Delaware

  • December 05, 2024

    IP Forecast: PTAB To Hear Pfizer Fight Over COVID-19 Patents

    Pfizer heads to an administrative board at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office next week to argue Moderna should not have been issued patents covering "a basic idea" like using mRNA to fight the COVID-19 virus. Here's a spotlight on that case — plus all the other major intellectual property matters on deck in the coming week.

  • December 05, 2024

    Icon Aircraft Cleared For Ch. 11 Plan With Investor Claims Deal

    A Delaware bankruptcy judge said Thursday he would confirm the Chapter 11 plan from light-sport aircraft producer Icon after the debtor settled with a group of shareholders that sued the company in derivative litigation.

  • December 05, 2024

    'Texas Two-Step,' Exec Bonus Bankruptcy Bills Reintroduced

    Lawmakers in the U.S. Senate this week renewed efforts to pass two bankruptcy bills that would bolster rights for employees and crack down on the controversial use of so-called Texas two-step bankruptcies.

  • December 05, 2024

    Judge Recommends Axing Some Claims In X Severance Suit

    A Delaware federal judge on Thursday recommended pruning of a 14-count suit filed by six former Twitter employees accusing the company now known as X and Elon Musk of contract breaches and other claims in connection with Musk's takeover of the social media giant in 2022.

  • December 05, 2024

    3rd Circ. Affirms ConocoPhillips Ruling On $8.5B Debt

    The Third Circuit on Thursday affirmed a ruling paving the way for ConocoPhillips' participation in an auction for control of the U.S. oil giant Citgo to enforce an $8.5 billion debt against Venezuela.

  • December 05, 2024

    3rd Circ. Unsure Pa. Regulator Had Right To Deny Project

    Third Circuit judges appeared wary on Thursday of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission's argument that its take on the necessity of a transmission project trumps a federal agency's determination, at one point questioning how any such project could be completed if the court accepted its argument.

  • December 05, 2024

    Quest Ex-Workers Ask 3rd Circ. To Revive 401(k) Suit

    Ex-workers for Quest Diagnostics Inc. urged the Third Circuit to revive their suit alleging mismanagement of their $5 billion 401(k) retirement plan, arguing a lower court shouldn't have handed Quest an early win on claims the company failed to properly monitor investment offerings.

  • December 05, 2024

    Ex-CEO Of Solar Biz ISun Says Ch. 11 Plan Doesn't Add Up

    The former CEO of solar power company iSun is asking a Delaware bankruptcy judge to reject the company's proposed Chapter 11 plan, saying it fails to provide for payment of priority claims, including his own deferred paychecks.

  • December 05, 2024

    FTX Clawback Deal With Ex-Alameda Co-CEO Gets Court Nod

    A Delaware bankruptcy judge has approved a deal to settle clawback claims by FTX against former Alameda Research Ltd. executive John Samuel Trabucco, who agreed to hand over two San Francisco apartments purchased in 2021 for $8.7 million and a 53-foot yacht bought in 2022 for $2.5 million.

  • December 05, 2024

    Disgruntled Dems Move On From Appellate Noms Deal

    While some Democrats have gripes about the deal Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer made with Republicans before Thanksgiving on judicial confirmations, they grudgingly concede the deal helps them fill as many seats as possible even if it means leaving choice circuit seats for President-elect Donald Trump to fill.

  • December 05, 2024

    IPlace Bid To Cut Former CEO's Legal Fees Nixed In Chancery

    A former CEO and director of global recruiting company iPlace USA Inc. won a Delaware Court of Chancery order Thursday obliging the company to pay his legal fee advancements for defense against the company's federal suit seeking, in part, recovery of the official's compensation while building a competing venture.

  • December 04, 2024

    Intel, VLSI Agree To Pause Del. IP Fight Ahead Of Texas Trial

    Prodded by a federal judge in Delaware, Intel Corp. and VLSI Technology LLC agreed Wednesday to stay motions to dismiss or transfer an Intel Corp. suit over claims that it already holds licenses to patents that VLSI asserts it controls, as a similar patent battle moves forward in Texas.

  • December 04, 2024

    Fed. Circ. Sinks Patent Fight Over Intel's CPU Chips

    The Federal Circuit on Wednesday rubber-stamped a ruling out of Delaware federal court that cleared Intel of allegations that the chipmaker infringed patents by a University of Maryland professor who purportedly developed an important idea in the world of "parallel computing" in 2006.

  • December 04, 2024

    Novartis Fails To Stop Generic Drug Release At Fed. Circ.

