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Attendees inspect Smith and Wesson firearms at the National Rifle Association's (NRA) annual meeting, in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S., April 28, 2019. Smith & Wesson, which is incorporated in Nevada, did not respond immediately to a request for comment. The group of nuns filed the lawsuit in their role as Smith & Wesson shareholders, in what is known as a derivative lawsuit. The nuns alleged that the directors of Smith & Wesson have ignored growing legal risks from making assault-style rifles. Smith & Wesson warned in its 2022 annual report that it might have to pay significant damages due to legal proceedings against the company.

Persons: Smith, Bryan Woolston, Jeffrey Norton, gunmakers, gunmaker Remington, Adrian Dominican, Bon, Francis of Philadelphia, Jesus, Tom Hals, Alexia Garamfalvi, Leslie Adler Organizations: Wesson, REUTERS, Smith, Tuesday, Smith & Wesson, Sandy, Elementary, U.S, Supreme, Adrian, Bon Secours, St, Jesus &, Thomson Locations: Indianapolis , Indiana, U.S, WILMINGTON , Delaware, Nevada, Colorado, Connecticut, New York , Illinois, California, Adrian , Michigan, Marriottsville , Maryland, Aston , Pennsylvania, Ontario Province, Marylhurst , Oregon, Wilmington , Delaware

Berkshire Hathaway Chairman Warren Buffett walks through the exhibit hall as shareholders gather to hear from the billionaire investor at Berkshire Hathaway Inc's annual shareholder meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, U.S., May 4, 2019. Berkshire owns 80% of Pilot, having paid the Haslams $2.76 billion for a 38.6% stake in 2017 and $8.2 billion for another 41.4% in January. The Haslams sued Omaha, Nebraska-based Berkshire in October, accusing it of seeking a "windfall" by adopting "pushdown" accounting for Pilot. Berkshire countersued on Nov. 28, saying Jimmy Haslam tried to bribe Pilot executives with millions of dollars to inflate earnings in 2023 at the expense of future years. According to court papers, the Haslams believe the 20% Pilot stake was worth $3.2 billion before Berkshire's accounting change, an amount Berkshire disputes.

Persons: Warren Buffett, Scott Morgan, Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, Jimmy Haslam, Chancellor Morgan Zurn, Haslam, Zurn, Berkshire, Berkshire countersued, Tom Hals, David Holmes Organizations: Berkshire Hathaway, REUTERS, Rights, Travel Centers, Cleveland Browns, Berkshire, Pilot, Thomson Locations: Omaha , Nebraska, U.S, Rights WILMINGTON , Delaware, Delaware, Delaware's, Berkshire, Knoxville , Tennessee, Wilmington , Delaware

Sam Altman, CEO of ChatGPT maker OpenAI, attends an open dialogue with students at Keio University in Tokyo, Japan June 12, 2023. The nonprofit board overseeing the maker of the popular ChatGPT chatbot sent shock waves through Silicon Valley on Friday by abruptly firing Chief Executive Sam Altman. The trust that controls the candymaker agreed in 2016 to replace certain board members after the Pennsylvania attorney general challenged the trust's spending. Under OpenAI's bylaws, only directors can remove or elect new board members. Board members can sue other board members, either directly or on behalf of the organization, for failing to exercise their duties, said Reid.

Persons: Sam Altman, OpenAI, Issei Kato, chatbot, Satya Nadella, Alexander Reid, Darryll Jones, OpenAI's, Reid, Ilya Sutskever, Altman, Greg Brockman, Sutskever, Anthropic, Jody Godoy, Tom Hals, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Keio University, REUTERS, Microsoft, Hershey Co, Florida, M University, U.S . Internal Revenue Service, Reuters, OpenAI, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Silicon Valley, Pennsylvania, U.S, New York

