Basis Technology Corporation created software and provided technical services for a Japanese-language Web site belonging to Amazon.com, Inc. The agreement between the two companies allowed for separately negotiated contracts for additional services that Basis might provide to Amazon. At the end of 1999, Basis and Amazon entered into stock-purchase agreements. Later, Basis sued Amazon for various claims involving these securities and for failure to pay for services performed by Basis that were not included in the original agreement. During the trial, the two parties appeared to reach an agreement to settle out of court via a series of e-mail exchanges outlining the settlement. When Amazon reneged, Basis served a motion to enforce the proposed settlement. The trial judge entered a judgment against Amazon, which appealed. On the evening of March 23, after the third day of evidence and after settlement discussions, Basis counsel sent an e-mail with the following text to Amazon counsel: This e-mail confirms the essential business terms of the settlement between our respective clients .Basis and Amazon agree that they promptly will take all reasonable steps to memorialize in a written agreement, to be signed by individuals authorized by each party, the terms set forth below, as well as such other terms that are reasonably necessary to make these terms effective. Amazon counsel, please contact me first thing tomorrow morning if this e-mail does not accurately summarize the settlement terms reached earlier this evening. See you tomorrow morning when we report this matter settled to the Court. At 7:26 a.m. on March 24, Amazon counsel sent an e-mail with a one-word reply: “correct.” Later in the morning, in open court and on the record, both counsel reported the result of a settlement without specification of the terms. On March 25, Amazon’s counsel sent a facsimile of the first draft of a settlement agreement to Basis’s counsel. The draft comported with all the terms of the e-mail exchange, and added some implementing and boilerplate standard contract provisions terms. Within a few days, though, the parties were deadlocked. On April 21, Basis served its motion to enforce the settlement agreement. Amazon opposed. The motion and opposition presented the issues whether the e-mail terms were sufficiently complete and definite to form an agreement and whether Amazon had intended to be bound by them. We examine the text of the terms for the incompleteness and indefiniteness charged by Amazon. Provisions are not ambiguous simply because the parties have developed different interpretations of them. We must interpret the document as a whole. In the preface to the enumerated terms, Basis counsel stated that the “e-mail confirms the essential business terms of the settlement between our respective clients,” and that the parties “agree that they promptly will take all reasonable steps to memorialize” those terms. Amazon counsel concisely responded, “correct.” Thus the “essential business terms” were resolved. The parties were proceeding to “memorialize” or record the settlement terms, not to create them. To ascertain intent, a court considers the words used by the parties, the agreement taken as a whole, and surrounding facts and circumstances. The essential circumstance of this disputed agreement is that it concluded a trial. As the trial judge explained in her memorandum of decision, she “terminated” the trial; she did not suspend it for exploratory negotiations. She did so in reliance upon the parties’ report of an accomplished agreement for the settlement of their dispute………………………………………….. Required: What does the result in this case suggest that a businessperson should do before agreeing to a settlement of a legal dispute?
> Genesis Health Clubs, Inc., based in Kansas, operates health clubs. LED Solar & Light Company, based in Virginia, manufactures and sells LED lighting. LED Solar submitted a proposed contract “to furnish the replacement lamps for Genesis’s building” for $
> Plaintiffs allege that the defendants provided their customers (plaintiffs) with inferior, adulterated heating oil, i.e. that the fuel oil that was delivered to them contained oils of lesser value mixed into the ordered grade of fuel oil, so that the del
> Jose and Jessica Nunez, and Felipa Delrio, executed a note to America’s Wholesale Lender Countrywide Home Loans, Inc. together with a mortgage to buy property in Hallandale, Florida. The note and mortgage were assigned to One West Bank. The Nunezes and D
> Miracle Faith World Outreach, Inc., a religious corporation, was founded by Bobby and Christine Davis in 1964. The Miracle Faith World Outreach Church started with prayer meetings in Christine’s mother’s home in Stamford, Connecticut. As its numbers grew
