Latest news with #litigation
Reuters
2 hours ago
- Business
- Reuters
Fifth partner leaves Paul Weiss to join new firm
June 2 (Reuters) - Another partner has left law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton and Garrison, joining Karen Dunn and others who split to launch their own firm late last month. Kyle Smith, a Washington-based litigator who has represented Amazon, Uber and other clients at Paul Weiss, is the fifth partner to join newly formed Dunn Isaacson Rhee. Smith, who announced the move in a LinkedIn post on Sunday, could not immediately be reached for comment. Paul Weiss in March became the first of nine firms that struck deals with the White House to avoid being targeted by President Donald Trump's administration. The Wall Street firm pledged $40 million in free legal work to mutually agreed causes with the administration in return for Trump rescinding an executive order that threatened the firm's access to government officials and its federal contracting work. Dunn, a prominent litigator and Washington Democrat, left Paul Weiss on May 23 to found the new firm along with Jeannie Rhee, Bill Isaacson and Jessica Phillips. They did not cite Paul Weiss' deal with Trump in an internal email announcing their departures that was viewed by Reuters. Last month, former U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson retired from Paul Weiss for a leadership post at Columbia University. Paul Weiss in a statement thanked Smith for his contributions to the firm. Its chairman Brad Karp has defended the agreement with Trump, arguing it was necessary to protect the firm. Dunn Isaacson Rhee said the new firm would soon formally announce its expanded team. 'Since the news of our firm became public last week, we have received a truly overwhelming amount of support and interest from lawyers and staff who want to join us," the firm said. The firm since its launch is continuing to represent Google and Qualcomm in litigation, alongside Paul Weiss lawyers that are still on the cases, court records show. Four firms sued the Trump administration after they were hit with executive orders like the one against Paul Weiss. Judges have permanently struck down the orders in three of the cases so far, ruling that Trump unconstitutionally retaliated against the firms for their past cases and associations.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Opinion - Think Trump's deportations have been bad? Wait until his civilian army gets started.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem incorrectly defined habeas corpus during a recent congressional hearing, augmenting serious doubts that top White House administration officials understand and are willing to respect the rule of law and legal rights of civilians on U.S. soil. Indeed, Noem oversees the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which has been 'forcibly disappearing' undocumented immigrants, international students and permanent residents off the streets. ICE officers frequently wear masks, which could help them avoid accountability for tactics like warrantless arrests, 'knock and arrests' and smashing car windows. In practice, ICE operates with relatively little oversight, but in principle, it is accountable to the federal government and has been subject to extensive civil litigation in the courts. Yes, ICE is deeply flawed, but there is a real risk of something far worse. Over the past few months, Erik Prince, former head of the private military company Blackwater (now known by the name Constellis), has pitched multiple proposals to the White House to help with mass deportations. Prince has argued that achieving President Trump's aggressive deportation goals will require the government to 'supplement' ICE's capabilities. According to one of his proposals, a new Prince company, 2USV, would train and deploy an army of as many as 100,000 armed and deputized citizens. The administration has not yet decided to implement the plan, though Trump said he 'wouldn't be opposed to it, necessarily.' As academic experts on non-state armed groups like militias and on immigration, we are alarmed at this possibility. This is because scholarly research on the type of group Prince would mobilize suggests three key patterns. First, these groups are often tasked with committing human rights violations in pursuit of the government's political goals. Second, the current domestic political environment in the U.S. is conducive to their formation. Lastly, employing groups like this would allow federal government officials — including the president ◊ to evade accountability for illegal or inhumane tactics. Prince's proposed 'army' would be a 'pro-government militia,' which the academic literature defines as an organized, armed group that is government-sponsored and not part of regular security forces. Because these groups can be kept at arms' length from political elites, research shows that many governments around the world use these militias to 'evade accountability for strategically useful violence.' Governments shift blame to such militias to retain deniability in the face of domestic pressures or international condemnation. For this reason, they are associated with significant reductions in a country's respect for human rights, as seen in other countries throughout history, including Serbia, Argentina and Chile. The Serbian nationalist 'Tigers' committed numerous war crimes in Bosnia and Croatia in the 1990s, but Serbian Security Service officials clearly linked to the group's operations were acquitted on all charges by the International Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia. That was because it could not be 'proven beyond a reasonable doubt' that they 'planned or organized the crimes.' Other militias have conducted disappearances, assassinations and torture so that the government could keep its hands 'clean,' as during Operation Condor in the 1970s in Argentina and in connection with the Sept. 11, 1973, coup in Chile. Paramilitaries are often thought of as characteristic of dictatorships, but research shows that informal pro-government militias tend to emerge in 'weak' democracies where leaders are navigating fragile institutions of accountability. 