The U.S. Senate confirmed Matthew Schwartz, a Sullivan & Cromwell partner and one of President Donald Trump's personal attorneys, to a seat on the New York-based 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Schwartz represented Trump in a personal capacity on two appeals, including Trump's 2024 hush money-related criminal conviction.
U.S. law firm Jones Day said it has settled its lawsuit against private equity firm Centre Lane Partners LLC over $9.6 million in allegedly unpaid legal fees.
Tesla appeals $243 million Florida verdict
A roster of appellate lawyers at prominent firms, business groups, and Republican state attorneys general has lined up behind Tesla as the electric carmaker seeks to overturn a stemming from a fatal 2019 crash of an Autopilot-equipped Model S.
$243 million Florida verdict
Tesla's appeal in the Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is being led by former U.S. Solicitor General Paul Clement of Clement & Murphy, and Theodore Boutrous of Gibson Dunn. The plaintiffs are represented by Cooley’s Elizabeth Prelogar, a former Biden-era U.S. solicitor general, and other lawyers.
The lawsuit alleged Tesla defectively designed its Autopilot feature, and misled customers about its capabilities. Tesla has denied any wrongdoing, and argues that the Model S driver was to blame.
A Florida federal jury in August found Tesla 33% responsible for the crash, and the driver 67% responsible. The driver was not a defendant and will not have to pay his share. The verdict included approximately $42.6 million in compensatory damages assessed against Tesla, and $200 million in punitive damages.
The verdict rattled business interests in the state and beyond. In amicus briefs, Florida, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and other groups urged the 11th Circuit to back Tesla in its appeal. Latham’s Gregory Garre, a former Republican-appointed U.S. solicitor, is representing the Chamber.
The Republican-led states and business advocates contend Florida law permits punitive damages only on a showing of intentional misconduct, a threshold they say was not met. They warned that allowing the verdict to stand could unfairly punish companies for developing new technologies, creating costly legal uncertainty, and deterring innovation.
The Chamber said upholding the verdict "would dramatically expand Florida product-liability law, creating novel duties for manufacturers of products with new, innovative features." Tesla and Prelogar did not immediately respond to requests for a comment.
Netflix awarded $3 million in patent lawsuit fees
A judge awarded Netflix $3 million in legal fees in a patent infringement lawsuit after finding an inventor pursued baseless claims over two patents.
U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar in Oakland said the evidence in the case showed the inventor and his former lawyer, William Ramey, were told about defects in the patent ownership claims but continued the litigation. Law firms Perkins Coie and Baker Botts represent Netflix.
Tigar ordered the plaintiff to pay a $3 million fee award. Ramey and his firm will be liable for a portion of the fees, with the exact amount to be determined after further review. Ramey had opposed the fee demand.
Ramey or his clients have faced sanctions in other cases, including orders to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in fees. Ramey and lawyers for Netflix did not immediately respond to requests for a comment.
A&O Shearman reports higher profits with flat revenue
Global law firm A&O Shearman on Thursday said its profit before tax increased by 14% to $1.6 billion for the fiscal year ending April 30, and the firm generated $3.7 billion in revenue, similar to the prior year.
Profits per equity partner climbed to $2.9 million, representing a 12% jump, the firm said. The 4,000-lawyer firm reported its second financial results since the completion of a transatlantic merger between London-founded Allen & Overy and New York's Shearman & Sterling in 2024.
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