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Companies Robinhood Markets Inc FollowMay 3 (Reuters) - Massachusetts' highest court on Wednesday heard arguments on whether to revive a state fiduciary duty rule that was central to an enforcement action securities regulators filed against the online brokerage Robinhood. Lawyers for a Robinhood Markets Inc (HOOD.O) subsidiary and Massachusetts Secretary of State Bill Galvin argued before the state's Supreme Judicial Court over the legality of a 2020 state regulation, which Robinhood has said oversteps Galvin's authority. He argued that Robinhood violated the rule he adopted that raised the investment-advice standard for brokers and that its broker-dealer license in the state should be revoked. "Secretary Galvin feels strongly in the need to apply fiduciary duty standards to financial professionals," a spokesperson said. "The Robinhood case is the perfect example of the need for such a rule in Massachusetts."

Companies Peloton Interactive Inc FollowNEW YORK, May 2 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Tuesday refused to let Peloton Interactive Inc (PTON.O) customers pursue a class action accusing the bike and treadmill maker of misleading them about the "ever-growing" size of its library of on-demand fitness classes. The decision is a victory for New York-based Peloton, because class actions can allow for greater recoveries at lower cost than when plaintiffs sue individually. According to the customers, Peloton knew this could happen, yet kept charging full price for products containing copyrighted songs by Adele, Beyoncé, Luke Bryan, Drake, Ariana Grande, Madonna, Justin Timberlake, Jay Z and other artists. Peloton settled the licensing lawsuit by the National Music Publishers' Association and 14 members in February 2020. The case is Passman et al v Peloton Interactive Inc, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No.

The case could have broader implications for assets that do not fit in to existing regulations preventing investment advisers, brokers and others from trading on material nonpublic information, legal experts have said. "You can't hold Nate to a standard that didn't exist," his lawyer Daniel Filor told jurors in his closing argument on Monday. "Nobody told Nate that he couldn't use or share that information." Prosecutor Allison Nichols said Chastain used anonymous OpenSea accounts to make the illegal trades, showing he knew what he was doing was wrong. "He hid what he was doing," Nichols told the jury in her rebuttal argument.

"They independently created 'Thinking Out Loud,'" Farkas said. Farkas told the jury that these were "basic musical building blocks" that no one owns. A lawyer for the heirs was expected to give a closing argument to the jury later in the afternoon. Sheeran won a trial in London last year in a separate copyright case over his hit "Shape of You." Gaye's heirs in 2015 won a lawsuit claiming the Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams song "Blurred Lines" copied Gaye's "Got to Give It Up."

May 2 (Reuters) - A court in Utah has stopped the state's Republican-dominated government from enforcing a new law that would effectively end abortions by making it impossible to get a license for a clinic where they are performed. Judge Andrew H. Stone of the Third District Court of the state of Utah ruled on Tuesday that abortion rights group Planned Parenthood, which had sued to block the law, was likely to prevail in its argument that the law is not reasonable. Planned Parenthood said the measure, which would eliminate the licensing process for abortion clinics and thus effectively make it impossible to get an abortion anywhere but in a hospital, violated the state constitution's rights to privacy and bodily integrity. Stone last year issued a preliminary order preventing the state from enforcing an earlier abortion ban while he hears a legal challenge by Planned Parenthood. Reporting by Sharon Bernstein; Editing by Himani SarkarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Companies Warner Music Group Corp FollowNEW YORK, May 3 (Reuters) - A jury will now decide whether British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran ripped off Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On" after hearing closing arguments on Wednesday in a week-long copyright trial. Townsend's heirs in 2017 sued Sheeran, his label Warner Music Group (WMG.O) and his music publisher Sony Music Publishing, claiming infringement of their copyright interest in the Gaye song. Sheeran and his co-writer, Amy Wadge, both testified during the trial that they did not copy "Let's Get It On." Sheeran said he had only passing familiarity with the song and that "Thinking Out Loud" was inspired by Irish musician Van Morrison. Sheeran won a trial in London last year in a separate copyright case over his hit "Shape of You."

