1. VIOXX SETTLEMENT MAY COST 5 BILLION
2. Merck Approves Vioxx Settlement
3. Criteria for Avandia
4. Apple faces potential environmental lawsuit
5. Amid Recent Toy Recalls for Lead Hazards Parents Need to Reorganize Children's Toy Collections
6. Updated IPods Confirm Apple's Monopoly
7. Most read stories from ABA Journal
8. Heart surgeons should use caution with drug-coated stents
9. New Sony Root Kit scandal?
10. Inside the Countrywide Lending Spree
11. BA pair quit amid surcharge probe
12. Price Fixing Investigation
13. British Airways scheduled to plead guilty to price fixing
14. Mortgage Meltdown
15. CARD SERVICES - A RIPOFF ? More and more reports...
16. J & J to cut 4000 jobs
17. Vioxx trials to focus on strokes
18. Guidant Settlement FAQ
19. Manufacturer of Guidant to Settle Lawsuits
20. Judge Rejects Merck's View on FDA preemption in Vioxx case
21. Printers give false out of ink messages.
22. Doctor who questioned Avandia threatened
23. CDC status report on Salmonella from peanut butter
24. Lindsay Lohan Hooked on OxyContin
25. Avandia Safe, GlaxoSithKline Says
26. Calm Urged for Avandia Patients
27. Did FDA Know Of Avandia Dangers In 2002?
28. Advocacy group says FDA knew Avandia’s risk
29. Avandia: FDA Issuing Safety Alert
30. Avandia: Oral - Who Should Not Take This Medication
31. Avandia Linked to Heart Attacks and Deaths
32. GlaxoSmithKline to be hit with a wave of Avandia lawsuits
33. Fenphen, Vioxx, Avandia, whats next on the FDA "approved" list?
34. Diabetes Drug Avandia Tied To Heart Risks
35. Glaxo's diabetes drug rosiglitazone (Avandia, GlaxoSmithKline) may increase the risk of MI and cardiovascular death
36. Microsoft takes on the free world
37. Ipods can make pacemakers fail
38. OXYCONTIN 600 Million Dollar fine
39. Tainted Pet Food Still on Shelves, FDA Says
40. AVMA RECALLED PET FOOD BRANDS
41. China Pet Food Managers held over US Deaths
42. WEGMAN'S WET CAT FOOD RECALLED
43. Menu Foods expands recall again
44. Peanut Butter Recalls Spread to Ice Cream & Desserts
45. PEANUT BUTTER/SALMONELLA ASSOCIATION
46. PEANUT BUTTER/SALMONELLA ASSOCIATION
47. Pet Food Recall expanded
48. Mrs. Leflaw
49. Leflaw's youtube playlist
50. At least 6 brands have no chondroitin.

Recall information from FDA

Agricola Zaragoza, Inc. Recalls Jalapeno Peppers Because of Possible Health Risk (July 21)

The recall is a result of sampling by FDA, which revealed that these Jalapeno Peppers were contaminated with the same strain of Salmonella Saintpaul responsible for the current Salmonella outbreak. It is unknown at this time which, if any, of the more than 1,200 illnesses reported to date are related to this particular product or to the grower who supplied this product. Distribution of these products has been suspended while FDA, the Texas Department of State Health Services and the company continue their investigation as to the source of the problem.

Domega International Co., Ltd. Issues an Alert on Undeclared Sulfites in Korica Brand Mut Gung Sweetened Ginger (July 16)

The recalled Korica Brand Mut Gung Sweetened Ginger is sold in uncoded 7 oz plastic tubs and is a product of Vietnam. The product was sold nationwide.

Grande Produce, LTD.CO Recalls Jalapeno Peppers, Serrano Peppers, and Avocados Because of Possible Health Risk (July 19)

The Jalapeno Peppers, Serrano Peppers and Avocados were distributed to the following states: TX, DE, NC, GA, OK, IA, MN, IL, FL, IN, MD, NY, MS, AR, KS, and KY. The avocados being recalled were shipped in boxes labeled "Frutas Finas de Tancitaro HASS Avocados, Produce of Mexico," all sizes, with lot number HUE08160090889. The Jalapeno Peppers and Serrano peppers being recalled were shipped in 35lb. plastic crates with no brand name or label.

Roxane Laboratories, Inc. Initiates a Nationwide Voluntary Recall of Two Manufacturing Lots of Sodium Polystyrene Sulfonate Suspension in the US and Puerto Rico (July 14)

Roxane Laboratories, Inc. announced today that it is conducting a nationwide voluntary recall of two manufacturing lots of Sodium Polystyrene Sulfonate Suspension, USP, 15 g/60 mL Unit dose bottles (NDC 0054-0165-51; Lot 856396A Exp April 2010, and Lot 856693A Exp May 2010).

