Michigan

  • December 23, 2024

    CFPB Sues Rocket Homes Over Alleged Realtor Kickbacks

    Rocket Homes Real Estate has been giving brokers and agents incentives to steer homebuyers toward obtaining loans through Rocket Mortgage, while pressuring agents to withhold information that could save their clients thousands of dollars on a down payment, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said Monday.

  • December 23, 2024

    6th Circ. Says Trial Needed To Decide If FLSA Violations Willful

    The Sixth Circuit has upended an order finding a horse training company willfully violated the Fair Labor Standards Act when it failed to pay workers overtime wages, saying the question of whether it knowingly ran afoul of the law is best left to a jury.

  • December 23, 2024

    EEOC Backs Fired Ford Worker's Retaliation Claim At 6th Circ.

    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission urged the Sixth Circuit to revive a Muslim, Middle Eastern engineer's suit claiming Ford fired him for complaining about on-the-job bias, saying the lower court wrongly factored in months of medical leave when assessing the timing of his termination.

  • December 23, 2024

    Chemical Exec Facing Felony Charges For Flint River Oil Spill

    The president of a chemical company has been arraigned on multiple felony charges for allegedly mismanaging chemical waste at a Michigan production site, resulting in a 2022 oil and chemical spill in the Flint River.

  • December 20, 2024

    A Look Back At 2024's Major Securities Litigation Moments

    The private securities litigation bar experienced a busy 2024, with meaningful and significant rulings in almost all of the nation's leading courts, and corporations, investors, government agencies and executives fighting over pay packages, disclosures, class certifications and mergers.

  • December 20, 2024

    Panel Baffled Why Prosecutor Left Holding Bag In Weed Case

    A Michigan state judge who stuck the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office with a $66,000 bill for marijuana destroyed by police and said he'd "let the Court of Appeals sort it out" left those appellate judges scratching their heads — and reversing his decision on Thursday.

  • December 20, 2024

    6th Circ. To Group FedEx, Kellogg Pension Data Appeals

    The Sixth Circuit on Thursday rejected a request to stay a case alleging FedEx Corp. uses outdated actuarial assumptions in calculating certain retirees' annuities, pending a similar appeal from Kellogg Co. retirees, saying it would instead group the cases together.

  • December 20, 2024

    Real Estate Recap: Stats, Multifamily Tech, Pot Shop Pickle

    Catch up on this past week's key developments by state from Law360 Real Estate Authority — including big picture stats for commercial real estate in 2024, how one proptech company is leveraging resident data for multifamily profitability, and a conversation with a BigLaw leader about navigating New York's pot shop crackdown.

  • December 20, 2024

    Court Opens Window For Patient To Pierce COVID Immunity

    A Michigan appellate court said Wednesday medical malpractice claims from a patient seeking help for pandemic-related stress were barred because her hospital admittance and alleged injuries had a connection to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the court directed a lower court to consider letting the patient plead a gross negligence exception to the state's pandemic response immunity.

  • December 20, 2024

    Mich. Doc Accused Of Selling Property To Duck $35M Judgment

    A Michigan doctor fraudulently sold property and sent money to his family members to avoid paying a $35 million forfeiture and $5.2 million restitution related to his healthcare fraud convictions, federal prosecutors alleged Friday.

  • December 20, 2024

    Feds Back Straight Worker's Suit Alleging Pro-LGBTQ Bias

    The federal government urged the U.S. Supreme Court to revive a heterosexual Ohio state employee's lawsuit claiming supervisors' bias toward LGBTQ workers cost her a promotion, saying the Sixth Circuit erred in holding she needed to show a pattern of prejudice against straight people to support her case.

  • December 19, 2024

    2nd Circ. Mulls Dormant Commerce Applicability To Marijuana

    A Second Circuit panel appeared conflicted Thursday on whether the dormant commerce clause applies to federally illegal marijuana and, if so, whether New York cannabis regulators still had an interest in ensuring that some cannabis licenses went to locals.

  • December 19, 2024

    Feds Could Pay $1.1M To Settle WWII Refinery Waste Fight

    A Valero Energy Corp. unit is asking a Michigan federal judge to sign off on a deal that would have the U.S. government pay it $1.1 million for cleanup costs allegedly stemming from the government's wartime operations at a refinery in Houston.