    Novartis could not persuade Federal Circuit judges to grant an injunction Wednesday protecting its blockbuster heart failure medication from facing generic competition, with the appeals court backing a Delaware federal judge's opinion that it was unlikely that one of the generic drug's ingredients is "amorphous."

  • December 04, 2024

    Avon Cleared To Sell To Parent Co. For $125M In Ch. 11

    A Delaware bankruptcy judge on Wednesday said he would approve a settlement between Avon Products Inc. and Brazilian parent company Natura that clears the way for the beleaguered cosmetics giant to sell itself to Natura for $125 million.

  • December 04, 2024

    Del. Justices Skeptical $2.4B SPAC Deal Misled Investors

    Delaware Supreme Court justices pressed a stockholder attorney on Wednesday to explain how the blank-check company that took electric vehicle venture Canoo Holdings Ltd. public in a $2.4 billion deal breached its duties by failing to reveal information it purportedly had yet to receive.

  • December 04, 2024

    3rd Circ. Preview: BetMGM Addiction Case Tops Dec. Lineup

    The Third Circuit is set to determine if BetMGM online casino should face a lawsuit claiming it violated New Jersey consumer protection and gambling laws for allegedly enticing a man with a gambling problem to play its games.

  • December 03, 2024

    Hunter Biden's Gun, Tax Cases Axed After Presidential Pardon

    Federal judges in Delaware and California on Tuesday closed the books on Hunter Biden's felony gun and tax evasion cases, just ahead of his sentencing hearings, after President Joe Biden issued a sweeping pardon of his son over the weekend.

  • December 03, 2024

    Del. Justices Mostly Uphold Mindbody Merger Suit Ruling

    Delaware's Supreme Court has upheld a Court of Chancery ruling that the former CEO of Mindbody Inc. is liable for an extra $1 per share plus interest to stockholders of the fitness software company but reversed the lower court's finding that Vista Equity Partners Management LLC, which acquired Mindbody in 2019, aided and abetted the executive.

  • December 03, 2024

    Chancery Orders Revenue Trust For Healthcare Co. 'Poaching'

    A home health company formed through secret poaching by an allegedly disloyal former CEO, two officers and two private equities has been ordered to earmark much of its future revenue to a trust for the corporate victims, in a Delaware Court of Chancery ruling that described the subterfuge as "stunning."

  • December 03, 2024

    Judge Denies News Orgs. Bid To Unseal FTX Customer Names

    A Delaware federal judge on Tuesday said he wouldn't reverse an order allowing defunct crypto platform FTX Trading Ltd. to keep customer names out of public bankruptcy filings, rejecting an appeal from major news outlets to unseal the information and writing that sealing the information preserved FTX's assets and protected creditors from cybercrime.

  • December 03, 2024

    Intel's License Fight With VLSI In Texas Gets May Trial Date

    A Texas federal judge has set a May trial date for Intel's claim that it already has a license to VLSI's chip patents in their multibillion-dollar dispute.

  • December 03, 2024

    Del. Justices To Review 3M Earplug MDL Coverage Dispute

    The Delaware Supreme Court agreed to review a lower court's finding that defense costs paid by 3M in underlying multidistrict litigation over the company's combat earplugs could not satisfy the self-insured retention of its subsidiary's insurance policies.

  • December 03, 2024

    Attys For Sears Ex-CEO, Appraisal Camp Clash In Chancery

    A lawyer for Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores' former top fiduciary told a Delaware vice chancellor on Tuesday that case law does not support carving out stockholder proceeds from a fiduciary breach settlement in order to pay shareholders whose separate appraisal lawsuit was foiled by SHOS' bankruptcy.

  • December 03, 2024

    Film Financing Firm Gets OK For Ch. 11 Auction In January

    A Delaware bankruptcy judge gave Film Finance Inc., a company that offers financing for high-profile film projects, the go-ahead Tuesday to put itself on the auction block early next year after dropping protections for its baseline bidder that had attracted the ire of the U.S. Trustee's Office.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    Gardening Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Beyond its practical and therapeutic benefits, gardening has bolstered important attributes that also apply to my litigation practice, including persistence, patience, grit and authenticity, says Christopher Viceconte at Gibbons.

  • Federal Embrace Of Crypto Regs Won't Lower State Hurdles

    Author Photo

    Even if the incoming presidential administration and next Congress focus on creating clearer federal regulatory frameworks for the cryptocurrency sector, companies bringing digital asset products and services to the market will still face significant state-level barriers, say attorneys at Mayer Brown.