Microsoft (MSFT.O) owns 49% of the for-profit operating company, according to sources familiar with the matter. Other investors and employees control 49%, with 2% owned by OpenAI's nonprofit parent, according to Semafor. OpenAI's board fired Altman on Friday after a "breakdown of communications," according to an internal memo seen by Reuters. Venture capital investors usually hold board seats or voting power in their portfolio companies but OpenAI is controlled by its nonprofit parent company OpenAI Nonprofit, which according to OpenAI's website was created to benefit "humanity, not OpenAI investors." Nonprofit boards have legal obligations to the organizations they oversee.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Sam Altman, OpenAI, Altman, Minor Myers, Paul Weitzel, Weitzel, Steve Jobs, Anna Tong, Krystal Hu, Jody Godoy, Tom Hals, Kenneth Li, Lisa Shumaker, Matthew Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Microsoft, Venture, OpenAI Nonprofit, University of Connecticut, Nonprofit, University of Nebraska, Apple, Thomson Locations: OpenAI, San Francisco, New York

☆ Bayer ordered to pay $1.56 billion in latest US trial loss over Roundup weedkiller
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-19 | by ( Tom Hals | Thomson Reuters | Tom Hals Is An Award-Winning Reporter With Years Of Experience Working In Asia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Logo of Bayer AG is pictured at the annual results news conference of the German drugmaker in Leverkusen, Germany February 27, 2019. Each was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma that they alleged was caused by using Roundup on their family property. Bayer has said that decades of studies have shown Roundup and its active ingredient, glyphosate, are safe for human use. The verdict is the fourth straight loss in court for Bayer, after the company had been found not liable to plaintiffs in nine consecutive trials. In 2020, Bayer settled most of the then-pending Roundup cases for up to $10.9 billion.

Persons: Wolfgang Rattay, Bayer, Valorie Gunther, Jimmy Draeger of, Daniel Anderson of, Draeger's, Brenda, Bart Rankin, Forrest Weldon, Tom Hals, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Bayer AG, REUTERS, Bayer, Monsanto, Union Investment, U.S . Environmental Protection Agency, EU Commission, European Food Agency, European Chemicals Agency, Thomson Locations: Leverkusen, Germany, Missouri, Cole County , Missouri, New York, Jimmy Draeger of Missouri, Daniel Anderson of California, Wilmington , Delaware

CENTRAL ISLIP, New York, Nov 14 (Reuters) - A former fundraiser for indicted U.S. Representative George Santos pleaded guilty to fraud on Tuesday, adding to the pressure on the embattled New York Republican. U.S District Judge Joanna Seybert accepted the plea, part of an agreement with federal prosecutors, and set Miele's sentencing for April 30. At the hearing, Miele admitted he pretended he was chief of staff to the then minority leader of the U.S. House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy, to help solicit contributions for Santos' campaign. Miele is the second person close to Santos to plead guilty to federal charges in recent weeks. Nancy Marks, Santos' former campaign treasurer, pleaded guilty on Oct. 5 to a conspiracy charge for inflating his 2022 congressional campaign's fundraising numbers.

Persons: Representative George Santos, Samuel Miele, Joanna Seybert, Miele, Santos, Kevin McCarthy, Joseph Murray, Miele's, Nancy Marks, Tom Hals, Daniel Wallis Organizations: U.S, Representative, New York Republican, U.S . House, Representatives, Thomson Locations: ISLIP , New York, Long Island, Santos, Wilmington , Delaware

☆ Exclusive: Law firm tied to bankruptcy judge resignation did not make conflict disclosures -data analysis
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Tom Hals | Thomson Reuters | Tom Hals Is An Award-Winning Reporter With Years Of Experience Working In Asia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Freeman also worked as a contract lawyer for Jackson Walker after leaving the firm. Jones and Jackson Walker signed off on the arrangement without disclosing the relationship, court papers show. Until then he was the busiest bankruptcy judge in the United States, overseeing the dissolution or restructuring of corporate titans ranging from Neiman Marcus to J.C. Penney. Bankruptcy judges often serve as mediators in complex cases that are being run by other judges. In the GWG bankruptcy, Jackson Walker on Nov. 30 asked the judge overseeing the case to appoint Jones as mediator.