> Moonmouth Co. SA bought stock in Carlyle Capital Corp., Ltd. (CCC), an investment fund, under a subscription agreement. Moonmouth was incorporated in the British Virgin Islands, and CCC was incorporated in Guernsey, a dependency of the United Kingdom. Ca
> Approximately 90 United States citizens (or the representatives of their estates) are attempting to collect on unsatisfied money judgments that they hold against the Islamic Republic of Iran for deaths and injuries suffered in terrorist attacks sponsored
> Sue uses her smartphone to purchase a video security system for her architectural firm from Tipton, Inc., a company located in a different state. The system arrives a month after the projected delivery date, is of poor quality, and does not function as a
> Evan Roberts purchased a used vehicle from Lanigan Auto Sales in September 2009. Roberts and Lanigan executed a purchase contract, which contained a clause stating the vehicle is “sold as is without any guarantee express or implied.” Following the purcha
> Nissan North America, Inc., makes and sells Infiniti autos, including a sport utility vehicle called the FX. According to Nissan, its marketing brochures for the FX contain many statements that are meant to convey “an overall image of a very refined vehi
> The defendant Christopher Jones met Andrea Woolston, a licensed realtor working as an independent contractor [for NRT New England, LLC, doing business as Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage], in October 2010. The defendant expressed to Woolston a desir
> David and Sharon Welsh filed a voluntary Chapter 13 petition in a federal bankruptcy court. Their required schedules revealed the following assets: a home in Missoula, Montana, valued at $400,000, encumbered by a secured claim of $330,593.66; a Ford F-25
> Tusa Office Solutions, Inc., a subsidiary of Tusa–Expo Holdings, Inc., was the largest retail dealer in new furniture made by Knoll, Inc. A customer ordered Knoll furniture from Tusa Office, which ordered it from Knoll and delivered it to the customer. The
> Henry Anderson filed a voluntary petition in a federal bankruptcy court for relief under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code. The U.S. Department of the Treasury, through the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), filed a proof of claim against the bankruptcy estat
> Taser International, Inc., develops and makes electronic control devices, commonly called stun guns, as well as accessories for electronic control devices, including a personal video and audio recording device called the TASER CAM. Steve Ward was Taser’s
> The facts in this secured transaction case are not in dispute. Plaintiffs [Bradley Smith, on his own behalf and on behalf of the John J. Smith Revocable Living Trust] borrowed funds from defendant Firstbank Corporation in 2002; the notes to defendant wer
> Castellino Villas, LLC and Picerne Construction Corporation entered into an agreement in which Picerne would build an apartment complex called Castellino Villas at Laguna West project or property in the City of Elk Grove California the City. The project
> To finance a development project in Delaware, Brandywine Partners, LLC, borrowed $15.9 million from HSBC Realty Credit Corp. (USA). As part of the deal, Brian O’Neill, principal for Brandywine, signed a guaranty that designated him the “primary obligor” f
> The state in which Sue resides requires that her dispute with Tipton be submitted to mediation or nonbinding arbitration. If the dispute is not resolved, or if either party disagrees with the decision of the mediator or arbitrator, will a court hear the
> West Bank is a state-chartered Iowa bank. West Bank issues bank cards to its customers. Customers use their bank cards in one of two ways: automatic teller machine withdrawals (ATM withdrawals) or point of sale purchases (POS purchases). Customers may al
> Cassandra Demery worked as a bookkeeper at Clinton Georg’s business, Freestyle, until Georg discovered that she had embezzled more than $200,000 and had failed to pay $240,000 in state and federal taxes owed by Freestyle. Georg fired Demery and said that
> Envision Printing, LLC sued Bernie Evans in a Georgia state court, alleging that he defaulted on a promissory note. Evans moved for summary judgment, asserting that he was not personally responsible for the debt because he had signed the promissory note
> Plaintiff, Gregory Mills, and defendant, Robert Chauvin, are two experienced attorneys who shared both a friendship and a professional/business relationship. Those longstanding relationships deteriorated and gave rise to this action. The parties formed a
