Articles by Tom Hals

Trial Asks the $2 Billion Question: Does Musk Control Tesla?

Does Elon Musk control Tesla Inc. or does Tesla control Elon Musk? More than $2 billion hinges on that question as a trial kicks off on Monday. Shareholders allege that Musk used his control of Tesla to force the company …

Condo Collapse: Everyone Will Point Fingers But Florida Laws Narrow Liability

The collapse of a condominium tower near Miami will set off years of litigation as victims and their families look to find fault among the building’s management as well as engineers, architects and others, according to legal experts. Disaster struck …

Big Oil May Face More Climate Lawsuits After Shell Ruling, Say Lawyers, Activists

LONDON – A Dutch court’s decision to force Royal Dutch Shell to make deeper, faster cuts to its climate warming emissions on the basis of human rights could set a precedent, especially in European countries, according to lawyers and activists. …

Judge Rejects Bayer’s $2 Billion Proposal to End Roundup Litigation

A U.S. judge rejected Bayer’s $2 billion class action proposal aimed at resolving future lawsuits alleging its Roundup weedkiller causes cancer, saying in a Wednesday order that parts of the plan were “clearly unreasonable.” U.S. District Court Judge Vince Chhabria …

Judge in $2B Roundup Settlement Recommends Bayer Add a Warning Label

A U.S. judge suggested on Wednesday that Bayer AG include a warning label on Roundup as part of a proposed $2 billion settlement to resolve future claims that the top-selling weedkiller causes cancer. Bayer asked U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria …

Judge Has Questions About Bayer’s $2 Billion Roundup Settlement

A federal judge on Tuesday questioned a $2 billion proposal by Bayer AG that would create a framework for resolving future claims that its Roundup weedkiller causes cancer, casting doubt on the plan a day before a key hearing. Bayer …

Appeals Court Rejects Bayer Appeal of $25M Roundup Cancer Verdict

A federal appeals court on Friday upheld a $25 million judgment and trial verdict finding Bayer’s Roundup caused a California resident’s non-Hodgkin lymphoma, dealing a blow to the chemical company’s hopes of limiting its legal risk over the weed-killer. The …

Virginia Health Workers With COVID Get Workers’ Comp Unless They Refuse Vaccine

Virginia has passed a law making it easier for some healthcare workers who become ill with COVID-19 to collect medical expenses or lost wages. But there’s a catch: the law excludes healthcare workers who are offered a vaccine at work …

Judge Questions Why Facebook May Have Overpaid in Data Privacy Settlement

Facebook Inc. may have paid $4.9 billion more than the maximum penalty it faced under a settlement agreement with regulators related to allegations it mishandled user privacy, according to a Wednesday court ruling. The information made public by a Delaware …

Broker Robinhood Sued by Parents Over Trader Son’s Suicide

The family of a 20-year-old stock trader who committed suicide sued the broker Robinhood for his death, citing its “misleading communications” that caused their son to panic over what he wrongly believed were huge market losses, according to a lawsuit. …