The Litigation Counsellor®
$9M Verdict against J&J in Asbestos Trial
On February 27, 2020, a Miami jury ordered Johnson & Johnson (“J&J”) to pay Florida native, Blanca Moure-Cabrera, $9 million after finding the American multinational corporation caused Moure-Cabrera’s mesothelioma due to exposure to asbestos contained in its talcum powder products.
Apple Agrees to $500M Settlement over iPhone Performance
On February 28, 2020, Apple Inc. (“Apple”) submitted a $500 million proposed settlement to Northern California district court Judge Edward J. Davila for preliminary approval, bringing an end to a multidistrict litigation (“MDL”) between the tech giant and iPhone users who accuse the defendant of releasing software updates that purposefully slowed down older versions of the iPhone.
Walmart Bids to Mitigate $6M Jury Verdict
On February 3, 2020, attorneys for the retail superstore, Walmart, petitioned U.S. District Judge Andre Birotte, Jr. to enter a judgment as a matter of law in favor of the company, thus attempting to undo a $6.1 million jury verdict awarded to a class of Walmart employees who had alleged that they were discouraged from taking outside meal breaks when Walmart required workers to leave through a metal detector. In its bid for a favorable judgment as a matter of law, Walmart argued that the plaintiffs failed to prove these allegations.
Shkreli, Co-Founder & Former Companies Under Fire Once Again over Monopoly Accusations
January 27, 2020, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) and New York attorney general Letitia James filed suit against erstwhile CEO and convicted felon, Martin Shkreli of Turing (Vyera) Pharmaceuticals and Retrophin, and his co-founder Kevin Mulleady, over an alleged scheme to preserve a monopoly on the drug Daraprim.
Pixar Facing Copyright Infringement Claims over Animation in New Movie
On January 27, 2020, animation company Pixar was served with copyright infringement claims in federal court in the Northern District of California by San Francisco-based artist and tattooist Sweet Cicely Daniher, who alleged that Pixar directly copied the make, model, exterior color scheme, interior color scheme and exterior mural of her 1972 Chevrolet G10 van in the upcoming film, Onward.
Trial Begins in $4M Ford Discrimination Case
On January 13, 2020, opening arguments commenced for a case involving a former Ford Motor Company (“Ford”) employee who claims his ex-employer gave managers “free reign” to provide Caucasian employees preferential treatment in their requests for overtime hours. The plaintiff claims that Ford’s acts are not only discriminatory, but that Ford would retaliate against any employee who complained about company practices.
Sometimes the Law is All Fun & Games
Lawsuits are no laughing matter…unless they are. Some lawsuits deal with complex legal concepts and far-reaching societal implications, while some have a man attempting to sue his boss for passing too much gas. With another decade in the books, we take a look back at some of the most outrageous and hilarious lawsuits over the last 10 years.
