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Apex Frozen Foods Private LTD. v. US

(United States Federal Circuit) - Affirming the Court of International Trade's affirmation of the US Department of Commerce's findings following a review of the antidumping duty order on certain frozen warmwater shrimp from India.




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California Communities Against Toxics v. EPA

(United States DC Circuit) - Dismissed. The Wehrum Memo relating to air quality was not a final agency action, so the court lacked subject matter jurisdiction to hear complaints about its contents.




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Klocke v. University of TX at Arlington

(United States Fifth Circuit) - Reversed and remanded. The Texas Citizens Participation Act does not apply to diversity cases in federal court.




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Sec. & Exch. Comm'n v. M&A W. Inc.

(United States Ninth Circuit) - In an SEC enforcement action arising from the activities of a company described as a "sham incubator for startup companies", summary judgment ruling against defendant is affirmed in part and reversed and remanded in part where: 1) the district court correctly found that defendant was an underwriter under section 2(11) of the Securities Act of 1933, and therefore not exempt from the the Act's registration requirements; 2) it did not err in ordering that defendant disgorge all profits, with interest, he obtained from certain transactions; but 3) genuine issues of material fact precluded summary judgment as to the imposition of certain civil sanctions.




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Crescent/Mach I Partners L.P. v. Dr. Pepper Bottling Co. of Texas

(Supreme Court of Delaware) - In a statutory appraisal action arising from an acquisition by merger, an order modifying the appraisal opinion is reversed where the dispute had become moot by operation of a settlement agreement, and the purported modification of the appraisal opinion therefore had no legal effect.




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Fox v. JAMDAT Mobile, Inc.

(California Court of Appeal) - In a stockholder's suit against a company and individual directors, claiming that both the acquisition process, and the common stock arising from the acquisition were unfair, the judgment of the trial court is affirmed in part, reversed in part and remanded where: 1) the doctrine of shareholder ratification does not bar the intervenor's claims; 2) the intervenor's complaint, which consists of a single cause of action states facts sufficient for a cause of action for breach of fiduciary duties as to the individual directors; and 3) trial court's judgment sustaining the demurrer as to the company is affirmed.




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Norex Petro. Ltd. v. Access Indus., Inc.

(United States Second Circuit) - In a RICO action alleging injury arising from the activities of an international criminal enterprise, or more specifically, "a massive racketeering scheme to take over a substantial portion of the Russian oil industry", dismissal of the action is affirmed where: 1) the question of the justiciability of the RICO claims was properly one of whether the complaint adequately stated a claim for relief; and 2) because the RICO statute lacked a clear statement of extraterritorial reach, plaintiff's claims were barred.




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Norex Petro. Ltd. v. Access Indus., Inc.

(United States Second Circuit) - In a RICO action alleging various injuries to plaintiff arising from the activities of defendants' alleged international criminal enterprise, the dismissal of the complaint is affirmed where: 1) the question of the justiciability of the RICO claims is properly one of whether the complaint adequately states a claim for relief; and 2) because the RICO statute lacked a clear statement of extraterritorial reach, plaintiff’s claims are barred.




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IDX Capital, LLC v. Phoenix Partners Group LLC

(Court of Appeals of New York) - In a suit for tortious interference with prospective business relations and aiding and abetting breach of fiduciary duty, arising from the defendants' alleged participation in derailing the plaintiff company's acquisition by a third party, the Appellate Division's dismissal of the complaint is affirmed by memorandum, where the plaintiffs failed to produce evidentiary proof as to whether: 1) individual defendants participated in a co-defendant's admitted campaign to interfere with the proposed acquisition; 2) defendant entities should be held vicariously liable for the interference; or 3) an individual plaintiff was entitled to injunctive relief.



  • Injury & Tort Law
  • M&A

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Varjabedian v. Emulex Corporation

(United States Ninth Circuit) - Affirming a district court conclusion in a putative securities class action relating to a corporate merger that the Securities Exchange Act does not create a private right of action for shareholders confronted with a tender offer and dismissing the complaint as to one defendant, who was not a proper defendant, holding that the Exchange Act requires a showing of negligence rather than scienter for the claims brought, and remanding for the district court to reconsider the defense motion to dismiss under the negligence standard.