  • December 19, 2024

    $18M TransUnion Loss 'Riddled With Defects,' 6th Circ. Says

    The Sixth Circuit said Wednesday that a jury's $18.3 million award in a dustup over intellectual property related to an online insurance quote marketplace was based on damages evidence that was sorely lacking, affirming that TransUnion is off the hook.

  • December 19, 2024

    Full 6th Circ. Will Rehear GM Transmission Defect Case

    The Sixth Circuit on Thursday granted General Motors LLC's request for a full bench rehearing of a panel's decision from earlier this year upholding class certification for a group of drivers who allege the automaker knowingly sold vehicles with defective transmissions.

  • December 19, 2024

    Michigan's Biggest Decisions Of 2024

    This year, the Michigan Supreme Court instituted sweeping changes to the state's wage and paid leave laws, took some damages off the table for wrongful death plaintiffs, and recognized third-party retaliation claims.

  • December 18, 2024

    Fired Steel Co. Worker Wins $3 In Age Bias Suit

    A Michigan federal jury on Wednesday sided with a human resources worker who said he was fired by a steel company after he complained that its restructuring plan targeted workers over 40 — but he was handed only $3 in damages.

  • December 18, 2024

    Destroyed Docs Merit Harsher Sanctions, Mich. Panel Says

    A Michigan appellate panel on Tuesday said fees awarded to the estate of a man who died after choking in an adult foster care facility were likely too low, finding a lower court erred by limiting the scope of available sanctions over the destruction of "copious amounts" of digital evidence.

  • December 18, 2024

    CVS Fueled Opioid Epidemic In Rush For Profits, Feds Say

    The U.S. Department of Justice unveiled a suit Wednesday accusing CVS, the nation's largest pharmacy chain, of knowingly filling invalid prescriptions for powerful opioids and ignoring internal pleas from its pharmacists as it allegedly put profits over safety. 

  • December 18, 2024

    Homeless Woman's Residency Unclear In Inter-Insurer Dispute

    A Michigan state appeals court has vacated a trial court order finding the insurer for a homeless woman's parents must cover injuries she suffered after being run over by a semitruck, ruling that questions remain over whether the woman had another established residence.

  • December 18, 2024

    States, Green Groups Drop Suits Over USPS Vehicle Plan

    A coalition of states and cities and several environmental groups moved to dismiss their lawsuits challenging the U.S. Postal Service's multibillion-dollar plan to acquire its next-generation delivery vehicles.

  • December 18, 2024

    Medical Center Escapes COVID Outbreak Blame-Trading Suit

    A Michigan state appeals panel nixed a wedding venue's defamation suit alleging it was falsely blamed after several guests at a reception contracted COVID-19, handing a win to a healthcare provider the venue pointed to as the source of the outbreak. 

  • December 17, 2024

    Little Caesar's Arbitration Clause Should Be Axed, Judge Told

    An ex-Little Caesars worker seeking to represent the pizza chain's California employees in a putative wage-and-hour class action urged a Golden State federal judge Tuesday to invalidate the restaurant's new arbitration agreement banning workers from participating in the litigation, saying the company didn't make it clear the clause was voluntary.

  • December 17, 2024

    Laser Maker Loses Bid To Trim Patent Suit In Mass.

    A Massachusetts federal judge has shot down laser maker NKT Photonics' bid to dodge allegations it infringed one of the patents asserted in a lawsuit from a company owned by a University of Michigan professor.

  • December 17, 2024

    Mich. Couple Sues Town For Allowing Pot Co. To Expand

    A Michigan couple claim a township is retaliating against them because of the husband's outspoken opposition to the recreational marijuana industry, accusing the municipal leadership of allowing a grow facility to expand next to their property and forcing them to "raise their children in a home that smells of marijuana."

Expert Analysis

  • E-Discovery Quarterly: Rulings On Hyperlinked Documents

    Author Photo

    Recent rulings show that counsel should engage in early discussions with clients regarding the potential of hyperlinked documents in electronically stored information, which will allow for more deliberate negotiation of any agreements regarding the scope of discovery, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Loper Bright Limits Federal Agencies' Ability To Alter Course

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision to dismantle Chevron deference also effectively overrules its 2005 decision in National Cable & Telecommunications Association v. Brand X, greatly diminishing agencies' ability to change regulatory course from one administration to the next, says Steven Gordon at Holland & Knight.

