In The Courts
The Lead
$14.5M For Boy's Brain Injury From Metal Bat
August 22, 2012 1:52 pm | by Wayne Parry, Associated Press | News | Comments
A New Jersey teenager left brain-damaged after being struck by a line drive while he was playing in a youth baseball game has settled his lawsuit against Hillerich and Bradsby. "The Domalewskis are still saddened by the tragic events of June 2006, but this settlement provides them with some relief and comfort that Steven will get the care he needs for the rest of his life," said the family's attorney.
United Tech Sees Possible Impact From Court Order
June 19, 2013 11:33 am | by Stephen Singer, Associated Press | News | CommentsJudge Thomas M. Rose of the U.S. Southern District Court of Ohio issued the order Monday. The Hartford, Conn., aerospace company said in a regulatory filing Tuesday that it will appeal the order. With damages, penalties and interest, United Technologies said the penalty would rise to about $660 million.
Bribery Trial Of Former Finmeccanica CEO Opens
June 19, 2013 7:49 am | by Colleen Barry, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsThe former head of Italian aerospace and defense giant Finmeccanica , accused by prosecutors of making bribery part of the company culture, went on trial Wednesday for his alleged role in the payment of bribes to secure a crucial $670 million helicopter contract in India.
Ark. AG Seeks To Uphold Verdict Against J&J
June 19, 2013 7:40 am | by Andrew DeMillo, Associated Press | News | CommentsArkansas' attorney general filed a brief Tuesday backed by his counterparts in 35 other states asking the Arkansas Supreme Court to uphold a $1.2 billion fine levied against Johnson & Johnson and a subsidiary over the marketing of the antipsychotics drug Risperdal.
Rambus And STMicroelectronics Announce Settlement
June 18, 2013 11:26 am | News | CommentsMemory chip designer Rambus Inc. and STMicroelectronics, one of Europe's largest chipmakers, announced a licensing agreement Monday and said they have resolved all litigation between them.The companies said their agreement will allow STMicroelectronics to use more security measures in multimedia chip sets.
Court: Pay To Delay' Generic Drugs Can Be Illegal
June 17, 2013 11:38 am | by Jesse J. Holland, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe Supreme Court ruled Monday that deals between pharmaceutical corporations and their generic drug competitors, which government officials say keep cheaper forms of medicine off the market, can be sometimes be illegal and therefore challenged by federal officials in court.
Court: Human Genes Can't Be Patented
June 13, 2013 11:54 am | by Jesse J. Holland, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe Supreme Court ruled Thursday that companies cannot patent parts of naturally-occurring human genes, a decision with the potential to profoundly affect the emerging and lucrative medical and biotechnology industries. The high court's unanimous judgment reverses three decades of patent awards by government officials.
'Pink Slime' Lawsuit Heads Back To State Court
June 13, 2013 7:38 am | by Dirk Lammers, Associated Press | News | CommentsA federal judge on Wednesday moved a South Dakota beef processing company's defamation lawsuit against ABC News back to state court. Beef Products Inc. sued American Broadcasting Companies Inc. and ABC News Inc. for defamation in September.
EEOC Sues Over Criminal Background Checks
June 12, 2013 7:45 am | by Sam Hananel, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed lawsuits Tuesday against discount retailer Dollar General Corp. and a BMW manufacturing plant in South Carolina over their use of criminal background checks to screen out job applicants or fire employees.
Rambus To Get $240M In Settlement With Hynix
June 12, 2013 7:43 am | News | CommentsMemory chip designer Rambus Inc. said Tuesday it resolved a decade-old patent dispute with South Korean chipmaker Hynix, and said Hynix will pay it $240 million over the next five years.Rambus said SK Hynix is licensing memory-related patents and the right to certain dynamic random access memory products.
SF Sues Gun Companies Over High-Capacity Magazines
June 11, 2013 7:51 am | News | CommentsSan Francisco is suing three gun accessories companies and one gun show promoter, alleging they sold disassembled high-capacity magazines disguised as repair kits in violation of California law, the city attorney said Monday.
Judge Sides With GM, Dismisses Spyker Lawsuit
June 11, 2013 7:41 am | by Dee-Ann Durbin, AP Auto Writer | News | CommentsA federal judge has dismissed a $3 billion lawsuit filed by Dutch car maker Spyker against General Motors Co. Spyker sued GM last August, accusing it of unfairly blocking a deal to let a Chinese buyer take over Swedish carmaker Saab. GM sold Saab to Spyker in 2010.
Exxon Mobil Seeks Dismissal Of Lawsuit Over Spill
June 7, 2013 10:58 am | News | CommentsAttorneys for Exxon Mobil Corp. and Exxon Pipeline Co. have filed a motion asking for dismissal of a lawsuit by Mayflower residents over a recent oil spill. ExxonMobil Pipeline's Pegasus pipeline ruptured March 29 and spilled thousands of barrels of oil in the town about 25 miles northwest of Little Rock and forced the evacuation of about 20 homes.