> This appeal concerns real property owned by the defendant [Success, Inc.] and known as 520 Success Avenue property. That property is partially situated in Stratford and partially situated in Bridgeport Connecticut. The defendant executed a promissory not
> Tonya Bass signed a note with Mortgage Lenders Network USA, Inc., to borrow $139,988, repayable with interest in monthly installments of $810.75, to buy a house in Durham County, North Carolina. The note was transferred by stamped imprints to Emax Financ
> Barbara Bauman and twenty-one other residents of Argentina filed a suit in a federal district court in California against Daimler AG, a German company. They alleged that Mercedes-Benz (MB) Argentina, a subsidiary of Daimler, had collaborated with state s
> AAA North Jersey, Inc., contracted with Five Star Auto Service to perform towing and auto repair services for AAA. Terence Pershad, the driver of a tow truck for Five Star, responded to a call to AAA for assistance by the driver of a car involved in an a
> Tammy Herring and Stacy Bowman signed an agreement titled “Bill of Sale—Purchase Agreement” involving a horse named Toby. The agreement defined Herring as the “buyer” and Stacy and Gregory Bowman, who owned Summit Stables in Puyallup, Washington, as the “
> In 1987, Kerstin Lindholm of Greenwich, Connecticut, bought a silkscreen by Andy Warhol titled Red Elvis from Anders Malmberg, a Swedish art dealer, for $300,000. In 1998, Lindholm lent Red Elvis to the Guggenheim Museum in New York City for an exhibitio
> After World War II, several Nazis were convicted of “crimes against humanity” by an international court. Assuming that these convicted war criminals had not disobeyed any law of their country and had merely been following their government’s orders, what
> This is a contract dispute between plaintiff VLM Food Trading International, Inc., a Canadian agricultural supplier and Illinois Trading Company, an Illinois produce reseller. VLM sold frozen potatoes to Illinois Trading through nine separate transaction
> On May 24, 2010, plaintiffs Marc and Bree Kohel entered into a sales contract with defendant Bergen Auto Enterprises, L.L.C. d/b/a Wayne Mazda Inc. (Wayne Mazda), for the purchase of a used 2009 Mazda. Plaintiffs agreed to pay $26,430.22 for the Mazda an
> Carrianne Baird and the other sixty-one plaintiffs-appellants are former students in the registered nursing program of defendant-appellee, Owens Community College. The college lost its accreditation from the National League for Nursing Accreditation Comm
> Scott Harvard was a senior executive officer of Hampton Roads Bank shares, Inc. (HRB), headquartered in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Harvard’s employment contract included a “golden parachute”—a payment of approximately three times his average annual compens
> The plaintiff, Jacob & Youngs, Inc., was a builder that had contracted with George Kent to construct a country residence for him. A specification in the building contract required that “all wrought-iron pipe must be well galvanized, lap welded pipe of th
> In 1980, Dale Bozzio, Terry Bozzio, and Warren Cuccurullo founded the band Missing Persons. As the band’s front woman, Dale Bozzio personified the sound and the look of the new wave scene in 1980s Los Angeles. Capitol Records signed the band and the indi
> NYKCool A.B., based in Stockholm, Sweden, provides maritime transportation for hire. It is a subsidiary of NYK Reefers Limited, which operates as a subsidiary of Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha, one of the world’s largest shipping companies. NYKCool has a
> Edward Hosch entered into four loan agreements with Citicapital Commercial Corporation to finance the purchase of heavy construction equipment. A few months later, Citicapital merged into Citicorp Leasing, Inc., which was then renamed GE Capital Commercia
> Peter Fazio began talks with Cypress/GR Houston I, LP, to buy retail property whose main tenant was a Garden Ridge store. In performing a background investigation, Fazio and his agents became concerned about Garden Ridge’s financial health. Nevertheless,
> Russell and Sally Kiker own a house on 134.5 acres in Newton County Arkansas. On January 26, 2012, Mona Sloop contracted to purchase the house and the land for $850,000. The contract contained the following down payment provision: The nonrefundable down
> Vivian, owner of Wonder Goods Company, employs Xena as an administrative assistant. In Vivian’s absence, and without authority, Xena represents herself as Vivian and signs a promissory note in Vivian’s name. In what circumstance is Vivian liable on the n