'Strong' democracies usually prevent these groups from emerging because they have more robust constraints on the executive branch and corruption is harder to hide from the public. The troubling fact is that Trump's attacks on American political institutions and independent media integrity have eroded U.S. democracy. One metric used by political scientists to measure regime types is the Polity score, which ranges from -10 (very autocratic, such as North Korea) to 10 (very democratic, such as Sweden). As of 2020, the U.S. had been downgraded to a 5, putting it in the category of 'weak democracy.' What does this mean for the future of U.S. immigration enforcement? Expanded efforts through shady paramilitary groups is becoming surprisingly possible in the U.S., and the conditions are ripe for this proposed army to commit human rights abuses. It's worth remembering that Prince's former company Blackwater was involved in human rights abuses in the past, including a massacre of at least 14 Iraqi civilians, whose perpetrators were pardoned by Trump in 2020. The administration is already relying on dubious means to rush deportation processes while the courts try to slow them down. Consequently, the Department of Homeland Security is already choosing to ignore court rulings with some operations, like one recent deportation of migrants to South Sudan. Their willingness to violate the rule of law is captured by former acting ICE Director Tom Homan's statement: 'I don't care what judges think.' Skeptics may argue that the U.S. is unique, that these abuses couldn't happen here, or that American electoral institutions and the free press can still hold policymakers accountable for deeds of private contractors. But democratic institutions in the U.S. are undoubtedly disintegrating. The press can only hold leaders accountable if it is believed, and current trust in the press is at an all-time low. It may be that Prince's private army proposal will never be accepted. It may be that continued deportation efforts are challenged in courts and the administration will begin to abide by substantive rulings against it. It is possible future immigration policy will be more humane. But for now, the political incentives exist for the unprecedented use of pro-government militias on American soil. Immigrants may be the current target of increasingly reckless enforcement efforts, but repressive action by domestic paramilitaries may not stop there. This must be prevented while mechanisms of accountability still survive. Brandon Bolte, P.h.D., is an assistant professor in the School of Politics and International Affairs at the University of Illinois Springfield and an expert in militias, rebellion, and armed conflict. Isabel Skinner, P.h.D., is an assistant professor in the School of Politics and International Affairs at the University of Illinois-Springfield. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
10 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Think Trump's deportations have been bad? Wait until his civilian army gets started.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem incorrectly defined habeas corpus during a recent congressional hearing, augmenting serious doubts that top White House administration officials understand and are willing to respect the rule of law and legal rights of civilians on U.S. soil. Indeed, Noem oversees the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which has been 'forcibly disappearing' undocumented immigrants, international students and permanent residents off the streets. ICE officers frequently wear masks, which could help them avoid accountability for tactics like warrantless arrests, 'knock and arrests' and smashing car windows. In practice, ICE operates with relatively little oversight, but in principle, it is accountable to the federal government and has been subject to extensive civil litigation in the courts. Yes, ICE is deeply flawed, but there is a real risk of something far worse. Over the past few months, Erik Prince, former head of the private military company Blackwater (now known by the name Constellis), has pitched multiple proposals to the White House to help with mass deportations. Prince has argued that achieving President Trump's aggressive deportation goals will require the government to 'supplement' ICE's capabilities. According to one of his proposals, a new Prince company, 2USV, would train and deploy an army of as many as 100,000 armed and deputized citizens. The administration has not yet decided to implement the plan, though Trump said he 'wouldn't be opposed to it, necessarily.' As academic experts on non-state armed groups like militias and on immigration, we are alarmed at this possibility. This is because scholarly research on the type of group Prince would mobilize suggests three key patterns. First, these groups are often tasked with committing human rights violations in pursuit of the government's political goals. Second, the current domestic political environment in the U.S. is conducive to their formation. Lastly, employing groups like this would allow federal government officials — including the president ◊ to evade accountability for illegal or inhumane tactics. Prince's proposed 'army' would be a 'pro-government militia,' which the academic literature defines as an organized, armed group that is government-sponsored and not