  • Litigation Inspiration: Reframing Document Review

    Author Photo

    For attorneys — new ones especially — there is much fulfillment to find in document review by reflecting on how important, interesting and pleasant it can be, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.

  • IP Ruling Likely To Limit Arguments Against Qualified Experts

    Author Photo

    The Federal Circuit's recent decision in Osseo v. Planmeca, clarifying when experts may offer testimony from the perspective of a skilled artisan, provides helpful guidance on expert qualifications and could quash future timing arguments regarding declarants' expertise, says Whitney Jenkins at Marshall Gerstein.

  • How Boards And Officers Should Prep For New Trump Admin

    Author Photo

    In anticipation of President-elect Donald Trump's proposed tariffs and mass deportation campaign, company officers and board members should pursue proactive, comprehensive contingency planning to not only advance the best interests of the companies they serve, but to also properly exercise their fiduciary duty of care, say attorneys at Winston & Strawn.

  • The Challenges Of Abandoned Retirement Plans In Ch. 7

    Author Photo

    The Department of Labor's rule for unwinding retirement accounts when plan sponsors file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy was intended to alleviate trustees' administration issues, but practical challenges, like unresolved fee and identification matters, could hinder its implementation, say David Goodrich at Golden Goodrich and Nancy Simons at Stretto.

  • Series

    Flying Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Achieving my childhood dream of flying airplanes made me a better lawyer — and a better person — because it taught me I can conquer difficult goals when I leave my comfort zone, focus on the demands of the moment and commit to honing my skills, says Ivy Cadle at Baker Donelson.

  • Post-Election Implications For The EPA's Methane Rules

    Author Photo

    Amid the U.S. Supreme Court's recent denial of requests to halt implementation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's methane rule in two suits, and given the outcome of the election, a complete reversal of the methane rule is expected, but state-level policymaking and enforcement will continue, says John Watson at Spencer Fane.

  • Racing Patents To The Fed. Circ.: Collateral Estoppel Lessons

    Author Photo

    As more and more parties find themselves in two different forums addressing the same issues and then competing in a race to the Federal Circuit, certain strategies can help despite unanswered questions on when Patent Trial and Appeal Board determinations trigger collateral estoppel, say attorneys at Akin.

  • Series

    Circus Arts Make Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Performing circus arts has strengthened my ability to be more thoughtful, confident and grounded, all of which has enhanced my legal practice and allowed me to serve clients in a more meaningful way, says Bailey McGowan at Stinson.

  • 3 Ways To Train Junior Lawyers In 30 Minutes Or Less

    Author Photo

    Today’s junior lawyers are experiencing a skills gap due to pandemic-era disruptions, but firms can help bring them up to speed by offering high-impact skill building content in bite-sized, interactive training sessions, say Stacey Schwartz at Katten, Diane Costigan at Winston & Strawn and Lauren Tierney at Freshfields.

  • How AstraZeneca Ruling Could Change Dosage Patent Claims

    Author Photo

    If affirmed on appeal, the rationale employed by the Delaware federal court in Wyeth v. AstraZeneca to find "unit dosage"-related patent claims invalid could lead to a significant paradigm shift in how active-ingredient-focused patent applications are drafted and litigated, say Matthew Zapadka and John Schneible at Arnall Golden.

  • The Bar Needs More Clarity On The Discovery Objection Rule

    Author Photo

    Almost 10 years after Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 34 was amended, attorneys still seem confused about what they should include in objections to discovery requests, and until the rules committee provides additional clarity, practitioners must beware the steep costs of noncompliance, says Tristan Ellis at Shanies Law Office.

  • Del. Dispatch: Clarifying Charter Amendment Vote Obligations

    Author Photo

    The Delaware Court of Chancery recently held in Gunderson v. The Trade Desk that only a majority stockholder vote is needed to approve a company's proposed reincorporation from Delaware to Nevada through a corporate conversion, which bodes well for other companies also considering leaving the First State, say attorneys at Fried Frank.

  • Series

    Being A Navy Reservist Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Serving this country in uniform has not only been one of the greatest honors of my life, but it has also provided me with opportunities to broaden my legal acumen and interpersonal skills in ways that have indelibly contributed to my civilian practice, says Phillip Smith at Weinberg Wheeler.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Hello! I'm Law360's automated support bot.

How can I help you today?

For example, you can type:
  • I forgot my password
  • I took a free trial but didn't get a verification email
  • How do I sign up for a newsletter?
Ask a question!