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Latido Music Announces Advisory Board - Notable Execs From Univision, Warner Bros., Cinedigm

Latido Music, The Premiere 24-hour Digital Television Network Dedicated To Latin Music, Has Announced The Formation Of Its Advisory Board




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PaTRAM Institute To Record Next CD In Saratov, Russia, Accompanied By The Wonderworking Kursk Root Icon Of The Mother Of God

Fresh Off Their GRAMMY Nomination For Their CD, Teach Me Thy Statutes,the PaTRAM Institute Will Record Their Next CD In Saratov, Russia This August.




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Xprnc Media Announces The 'Rise Above - ON TOUR' Marketing Program Empowering Artists To Directly Connect With Fans In-store At Media Retail

The 'Rise Above - ON TOUR' Marketing Program Is An Innovative, Unique And Low Cost Opportunity To Place Your Local Performance In Front Of Committed Music Fans And Store Staff Across All Your Markets




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Harmon v. Dallas County, Texas

(United States Fifth Circuit) - Held that a former deputy constable may not proceed with his whistleblower retaliation and equal-protection claims. Some were barred by res judicata and others by qualified immunity. Affirmed a dismissal.




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Califonia Communities Against Toxics v. Environmental Protection Agency

(United States DC Circuit) - Petition for review denied. The EPA did not act contrary to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act in adopting a Transfer-Based Exclusion because hazardous materials are not necessarily "discarded" when they are transferred from a generator to a reclaimer along with payment. The policy was not arbitrary or capricious.




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Oxford Preparatory Academy v. Chino Valley USD

(California Court of Appeal) - Reversed. The proper scope of judicial review of a school district’s decision is an independent judicial review. Such a review requires a hearing and making specific factual findings. The appeals court remanded for reconsideration of the writ petition under correct standards.




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State of Texas v. EEOC

(United States Fifth Circuit) - Affirmed. A lawsuit in which Texas complained that EEOC regulations relating to the use of criminal records in hiring was an unlawfully promulgated substantive rule properly dismissed the suit but enjoined EEOC enforcement until the agency complies with notice and comment rulemaking requirements under the Administrative Procedure Act.




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Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. v. TX Alcohol

(United States Fifth Circuit) - Partially affirmed, remanded. A Texas ban on public corporations obtaining package store permits did not violate Equal Protection rights, but the district court erred in finding a discriminatory nature and burden imposed by the public corporation ban.




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Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assn. v. Newsom

(California Court of Appeal) - Affirmed. The court found that Senate Bill No. 1107 directly conflicts with Political Reform Act of 1974 and does not further the purposes of the Act.




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Mexico's Mike Rosales Releases "Just Feel"

Mexico's Mike Rosales Seeks To Rock The Underground House Scene With "Just Feel".




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A Trio Of Mexican Producers Come Together For Hard-hitting Techno Release ‘Fear The Noise’

Thick Smoke Clouds The Air As Thunderous Booms Shake The Ground.




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Praxair Distribution, Inc. v. Mallinckrodt Hospital Products IP Ltd.

(United States Federal Circuit) - Affirming in part and reversing in part the inter partes review decision of the US Patent and Trademark Office Patent Trial and Appeal Bard holding claims for methods of distributing nitric oxide gas cylinders for pharmaceutical applications used in treating respiratory failure as unpatentable as obvious because, while the Board didn't err as to most of the rulings, it did as to one.




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US ex rel. Wood v. Allergan, Inc.

(United States Second Circuit) - Held that a False Claims Act lawsuit had to be dismissed because it was not the first-filed case accusing the defendant pharmaceutical company of certain improper Medicare and Medicaid billing practices. The plaintiff (relator) argued that his action should be allowed to proceed because the earlier action was no longer pending. Disagreeing, the Second Circuit held that a violation of the first‐to‐file bar, which prohibits a person from bringing a related qui tam action when one is already pending, cannot be remedied by amending or supplementing the complaint. The panel reversed and remanded.




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Khoja v. Orexigen Therapeutics, Inc.

(United States Ninth Circuit) - Reversed in part the dismissal of a securities fraud class action alleging that a biotechnology firm misrepresented to investors the status of a clinical drug trial. An investor brought this suit contending that the company and certain top executives violated Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. On appeal, the Ninth Circuit held that the district court erred in part in dismissing the complaint for failure to state a claim. The panel also ruled that the district court abused its discretion in judicially noticing certain facts and in incorporating certain documents into the complaint.