TiVo Settles With Cisco, Motorola And Time Warner
June 7, 2013 8:19 am | News | CommentsTiVo says it's reached a deal to settle patent disputes with Cisco, Motorola and Time Warner Cable. Tivo will get an upfront lump-sum payment of $490 million from Google and Cisco. TiVo will also enter into patent licensing deals with Cisco, Google and Arris Group Inc.
Arraignment Set In Kevlar Trade Secrets Case
June 7, 2013 8:15 am | News | CommentsKolon Industries will be arraigned Friday morning in U.S. District Court in Richmond. Kolon is charged in a six-count federal indictment with theft of trade secrets, conspiracy to convert trade secrets and obstruction of justice. Five Kolon employees also face conspiracy and obstruction charges.
Feds: Engineer Tried To Steal Firm's Trade Secrets
June 6, 2013 7:44 am | News | CommentsU.S. Attorney Paul Fishman announced Wednesday that 36-year-old Ketan Maniar, an Indian national, was charged with stealing trade secrets for his own economic benefit from a worldwide medical technology company headquartered in Franklin Lakes. The company is among the world's leading suppliers of medical devices.
Ex-Porsche CFO Guilty Of Fraud In VW Bid
June 4, 2013 7:58 am | News | CommentsPorsche's ex-finance chief has been convicted of fraud after a court found he provided false information during the German sports car marker's failed 2009 attempt to take over Volkswagen AG. Former Porsche CFO Holger Haerter was fined an unspecified amount after being found guilty Tuesday by a Stuttgart state court, the dpa news agency reported.
Supreme Court Takes Up Lexmark Patent Suit
June 3, 2013 1:41 pm | News | CommentsThe high court's decision on Monday keeps alive an ongoing dispute between the Lexington, Ky.-based maker of printing and imaging products and software and Static Control Components, a Sanford, N.C. company that specializes in remanufacturing laser printer toner.
Helicopter Maker's Lawyers Say Families Can't Sue
June 3, 2013 8:33 am | News | CommentsA federal judge will rule in coming weeks whether the families of two Tennessee National Guard members can sue the makers of a helicopter in which the soldiers died. According to the Knoxville News Sentinel (http://bit.ly/1aHBlmq ), the case involves a 2010 crash of a Kiowa OH-58D Warrior helicopter in Iraq.
BP Rig Supervisors Challenge Manslaughter Counts
May 31, 2013 1:46 pm | by Michael Kunzelman, Associated Press | News | CommentsTwo BP rig supervisors charged in the deaths of 11 workers in the Deepwater Horizon disaster claim the manslaughter counts in their indictment must be dismissed because they don't apply to conduct on a foreign-owned vessel operating outside U.S. territory.
France: Trial Of Drug Maker Postponed
May 31, 2013 10:38 am | News | CommentsThe decision to postpone the trial over one of France's biggest recent health scandals will allow for a Paris judge to complete a separate investigation. The judge said a date for resuming the trial of Servier Laboratories and its founder, Jacques Servier, will be set at a hearing May 15, 2014.
Oil Giant Total To Pay $245M In Bribery Case
May 30, 2013 7:52 am | by Matthew Barakat, Associated Press | News | CommentsCourt papers filed in U.S. District Court in Alexandria indicate Total paid $60 million in bribes between 1995 and 2004 that allowed it to re-renter the Iranian oil and gas market. The bribes helped Total land contracts with the state-owned National Iranian Oil Company to develop oil and gas fields in and around Iran's Sirri Island in the Persian Gulf.
Judge Sides With Bankrupt Patriot In Benefits Cuts
May 30, 2013 7:41 am | by Jim Suhr, Associated Press | News | CommentsA bankrupt coal producer got a judge's go-ahead Wednesday to significantly cut health care and pension benefits to thousands of workers and retirees, claiming victory over a miners' union that swiftly condemned the ruling it pledges to appeal.
CODA Bonuses Pulled, More Bankruptcy Issues Remain
May 29, 2013 1:27 pm | by Randall Chase, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsAttorneys for failed electric car maker CODA Holdings have withdrawn a request asking a bankruptcy judge in Delaware to approve up to $425,000 in bonuses for 16 top managers and directors. The company withdrew the request prior to a hearing Wednesday after it drew objections from creditors and a U.S. bankruptcy trustee.
Mississippi Company Sues Sherwin-Williams
May 29, 2013 8:26 am | News | CommentsA Hattiesburg company has sued Sherwin-Williams for allegedly highjacking the name of its product. According to court records, the Hattiesburg company argues that Sherwin-Williams knew the business was already using the name "Tuff-Wall" to market its ceramic wall coating when Sherwin-Williams began marketing a "TuffWall" line of paint.
Bankruptcy Court Approves Pittsburgh Corning Plan
May 29, 2013 7:26 am | News | CommentsPPG Industries Inc. said Tuesday a federal bankruptcy court has approved a reorganization plan for its joint venture with Corning Inc. that would resolve asbestos injury claims. PPG would give up its stake in Pittsburgh Corning and pay $825 million over 10 years.
