Recalled Mattel Toys: Class Action Suits Seek Medical Monitoring
Two Pennsylvania law firms have filed class action suits against toy company Mattel Inc. The suits were filed in an effort to compel Mattel, the importer of millions of Chinese-made toys that have been recalled recently due to lead paint and small magnets, to pay for lead testing for children who may have been affected by the toys.
Fee Contracts: Failure to Include Language Costs Millions
The saga of a Texas product liability law firm can serve as a lesson to other firms in Texas, and perhaps, throughout the nation. In September, an arbitration panel ordered John M. O'Quinn's firm to pay a class of 3,450 former breast implant clients nearly $42 million because the fee contracts did not include language permitting the firm to charge for general expenses.
Texas Asbestos Reform: The New Quantitative Standard
Because of the devastating impact asbestos litigation has had on U.S. companies, courts and legislatures have finally begun to retake control of asbestos litigation. On June 8, 2007, the Texas Supreme Court issued its opinion in <i>Borg-Warner Corporation v. Flores</i>, marking the latest step in Texas' transition away from easy asbestos verdicts for plaintiffs.
The Fifth Element: Adding to the Daubert Criteria
Any trial lawyer re-reading <i>Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc.,</i> or reading afresh the Ninth Circuit's application of the <i>Daubert</i> standard on remand from the U.S. Supreme Court may be surprised to learn that a fifth reliability element ' often overlooked ' is frequently applicable and very useful.
Recent Developments in Spoliation Law
This article examines recent developments in spoliation law affecting civil litigation, including various remedial and punitive strategies that some jurisdictions have adopted.
Features
Practice Tip: Is It Necessary to Sue a Foreign Auto Manufacturer?
Foreign auto manufacturers often have American subsidiaries that import their products and market them with a warranty from the importer. If such a product injures an American due to a design defect, do you need to sue the manufacturer as well as the importer/seller/warrantor?
The Leasing Hotline
Highlights of the latest commercial leasing cases from around the country.
Features
Subleasing Pointers: The Perspective of a Prime Landlord, Sublandlord, and Subtenant
Part One of this series discussed subleasing from the perspective of the Prime Landlord. This second installment addresses the issue from the Sublandlord's perspective.
In the Spotlight: Dealing with Vacancies in the Context of Pass-Throughs
In the vast majority of commercial leases, provision is made for passing through to the tenants the responsibility for paying all or a portion of the operating costs of the building and the real estate taxes payable with respect to the property. However, what if the building is partially vacant? This article explores how leases deal with vacancies in the context of such 'pass-throughs.'
Rent Abatement Clauses: Tenants Should Speak Softly, But Draft a 'Club'
In commercial lease transactions, a tenant's desire and need to occupy a space and begin transacting business often takes precedence over a landlord's ability to complete all of the bargained-for physical alterations that it has promised. The issue of determining the diminished value of the premises prior to the completion of the landlord's work is customarily resolved through the negotiation of rent abatement provisions that quantify damages where delays in the landlord's construction would lead to a breach of contract.
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