Companies United States Senate FollowWASHINGTON, May 2 (Reuters) - Ethics concerns relating to U.S. Supreme Court justices are set to be scrutinized on Tuesday by a Senate panel during a hearing called amid revelations about luxury trips and real estate transactions involving members of the nation's top judicial body. "Supreme Court ethics reform must happen whether the court participates in the process or not," Durbin said in a statement responding to the decision by Roberts not to appear. "It is time for Congress to accept its responsibility to establish an enforceable code of ethics for the Supreme Court, the only agency of our government without it." Roberts has said Supreme Court justices consult that code in assessing their own ethical obligations. In a letter to Durbin declining to testify, Roberts attached a "Statement on Ethics Principles and Practices" to which the justices adhere.

Summary Among 2022 law graduates, 10% landed government jobs while 8% went into public interestSome schools had much higher percentage of grads go into those jobs(Reuters) - When it comes to sending graduates into government and public interest jobs, no law school comes close to the City University of New York School of Law. The Albuquerque school saw just shy of 40% of its most recent class go into government and public interest jobs. Public interest jobs include public defenders, labor unions, and positions at organizations funded by the Legal Services Corp. Some law schools send significantly higher percentages of their alumni into government and public interest jobs than the national average. Read more:These law schools sent the most grads to federal clerkshipsLarge U.S. law firms love hiring from these schoolsThese law schools aced the job market in 2022Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

"We're not endorsing what happened, but we do not believe that criminal charges are appropriate," Mulroy told reporters. An autopsy will be available soon and is expected to confirm that Nichols died of injuries from the beating, Mulroy added. Police video of the incident showed officers kicking, punching and beating Nichols with a baton on Jan. 7. Hemphill, along with those accused of murder and a seventh officer, were relieved of their duties by the Memphis Police Department. Prosecutors will not charge any other officer who arrived after the beating but are still investigating fire department staff, Mulroy said.

REUTERS/Jane RosenbergMay 2 (Reuters) - A friend of E. Jean Carroll on Tuesday backed up the writer’s account of being raped by Donald Trump, testifying during a civil trial that she received a phone call about the alleged attack minutes after it occurred. Birnbach, author of many books including "The Official Preppy Handbook,” said Carroll told her Trump slammed her into the wall, pulled down her tights and “penetrated her with his penis.”“I whispered, E. Jean, he raped you. Carroll told jurors last week that Trump put his fingers into her vagina, which she called "extremely painful," and then inserted his penis. Birnbach testified that Carroll refused to go to the police after the alleged rape and asked her to never tell anyone about the incident. Reporting by Jack Queen in New York; Editing by Noeleen Walder and Howard GollerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

May 2 (Reuters) - A lawyer for a Florida prosecutor on Tuesday urged a federal appeals court to reinstate his client after the state's Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, indefinitely suspended him over his pledge not to prosecute people seeking or providing abortions. "This governor punishes dissenting voices," David A. O'Neil, a lawyer for suspended prosecutor Andrew Warren, told a three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Henry Whitaker, a lawyer in the Florida Attorney General's office representing DeSantis, said Warren was suspended for his conduct of refusing to enforce the law, not for his speech. Whitaker urged the court to uphold a January ruling in favor of DeSantis by U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle. Warren, who won re-election in 2020 as the Hillsborough County state attorney, sued DeSantis last August.

SummarySummary Law Firms Naomi Moore joins from Akin Gump to head DLA Piper's APAC restructuring practiceMoore will split her time between the firm's Hong Kong and Sydney officesMay 2 (Reuters) - Law firm DLA Piper has hired a partner from U.S.-founded rival Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld in Hong Kong to serve as its new restructuring practice leader for the Asia Pacific region, the firm said Tuesday. Naomi Moore, who has been on sabbatical since she left Akin Gump in January, will divide her time between DLA Piper’s Sydney and Hong Kong offices, the firm said in a statement. In Hong Kong, Moore joins Trinh Hoang, DLA Piper’s only other restructuring-focused partner in the office, who joined the firm from Linklaters in October last year. Linklaters added a restructuring head in Hong Kong from Allen & Overy in October. An Akin Gump spokesperson wished Moore well on her new role.