> The case before this Court stems from a real estate transaction for a foreclosed car wash in Bellefontaine, Ohio. A court had appointed Patrick Shivley to be a receiver for the protection of the property, which was offered for sale by Huntington Bank. Cl
> Donald Trump and Michael Sexton formed Trump University, LLC—later known as Trump Entrepreneur Initiative, LLC (TEI)—to sell courses in real estate investing. To attract students, Trump made a promotional video. In it, he said, “We’re going to have profe
> On or about May 12, 2009, plaintiff Colleen M. Holmes signed and dated an Entry Form for the 2009 Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure (the Event) to be held on Saturday, June 13, 2009 [in St. Louis, Missouri]. The one-page entry form contained a section tit
> Cecil McNatt contracted with Jane Vestal to build Henderson Villa, an assisted living facility, in Henderson, Tennessee, for $1.4 million. Three days later, McNatt formed a joint venture with M. S. Burton Construction Company to build two assisted living
> S.L., a female sixteen-year-old minor, worked at a KFC Restaurant operated by PAK Foods Houston, LLC. PAK Foods’ policy was to resolve any dispute with an employee through arbitration. At the employer’s request, S.L. signed an acknowledgment of this poli
> Nike, Inc., designs, makes, and sells athletic footwear, including a line of shoes known as “Air Force 1.” Already, LLC, also designs and markets athletic footwear, including the “Sugar” and “Soulja Boy” lines. Nike filed a suit in a federal district cou
> USS–POSCO Industries (UPI) in Pittsburg, California, hired Floyd Case in 2007. He initially worked as an entry level Laborer and Side Trim Operator. As a condition of employment, Case joined Local 1440 of the United Steelworkers of America. UPI faced a s
> William E. Story, Sr., was the uncle of William E. Story II. In the presence of family members and others, the uncle promised to pay his nephew $5,000 ($76,000 in today’s dollars) if he would refrain from drinking, using tobacco, swearing, and playing ca
> Melinda Hinkal filed a suit in a Pennsylvania state court against personal trainer Gavin Pardoe and Gold’s Gym, Inc., alleging that she sustained a serious neck injury while using a piece of exercise equipment under. Pardoe’s direction at Gold’s Gym. Hin
> Assume that you are part of a group of executives at a large software corporation. The company is considering whether to incorporate covenants not to compete into its employment contracts. You know that there are some issues with the enforceability of th
> W. O. Lucy, the plaintiff, filed a suit against A. H. and Ida Zehmer, the defendants, to compel the Zehmers to transfer title of their property, known as the Ferguson Farm, to the Lucys (W. O. and his wife) for $50,000, as the Zehmers had allegedly agree
> Actor Robert Wagner entered into an agreement with Spelling-Goldberg Productions (SGP) “relating to Charlie’s Angels (herein called the ‘series’).” The contract entitled Wagner Charlie’s Angels to 50 percent of the net profits that SGP received from broa
> Lou Sisuphan was the director of finance at a Toyota dealership. His responsibilities included managing the financing contracts for vehicle sales and working with lenders to obtain payments. Sisuphan complained repeatedly to management about the performa
> Defendant Cornell University in Ithaca, New York appointed plaintiff Leslie Weston to an associate professorship in 1998 for an initial term of five years. The 1998 offer letter described the position as being “with tenure,” but it stated that, although
> A federal district court jury convicted Mauricio Warner on all 50 counts of an indictment that charged him with obtaining individuals’ identities and using such identities to file over 5,000 false income tax returns resulting in millions of dollars in re
> Karen Schwarck was operating an Arctic Cat 660 snowmobile near Mackinac Island’s Grand Hotel in Michigan with her sister, Edith Bonno, as passenger. The sisters met their demise when the Arctic Cat went, in reverse, backward through a wooden fence and ov
> Maria Nucci filed a suit in a Florida state court against Target Corporation, alleging that she suffered an injury when she slipped and fell on a “foreign substance” on the floor of a Target store. Target filed a motion to compel an inspection of Nucci’s Fa
> David and John Textor both have companies which produce holograms used in the music industry. Shortly before the Billboard Music Awards show, it was announced that Textor’s company, Pulse Entertainment, would show a Michael Jackson hologram performance.