Persons: David Jones, Jones, Jackson Walker, Elizabeth Freeman, Freeman, Neiman Marcus, J.C, Tom Kirkendall, Jackson, Debtwire, Tehum, Bruce Markell, Tom Hals, Dietrich Knauth, Alexia Garamfalvi, Amy Stevens, Grant McCool Organizations: Reuters, REUTERS, Staff, McDermott International, Houston, GWG Holdings, Wall Street, U.S, Circuit, Appeals, U.S . Department of, Tehum Care Services, Corizon, U.S ., Thomson Locations: Houston , Texas, U.S, WILMINGTON , Delaware, Texas, Houston, United States, Penney, GWG, Wilmington , Delaware, New York

Indicted FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried leaves the United States Courthouse in New York City, U.S., July 26, 2023. Elizabeth Holmes took the stand at her criminal trial, testifying over several days that she did not intend to defraud investors in her blood-testing startup, Theranos. For Bankman-Fried to be convicted of fraud, prosecutors must show beyond a reasonable doubt that he intended to defraud FTX customers or investors. Taking the stand carries the risk that he will be confronted with those media appearances as well as his use of social media. But Bankman-Fried has a lower-than-average fear of risk, according to trial testimony.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, Amr Alfiky, Willkie Farr, Gallagher, Ilene Jaroslaw, Elizabeth Holmes, Holmes, Caroline Ellison, Ellison, Mike Schachter, Schachter, Tom Barrack, Donald Trump, Jean Boustani, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Bankman, Jody Godoy, Tom Hals, Noeleen Walder, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: United, REUTERS, Prosecutors, Alameda Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Detention, U.S, District, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Alameda, Lebanese, Brooklyn's, New York

The company wants Kathaleen McCormick, chief judge on the court, to approve a fee of no more than $64 million. The attorneys represented a Detroit police union pension plan that sued Tesla's directors for excessive compensation during 2017 to 2020. Nearly all of the directors' compensation comprised stock options and they only got paid if the stock rose. The 2020 lawsuit settled in July with the directors agreeing to return to Tesla $735 million as part of a $919 million agreement. The difference in the two values boils down to the stock options.

Persons: Thomas Peter, Kathaleen McCormick, Elon Musk's, James Murdoch, Rupert Murdoch, Larry Ellison, Tesla, Tom Hals, Noeleen Walder, David Gregorio Our Organizations: REUTERS, Oracle Corp, Tesla, Detroit, Oracle, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, WILMINGTON , Delaware, Delaware, Delaware's Court, Wilmington , Delaware

Below is a list of Musk's legal entanglements. The SEC had said in May 2022 that it was looking into Musk's disclosures about his stake in company. $56 BILLION TESLA COMPENSATION LAWSUITA ruling is also expected soon following a non-jury trial challenging Musk's $56 billion pay at Tesla. EMPLOYMENT DISPUTESMusk's major companies Tesla, SpaceX and the X social media platform are embroiled in several legal disputes alleging age, gender or race-based discrimination. LAWSUITS SPARKED BY MUSK'S TWEETSMusk's tweets on the social media platform that he now owns has often courted controversy and been the subject of legal trouble.

Persons: Elon Musk, Chuck Schumer, Leah Millis, Musk, X, Tesla, Donald Trump, Tom Hals, Jaspreet Singh, Zaheer Kachwala, Noeleen Walder, Matthew Lewis, Rod Nickel Organizations: Intelligence, Senate, U.S, Capitol, REUTERS, Twitter, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, Tesla, SpaceX, U.S . Justice Department, California's Department of Civil Rights, U.S . National Labor Relations Board, U.S . SEC, Supreme, Wall Street, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Florida, California, San Francisco, U.S, Los Angeles, Manhattan, Wilmington, Del, Bengaluru

But then two days beforehand Musk raised "several spurious objections" and told the SEC he would not appear, the SEC said. According to the filing, Musk has given the SEC documents relating to the probe and has previously provided testimony in July last year via video conference. "The SEC has already taken Mr. Musk's testimony multiple times in this misguided investigation - enough is enough," said a statement from Alex Spiro, an attorney for Musk. Musk acquired Twitter after initially building a large minority stake in the social media platform, which he first disclosed in April 2022. Faced with a trial that sought to compel him to complete the deal, Musk closed his acquisition of Twitter in late October 2022.

