A selection of the need-to-know civil justice news for the week of July 5-11.
John Wayne’s Family, University ‘Duke’ it Out Over Whiskey
Alan Duke | CNN
John Wayne’s family is fighting Duke University in federal court over the use of “Duke” to sell whiskey.
The North Carolina school filed several objections when the actor’s descendants filed for federal trademarks to use “Duke” to sell products, but the latest came last year when John Wayne Enterprises launched “Duke Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey,” according to court documents.
Dumb and Dumber: Lawsuits by Sleeping Yankees Fan and Jesse Ventura
Paul M. Barrett | Bloomberg Businessweek
Lampooning the lawsuit industry has become an industry unto itself—and not exclusively for grins and giggles. Frivolous litigation wastes public resources and distracts from true injustice. Fresh evidence from the cases of the napping baseball fan and Jesse “The Body” Ventura.
Insurers Sue Asbestos Trust for Records, Say They Suspect Fraud
Tom Hals | Reuters
Six insurance companies are suing an asbestos personal injury trust set up by a U.S. unit of Philips that the insurers suspect has been making millions of dollars in fraudulent payments to parties that cannot prove they were harmed by the company’s asbestos products.
Two Companies Say Yes to New ‘Loser Pays’ Option
Liz Hoffman | Wall Street Journal
Two companies have decided to seize a newly created opportunity to shift corporate legal fees to shareholders.
Such “loser pays” bylaws, which require any investors who sue a company and lose to pay their costs, have been much discussed in recent weeks, after a recent Delaware Supreme Court decision appeared to open the door to them.
Miss Delaware Winner Considering Lawsuit After Being Stripped of Her Title
Scott Stump | Today
After being stripped of her title as Miss Delaware for being too old, Amanda Longacre, 24, is determined to fight to compete in the Miss America pageant even if it means filing a lawsuit.
Senator Proposes Expanding Eligibility Age of Recall Judges
Michael Booth | New Jersey Law Journal
A New Jersey lawmaker is proposing that the maximum age for retired Superior Court judges recalled to active service be raised from 80 years old to 85.