Mass Torts Plaintiffs and the Federal Courts

With mass torts, plaintiffs and their attorneys have both state and federal options when considering where to pursue their claims.  The conventional wisdom has been that federal courts are “defense friendly”  – with substantive and procedural requirements and rules which may be unfamiliar or appear restrictive to attorneys who practice primarily in state courts. The


Sullivan, Rakoff Decisions a Mandate to Define Insider Trading Laws

Two recent federal judicial rulings in New York may play a pivotal role in formally defining the vague legal premise surrounding insider trading. In December, 2nd Circuit Appeals Court judge, Richard J. Sullivan overturned the convictions of traders Todd Newman and Anthony Chiasson. In the case, Newman and Chiasson were accused of using information, informally


Texas State Lawmakers Begin Full Assault on the Judicial-Bypass Abortion Process

Three separate bills were introduced by Republican lawmakers in the Texas State House over the past two weeks, each attacking provisions of the state’s “Judicial-Bypass” process. Judicial-Bypass allows underage girls to seek approval through the court system in order to have an abortion without parental notification. The confidential procedure was established in 1999, in response


Dueling Toxic Substance Control Act Bills could Swing Law’s Efficacy

Two bills have been recently introduced in the Senate in an effort to reform what some legal scholars consider to be one of the weakest regulations on the books. The Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) was introduced in 1976, giving the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) authority to regulate new and existing chemicals. The law, however,


Justices Breyer, Kennedy, Speak out on Criminal Justice Reform

Supreme Court Justices Stephen Breyer and Anthony Kennedy spoke candidly about reforms needed in the criminal justice system before a House Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee meeting in Washington D.C. on March 23rd. In a rare off-topic discussion, Justice Kennedy spoke bluntly about the criminal justice system to the committee stating that, “In many




Indiana and Arkansas Religious Freedom: a Week in Review

It is Friday, April 3rd, a week since the entire world, as it would seem, mouthed a collective ‘wait, you did wha?’ toward the mousy but likable state of Indiana. Governor Mike Pence’s Thursday, March 26th signing of his state’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) began a wave of protestation reminiscent of Ferguson, or even


Kraft Foods, Mondelez Price Manipulation Lawsuit Illustrates post-2008 Financial Reforms

The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Northern Illinois on Wednesday, April 1st against Kraft foods and snack spinoff, Mondelez International, accusing the companies of price manipulation of the wheat market. The CFTC alleges that Kraft executives and a leading procurement director exchanged several emails outlining a