Lucky Green Trading, Inc. Recalls Thai Basil Because of Possible Health Risk (July 9)

LUCKY GREEN TRADING, INC. of Garden Grove, CA is recalling Thai Basil , because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella , an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.

Salmolux Inc. Recalls Wild Alaskan Smoked Salmon Nova Lox Lot # 01418 Because of Possible Health Risk (July 9)

Salmolux Inc. of Federal Way, WA, is recalling lot # 01418 of its Wild Alaskan Smoked Salmon Nova Lox sold in 3 ounce packages due to the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.

Jack Distribution, LLC. Issues a Voluntary Nationwide Recall of Select Lots of Rize 2 The Occasion Capsules and Rose 4 Her Capsules (July 1)

Jack Distribution, LLC, and its wholesale distributors G and N Works, Inc., and Devine Distribution, Inc., announced today that they are conducting a voluntary nationwide recall of the following lot numbers of the company's supplement products sold under the brand names Rize 2 The Occasion and Rose 4 Her. (Rize 2 lot numbers CG-84 expires 11/10, GD-98 expires 08/10, CC-06 expires 06/10, 709 expires 09/10, CG-79 expires 11/10) (Rose 4 Her lot number CG-78 expires 11/10).

Sage Products Inc. Issues Voluntary Recall of 2% Chlorhexidine Gluconate Cloth Patient Preoperative Skin Preparation (June 27)

As a precautionary measure, Sage Products announced a voluntary recall of limited lots of 2 Percent Chlorhexidine Gluconate (CHG) Cloth Patient Preoperative Skin Preparation product. Testing of bulk 2 Percent CHG solution from an outside supplier was found positive for Burkholderia cepacia (B. cepacia).

Giant Food Alerts Customers to Voluntary Recall of Giant Brand Garlic Bread and Garlic Spread (June 27)

Giant Food has announced a voluntary recall of Giant brand garlic bread and garlic spread products sold in its Bakeshop as the items contain milk products which are not declared on the labels. Giant removed from its shelves all 16 ounce packages of Giant brand garlic bread and all 16 ounce packages of Giant brand garlic spread products.

Stop and Shop Alerts Customers to Voluntary Recall of Stop and Shop Brand Garlic Bread and Garlic Spread (June 27)

The Stop and Shop Supermarket Company has announced a voluntary recall of Stop and Shop brand garlic bread and garlic spread products sold in its Bakeshop as the items contain milk products which are not declared on the labels. Stop and Shop removed from its shelves all 16 ounce and 9 ounce packages of Stop and Shop brand garlic bread and all 16 ounce packages of Stop and Shop brand garlic spread products.

Bay Valley Foods Issues Allergy Alert on Undeclared Milk in Mislabeled Kroger Chicken Noodle Soup (June 24)

The recalled product, Kroger Chicken Noodle Soup, comes in 10.5 ounce cans and is marked with lot code 52104098, and a "best before" date code of 40910 (April 9, 2010) that can be found on the bottom of the can. Consumers are urged to return the product to the store where it was purchased for a full refund.

Matterhorn Group Inc. Announces Voluntary Recall of Astro Pops and Missile Pops 3.5 oz Cherry Pineapple Frozen Novelty Pops in Arizona, Nevada and California due to Safety Hazard (June 18)

Matterhorn Group Inc is recalling certain date coded product of their Rainbow Glacier "Astro Pops" water ice frozen novelty pops, Cherry Pineapple Swirl 3.5 oz size 12 count bag pack, with tag closure "Best by JUN 03-09", "Best by JUN 04-09" and "Best by JUN 05-09" sold through the Wal-Mart stores located in California and Arizona, Sunnyside Farms "Missile Pops" Cherry Pineapple in 3.5 oz. size 12 count bag packages, with tag closure of "Best By JUN 02-09", "Best by JUN 03-09", and "Best by JUN 04-09" sold through the California stores of grocery retailers Save Mart and Raley’s, and Vitafreze Frozen Astronot Pops 3.5 oz size 12 count bag packages, with tag closure of "Best By JUN 02-09" sold in California. The products are being recalled because they may contain pieces of hard plastic. Only the noted product date codes listed are affected.

Recall of Nestle Pure Life Purified Water (June 24)

This announces a product recall for the one-gallon Nestle Pure Life Purified Drinking Water sold ONLY in Shop-Rite stores in the five Northeast states of Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. This affects ONLY the one-gallon size.