☆ Manhattan federal prosecutor joins Kramer Levin law firm
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Chinekwu Osakwe | Thomson Reuters | Chinekwu Osakwe Covers Legal Industry News With A Focus On Midsize Law Firms. Reach Her At Chinekwu.Osakwe Thomsonreuters.Com. | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Law Firms Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP Follow(Reuters) - New York-founded law firm Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel said Tuesday that it has hired former Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Estes, who co-led the general crimes unit in the Southern District of New York, for its white-collar and government investigations practice. Estes was the lead or co-lead prosecutor on 13 criminal trials ranging from securities fraud matters, insider trading, bank fraud, health care fraud and racketeering, Kramer Levin said. Estes helped secure last year's conviction of Trevor Milton, the founder of electric vehicle company Nikola Corp, on charges that he defrauded investors. In February, prominent Kramer Levin white-collar partner Barry Pollack left the firm to join New York midsize law firm Harris St. Laurent & Wechsler's new Washington, D.C. office. Read More:N.Y. law firm launches in D.C. with white-collar duoOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

By attributing that knowledge to JPMorgan, Epstein's accusers might show that JPMorgan "actually knew" about the venture or "recklessly disregarded" its existence, Rakoff said. JPMorgan is separately suing Staley to cover its losses in the two lawsuits it faces, and forfeit eight years of pay. 22-10018; Jane Doe 1 v JPMorgan Chase & Co, No. 22-10019; Government of the U.S. Virgin Islands v JPMorgan Chase Bank NA, No. 22-10904; and JPMorgan Chase Bank NA v Staley, in Nos.

Companies Apple Inc FollowMasimo Corp FollowMay 1 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge in California on Monday declared a mistrial in Masimo Corp's (MASI.O) potential billion-dollar smartwatch trade secret lawsuit against Apple Inc (AAPL.O) after jurors failed to reach a unanimous verdict, multiple media outlets reported. The jury in federal court in Santa Ana could not determine whether Cupertino, California-based Apple misused confidential information from Masimo related to the use of light to measure biomarkers including heart rates and blood-oxygen levels, U.S. District Judge James Selna said. The jury began deliberating on April 26 after a trial lasting about three weeks. Reporting by Blake Brittain and Stephen NellisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

May 1 (Reuters) - A federal judge in Detroit on Monday threw out a jury verdict ordering Ford Motor Co (F.N) to pay Versata Software Inc $104.6 million for breaching a 2004 licensing contract and misappropriating trade secrets. He also said jurors had no basis to determine how long Ford would have needed to develop three trade secrets it allegedly stole, and that this also required voiding the damages award. Leitman ordered Ford to pay Versata $3 for breach of contract. "Overturning a jury verdict is difficult by design," Leitman said in a 51-page decision. The case is Versata Software Inc et al v Ford Motor Co, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, No.

☆ Law firm Haynes and Boone picks up Dallas deal maker
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Chinekwu Osakwe | Thomson Reuters | Chinekwu Osakwe Covers Legal Industry News With A Focus On Midsize Law Firms. Reach Her At Chinekwu.Osakwe Thomsonreuters.Com. | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 1 (Reuters) - U.S. law firm Haynes and Boone has hired transactions lawyer Larry Shosid from midsize firm Bell, Nunnally & Martin in its founding city of Dallas, the firm said Monday. Bell Nunnally has around 60 lawyers in Dallas. Taylor Wilson, managing partner of Haynes and Boone, said in a statement that he has worked with Shosid in the past and is excited about his addition to the firm. Dallas-based Bell Nunnally's managing partner, Christopher Trowbridge, said the firm wishes Shosid well. Read More:Law firm tie-ups continue with Haynes and Boone combinationOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

May 1 (Reuters) - Donald Trump should be able to talk about the evidence in the criminal case against him over a hush payment to a porn star, especially with others free to do so, his lawyers said in a court filing on Monday. The Manhattan district attorney wants to bar Trump from disclosing the material on news or social media platforms without court approval. Prosecutors last week asked for a court order restricting Trump's use of the evidence because of his attacks on people involved in proceedings against him. They said they wanted to reduce the risk of harassment to witnesses and other participants in the case. "Trump cannot be the only interested party in this case whose speech about the evidence in the case is restricted by the court," the lawyers, Susan Necheles and Todd Blanche, wrote.

May 1 (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear a challenge to the legality of an Indiana requirement that abortion providers bury or cremate embryonic or fetal remains following the procedure, sidestepping another dispute involving a contentious Republican-backed state policy concerning abortion. Circuit Court of Appeals to reinstate the state's requirement after a federal judge had invalidated it. Indiana's ban is currently blocked after decisions by lower court judges. The Supreme Court on April 21 blocked restrictions set by lower courts on a widely used abortion pill while litigation continues in lower courts in a challenge by abortion opponents to the drug's federal regulatory approval. Women themselves "may choose to take custody of the remains and dispose of them as they please," that court added.