Persons: Elon Musk, Porte, Gonzalo Fuentes, Musk, ”, Alex Spiro, Twitter, ” Musk, Howard Fischer, Moses, Moses & Singer, Tesla, Shivansh, Tom Hals, Chris Prentice, Michelle Price, Sheila Dang, Megan Davies, Shinjini Ganguli, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: SpaceX, Tesla, Viva Technology, Porte de, REUTERS, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, Twitter, San, Musk, Moses &, Reuters, Justice Department, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, San Francisco, Texas, New York, Bengaluru, Wilmington , Delaware, Washington, Austin

[1/5] U.S. President Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, walks to appear in a federal court on gun charges in Wilmington, Delaware, U.S., October 3, 2023. Biden wore a dark suit and tie during his appearance at the federal courthouse in Wilmington, Delaware, which lasted 25 minutes. Six men wearing earpieces who appeared to be Secret Service agents sat near Hunter Biden during the court proceedings and escorted him out of the courtroom through a side door. Burke said Hunter Biden submitted to tests for illegal drug use multiple times recently and had tested negative. Reporting by Tom Hals in Wilmington, Delaware; Editing by Andy Sullivan, Scott Malone and Alistair BellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Joe Biden's, Hunter Biden, Mike Segar, Biden, Christopher Burke, Abbe Lowell, earpieces, Burke, Hunter Biden's, Biden's, Donald Trump, Maryellen Noreika, Hunter, Trump, Joe Biden, Tom Hals, Andy Sullivan, Scott Malone, Alistair Bell Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Secret, Republican, U.S, District, Supreme, Republicans, Thomson Locations: Wilmington , Delaware, U.S, Rights WILMINGTON , Delaware, Wilmington, Lowell, Ukraine, China

"The alleged facts are so serious that they compromise the ability of Senator Menendez to effectively represent the people of our state," Murphy - who would appoint a temporary replacement for Menendez should he resign - said in a statement. "Behind the scenes, Senator Menendez was doing those things for certain people - the people that were bribing him and his wife," Williams said. A lawyer for Nadine Menendez, 56, who has been married to the senator since 2020, said she denied wrongdoing and would "vigorously defend" against the allegations in court. MENENDEZ HAS FACED OTHER PROBESThe investigation marks the third time Menendez has been investigated by federal prosecutors, although he has never been convicted. Bob and Nadine Menendez also each face one count of conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right.

Persons: Bob Menendez, Menendez, Chuck Schumer, Joe Biden, Phil Murphy, Murphy, Prosecutors, Damian Williams, Williams, Nadine Menendez, MENENDEZ, Robert Menedez, Jonathan Ernst, Ben Cardin, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Ted Stevens, Larry Craig, Wael Hana, Jose Uribe, Fred Daibes, Bob, Hana, Washington, Uribe, Daibes, Luc Cohen, Jonathan Stempel, Patricia Zengerle, Matt Spetalnick, Simon Lewis, Makini Brice, Andrew Goudsward, Tom Hals, Mark Porter, Daniel Wallis, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: U.S, Jersey businessmen, U.S . Senate, Foreign, Democratic, U.S . House, Representatives, Benz, Capitol, REUTERS, Republican, U.S . Department of Agriculture, New, Menendez, Daibes, Thomson Locations: WASHINGTON, Jersey, U.S, Manhattan, Egypt, Ukraine, China . New Jersey, New Jersey, Washington , U.S, Cuban American, Cuba, Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, Alaska, Idaho, United States, Washington, New York

Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and his wife Nadine Arslanian arrive for a state dinner in honor of French President Emmanuel Macron at the White House in Washington, U.S., December 1, 2022. A lawyer for Arslanian, who also goes by Nadine Menendez, said she denied wrongdoing and would "vigorously defend" against the allegations in court. Arslanian, 56, reportedly met Menendez, 69, at an IHOP pancake restaurant, which the senator has praised as a favorite dining spot. Soon after she met Menendez, Arslanian worked with businessman Wael Hana to introduce the senator, the powerful chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, to Egyptian officials, the indictment said. She then forwarded it to Egyptian officials, according to the indictment.