Fresca Italia, Inc., Expands Recall of Burrata Cheese Because of Possible Health Risk (June 23)

Fresca Italia is recalling Burrata, a type of cheese, because it has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as fever, headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal, or diarrhea, listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

FDA Requests Seizure of Animal Food Products at PETCO Distribution Center

At the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. Marshals seized various animal food products stored under unsanitary conditions at the PETCO Animal Supplies Distribution Center located in Joliet, Ill., pursuant to a warrant issued by the United States District Court in Chicago.

Tipu's Tiger Chai, Inc Recalls Tipus Tiger Chai Concentrate Because of a Possible Health Risk (June 17)

Tipu's Tiger Chai Inc, of Missoula, Montana is voluntarily recalling its Tipu's Tiger Chai Concentrate because it has the potential to be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum, a bacterium which can cause life-threatening illness or death. Consumers are warned not to use the product even if it does not look or smell spoiled.

ETHEX Corporation Voluntarily Recalls Specific Lots of 30 mg. and 60 mg. Morphine Sulfate Extended Release Tablets Due to the Potential for Oversized Tablets (June 13)

ETHEX Corporation announced today that it has voluntarily recalled specific additional lots of morphine sulfate 60 mg extended release tablets, and specific lots of morphine sulfate 30 mg extended release tablets, as a precaution, due to the possible presence of oversized tablets. Oversized tablets may contain as much as two times the labeled level of active morphine sulfate. The recalled lots were distributed by ETHEX Corporation under an "ETHEX" label between June 2006 and May 2008.

Updated Press Release: Lake Country and LAND O LAKES Lamb Feed Voluntary Recall (June 11)

The Land O'Lakes Purina Feed plant in Fremont, Neb., has initiated a limited voluntary recall of four lamb feed products, packaged in 50-pound bags, due to the potential for higher than acceptable levels of copper.

Leiner Health Products Issues Allergy Alert on Undeclared Allergens in Liquimax Multivitamin (June 6)

Leiner Health Products Inc. announced that it is recalling its 32 ounce plastic bottles of Liquimax Complete Nutrition Multivitamin Formula, labeled with UPC Code 7497052290, 7497023607, or 7497023696 because the product may contain undeclared fish (not shellfish), tree nuts (almonds, pecans and/or walnuts), and wheat. People who have allergies to fish, tree nuts and/or wheat run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products.

Lake Country Lamb Feed Voluntary Recall (June 6)

The Land O'Lakes Purina Feed plant in Fremont, Neb., has initiated a limited voluntary recall of two lamb feed products due to higher than acceptable levels of copper.

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The day's top legal stories accompanied with summaries.

New Suits Over Recalled Drugs May Target China

Plaintiffs attorneys say a recent surge in lawsuits involving two recalled drugs, generic blood thinner heparin and prescription medication Digitek, could signal a clean break from past actions that were far less successful against Vioxx and Paxil. The heparin suits are the first to be brought against a manufacturer with ties to China, which has been linked in litigation to dangerous products such as toys, pet food and toothpaste. But some say the recent drug lawsuits aren't all easy to swallow.

Federal Judge Calls Halt to Ugly Fee Dispute

In a nasty dispute that erupted between two lawyers over how to divvy up more than $60 million in attorney fees stemming from a massive class action, a federal judge has ordered the lawyers to stop their fighting because the dispute was settled nearly four years ago. In violating a restraining order intended to prevent contact between the two, one of the lawyers said, "It's just almost every night I think about this case, and I just bubble over with anger and it's -- you can't make it go away."

Commentary: How to Be a Swell Boss

The Assistant-at-Law has heard dozens of boss horror stories. With all those lawyers who carp, cavil and condescend, she counts herself lucky to have had bosses who were mostly fine people. Recently, The Assistant-at-Law wondered what all those good bosses have in common. Surely, there must be some archetypal "great boss" personality. Always smiling? Understanding to a fault? Never runs behind deadline? But a careful analysis surprised her: Her favorite bosses are as different from each other as can be.

Commentary: Set Rules of Conduct in Summer Programs

The summer program is the time when eager law students are provided their first major glimpse into law firm life. They are paid well, entertained generously and offered opportunities to conduct research and observe skilled attorneys at work. But what lies beneath is a pattern of behavior that places law firms at risk, such as dating among co-workers and excessive drinking. Attorney Lauren Stiller Rikleen suggests developing clear rules for personal conduct and instituting a zero-tolerance policy.

