President Donald Trump's business-friendly deregulatory moves have sparked a sharp increase in corporate merger activity over the first 13 months of his second term.        

Platkin's new firm, Platkin LLP, incorporates three attorneys who were part of his team in Trenton, as well as the same aggressive approach that was behind his litigation related to issues such as gun safety, pollution and consumer protection.

       

In this week's Legal Speak episode, New York class action attorney Alex Barnett reveals how performing stand-up comedy and writing screenplays make him more effective in court.

       

The plaintiff in the latest case is suing Fort Worth-based Tokai Carbon CB Ltd. for more than $1 million after being injured in an explosion at the company's Texas Panhandle plant.

       

Warehouse workers won a round of litigation against Amazon.com, as lawsuits with similar allegations are playing out across the country.

       

Welcome to the Trend Detection Weekly Scan from Law.com Radar. This weekly article highlights shifts and patterns in case filings that are surfaced by Law.com Radar's award-winning Trend Detection system.        

Steve Bannon and Boris Epshteyn face a securities class action in Washington federal court alleging they misled investors in promoting the cryptocurrency Patriot Pay.

       

Artificial intelligence " must not be a substitute for legal judgment,' nor must the public perceive that federal judges outsource our judgment to AI tools,” Judge Edith Jones wrote for the appellate court, quoting from a statement by Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, last year.

       

Despite megadeal growth, domestic mid-market deals are expected to remain the backbone of Canada's M&A market. The mining, tech/AI, defense, and energy sectors will likely see the most activity.

       

The federal court ruled that a substantial award was necessary to deter similar misconduct by online influencers who knowingly make false allegations.

       

A Law.com investigation found the number of habeas corpus petitions filed by immigrant detainees jumped by nearly 1,500% nationwide, leaving many of the busiest district courts struggling to keep up.

       

Employment attorneys say the Trump administration prefers to reduce violations through education, while the Biden administration favored enforcement actions.

       

Litigation is now digital, but is it more efficient? With hybrid work, AI enhancements, and billions of dollars invested in legal tech, are we achieving the right goals of empowering litigators to spend more time on productive (and billable) work? The answer is clear — and surprising: no.

       

“You learned very quickly as a Scalia clerk that he wouldn't respect you if you wouldn't disagree, said Judge Jeffrey Sutton.

       

The plaintiff claimed Reproductive Genetic Innovations' genetic testing was falsely marketed as a proven and reliable method to decrease the chances of having a miscarriage and increased chances of a patient having a healthy baby.

       

"Start with your 'why.' One of the reasons I wanted to start my own firm was to remove potential limitations—on the cases I take, the issues I engage with, and how I communicate about them. Being a founder allows you to decide the fate of your work, but that autonomy comes with responsibility. (...) Your 'why' should guide how you choose cases, build your team, communicate publicly, and create the internal systems that support your firm."

       

A “low-growth economic environment and "information integrity risk" are among the most prominent risks identified in a new quarterly report from consultancy Gartner. Both could have a profound impact on the outlook for law firms.

       

Andrew Ferguson said that, while the Federal Trade Commission is "not the speech police," it is mandated to protect consumers from deceptive speech-related products.

       

Gail Slater likely felt pressure from U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi or other high-ranking DOJ officials "to do things that she didn't feel was right and decided her reputation and honor were more important than continuing to serve in the role," Troutman Pepper Locke partner Brad Weber said of Slater's sudden departure as the U.S. Department of Justice's top antitrust enforcer.

       

"On this record, a reasonable jury could conclude that Marks was shot when he neither posed a threat to the officers or the public, nor was he fleeing or ignoring an officer's commands. On the other hand, a jury might agree with Officer Bauer's assessment of the situation and find his use of force was objectively reasonable," the 8th Circuit said.