Companies Ozone Networks Inc FollowNEW YORK, May 1 (Reuters) - A former employee of OpenSea, the world's largest marketplace for non-fungible tokens (NFTs), used inside knowledge of which assets would be featured on its homepage to make "free money," a prosecutor said on Monday as an insider trading trial wound to a close. Prosecutors have called it the first criminal insider trading case involving such assets. Prosecutor Thomas Burnett said in his closing argument that Chastain chose which NFTs to feature, and then profited illegally by selling his tokens shortly thereafter. They have said that his actions were not insider trading, and that the information he accessed was not OpenSea's property and had no inherent value to the company. Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Editing by Noeleen Walder and Conor HumphriesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Ex-federal judge Yeakel joins law firm King & Spalding in Austin
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Chinekwu Osakwe | Thomson Reuters | Chinekwu Osakwe Covers Legal Industry News With A Focus On Midsize Law Firms. Reach Her At Chinekwu.Osakwe Thomsonreuters.Com. | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) - A former federal judge in Austin, Texas, has joined King & Spalding's trials and global disputes practice group, the law firm said Monday. He said the governor's order violated federal law and would put children with disabilities at risk. Yeakel, who was appointed in 2003 by President George W. Bush and announced his retirement in March, will counsel clients on "all facets of the dispute process," and represent them in court, according to King & Spalding. Yeakel said in a statement King & Spalding has a strong dispute practice and a growing Austin office. Read more:King & Spalding hires ex-prosecutor in N.Y. amid investigations pushMaryland federal judge joins Gibson Dunn after leaving bench at 47Federal judge leaves Chicago bench for Latham law firmOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

As he had last week, the British singer-songwriter played guitar and sang from the witness stand to underscore his testimony, telling jurors his song "Thinking Out Loud" had actually been inspired by Irish musician Van Morrison. Sheeran said he and other performers frequently perform such "mash ups," and that he had on other occasions combined "Thinking Out Loud" with Van Morrison's "Crazy Love" and Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You." He ridiculed Frank's questions about how often Sheeran collaborates with others in writing songs, which he said was common practice. If Sheeran is found liable, there will be a second trial to determine the damages amount. Reporting By Brendan Pierson in New York Editing by David Bario and Josie KaoOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Summary A relatively small number of law schools dominate federal clerkships(Reuters) - A quarter of Stanford Law School’s 2022 graduates landed federal clerkships—the highest percentage among all U.S. law schools, according to new data from the American Bar Association. The University of Notre Dame Law School and the University of Virginia School of Law round out the top five with 15% and nearly 13% of 2022 graduates in federal clerkships. The latest ABA data shows that just 3% of the 36,078 law graduates in 2022 are clerking for federal judges. Some federal judges hire law students for clerkships that won't begin for a year or two, allowing them to gain experience first. Read more:These law schools aced the job market in 2022Large U.S. law firms love hiring from these schoolsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The landlord's filing was posted to the District of Columbia Superior Court docket on Monday. Crowell's lawsuit, filed in March, marked a fresh clash between a law firm and its landlord over pandemic-era rent. TREA said in its motion to dismiss the lawsuit that the lease's rent abatement provision is "expressly tied to specific events resulting from the loss of certain utilities." The case is Crowell & Moring v. The TREA 1001 Pennsylvania Avenue Trust, District of Columbia Superior Court, No. Read more:Law firm Crowell sues to recoup $30 mln in COVID-era rentLaw firm office leasing drops again after reboundJenner, Chicago landlord end lawsuits over unpaid rentOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The case is the latest bid asking the Supreme Court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, to rein in the authority of federal agencies. The companies are asking the Supreme Court to overturn its own decades-old precedent calling for judges to defer to federal agency interpretation of U.S. laws, a doctrine called "Chevron deference." The New England herring fishing regulations were issued by the fisheries service, part of the U.S. Commerce Department. The Biden administration said in court papers that the monitoring program will be suspended for the fishing year starting in April due to insufficient federal funding. The Supreme Court is due to hear the case in its next term, which begins in October.

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