  • Series

    Teaching Scuba Diving Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    As a master scuba instructor, I’ve learned how to prepare for the unexpected, overcome fears and practice patience, and each of these skills – among the many others I’ve developed – has profoundly enhanced my work as a lawyer, says Ron Raether at Troutman Pepper.

  • Lawyers Can Take Action To Honor The Voting Rights Act

    Author Photo

    As the Voting Rights Act reaches its 59th anniversary Tuesday, it must urgently be reinforced against recent efforts to dismantle voter protections, and lawyers can pitch in immediately by volunteering and taking on pro bono work to directly help safeguard the right to vote, says Anna Chu at We The Action.

  • Opinion

    Expert Witness Standards Must Consider Peer Review Crisis

    Author Photo

    For nearly two decades, the so-called replication crisis has upended how the scientific community views the reliability of peer-reviewed studies, and it’s time for courts to reevaluate whether peer review is a trustworthy proxy for expert witness reliability, say Jeffrey Gross and Robert LaCroix at Reid Collins.

  • How To Grow Marketing, Biz Dev Teams In A Tight Market

    Author Photo

    Faced with fierce competition and rising operating costs, firms are feeling the pressure to build a well-oiled marketing and business development team that supports strategic priorities, but they’ll need to be flexible and creative given a tight talent market, says Ben Curle at Ambition.

  • Series

    Rock Climbing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Rock climbing requires problem-solving, focus, risk management and resilience, skills that are also invaluable assets in my role as a finance lawyer, says Mei Zhang at Haynes and Boone.

  • Think Like A Lawyer: Dance The Legal Standard Two-Step

    Author Photo

    From rookie brief writers to Chief Justice John Roberts, lawyers should master the legal standard two-step — framing the governing standard at the outset, and clarifying why they meet that standard — which has benefits for both the drafter and reader, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.

  • Series

    Being A Luthier Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    When I’m not working as an appellate lawyer, I spend my spare time building guitars — a craft known as luthiery — which has helped to enhance the discipline, patience and resilience needed to write better briefs, says Rob Carty at Nichols Brar.

  • Lead Like 'Ted Lasso' By Embracing Cognitive Diversity

    Author Photo

    The Apple TV+ series “Ted Lasso” aptly illustrates how embracing cognitive diversity can be a winning strategy for teams, providing a useful lesson for law firms, which can benefit significantly from fresh, diverse perspectives and collaborative problem-solving, says Paul Manuele at PR Manuele Consulting.

  • Justices' Starbucks Ruling May Limit NLRB Injunction Wins

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in Starbucks v. McKinney, adopting a more stringent test for National Labor Relations Board Section 10(j) injunctions, may lessen the frequency with which employers must defend against injunctions alongside parallel unfair labor practice charges, say David Pryzbylski and Colleen Schade at Barnes & Thornburg.

  • Class Actions At The Circuit Courts: July Lessons

    Author Photo

    In this month's review of class action appeals, Mitchell Engel at Shook Hardy considers cases touching on pre- and post-conviction detainment conditions, communications with class representatives, when the American Pipe tolling doctrine stops applying to modified classes, and more.

  • Opinion

    Now More Than Ever, Lawyers Must Exhibit Professionalism

    Author Photo

    As society becomes increasingly fractured and workplace incivility is on the rise, attorneys must champion professionalism and lead by example, demonstrating how lawyers can respectfully disagree without being disagreeable, says Edward Casmere at Norton Rose.

  • Series

    Serving In The National Guard Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    My ongoing military experience as a judge advocate general in the National Guard has shaped me as a person and a lawyer, teaching me the importance of embracing confidence, balance and teamwork in both my Army and civilian roles, says Danielle Aymond at Baker Donelson.

  • A Midyear Forecast: Tailwinds Expected For Atty Hourly Rates

    Author Photo

    Hourly rates for partners, associates and support staff continued to rise in the first half of this year, and this growth shows no signs of slowing for the rest of 2024 and into next year, driven in part by the return of mergers and acquisitions and the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence, says Chuck Chandler at Valeo Partners.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Michigan archive.
Hello! I'm Law360's automated support bot.

How can I help you today?

For example, you can type:
  • I forgot my password
  • I took a free trial but didn't get a verification email
  • How do I sign up for a newsletter?
Ask a question!