Hospitality

  • August 07, 2024

    GrubHub Must Face Restaurants' TM Infringement Suit

    Grubhub Inc. must face a proposed class action brought against it in Illinois federal court for allegedly using restaurants' trademarks without permission and listing them on its food delivery app without their consent, even though most of the lead plaintiffs have not registered the marks at issue.

  • August 06, 2024

    Japanese Restaurant In Aspen Sued For TM Infringement

    A Florida restaurateur's intellectual property company has filed a trademark infringement lawsuit in Colorado federal court against a Japanese restaurant and its interim manager in Aspen, claiming they continued without permission to use the name and logo the IP company created.

  • August 06, 2024

    MGM Shreds Workers' Bid For Default Win In Vax Fight

    Detroit casino MGM Grand has urged a Michigan federal court to not grant default judgment to former employees protesting its vaccination policies, arguing the request is drastic and that any delay in producing discovery documents was justified and harmless.

  • August 06, 2024

    Houston Partially Escapes Pappas Restaurants' Airport Suit

    A state appeals court agreed Tuesday with Houston's argument that a concessions contract with the William P. Hobby Airport did not require the city to follow the Texas Government Code's competitive bidding requirements, partially tossing a suit brought by Pappas Restaurants over its loss of the 2023 agreement.

  • August 06, 2024

    Miss. Casino Says License Dispute Belongs In State Court

    A lawsuit challenging the gambling license awarded to the Cherokee Nation's entertainment business should be sent back to state court where it was originally filed, a Mississippi casino operator told an Arkansas federal judge Monday.

  • August 06, 2024

    NC Panel OKs Short-Term Rentals In Luxury Home Community

    A North Carolina state appeals court on Tuesday upheld a ruling that an Asheville-area neighborhood's ban on short-term rentals is unreasonable, finding the community's covenants don't explicitly outlaw that type of real estate arrangement.

  • August 06, 2024

    Subway, Chick-Fil-A Ink Deals In Mystery Shopper IP Suit

    Subway and Chick-Fil-A Inc. have entered agreements with Fall Line Patents LLC to resolve the patent company's claims that they infringed its data management patent with their respective mobile apps, according to a pair of joint filings with the Eastern District of Texas.

  • August 06, 2024

    World Of Beer Latest Dining Chain To Tap Ch. 11 Post-COVID

    World of Beer Bar & Kitchen, a restaurant chain known for its craft beer selection, filed for bankruptcy in Florida citing a pandemic hangover and outlining plans to close unprofitable locations and restructure some of its $30 million in debt while in Chapter 11.

  • August 05, 2024

    Marriott Says NYC Hotels' Housing Of Migrants Violated Deal

    Marriott International Inc. has accused a hotel company in Jamaica, Queens, of breaching a contract by repurposing two properties for migrant housing while refusing to "de-identify" itself with the global hotel brand.

  • August 05, 2024

    Yes Pain, Yes Gain, Fla. Court Rules In Hot Tub Burn Suit

    A Florida appeals court said a trial judge should have overruled a jury's decision to award zero damages for a man's pain and suffering in a suit over a hotel's scalding hot tub water that gave him second-degree burns, saying there was undisputed evidence he experienced pain.

  • August 02, 2024

    Off The Bench: NFL Reversal, Drone Spying, UFC Deal Tossed

    In this week's Off The Bench, a bombshell ruling wipes out a $4.7 billion antitrust verdict against the NFL, Canada takes it on the chin for Olympic drone spying, and a nine-figure settlement to address UFC wage suppression is rejected.

  • August 01, 2024

    Mich. Ruling Ushers In Sweeping Paid Leave, Wage Changes

    The Michigan Supreme Court raised the minimum wage and dramatically expanded the number of employers who must soon provide workers with paid sick leave in a blockbuster end-of-term ruling Wednesday that adds new compliance burdens and potential liability for employers, attorneys told Law360.

  • August 01, 2024

    NFL Sacks $4.7B Sunday Ticket Verdict With Post-Trial Win

    A California federal judge on Thursday overturned a Los Angeles jury's $4.7 billion verdict against the National Football League for violating antitrust laws with its Sunday Ticket television package, granting the league a post-trial win by finding that the plaintiffs' damages experts presented "flawed methodologies."

