Landmark

Historic Verdict: New York Jury Awards $1.68 Billion to 40 Women in Landmark Case Against James Toback

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New York—A jury awarded $1.68 billion in damages to 40 women who accused filmmaker James Toback of sexual abuse over 35 years. This decision, announced Wednesday, comes after the plaintiffs filed a lawsuit in Manhattan in 2022 under New York’s Adult Survivors Act, which temporarily lifted the statute of limitations for such claims. The award is now one of the largest of its kind following the #MeToo movement, marking a significant moment in both legal and cultural landscapes. Attorney Brad Beckworth from Nix Patterson LLP, representing the plaintiffs, stated that the substantial verdict is intended … Read more

"Former Bayonne City Hall Employee Awarded $500K in Landmark Hostile Work Environment Case"

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A Hudson County jury awarded $500,000 to a former employee of Bayonne City Hall, concluding a nearly six-week trial that centered on allegations of a hostile work environment. The jury’s unanimous decision favored Sincerrae Ross, who claimed she endured a workplace rife with sexual harassment. The verdict was announced in the courtroom of Hudson County Superior Court Judge Kimberly Espinales-Maloney. Ross’s attorney, Juan Cervantes from the law firm Maggs McDermott & DiCicco, expressed satisfaction with the outcome, stating that Ross had waited a long time for this day and was grateful for the jury’s decision. … Read more

Jury Delivers Landmark $38 Million Verdict in ERISA Case Against Pentegra for Fiduciary Breach

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New York—A jury awarded more than $38 million to a group of retirement plan participants who claimed fiduciary breaches against Pentegra’s Multiple Employer Defined Contribution Plan. This rare jury trial under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) concluded with findings that the plan’s fiduciaries had engaged in improper fees. The case, titled Khan et al. v. Board of Directors of Pentegra Defined Contribution Plan et al., was brought forward in the Southern District of New York in 2020. The plaintiffs—Imran Khan, Joan Bullock, and Pamela Joy Wood—argued on behalf of themselves and other plan … Read more

Landmark Verdict: Virginia Landlord Ordered to Pay $750,000 for Racial Discrimination Against Lakefront Tenants

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Penhook, VA — In a profound case underscoring pervasive issues of racial discrimination, a Franklin County landlord faced severe legal repercussions after evicting two families from her lakefront property upon discovering one family member’s racial identity. The families, who endured significant emotional distress from their abrupt eviction, were awarded a substantial sum by a jury in a discrimination lawsuit. The lawsuit originated from an incident at the Lazy Cove Campground at Smith Mountain Lake in April 2020. Angela and Damien Smith, along with their young son, sought a lakeside retreat, renting a camper close to … Read more