> Winstead filed his complaint in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, claiming that Jackson’s album/CD and film derived their contents from, and infringed the copyright of, his book. The District Court dismissed Winstead’s comp
> Brothers Jimmy and Larry Flynt owned “The Hustler Club,” a bar and nightclub in Cincinnati, Ohio. Larry opened Hustler clubs in other Ohio cities. Within a few years, he also began publishing Hustler, a sexually explicit magazine. Larry formed LFP IP, In
> It has been estimated that for every dollar spent cleaning up hazardous waste sites, administrative agencies spend seven dollars in overhead. (a) The first group will list and explain possible ways to trim these administrative costs. (b) The second group
> Drew VeRost was employed at a manufacturing facility in Buffalo, New York, owned by Nuttall Gear, LLC. While operating a forklift at Nuttall’s facility, VeRost climbed out of the seat and attempted to engage a lever on the vehicle. As he stood on the fro
> Wyeth, LLC—a subsidiary of Pfizer, Inc.—is an international pharmaceutical and health-care company with its corporate headquarters in Madison, New Jersey. Wyeth develops, makes, and markets medical therapies, clinical programs, nutritional supplements, p
> Delinda Taylor went to a Seattle Mariners baseball game at Safeco Field with her boyfriend and her two minor sons. Their seats were four rows up from the field along the right field foul line. They arrived more than an hour before the game so that they c
> Joseph Guido bought a parcel of land in Stillwater, New York, that contained nine rental houses. The houses shared a waste disposal system that was defective. Guido had a new septic system installed. When town officials discovered sewage on the property,
> Giustibelli represented Copia Blake in a dissolution of marriage proceeding brought against Peter Birzon. After a breakdown in the attorney-client relationship between Giustibelli and her client, Blake, and oddly, Birzon as well, took to the Internet to
> Plaintiff Moseley is an employee of Defendant Pepco Energy Services, Inc. (“PES”). He has been employed by PES or its corporate predecessors for over twenty-five years. PES, a subsidiary of Defendant Pepco Holdings, Inc. (“PHI”), provides deregulated ene
> Bad Frog Brewery, Inc., makes and sells alcoholic beverages. Some of the beverages feature labels that display a drawing of a frog making the gesture generally known as “giving the finger.” Bad Frog’s authorized New York distributor, Renaissance Beer Com
> Rick Scott deposited $2 million into an escrow account maintained by a company owned by Salvatore Carpanzano. Immediately after the deposit was made, in violation of the escrow agreement, the funds were withdrawn. When Scott was unable to recover his mon
> Michael Thompson, a Muslim inmate incarcerated at Waupun Correctional Institution in Wisconsin, sued members of the prison staff for violating his right under the First Amendment to exercise his religion freely. The violation occurred, Thompson says, whe
> In the 1950s, the United States Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation imposed by the states in school systems and other public facilities violated the Constitution. Privately owned facilities were not affected until Congress passed the Civil Rights
> Maureen Droge was a flight attendant for United Air Lines, Inc. (UAL). After being assigned to work in Paris, France, she became pregnant. Because UAL does not allow its flight attendants to fly during their third trimester of pregnancy, Droge was placed
> Background and Facts Phillips Brothers, LP (limited partnership), Harry Simmons, and Ray Winstead were the owners of Kilby Brake Fisheries, LLC (limited liability company), a catfish farm in Mississippi. For nearly eight years, Winstead operated a hatche
> When a plaintiff alleges discrimination but offers no direct evidence of discrimination, the plaintiff bears the initial burden to establish a prima facie case of discrimination. This requires a showing that (1) the plaintiff is a member of a protected c
> Espresso Disposition Corporation 1 and Rowland Coffee Roasters, Inc. (collectively “Appellants”) seek review of the trial court’s order denying their motions to dismiss [Santana Sales & Marketing Group, Inc.’s (“Appellee’s”)] third amended complaint. App
> Jennifer Johnson was working as a finance analyst for Oxy USA, Inc., when Oxy changed the job’s requirements. To meet the new standards, Johnson took courses to become a certified public accountant. Oxy’s “Educational Assistance Policy” was to reimburse em
> Gucci America, Inc., a New York corporation headquartered in New York City, is part of Gucci Group, a global fashion firm with offices in China, France, Great Britain, Italy, and Japan. Gucci makes and sells high-quality luxury goods, including footwear, b
> Kelley Mala is a citizen of the United States Virgin Islands. He went for a cruise in his powerboat near St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. When his boat ran low on gas, he entered Crown Bay Marina to refuel. Mala tied the boat to one of Crown Bay’s eight fueli
> The United Effort Plan Trust “UEP Trust” or the “Trust” was formed in Utah by members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints “FLDS Church”. The Trust members deeded their property to the UEP Trust to be managed by Church leader
> Asphalt & Concrete Services, Inc. (ACS), was working on a play pad at St. John Regional Catholic School in Frederick, Maryland. ACS project manager Blake Wood contacted William Johnson at Higher Power Trucking, LLC, to arrange for a dump truck to haul ma
> Some argue that the best way to stop patent trolls from taking advantage of the system would be to eliminate software patents completely and pass a law that makes software un patentable. Would this be fair to software and technology companies? Why or why
> Why might the new SEC pay-ratio disclosure rule cause certain businesses to eliminate low-wage workers?