  • August 01, 2024

    Airbnb's $1.3B Bill From IRS Overvalues IP, Tax Court Told

    Airbnb is challenging a $1.3 billion tax bill tied to income the IRS allocated from overseas, telling the U.S. Tax Court the agency overvalued intellectual property the home-rental giant licensed to its Irish affiliate before going public.

  • August 01, 2024

    Judge Denies Bid For Financial Info Of Miami Official's Wife

    A Florida federal judge rejected a bid by two property developers seeking financial records of a Miami commissioner's wife in a garnishment hearing, saying Wednesday their claim isn't supported, although withholding them could work against the official claiming his salary can't be used to pay a $63.5 million judgment.

  • August 01, 2024

    Hotel Giant Escapes Franchisee Suit Over Cyberattack

    A Georgia federal judge dismissed a proposed class action lodged by InterContinental Hotels Group franchisees who aimed to hold it liable for losses after a 2022 cyberattack that knocked a centralized room-booking platform offline for several weeks.

  • July 31, 2024

    5th Circ. Pause Spells Doom For DOT Airline Fees Rule

    The Fifth Circuit gave the airline industry a temporary reprieve from a new U.S. Department of Transportation rule requiring carriers to more clearly disclose add-on fees upfront, a decision that stands to embolden opponents of the Biden administration's more aggressive consumer-focused policies.

  • July 31, 2024

    DC Attorney General Sues StubHub Over 'Junk Fees'

    D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb on Wednesday sued StubHub, accusing the ticket resale and exchange website of duping consumers with low ticket prices before tacking on "junk fees" at the end of an artificially urgent purchasing process.

  • July 31, 2024

    Mich. High Court Restores Strengthened Wage, Leave Laws

    The Michigan Supreme Court put back in place higher minimum wage and broader paid sick leave laws on Wednesday, finding the laws were unlawfully amended by the state Legislature in a controversial move to keep a $12 minimum wage law off the ballot.

  • July 30, 2024

    4th Circ. Refuses To Certify Class Of Golf Course Investors

    The Fourth Circuit on Tuesday declined to reverse a lower court order denying class certification to a group of Chinese investors who allege their money was used to purchase several golf courses, ruling they are not similar enough to make certification proper.

  • July 30, 2024

    Starbucks Gets White Ex-Worker's Bias Suit Pared Down

    A New Jersey federal judge on Tuesday trimmed a white former Starbucks store manager's lawsuit alleging she was fired to help the coffee company save face amid accusations of discrimination against Black workers, ruling she filed several claims too late.

  • July 30, 2024

    Wash. Gym, Insurer Settle Athlete Abuse Coverage Dispute

    An insurer and a gym jointly asked a Washington state federal court to dismiss the insurer's lawsuit seeking to escape any defense or indemnification obligations for an underlying suit from an underage cheerleader's mother, who accused the gym of providing a space for its founder to sexually assault her daughter.

  • July 30, 2024

    What Mass. Attys Will Be Watching In The 2nd Half Of 2024

    Two potentially sweeping Massachusetts high court rulings and a long-awaited employment bill lingering in the State House are among the issues Bay State attorneys say they are monitoring closely heading into the latter half of 2024.

  • July 29, 2024

    Conn. Justices OK Vrbo Host's Short-Term House Rentals

    A divided Connecticut Supreme Court ruled Monday that a Vrbo host in Branford was allowed to rent out his property to vacationers under a set of regulations passed in 1994, before the local zoning board changed the rules in 2018 to ban his activities.

  • July 29, 2024

    Panera Franchisee Ends Pagan Worker's Religious Bias Suit

    A Panera franchisee and a former employee alerted a Pennsylvania federal court Monday that they've agreed to resolve the ex-worker's suit claiming she was harassed out of her job when she disclosed that she practiced neopaganism.

Expert Analysis

  • 4 Ways To Motivate Junior Attorneys To Bring Their Best

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    As Gen Z and younger millennial attorneys increasingly express dissatisfaction with their work and head for the exits, the lawyers who manage them must understand and attend to their needs and priorities to boost engagement and increase retention, says Stacey Schwartz at Katten.

