Shaping

Federal Judge Seeks Maryland Supreme Court’s Ruling on Controversial Child Victims Act, Shaping Future of Abuse Lawsuits

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Upper Marlboro, Maryland – A federal judge has sought clarification from the Maryland Supreme Court regarding the constitutionality of the state’s Child Victims Act. The act, which has sparked numerous child sex abuse lawsuits, was called into question by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in a federal lawsuit involving allegations of sexual abuse by a Mormon priest. U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar has requested the Supreme Court of Maryland to define the state’s law, potentially expediting a definitive ruling on the matter. Judge Bredar’s decision comes amidst ongoing appeals of lawsuits … Read more

Future Implications of Key Legal Developments in 2023 Shaping Various Industries: From Rejecting Overly Ambitious PFAS Class Actions to Amendments of Federal Rule 702 on Expert Witness Testimony

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Harriss Beach Attorneys Abbie Eliasberg Fuchs, Daniel R. Strecker, and Alessandra G. Ash have analyzed key judicial holdings and legal developments in federal court and tort hotspots across the country that have impacted the industry in 2023 and may shape the years ahead. They have shared potential implications for future cases in regards to these topics: – The Sixth Circuit has rejected an overly ambitious PFAS class action. – The Hair Relaxer MDL is proceeding. – Illinois now permits punitive damages in wrongful death cases and has increased the availability of expedited trials. – California … Read more

Purdue Pharma Bankruptcy Case: Supreme Court to Decide on Nondebtor Releases, Shaping Future of Chapter 11 Practice

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Indianapolis, Indiana: The US Supreme Court is set to hear arguments in December in a case involving Purdue Pharma, the pharmaceutical company accused of contributing to the opioid epidemic. The central issue at stake is whether the Bankruptcy Code permits a Chapter 11 plan to provide releases to nondebtor third parties without their consent. This case has garnered significant attention from the public and bankruptcy professionals alike, as it has the potential to bring about significant changes in Chapter 11 bankruptcy practice. Purdue Pharma and its affiliates filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the Bankruptcy … Read more

Authors Sue OpenAI and Microsoft for Copyright Infringement, Potentially Shaping the Future of AI

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SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – Authors Nicholas Basbanes and Nicholas Gage have filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft for allegedly misusing their work without proper authorization. The authors claim that their books were included in the data used to train OpenAI’s GPT large language model, which powers services like ChatGPT. The lawsuit comes after the New York Times took legal action against OpenAI, accusing the company of using millions of articles from the newspaper to train their chatbot without permission. The legal dispute raises important questions regarding copyright infringement and the boundaries of fair use in … Read more