> Angie Jolson is the chair of the board of directors of Artel, Inc., and Sam Douglas is the chair of the board of directors of Fox Express, Inc. Jolson and Douglas meet to consider the possibility of combining their corporations into a single corporate en
> Professional Products, Inc. (PPI), bought three pallets of computer wafers from Omneon Video Graphics. (A computer wafer is a thin, round slice of silicon from which microchips are made.) Omneon agreed to ship the wafers to the City University of New Yor
> How might the new SEC pay-ratio disclosure rule help shareholders?
> Gilbert Church owned a horse breeding farm managed by Herb Bagley. Advertisements for the breeding rights to one of Church Farm’s stallions, Imperial Guard, directed all inquiries to “Herb Bagley, Manager.” Vern and Gail Lundberg bred Thoroughbred horses
> Janell Arden is a purchasing agent–employee for the A&B Coal Supply partnership. Arden has authority to purchase the coal needed by A&B to satisfy he needs of its customers. While Arden is leaving a coal mine from which she has just purchased a large qua
> Paul and Julie Leonard’s two-story home in Pascagoula, Mississippi, is only twelve feet above sea level and fewer than two hundred yards from the Gulf of Mexico. In 1989, the Leonards bought a homeowners’ insurance policy from Jay Fletcher, an agent for
> American National Property and Casualty Co. issued an insurance policy to Robert Houston, insuring certain residential property and its contents against fire and other hazards. Twenty months later, Houston issued a quitclaim deed to the property to John
> Sherman Hemsley was a well-known actor from the 1970s. Most notably, he played George Jefferson on the television shows All in the Family and The Jeffersons. He was born to Arsena Chisolm and William Thornton. Thornton was married to another woman, and H
> Leo and Mary Deters owned Deters Tower Service, Inc., in Iowa. Deters Tower serviced television and radio towers and antennas in a multistate area. The firm obtained a commercial general liability policy issued by USF Insurance Co. to provide coverage fo
> Arthur and Diana Ebanks owned three properties in the Cayman Islands in joint tenancy. With respect to joint tenancies, Cayman law is the same as U.S. law. When the Ebanks divorced, the decree did not change the tenancy in which the properties were held.
> James Bubenik, a dentist, had two patients die while under sedation within six months. Bubenik had medical malpractice insurance with Medical Protective Co. (MPC). The families of both patients sued Bubenik for malpractice. A clause in Bubenik’s policy s
> In the 1990s, DuCoa, L.P., made choline chloride, a B-complex vitamin essential for the growth and development of animals. DuCoa, Bio products, Inc., and Chinook Group, Ltd., each had one-third of the U.S. market for choline chloride. To stabilize the ma
> The limited liability company (LLC) may be the best organizational form for most businesses. For a significant number of firms, however, the corporate form or some other form of organization may be better. (a) The first group will outline several reasons
> Elnora Maxey became the guardian of Sean Hall after his parents died. In 1996, Maxey died, and her will left the two houses in her estate to Hall. Julia Jordan became Hall’s new guardian, and when she died, her husband, John Jordan, became Hall’s guardia
> Go to Case Analysis 49.3, Montgomery County v. Bhatt. Read the excerpt, and answer the following questions. (a) Issue: What conflict, and between which parties, did this case highlight? (b) Rule of Law: On which specific requirement of what rule of law d
> Lockheed Martin Corporation owned an aluminum refinery in St. Croix, Virgin Islands, that produced hazardous waste. Lockheed sold the refinery to Glencore Ltd. Their contract provided that Glencore would indemnify Lockheed for “pre-closing” environmental
> After Dave Conley died of lung cancer, his widow filed for benefits under the Black Lung Benefits Act. To qualify for benefits under the act, she had to show that exposure to coal dust was a substantial contributing factor to her husband’s death. Conley
> Brian Cleary and Rita Burke filed a suit against cigarette maker Philip Morris USA, Inc., seeking class-action status for a claim of deceptive advertising. Cleary and Burke claimed that “light” cigarettes, such as Marlboro Lights, were advertised as safe