News from December 2022
How the Supreme Court Will Decide Threat to CFPB's Funding and Structure on December 17,2022
Join Adam J. White, a renowned expert on Separation of Powers and the Appropriations Clause and a close follower of the Supreme Court, as well as members of Ballard Spahr's Consumer Financial Services Group, for a 90-minute deep dive into all important aspects of the Fifth Circuit opinion in CFSA v. CFPB.
Pa. Attorney General's Office announces $38.8M settlement with JUUL Labs over youth marketing claims
HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office has announced a $38.8 million settlement with JUUL Labs, Inc. in association with claims the company violated Pennsylvania’s Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law and jeopardized the health of Pennsylvanians, specifically youth that JUUL targeted with their high nicotine-content products.
Rite Aid denies fault for Rochester plaintiff's broken ankle sustained in fall inside store
PITTSBURGH – Rite Aid has expressly denied liability in a negligence lawsuit brought by a Rochester woman, who claimed she fell on uncleaned salt and snow at her local store last January, breaking her right ankle in the process.
Contractor business denies liability in breach of contract and fraud case tied to home improvements
PITTSBURGH – A local contractor has answered litigation from a Pittsburgh home rental and sale company which alleged that they committed breach of contract and fraud, when it failed to complete an inventory list of improvement projects and provided subpar workmanship on the one item it did finish.
Former Allegheny County Jail guard says her religious beliefs against COVID-19 vaccination got her fired
PITTSBURGH – An Allegheny County Jail guard of nearly 15 years alleges she was fired for refusing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, a treatment she wouldn’t consent to because she believes it violates her sincerely-held religious beliefs.
Corrections defendants say they are not at fault for inmate's fall in cell with wet floor
MEDIA – Defendants accused of negligently allowing an inmate’s cell to flood with water, which caused him to fall, knock himself unconscious and lose two of his teeth at George W. Hill Correctional Facility in Thornton, have denied responsibility for the incident.
Settlement ends Honeywell's 'ill-fated' funding of asbestos trust; Company claimed lawyers were bleeding it dry
ERIE, Pa. (Legal Newsline) - Likening the two sides to exhausted boxers or a quarreling couple, a bankruptcy judge approved a settlement between Honeywell and trustees overseeing a fund for paying asbestos claimants under which Honeywell will end its involvement for a lump-sum payment of $1.3 billion.
Ballard Spahr Chair-Elect Peter Michaud Named to Twin Cities Business' 100 People to Know in 2023
Peter V. Michaud, the firmwide Chair-Elect of Ballard Spahr, has been named to Twin Cities Business’ list of 100 People to Know in 2023.
West Mifflin Area School District denies it breached school busing contract with plaintiff
PITTSBURGH – West Mifflin Area School District has objected to litigation from a school bus company which claimed the District breached the contract between the two parties, countering that an unjust enrichment suit should be thrown out.
Settlement reached in suit over woman's death at Montgomery County Correctional Facility
PHILADELPHIA – Litigation over the death of a woman in custody at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility four years ago recently been settled.
William Penn School District denies it discriminated against Black special education professional
PHILADELPHIA – A Delaware County school district has denied that it discriminated against a Black special education professional who claimed she was demoted from a new role she applied for, simply because her white predecessor opted to re-apply for the role after initially stepping aside.
Advocate seeks records tied to Sharon Hill Police Department shooting that killed 8-year-old girl
MEDIA – A local citizen advocate has initiated legal action in a Delaware County court, seeking to compel the Borough of Sharon Hill to release the full and unredacted version of its report on its community policing procedures, in the wake of an officer-involved shooting which killed an 8-year-old girl in August 2021.
Commonwealth Court says plywood box around Columbus statue in Philly must come down
PHILADELPHIA – A Friday ruling from the Commonwealth Court has dictated that a controversial statue of explorer Christopher Columbus will not only remain in South Philadelphia’s Marconi Plaza, but will be displayed openly and be removed from a plywood box it was contained in for two-and-a-half years.
Steptoe & Johnson PLLC Continues Growth in Pittsburgh with Additions of Christine M. Green and Manning J. “Jim” O’Connor
Chrissy Green and Jim O’Connor have joined the Pittsburgh office of Steptoe & Johnson PLLC
Class action suit over mask-wearing at Giant Eagle grocery stores is dismissed from federal court
PITTSBURGH – A thrice-amended class action lawsuit from 47 plaintiffs opposing a mandatory policy instituted by Giant Eagle grocery stores to wear masks in its stores during the coronavirus pandemic, has been dismissed from federal court.
Lackawanna County Prison lieutenant says she was discriminated against and fired because she is gay
SCRANTON – A gay female corrections officer at Lackawanna County Prison alleges that the institution unlawfully removed her from work, placed her on administrative leave and terminated her from her job.
Pool table company seeks compliance with its discovery requests from plaintiffs alleging fall
PITTSBURGH – A Pittsburgh pool table business says its defense against litigation from a couple who alleged that a wooden board in the middle of the floor caused the husband-plaintiff to fall inside its store and suffer a litany of serious injuries is being prejudiced, due to their perceived lack of response to discovery inquiries.
Improper service leads to dismissal of Bucks County couple's suit over fall at Sandals resort
PHILADELPHIA – A Bucks County couple who alleged that the husband-plaintiff suffered a series of injuries when he fell on a wet staircase at a Sandals resort in St. Lucia, have seen their case dismissed since proper service of the complaint was not made.
Corrections officers deny using excessive force in alleged assault on inmate from Chester
MEDIA – Defendants accused of negligently and intentionally assaulting a Chester man at George W. Hill Correctional Facility in Thornton, have denied that they used any such assault tactics or unreasonable force.
STEM Founders Fellowship Lecture: Intellectual Property on December 13, 2022
Marilou E. Watson gave a guest lecture to first generation STEM graduate students and doctoral candidates in a fellowship program designed to give academic researchers hands-on startup experience and support to transform concepts into a business reality.