Persons: Bob Menendez, Nadine Arslanian, Emmanuel Macron, Amanda Andrade, Rhoades, Menendez, Arslanian, Nadine Menendez, Wael Hana, Hana, Tom Hals, Luc Cohen, Daniel Wallis Organizations: White, REUTERS, U.S ., Foreign Relations, U.S . State Department, U.S, Embassy, Strategic, Business, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, New Jersey, COVID, India, Cairo, Egypt, Englewood Cliffs , New Jersey, Wilmington , Delaware, New York

Senator Robert Menedez (D-NJ) walks to the Senate floor for a procedural vote at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S. September 20, 2023. The investigation marks the third time Menendez has been investigated by federal prosecutors, but he has never been convicted. Prosecutors said Hana, who is originally from Egypt, arranged dinners and meetings between Menendez and Egyptian officials in 2018 at which the officials pressed Menendez on the status of U.S. military aid. Menendez at a meeting in 2018 told Hana non-public information about the status of the aid, prosecutors said. Hana then texted an Egyptian official, "The ban on small arms and ammunition to Egypt has been lifted," according to the indictment.

Persons: Robert Menedez, Jonathan Ernst, Bob Menendez, Menendez, Joe Biden, Prosecutors, Damian Williams, Nadine Menendez, Wael Hana, Jose Uribe, Fred Daibes, Uribe, Daibes, Hana, Egypt’s, Jon Corzine, Clifford Case, Luc Cohen, Jonathan Stempel, Simon Lewis, Andrew Goudsward, Tom Hals, Mark Porter Organizations: U.S, Capitol, REUTERS, New Jersey businessmen, U.S . Senate, Foreign Relations, Prosecutors, NBC, Benz, Hana, State Department, U.S . Department of Agriculture, USDA, New, Republican, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, WASHINGTON, New Jersey, U.S, Manhattan, Egypt, Ukraine, China, United States, Washington, New York

☆ Senator Menendez's Wife of Three Years at Center of Bribery Allegations
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

A lawyer for Arslanian, who also goes by Nadine Menendez, said she denied wrongdoing and would "vigorously defend" against the allegations in court. Arslanian, 56, reportedly met Menendez, 69, at an IHOP pancake restaurant, which the senator has praised as a favorite dining spot. Soon after she met Menendez, Arslanian worked with businessman Wael Hana to introduce the senator, the powerful chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, to Egyptian officials, the indictment said. In May of that year, Menendez sought sensitive information from the U.S. State Department regarding personnel at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, and texted it to Arslanian. She then forwarded it to Egyptian officials, according to the indictment.

Persons: Tom Hals, Luc Cohen, Bob Menendez, Nadine Arslanian, Menendez, Arslanian, Nadine Menendez, Wael Hana, Hana, Daniel Wallis Organizations: U.S ., Foreign Relations, U.S . State Department, U.S, Embassy, Strategic, Business Locations: New Jersey, COVID, India, Cairo, Egypt, Englewood Cliffs , New Jersey, Wilmington , Delaware, New York

The lawyers want a judge to approve $229 million in fees, or $10,690 an hour, according to a Sept. 8 filing in Delaware's Court of Chancery. The legal fee and the settlement must be approved by a Delaware judge at a hearing scheduled for October. The Telsa directors have not objected to the fee request but are expected to do so, according to a court filing by the plaintiffs' lawyers. In 2012, the Delaware Supreme Court affirmed a $304 million fee in a Southern Copper shareholder lawsuit involving $2 billion of damages. The Delaware Court of Chancery judge overseeing the Tesla case, Kathaleen McCormick, has scheduled a hearing on Oct. 13 to approve the settlement and the fee.

