Filed under: Litigation

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Toyota wins jury verdict in acceleration case

A federal jury decided Friday that Toyota Motor Corp. was not negligent in the design of a 2005 Scion, which a New York doctor said caused the vehicle to accelerate unexpectedly and smash into a tree, the automaker said. Get the full story »

Fortune Brands sued over vodka lip design

From the Las Vegas Sun | A southern Nevada company that markets flavored vodka is suing industry giant Fortune Brands Inc. and its Jim Beam Brands Co. unit, alleging trademark infringement. Get the full story »

BP shares hit after report of oil spill charges

Shares in oil major BP fell on Tuesday on a report that its managers could face manslaughter charges following the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, which could lead to much higher fines over the disaster. Get the full story »

Wal-Mart gets sympathetic bias case hearing

Activists rally in front of the U.S. Supreme Court, March 29, 2011. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Wal-Mart got a sympathetic hearing from several Supreme Court justices Tuesday as the retailer sought to prevent female employees from bringing the largest class-action sex-discrimination lawsuit in history.

The justices sharply questioned whether more than a million female employees can join together against Wal-Mart Stores Inc, accused of paying women less and giving them fewer promotions. Get the full story »

Caterpillar said to pay $9M to resolve tractor suit

From Bloomberg News | Peoria-based manufacturing giant Caterpillar Inc. paid more than $9 million to settle a paralyzed worker’s lawsuit over a tractor accident that generated one of last year’s largest produc-liability verdicts, according to people familiar with the accord.

New beer-label bout brewing in Michigan

(Image via Flying Dog)

A Maryland brewery is accusing Michigan’s liquor commission of censorship after the panel rejected labels for a beer that features an expletive in the name.

Flying Dog Brewery has filed a federal lawsuit in Grand Rapids asking that a judge override the commission’s decision to reject labels for “Raging B—-” beer and allow the brew to be advertised and sold in Michigan. Get the full story »

Chicago sociologist central to Wal-Mart suit

From the New York Times | When the Supreme Court considers on Tuesday whether hundreds of thousands of women can band together in an employment discrimination suit against Wal-Mart, the argument may hinge on the validity of the hotly disputed conclusions of a Chicago sociologist.

Plaintiffs in the class-action suit, who claim that Wal-Mart owes billions of dollars to as many as 1.5 million women who they say were unfairly treated on pay and promotions, enlisted the support of William T. Bielby, an academic specializing in “social framework analysis.” Get the full story>>

Beatty wins suit against Tribune over Dick Tracy

From Bloomberg News | Actor Warren Beatty has won a suit against Tribune Co. over television and movie rights to Dick Tracy.

American Apparel CEO seeks end to sex slave case

American Apparel owner Dov Charney at a rally in Los Angeles in 2009. (Reuters/Mario Anzuoni/Files)

A woman who brought a $250 million sexual harassment lawsuit against American Apparel Inc. Chief Executive Dov Charney could be forced to take the case to arbitration, rather than pursue it in court.

A Brooklyn, N.Y., judge said at a hearing Friday that she may dismiss the lawsuit, which accused Charney of keeping a teenage saleswoman at the company as a sex slave. Get the full story »

Glaxo-Abbott case handed to the jury

A jury began deliberating Friday morning on whether Abbott Laboratories should pay GlaxoSmithKline hundreds of millions of dollars over allegations of unfair HIV drug pricing. Get the full story »

Glaxo lawyer: Abbott used HIV drug as weapon

Abbott Laboratories improperly hiked the price of one drug to help it preserve sales growth of one of its other HIV blockbusters, an attorney for GlaxoSmithKline told a jury. Get the full story »

Chicago lawyer reprimanded by federal appeals court

The federal court of appeals in Chicago took the unusual step of reprimanding a Chicago lawyer for unprofessional behavior and fined him $5,000.

The court cited Michael Greco, 47, for repeatedly missing deadlines and ignoring phone calls from court officials, in an opinion released Tuesday. Judge Frank Easterbrook, who wrote the opinion, described Greco’s conduct in harsh terms. Get the full story »

Disbarred Chicago lawyer convicted of fraud

A disbarred Chicago lawyer faces the possibility of a lengthy prison term after a jury convicted her this week in a mortgage fraud case.

The U.S. Attorney’s office in Chicago says jurors convicted Lorie Westerfield on three counts of wire fraud and acquitted her of an additional fraud count after a weeklong trial. Each count carries a maximum 20-year prison sentence. Westerfield remains free on bond as she awaits sentencing on Aug. 4. Get the full story »

Wal-Mart sex-bias suit hits High Court next week

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. will urge the U.S. Supreme Court next week to reject the largest class-action sex-discrimination lawsuit in history, brought by female employees who seek billion of dollars.

The top U.S. court hears arguments March 29 in a suit against the world’s largest retailer for allegedly giving women less pay and fewer promotions at 3,400 U.S. stores since late 1998. Get the full story »

Howard Stern sues Sirius XM over bonus

Howard Stern. (Reuters/Shannon Stapleton)

The production company and long-time agent for radio “shock jock” Howard Stern has sued Sirius XM Radio Inc. in the New York Supreme Court, alleging Stern was promised performance-based stock awards the satellite radio company refused to pay.

Attempts to reach a spokesman for Sirius XM Radio to respond to the suit were not immediately successful. Get the full story »