer who purchased baby powder without being informed that it increased the risk of ovarian cancer (as she alleged it did) had no standing to pursue claims for economic injury. The plaintiff argued that she and other consumers would not have purchased the baby powder in the first place had they been properly informed about its alleged risks. Emphasizing that she was asserting only economic harm, the Third Circuit affirmed dismissal of her class-action complaint, explaining that the product had functioned for her as expected.

(United States Third Circuit) - Reversing the District Court dismissal of complaints in litigation that alleged Lipitor's fraudulent patent procurement and other misconduct because the allegations were plausible, and reversing the dismissal of allegations in Effexor litigation because it was plausible that the companies holding the pharmaceutical patents and generic manufacturers entered into reverse payment settlement agreements that subjected them to antitrust scrutiny.

The Dutch appeal court has reinstated a major $50bn award to Yukos shareholders by Russia, in a long-running dispute.

Commercial Court – a return to action? On 4 May 2020, the Commercial Court Judge in Northern Ireland, the Honourable Mr Justice Horner, circulated an update to legal professionals stating clearly that the Commercial ‘Hub’ is open f...

The Court of Appeal has taken 11 months to add to the confusion caused by the attempt by a small number of employer’s liability insurers, all in run-off, to argue that policy wordings long understood to provide coverage on the basis that the i...

After the recent decision in R (Weaver) versus London and Quadrant Housing Trust [2009] EWCA Civ 587 the answer, more frequently than not, will be when it is not acting as a 'hybrid authority' and not exercising the pow...

Litigation can continue during lockdown – subject to certain provisons contained in the directions (“the Directions”) published by the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, in Government Gazette – No 11066 on 26 Marc...

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Commercial Court – a return to action? On 4 May 2020, the Commercial Court Judge in Northern Ireland, the Honourable Mr Justice Horner, circulated an update to legal professionals stating clearly that the Commercial ‘Hub’ is open f...

Over the past decade various attempts have been made to ensure civil litigation and "access to justice" are affordable to all. Indeed when the Woolf reforms were introduced over ten years ago one fundamental tenet of these reforms was to make the co...

Last month, the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) handed down its decision in the combined appeals in Bear Scotland Ltd v Fulton and Baxter; Hertel (UK) Ltd v Wood and others; and Amec Group Ltd v Law and others.  All three cases looked at the i...

Click to view a price quote on AGN.

Canada-based Bausch Health Companies, along with its wholly-owned subsidiary, Salix Pharmaceuticals and…

The United States has recovered more than $19 million from AMEC Construction Management Inc. (ACMI) to resolve allegations of fraud, false claims and kickbacks on four General Services Administration (GSA) construction contracts, as well as litigation over claims by the GSA for excess re-procurement costs incurred by GSA after it terminated ACMI’s contract to build the Thomas F. Eagleton United States Courthouse in St. Louis, Missouri. ACMI was formerly known as Morse Diesel International Inc.

"To ensure that the Department holds itself to the highest standards during discovery -- as in every stage of litigation -- in our criminal cases, and also in our civil litigation, we have taken both short-term and long-term action."

The settlement, which will require legislative and judicial approval to become effective, is fair to the plaintiffs, is responsible for the United States, and provides a path forward for the future.

The U.S. Trustee Program has successfully resolved litigation against Countrywide Home Loans Inc. in its ongoing efforts to protect homeowners in bankruptcy.

The Justice Department today announced a settlement agreement with AMC Entertainment Inc. to resolve a lawsuit filed under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Parties responsible for contamination at the Moses Lake Wellfield Superfund Site have reached a settlement that provides the funding necessary to clean up the site.

The Attorney General made a statement today about the Department’s course of action in two lawsuits, Pedersen v. OPM and Windsor v. United States, challenging Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which defines marriage for federal purposes as only between a man and a woman.

The Attorney General sent the following letter today to Congressional leadership to inform them of the Department’s course of action in two lawsuits, Pedersen v. OPM and Windsor v. United States, challenging Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which defines marriage for federal purposes as only between a man and a woman.

A settlement has been reached with Hecla Mining Company to resolve one of the largest cases ever filed under the Superfund statute. Under the settlement, Hecla will pay $263.4 million plus interest to the United States, the Coeur d’Alene Tribe and the state of Idaho to resolve claims stemming from releases of wastes from its mining operations.

Today, the Justice Department announced that yesterday afternoon it filed in federal court a comprehensive agreement that will resolve long running litigation with the state of Tennessee originally concerning conditions of care at the former Arlington Developmental Center (ADC).

The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware approved a settlement agreement today between the United States and the APCO Liquidating Trust (a successor in interest to APCO Oil Corporation). The settlement follows seven years of litigation concerning the APCO Liquidating Trust’s liability under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA or “Superfund”) for costs incurred by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the ongoing cleanup of the Oklahoma Refining Company (ORC) Superfund Site located in Cyril, Okla.

The Boeing Company, General Dynamics Corporation, and the United States have formally asked the United States Court of Federal Claims to dismiss, as part of a settlement, their 23-year old dispute involving the Department of the Navy's 1991 default termination of a $4.8 billion contract awarded to Boeing's predecessor, McDonnell Douglas Corporation, and General Dynamics, to develop the A-12 carrier-based stealth aircraft.

The United States has entered into a settlement agreement with the Kerr-McGee Corporation and certain of its affiliates (“New Kerr-McGee”), and their parent Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, in a fraudulent conveyance case brought by the United States and co-plaintiff Anadarko Litigation Trust (the “Trust”) in the bankruptcy of Tronox Inc. and its subsidiaries (Tronox), announced Deputy Attorney General James Cole, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resource Division Robert G. Dreher, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Assistant Administrator Cynthia Giles.

On January 15, 2009, the U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review (FISC-R) published an unclassified version of its opinion in In Re: Directives Pursuant to Section 105B of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, 551 F.3d 1004 (Foreign Intel. Surv. Ct. Rev. 2008). The classified version of the opinion was issued on August 22, 2008, following a challenge by Yahoo! Inc. (Yahoo!) to directives issued under the Protect America Act of 2007 (PAA). Today, following a renewed declassification review, the Executive Branch is publicly releasing various documents from this litigation, including legal briefs and additional sections of the 2008 FISC-R opinion, with appropriate redactions to protect national security information. These documents are available at the website of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), www.dni.gov; and ODNI’s public website dedicated to fostering greater public visibility into the intelligence activities of the U.S. Government, IContheRecord.tumblr.com. A summary of the underlying litigation follows.

Airbnb has disclosed that it has been contacted by HM Revenue and Customs regarding the application of tax laws or regulations impacting the company's business, adding that some matters "may result in litigation".

Multiple class action lawsuits have been launched in the U.S. for trillions of dollars involving thousands of victims in more than 40 countries, including Australia, but are doomed to fail.

People are shunning civil litigation in the states where there is no hope of obtaining justice in a reasonable amount of time, where instead of relief from the court all they can expect is a new date for the next court hearing. Kannan Kasturi reports.

Confronting the history or failed justice for women in rural courts, a legal resource organisation sets up a training and fellowship program for women lawyers in small-town Maharashtra.

Baier, Lowell E., author

Dewey Library - KF8925.E5 E583 2019