Persons: Tesla's, James Murdoch, Larry Ellison, Bleichmar Fonti, McCarter, Ronald King, Clark Hill, George Bauer, David Paige, Paige, Kathaleen McCormick, Tom Hals, Amy Stevens, Marguerita Choy Organizations: REUTERS, Partners, Bleichmar, Shukurov, Advisors, Southern, Thomson Locations: Oslo, Norway, Victoria, WILMINGTON , Delaware, Delaware's Court, Delaware, New York, Wilmington , Delaware, Lansing , Michigan

David Minkin, an attorney for Maui County, told Reuters that only a small portion, if any, of its land was involved in the blaze. Wildfire victims have struggled over the years to hold landowners liable, even for fires ignited on their property. Rick Linkert, a California attorney who specializes in defending wildfire cases, said it may not be easy for Wells' legal team to show negligence. They would have to demonstrate there was an accepted standard for managing grasslands and that the landowners ignored it, he said. Maui County has filed its own lawsuit against Hawaiian Electric, which it blames for the fire.

Persons: Joe Biden, Jill Biden, Kevin Lamarque, Harold Wells, Rebecca Rans, Wells, Bishop, David Minkin, Rans, Jim Bickerton, Bickerton, Rick Linkert, Linkert, Pauahi Paki, Kamehameha, Tom Hals, Amy Stevens, Noeleen Walder, Josie Kao Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Kamehameha Schools, Reuters, Honolulu Star, U.S . Forest Service, Hawaiian Electric, Thomson Locations: Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii, U.S, Rights WILMINGTON , Delaware, Harold Wells of Arizona, Maui County, Wailuku, Guinea, California, Hawaiian, Wilmington , Delaware

Hunter Biden walks to the motorcade after arriving at Fort McNair, after U.S. President Joe Biden spent the weekend at Camp David, in Washington, U.S., July 4, 2023. The move comes two days after House of Representatives Republicans opened an impeachment inquiry of Joe Biden related to Hunter Biden's foreign business dealings. SPECIAL COUNSEL STATUSWeiss was elevated to special counsel status in August after investigating Hunter Biden's business dealings for years as the U.S. attorney in the Democratic president's home state of Delaware. Hunter Biden has worked as a lobbyist, lawyer, investment banker and artist, and has publicly detailed his struggles with substance abuse. Hunter Biden described in a 2021 memoir dealing with substance abuse issues in his life including crack cocaine use and alcoholism.

Persons: Hunter Biden, Joe Biden, Julia Nikhinson, Joe Biden's, Donald Trump, David Weiss, Biden, Weiss, Hunter, Abbe Lowell, Lowell, Trump, James Comer, Barack Obama, Ashley Biden, Beau Biden, Naomi Biden, Aaron Crawford, Sarah N, Lynch, Jarrett Renshaw, Andrew Goudsward, Tom Hals, Nate Raymond, Scott Malone, Lisa Shumaker, Alistair Bell, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Fort McNair, U.S, Camp, REUTERS, Rights, Republican, of Columbia, District of California, Prosecutors, Republicans, MAGA Republicans, Supreme, Democratic, Trump, DOJ, Justice, U.S . Navy, University of Tennessee, Thomson Locations: Fort, Washington , U.S, U.S, Delaware, Los Angeles, District, Ukraine, China, Ukrainian, Washington, Wilmington , Delaware, Boston

