Litigation

StarGreetz, a new Los Angeles media company that lets customers send personalized celebrity videos and marketing messages over sites like Facebook and Twitter, might sound like just another Internet start-up hoping to capitalize on the public's obsession with Hollywood and social networking. But the company isn't a couple of star-dazed programmers fiddling around in a garage: StarGreetz's founders and backers are former senior executives at Warner Brothers, 20th Century Fox and Disney; its lawyers hail from Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe. Make that former lawyers, at least in a crucial case over the origins of the StarGreetz venture. In December, a Los Angeles state court judge granted a motion by plaintiff StarClipz in a trade secrets and breach of contract suit against StarGreetz to disqualify Orrick from representing the company.

FILM PRODUCTION LOSSES/ISSUE PRECLUSION
NON-COMPETITION CLAUSES/TV STATION ACQUISITIONS

The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division, denied a Texas-based concert promoter's motion to dismiss a suit by an Argentinian promoter over a planned M'tley Cre concert.

Analysis of recent key rulings.

There is language in the Mensing opinion written by Justice Thomas, as well as in Justice Sotomayer's dissenting opinion, which suggests that the Court might be receptive to prescription drug preemption arguments.

Part One of this article discussed the impact of Supreme Court decisions addressing personal jurisdiction and preemption. Part Two herein discusses decisions involving class actions, pharmaceutical marketing practices, arbitration and proximate cause.

Non-healthcare entity landlords and their attorneys should be aware of certain common provisions in leases with healthcare tenants that could lead to substantial liability for landlords.

Facebook has settled Federal Trade Commission charges that it deceived its users and failed to keep their information private, agreeing on Tuesday to establish a comprehensive privacy program that includes independent audits for the next 20 years.