  • Series

    Serving As A Sheriff's Deputy Made Me A Better Lawyer

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    Skills developed during my work as a reserve deputy — where there was a need to always be prepared, decisive and articulate — transferred to my practice as an intellectual property litigator, and my experience taught me that clients often appreciate and relate to the desire to participate in extracurricular activities, says Michael Friedland at Friedland Cianfrani.

  • Former Minn. Chief Justice Instructs On Writing Better Briefs

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    Former Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Lorie Gildea, now at Greenberg Traurig, offers strategies on writing more effective appellate briefs from her time on the bench.

  • Stay Interviews Are Key To Retaining Legal Talent

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    Even as the economy shifts and layoffs continue, law firms still want to retain their top attorneys, and so-called stay interviews — informal conversations with employees to identify potential issues before they lead to turnover — can be a crucial tool for improving retention and morale, say Tina Cohen Nicol and Kate Reder Sheikh at Major Lindsey.

  • Series

    Spray Painting Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My experiences as an abstract spray paint artist have made me a better litigator, demonstrating — in more ways than one — how fluidity and flexibility are necessary parts of a successful legal practice, says Erick Sandlin at Bracewell.

  • Where 9th Circ. Lowe's Ruling Leaves PAGA Jurisprudence

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    Leah Kennedy and Carolyn Wheeler at Katz Banks discuss the legal landscape and controlling precedent around the Private Attorneys General Act that led to the Ninth Circuit's Johnson v. Lowe's decision last month on individual PAGA wage claims, and explore the open questions that it leaves.

  • TTAB Ruling May Broaden Alcohol Trademark Analysis

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    A February U.S. Trademark Trial and Appeal Board decision that wine is inherently related to bars and cocktail lounges for trademark protection purposes appears to broaden the scope of exclusivity, highlighting that the more similar the marks, the less related the products must be for the TTAB to refuse registration, says William Borchard at Cowan Liebowitz.

  • Opinion

    Judicial Independence Is Imperative This Election Year

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    As the next election nears, the judges involved in the upcoming trials against former President Donald Trump increasingly face political pressures and threats of violence — revealing the urgent need to safeguard judicial independence and uphold the rule of law, says Benes Aldana at the National Judicial College.

  • Series

    Riding My Peloton Bike Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Using the Peloton platform for cycling, running, rowing and more taught me that fostering a mind-body connection will not only benefit you physically and emotionally, but also inspire stamina, focus, discipline and empathy in your legal career, says Christopher Ward at Polsinelli.

  • Spartan Arbitration Tactics Against Well-Funded Opponents

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    Like the ancient Spartans who held off a numerically superior Persian army at the Battle of Thermopylae, trial attorneys and clients faced with arbitration against an opponent with a bigger war chest can take a strategic approach to create a pass to victory, say Kostas Katsiris and Benjamin Argyle at Venable.

  • What Recent Study Shows About AI's Promise For Legal Tasks

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    Amid both skepticism and excitement about the promise of generative artificial intelligence in legal contexts, the first randomized controlled trial studying its impact on basic lawyering tasks shows mixed but promising results, and underscores the need for attorneys to proactively engage with AI, says Daniel Schwarcz at University of Minnesota Law School.

  • Litigation Inspiration: A Source Of Untapped Fulfillment

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    As increasing numbers of attorneys struggle with stress and mental health issues, business litigators can find protection against burnout by remembering their important role in society — because fulfillment in one’s work isn’t just reserved for public interest lawyers, say Bennett Rawicki and Peter Bigelow at Hilgers Graben.

  • Series

    Skiing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    A lifetime of skiing has helped me develop important professional skills, and taught me that embracing challenges with a spirit of adventure can allow lawyers to push boundaries, expand their capabilities and ultimately excel in their careers, says Andrea Przybysz at Tucker Ellis.

  • Think Like A Lawyer: Forget Everything You Know About IRAC

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    The mode of legal reasoning most students learn in law school, often called “Issue, Rule, Application, Conclusion,” or IRAC, erroneously frames analysis as a separate, discrete step, resulting in disorganized briefs and untold obfuscation — but the fix is pretty simple, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.

  • How Firms Can Ensure Associate Gender Parity Lasts

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    Among associates, women now outnumber men for the first time, but progress toward gender equality at the top of the legal profession remains glacially slow, and firms must implement time-tested solutions to ensure associates’ gender parity lasts throughout their careers, say Kelly Culhane and Nicole Joseph at Culhane Meadows.

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