The logo of Universal Entertainment Corp. is seen at the company's headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, June 29, 2017. REUTERS/Toru Hanai/file photo Acquire Licensing RightsWILMINGTON, Del., Sept 7 (Reuters) - A Delaware judge ruled on Thursday that an affiliate of Japan's Universal Entertainment Corp (6425.T) does not have to complete a SPAC merger deal with 26 Capital Acquisition Corp that related to the largest casino in the Philippines. Vice Chancellor Travis Laster said the Universal Entertainment affiliate did not have to complete the 2021 merger agreement in part because 26 Capital Acquisition "engaged in conduct that should not be rewarded" by ordering the deal to close. Laster said 26 Capital could still seek damages, which he would address at a later date. Reporting by Tom Hals in Wilmington, Delaware; additional reporting by Jonathan Stempel; Editing by Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Toru Hanai, Chancellor Travis Laster, Laster, Tom Hals, Jonathan Stempel, Leslie Adler Organizations: Universal Entertainment Corp, REUTERS, Rights, Japan's Universal Entertainment Corp, Corp, Universal Entertainment, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Rights WILMINGTON, Del, Delaware, Philippines, Wilmington , Delaware

☆ US prosecutors to seek Hunter Biden indictment by Sept. 29
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Hunter Biden, son of U.S. President Joe Biden, departs federal court after a plea hearing on two misdemeanor charges of willfully failing to pay income taxes in Wilmington, Delaware, U.S. July 26, 2023. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Sept 6 (Reuters) - U.S. prosecutors said in a court filing on Wednesday they will seek an indictment of President Joe Biden's son, Hunter, by Sept. 29 in his tax and firearms case. "The government intends to seek the return of an indictment in this case before that date," Weiss wrote in a status report to U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika. In July, Noreika rejected a proposed plea deal that would have resolved the tax and gun charges, raising concerns over its legality and the scope of immunity it offered Hunter Biden. Republicans in Congress have raised the possibility of impeaching President Biden over his son's business dealings and accuse the Department of Justice of giving him a "sweetheart deal."

Persons: Hunter Biden, Joe Biden, Jonathan Ernst, Joe Biden's, Hunter, David Weiss, General Merrick Garland, Weiss, Maryellen Noreika, Noreika, Hunter Biden's, Abbe Lowell, Biden, Lowell, ”, Garland, Donald Trump, Trump, Kanishka Singh, Eric Beech, Tom Hals, Jeff Mason, Rami Ayyub, David Gregorio Our Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S, District, Mr, Congress, of Justice, Attorney, District of, Republican, Thomson Locations: Wilmington , Delaware, U.S, District of Delaware

State law would still apply if the case is moved to federal court. The federal officer removal law protects people from state prosecution for carrying out official federal duties. It says that if a person were carrying out duties placed on them by federal law, they cannot be prosecuted for committing a state crime. Legal experts said Jones could allow the case to proceed in federal court and address immunity at a later hearing. If he determines immunity did not apply to the accused actions, the jury trial would take place in federal court, with the broader jury pool.

Persons: Mark Meadows, Al Drago, Donald Trump, Trump's, Meadows, firebrand Marjorie Taylor Greene, Joe Biden, —, Jeffrey Clark, Trump, Eric Segall, Fani Willis, Willis, Georgia's, Alvin Hellerstein, Steve Jones, Josh Blackman, Jones, Tom Hals, Noeleen Walder, Amy Stevens, Stephen Coates Organizations: White, REUTERS, Fulton County Superior Court, Trump, Department of Justice, Republican, Northern District of, Georgia State College of Law, Miami . Fulton, Prosecutors, U.S, U.S . Constitution, Circuit, Appeals, District, South Texas College of Law, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Fulton County, Meadows, Shafer, Northern District, Northern District of Georgia, New York, Washington, Miami ., Miami . Fulton County, Georgia, United States, U.S ., Manhattan's, Atlanta, Wilmington , Delaware

☆ Analysis: Trump allies' push to move Georgia subversion trial could mean delays
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Tom Hals | Thomson Reuters | Tom Hals Is An Award-Winning Reporter With Years Of Experience Working In Asia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

No defendants have entered a plea in the Georgia case. The federal officer removal law protects people from state prosecution for carrying out official federal duties. Legal experts said the accused acts in the Georgia case are more plausibly related to official duties than the hush money payments in the New York case. Legal experts said Jones could allow the case to proceed in federal court and address immunity at a later hearing. If he determines immunity did not apply to the accused actions, the jury trial would take place in federal court, with the broader jury pool.