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10x populair: videobellen via Zoom, purpose tijdens pandemie & SEO-teksten

Welke whiteboard-tools kun je online gebruiken, hoe kun je veilig videobellen via Zoom, en wat is de beste bedrijfsstrategie tijdens de coronacrisis? Dit – en meer – zijn de best gelezen artikelen op Frankwatching in de maand april. 1. Zoom & privacy: zo kun je veilig videobellen [how to] Zoom stond de afgelopen weken vol […]





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Expert Suggests Alleged Mastermind of Venezuela's Failed Coup Is 'Double Agent' Working for Maduro

The Venezuelan military defector identified as the ringleader of the botched coup attempt in Venezuela was likely working as a "double agent" for the same man he allegedly attempted to overthrow, socialist narco-dictator Nicolás Maduro, Breitbart News has learned.




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Exclusive--Ken Cuccinelli: 8-in-10 Border Crossers Deported in 2 Hours During Coronavirus

Acting Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Deputy Secretary Ken Cuccinelli says border crossers are being almost immediately returned to Mexico after their crossing into the United States. 




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Schumer: Vote by Mail 'Will Be a Very Important Part' of Next Coronavirus Bill

On Friday’s broadcast of MSNBC’s “All In,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) stated that vote by mail provisions “will be a very important part of the legislation that we’re going to put forward, and we are going to fight




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Finally: Police Drop Investigation Into Working-Class Brexiteer Darren Grimes

London's Metropolitan Police have finally dropped their investigations into working-class Brexit campaigner Darren Grimes and Vote Leave's Alan Halsall, in another defeat for the supposedly neutral Electoral Commission.




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Despite Reported Under-Counts, Mexico Surpasses 3,100 Coronavirus Fatalities

Mexican health officials admitted to surpassing 3,100 COVID-19 related-deaths as cases continue to rise nationwide. The reports come despite repeated accusations of the government downplaying the true scope of the coronavirus pandemic





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VeriSign, Inc. v. XYZ.COM LLC

(United States Fourth Circuit) - In a suit brought by a company in the business of selling internet domain names and operates the popular .com and .net top-level domains, alleging its competitor made a series of statements touting the popularity of the .xyz domain and warning of a scarcity of desirable .com domain names which violated the Lanham Act's false advertising provisions, the district court's grant of summary judgment to defendant is affirmed where: 1) as to defendant's self-promoting statements, most of which concern its registration numbers, plaintiff failed to produce the required evidence that it suffered an actual injury as a direct result of defendant’s conduct; and 2) plaintiff did not establish that defendant's statements about the availability of suitable .com domain names were false or misleading statements of fact, as required for Lanham Act liability.




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Flo & Eddie, Inc. v. Sirius XM Radio, Inc.

(United States Second Circuit) - In a copyright infringement suit brought by the company that owns the recordings of the Turtles, a well-known rock band with a string of hits in the 1960s, on behalf of itself and a class of owners of pre-1972 recordings against largest radio and internet-radio broadcaster in the U.S., the district court's denial of defendant's motions for summary judgment and reconsideration is reversed where, in response to questions certified to the New York Court of Appeals, New York common law does not recognize a right of public performance for creators of pre-1972 sound recordings.




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Mavrix Photographs, LLC. v LiveJournal, Inc.

(United States Ninth Circuit) - In a copyright dispute arising out of photographs posted online on defendant's social media website, the district court's summary judgment that defendant was entitled protected by the safe harbor of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act is reversed where: 1) the safe harbor set forth in 17 U.S.C. section 512(c) would apply if the photographs were posted at the direction of users; 2) defendant posted the photographs after a team of volunteer moderators, led by an employee of the defendant, reviewed and approved them; 3) the common law of agency applied to the defendant's safe harbor defense; and 4) there were genuine factual disputes regarding whether the moderators were the defendant's agents.




