Case Notes
April 27, 2009
Recent rulings of interest.
High Court Dismisses Philip Morris Appeal of $79 Million Punitive Damages Verdict
April 27, 2009
On March 31, the U.S. Supreme Court blinked in a long-running standoff with the Oregon Supreme Court over the handling of a punitive damages suit against Philip Morris brought by the widow of a smoker who died from lung cancer in 1997. The high court dismissed the case of Philip Morris v. Williams as "improvidently granted"in a one-sentence opinion.
Sophisticated User Defense Gains Acceptance
April 27, 2009
The sophisticated user doctrine has become a prevalent defense nationwide in product liability actions involving failure-to-warn claims. This article expounds upon recent cases that help to entrench the sophisticated user doctrine in many states' case law, to a full or limited degree.
The New Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act
April 27, 2009
The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (commonly referred to as the "CPSIA") was enacted in August 2008 in the wake of a sharp increase in recalls of children's products, particularly the recall of toys during and after the 2007 holiday season. This article provides an overview of the CPSIA, including a summary of key provisions, an update on agency rulemaking to implement the law, and an assessment of the risks and challenges related to compliance with the law.
Practice Tip: The FDA's Good Reprint Practices and Product Liability
April 27, 2009
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently finalized its guidance document entitled "Good Reprint Practices for the Distribution of Medical Journal Articles and Medical Scientific Reference Publications on Unapproved New Uses of Approved Drugs and Approved or Cleared Medical Devices" (the "GRP Guidance"),. Here's what you need to know.
Does Joinder of a Forum Defendant Always Prevent Removal?
April 27, 2009
A state-court action cannot, as a general rule, be removed to federal court where a resident of the forum state has been joined as a defendant. 28 U.S.C. '1441(b). This is commonly known as the "forum defendant rule." There is, however, an exception to the rule.
The Growth in Wage-and-Hour Claims
April 27, 2009
This article explores some of the most common FLSA issues that employers confront on a daily basis, and ways to avoid being a victim of this FLSA wave.
RICO
April 27, 2009
Smithfield Foods' precedent-setting civil racketeering suit against the United Food and Commercial Workers' Union (UFCW) and several related defendants spawned critically important legal precedent that blazes a new trail for employers who are in search of litigation options for responding to non-traditional union organizing methods.
How to Create Common and Uncommon Assignment/Subletting Problems
April 24, 2009
Under common law, absent a lease restriction, tenants had been free to assign their leasehold interest to others or to sublet all or part of their leased space. That rule of law is of little consequence today because virtually all leases restrict assignment and subletting rights, often in excruciating detail.