Persons: Donald Trump, Ray Smith, Rudy Giuliani, Jenna Ellis, Sidney Powell, Cathy Latham, Trump's, Mark Meadows, Meadows, firebrand Marjorie Taylor Greene, Joe Biden, Jeffrey Clark, David Shafer, Trump, Eric Segall, Fani Willis, Willis, Georgia's, Alvin Hellerstein, Steve Jones, Josh Blackman, Jones, Tom Hals, Noeleen Walder, Amy Stevens, Stephen Coates Organizations: Trump, Georgia Republican, Fulton County Superior Court, of Justice, Republican, Northern District of, Georgia State College of Law, Miami . Fulton, Prosecutors, U.S, U.S . Constitution, Circuit, Appeals, District, South Texas College of Law, Thomson Locations: Georgia, Fulton County, Meadows, Shafer, Northern District, Northern District of Georgia, New York, Washington, Miami ., Miami . Fulton County, United States, U.S ., Manhattan's, Atlanta, Wilmington , Delaware

Hawaiian Electric CEO Shelee Kimura received a cash bonus in 2022 based on her performance against 10 measures including profit and customer satisfaction. Wildfire risk mitigation was not on the list, according to the utility’s pay disclosures. Wildfire risk had been a concern for several years before the blaze ripped through Lahaina, a historic resort town in Maui. Idacorp declined to comment on its pay practices and how they relate to wildfire mitigation. “You don’t want a wildfire disaster to be the catalyst for a change in public policy,” said Glazer, who supports linking executive pay to wildfire mitigation.

Persons: Mike Blake, ”, Alison Silverstein, Shelee Kimura, Kimura, “, Michael Cerasoli, Michael Underhill, Brian Buckham, ” Buckham, Idacorp, Larry Glazer, Glazer, Tim McLaughlin, Tom Hals, Peter Henderson, Noeleen Walder, Rich Valdmanis, Marguerita Choy Organizations: Workers, REUTERS, Hawaiian Electric, U.S . Federal Energy Regulatory, Electric, Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization, San Diego Gas &, Global Renewable Energy Income Fund, Reuters, Capital Innovations, SEC, Portland General Electric Co, Boston’s Mayflower Advisors, Thomson Locations: Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii, U.S, California, Honolulu, Maui ., Idaho , Oregon, Washington, Idaho

WASHINGTON, Aug 15 (Reuters) - The indictment of Former President Donald Trump for interfering in the 2020 presidential election in Georgia will be the biggest case of prosecutor Fani Willis' career, but it will not be her first contentious prosecution. “She’s not afraid of big cases,” said Gerald Griggs, a criminal defense attorney and president of the Georgia state conference of the NAACP. Willis worked from 2001 to 2018 in the Fulton County prosecutor's office, then won election as county prosecutor in 2020, defeating her former boss, Paul Howard. Willis campaigned on building leniency programs for some low-level offenders, but also adopted a hard line on violent crime and gang activity. “Anybody that thinks they can unleash insults from a podium and that’s going to shake Fani Willis is sorely mistaken."

Persons: Donald Trump, Fani Willis, Willis, Trump, She’s, ”, Gerald Griggs, “ She’s, Brian Kemp, Elijah Nouvelage Georgia's, Jeffery Lamar Williams, Young, Jay Abt, ” Abt, Kamala Harris, Paul Howard, Griggs, ” Griggs, Andrew Goudsward, Tom Hals, David Bario, Alistair Bell Organizations: NAACP, Republican, Democrat, Trump, Georgia, Fulton, REUTERS, South Atlanta Magazine, Black Panther Party, Howard University, Washington , D.C, Emory University School of Law, Thomson Locations: Georgia, Fulton County, overreach, Atlanta, Georgia's, Atlanta , Georgia, U.S, Washington ,, Washington, Wilimington , Delaware

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