GCs Bristle at Proposed Disclosure Rules

Changes proposed by the Financial Accounting Standards Board that would force public companies to disclose more about the risks of litigation have caused a howl of protest among general counsel and corporate and defense lawyers. In-house and big-firm lawyers say the changes would force companies to lay their litigation strategies out for opponents to see, potentially lead to a waiver of attorney-client privilege, and lead to more securities fraud cases if hard-to-predict litigation turns out differently.

Keyword Searches: A Grim Prognosis

Mushrooming volumes of ESI require lawyers to use automated search tools to find privileged documents, but courts are less willing to indulge the fiction that these tools perform in unskilled hands. The jig is up, and lawyers are now obliged to prove these proxies really work.

Beware Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Traps

Companies in the United States often undertake extensive promotional activities to market and sell their products throughout the world. These efforts can include paying the expenses for customers to travel to company facilities. But there is the potential that the payments will run afoul of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Attorneys Richard M. Strassberg and Kyle A. Wombolt discuss recent FCPA enforcement action involving promotional expenditures and outline some compliance best practices.

Nokia, Qualcomm Settle Long-Running Licensing Dispute

Nokia and Qualcomm said July 23 they agreed to settle a high-stakes licensing dispute and end a bitter legal battle that has lasted nearly three years and spanned several continents. The wireless industry heavyweights said the 15-year licensing deal gives Nokia rights to a wide portfolio of Qualcomm's patents. The pact covers a host of technologies that didn't exist or were in their infancies when the two companies signed, and later renewed, their initial agreement.

N.Y. Court Establishes First Statewide Guidelines for Mediators, Neutral Evaluators

New York has established for the first time statewide guidelines for the qualifications and training of mediators and neutral evaluators who are called into cases by judges seeking to encourage out-of-court settlements. Establishment of the guidelines represents a coming of age for alternative dispute resolution, Chief Administrative Judge Ann Pfau said. "I think this will be very helpful in continuing to develop this very vibrant ADR program that we have."

Brokers' Employment Suit Backfires, Defendant Awarded $1.6 Million

A federal judge in Pennsylvania has upheld a $1.6 million arbitration award for a mortgage company that was being sued under RICO by two former brokers who sought damages of $20 million or more. The arbitrator ruled that the company owed the two brokers $317,364 for breaching the "protected territories" provision of their employment agreements, but found that the two brokers owed the company for unearned advances and for their breach of the employment contracts based on their contacts with a competitor.

Latham Puts Lawyers in Mideast Offices

Latham & Watkins is relocating four partners to the Middle East and two to London. The partners will split time as needed between new offices in Doha, the capital of Qatar, and the eponymous main cities of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The relocations will bolster the firm's efforts to respond to "the increasingly important financial and banking nexus between London and the Middle East," said firm Chairman Robert Dell.

SEC Files Fraud Actions Against Fuel, Wireless Firms

The Atlanta Regional Office of the Securities and Exchange Commission has filed fraud actions against two Southeastern companies -- Mobile Ready Entertainment and U.S. Sustainable Energy Corp. -- alleging they engaged in "pump-and-dump" schemes in which companies distribute bogus information to pump up share prices, only to dump the stock and leave investors with huge losses. An SEC director says about 5 percent of the cases brought by the SEC's national enforcement program involve pump-and-dump schemes.

Court Orders Dickie Scruggs to Ky. Federal Prison

Famed anti-tobacco lawyer Richard "Dickie" Scruggs has been ordered to report to a federal prison in Ashland, Ky., next month to start serving his five-year sentence for attempting to bribe a Mississippi judge. Scruggs' son, Zach, will go to a federal prison in Pensacola, Fla., to serve his 14-month sentence for failing to report the crime. Zach Scruggs asked that he and his father both be sent to the prison in Forrest City, Ark., citing the "travel burden" on his "health-embattled mother."

11th Circuit Rejects Most of Fla. Pledge Challenge

The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has rejected a First Amendment challenge to a Florida law that says students must get a parent's permission to get out of a daily classroom recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance. But the court ruled that a part of the law requiring all "civilians" to stand during the pledge in schools is unconstitutional.

Manatt's China Energy Gambit

The credit crunch and tax-break uncertainty were pulling San Francisco lawyer Charles Ferguson's energy practice into a lull. Three deals in the billion-dollar range stalled in the past year, thanks to the souring U.S. business environment. So he and his firm turned to China. With its booming economy and growing investment in renewable and alternative energies -- which account for about 75 percent of Ferguson's practice at Manatt, Phelps & Phillips -- China looked like a source of potential new business.

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