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Axiom Foods, Inc. v. Acerchem Int'l

(United States Ninth Circuit) - In a civil procedure action, arising from a copyright infringement action brought by plaintiffs, American companies in the natural foods industry, against defendant, a UK limited company, after defendant sent an email newsletter containing plaintiffs' logos to 343 email addresses, the district court's dismissal for lack of personal jurisdiction is affirmed where defendant's suit-related conduct did not create a substantial connection with California.




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Robinson v. Hunt County, Texas

(United States Fifth Circuit) - Revived a citizen's claim that a sheriff's office Facebook page unconstitutionally censored speech. She claimed that her controversial comments were deleted and she was banned from the site, in violation of her First Amendment rights. Vacated a dismissal in relevant part.




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Screen Music Connect To Explore The Music Of Film, Television And Interactive Media

Tickets On Sale For New London-based Music Conference At Southbank Centre’s Purcell Room On September 24




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Make A Wish With Catherine Duc's 'Stargazing' Remix Of Ben Hobbs' 'Blind To You'

UK Singer/songwriter Ben Hobbs Teams Up With Grammy Nominees Catherine Duc And Gene Grimaldi On His Latest Remix




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Franchise Tax Bd. Limited Liability Corp. Tax Refund Cases

(California Court of Appeal) - Reversed the denial of class certification in a case involving tax refund claims filed by limited liability companies (LLCs) which sought refunds of a levy they had paid pursuant to a California tax statute that was later determined to be unconstitutional. When the district court denied the LLCs' motion for class certification on multiple grounds including predominance and superiority, they appealed. Agreeing with the LLCs that this case was suitable for treatment on a classwide basis, the First Appellate District reversed and remanded for certification of a class or classes consistent with its opinion.




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Red Barn Motors, Inc. v. NextGear Capital, Inc.

(United States Seventh Circuit) - Held that the district court did not adequately explain its reason for rescinding certification of a class in a business dispute between numerous used-car dealerships and a financing company. Vacated the class certification ruling and remanded for further proceedings.




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Jimenez-Sanchez v. Dark Horse Express, Inc.

(California Court of Appeal) - Held that the trial court erred in denying class certification to truck drivers bringing wage and hour claims against their employer. Reversed and remanded for further proceedings, explaining that errors were made in analyzing whether predominantly common issues existed.




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Mirkin v. XOOM Energy, LLC

(United States Second Circuit) - Partially affirmed, partially reversed. A class action suit against energy providers was dismissed and a post-judgment request for leave to amend was refused. Plaintiffs should have been allowed to amend their complaint and their proposed amended complaint stated plausible claims.




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Ehrman v. Cox Communications, Inc. et al.

(United States Ninth Circuit) - Reversed and remanded. The panel held that the defendants’ jurisdictional allegations, which provided a short and plain statement of the parties’ citizenship based on information and belief, satisfied the defendants’ burden of pleading minimal diversity pursuant to the Class Action Fairness Act.




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HAWKWIND Collaborator MICHAEL MOORCOCK & THE DEEP FIX Release Third Studio Album

British Author/Musician MICHAEL MOORCOCK Releases Live At The Terminal Café.




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DeFox Records Launch Card Disk

Respecting The Environment And A More Sustainable Future, Against Waste And The Use Of Plastic, DeFox Records Will Launch A Special Limited Edition Of Card Disk On The Market.




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The Hype Magazine Signs Exclusive Podcast Agreement With Digital Soapbox Network

Distributed By The Digital Soapbox Network, The Hype Magazine “Live Session” Podcast Is Available Via Some Of The Biggest Streaming Platforms In The Digital Space




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Division Six Sports, Inc. v. The Finish Line, Inc.

(United States Seventh Circuit) - Affirmed. The district court dismissed a case involving an exclusive sale agreement for failure to state a claim because the contract was not in force at the time of the alleged breach and the district court did not misinterpret the contract's automatic renewal clause.




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Essex Insurance Company v. Blue Moon Lofts Condominium Association

(United States Seventh Circuit) - Affirmed. The subject of a legal judgment sought to pursue the doctrine of estoppel to compel their insurer to pay out on the judgment against them from a decade before the policy's active date. They suffered no prejudice from the insurer's action and their case was dismissed.




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ZipX Donates 5,000 Face Masks To Government

ZipX Bermuda has donated 5,000 face masks to the Bermuda Government for the island’s frontline workers during the Covid-19 pandemic. A spokesperson...