Law Advice

A roller-coaster asbestos case that led to a record-breaking $322 million verdict for a single plaintiff has now produced a complete defense win. A Mississippi state court jury has ruled in favor of Union Carbide, which originally lost the case in spectacular fashion, before getting the verdict tossed on judicial bias grounds. View full post [...]

Matthew Kluger — a former associate at four Am Law 100 firms — and a former stock trader and former mortgage broker with whom Kluger collaborated in an insider trading case will repay $32.9 million of their ill-gotten gains under an agreement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. View full post on Law.com – [...]

89.3 KPCC LA to pay $2.1 million in legal fees to disability groupLos Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles City Council voted Wednesday to pay $2.1 million in legal fees for a group that had alleged that city officials had no strategy for evacuating people with disabilities after a natural disaster or terrorist attack.Settlement: Disabled must be [...]

The Matthews Firm has sued Laminack, Pirtle & Martines and two clients they jointly represented, alleging Laminack Pirtle and the clients refused to recognize The Matthews Firm’s interest in a contingent fee arising from a nearly $50 million judgment. View full post on Law.com – Newswire

Six business owners are suing Morrison Cohen and one of its partners for $45 million in damages, claiming in a malpractice suit that they overlooked critical language in a transaction. The plaintiffs are small to midsize business owners who sold shares of their businesses through employee stock ownership plans. View full post on Law.com – [...]

Following a seven-week trial, a Los Angeles jury on Thursday found Holland & Knight liable for fraud, legal malpractice and breach of fiduciary duty and awarded $34.5 million to investors who claimed they lost millions from failed real estate ventures. The jury will deliberate on punitive damages today. View full post on Law.com – Newswire

Touting the case as “a first-of-its-kind lawsuit,” New York’s attorney general sued Sprint-Nextel on Thursday over allegations that it deliberately under-collected and underpaid millions of dollars in taxes on flat-rate access charges for wireless calling plans. If found liable, Sprint is facing treble damages. View full post on Law.com – Newswire

BP and the plaintiffs lawyers heading up the Gulf of Mexico oil spill litigation sought court approval Wednesday for the estimated $7.8 billion settlement announced last month. The plaintiffs’ steering committee is asking for up to $600 million, on top of BP’s payout to class members, and BP has agreed to foot the bill. View [...]

A battle between plaintiffs firms over fen-phen fees has wrapped up in a Texas district court. Dan Barton, The Barton Law Firm and The Johnson-Barton Joint Venture have secured a nearly $4 million judgment in a breach of contract suit against Fleming & Associates, now known as Fleming, Nolan & Jez. View full post on [...]

A California appeal panel has overturned the biggest jury verdict of 2008, a $604 million award won by ICO Global in a dispute involving Boeing. The decision is a vindication for Boeing counsel Munger, Tolles & Olson, and a costly one for Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, which took the case for ICO on contingency. View [...]