part of regular security forces. Because these groups can be kept at arms' length from political elites, research shows that many governments around the world use these militias to 'evade accountability for strategically useful violence.' Governments shift blame to such militias to retain deniability in the face of domestic pressures or international condemnation. For this reason, they are associated with significant reductions in a country's respect for human rights, as seen in other countries throughout history, including Serbia, Argentina and Chile. The Serbian nationalist 'Tigers' committed numerous war crimes in Bosnia and Croatia in the 1990s, but Serbian Security Service officials clearly linked to the group's operations were acquitted on all charges by the International Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia. That was because it could not be 'proven beyond a reasonable doubt' that they 'planned or organized the crimes.' Other militias have conducted disappearances, assassinations and torture so that the government could keep its hands 'clean,' as during Operation Condor in the 1970s in Argentina and in connection with the Sept. 11, 1973, coup in Chile. Paramilitaries are often thought of as characteristic of dictatorships, but research shows that informal pro-government militias tend to emerge in 'weak' democracies where leaders are navigating fragile institutions of accountability. 'Strong' democracies usually prevent these groups from emerging because they have more robust constraints on the executive branch and corruption is harder to hide from the public. The troubling fact is that Trump's attacks on American political institutions and independent media integrity have eroded U.S. democracy. One metric used by political scientists to measure regime types is the Polity score, which ranges from -10 (very autocratic, such as North Korea) to 10 (very democratic, such as Sweden). As of 2020, the U.S. had been downgraded to a 5, putting it in the category of 'weak democracy.' What does this mean for the future of U.S. immigration enforcement? Expanded efforts through shady paramilitary groups is becoming surprisingly possible in the U.S., and the conditions are ripe for this proposed army to commit human rights abuses. It's worth remembering that Prince's former company Blackwater was involved in human rights abuses in the past, including a massacre of at least 14 Iraqi civilians, whose perpetrators were pardoned by Trump in 2020. The administration is already relying on dubious means to rush deportation processes while the courts try to slow them down. Consequently, the Department of Homeland Security is already choosing to ignore court rulings with some operations, like one recent deportation of migrants to South Sudan. Their willingness to violate the rule of law is captured by former acting ICE Director Tom Homan's statement: 'I don't care what judges think.' Skeptics may argue that the U.S. is unique, that these abuses couldn't happen here, or that American electoral institutions and the free press can still hold policymakers accountable for deeds of private contractors. But democratic institutions in the U.S. are undoubtedly disintegrating. The press can only hold leaders accountable if it is believed, and current trust in the press is at an all-time low. It may be that Prince's private army proposal will never be accepted. It may be that continued deportation efforts are challenged in courts and the administration will begin to abide by substantive rulings against it. It is possible future immigration policy will be more humane. But for now, the political incentives exist for the unprecedented use of pro-government militias on American soil. Immigrants may be the current target of increasingly reckless enforcement efforts, but repressive action by domestic paramilitaries may not stop there. This must be prevented while mechanisms of accountability still survive. Brandon Bolte, P.h.D., is an assistant professor in the School of Politics and International Affairs at the University of Illinois Springfield and an expert in militias, rebellion, and armed conflict. Isabel Skinner, P.h.D., is an assistant professor in the School of Politics and International Affairs at the University of Illinois-Springfield.
Business Upturn
a day ago
- Business
- Business Upturn
ROSEN, RECOGNIZED INVESTOR COUNSEL, Encourages NET Power Inc. Investors to Secure Counsel Before Important Deadline in Securities Class Action – NPWR, NPWR.WS
NEW YORK, June 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of securities of NET Power Inc. (NYSE: NPWR, between June 9, 2023 and March 7, 2025, both dates inclusive (the 'Class Period'), of the important June 17, 2025 lead plaintiff deadline. SO WHAT: If you purchased NET Power securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement. WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the NET Power class action, go to call Phillip Kim, Esq. at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] for more information. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than June 17, 2025. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, throughout the Class Period, defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) NET Power was unlikely to complete Project Permian (NET Power's efforts to develop its first utility-scale plant) on schedule, and the project was likely to be significantly more expensive than defendants had represented, because of, inter alia, supply chain issues and numerous site- and region-specific challenges; (2) accordingly, defendants' projections regarding the time and capital needed to complete Project Permian were unrealistic; (3) the increased time and capital needed to complete Project Permian were likely to have a significant negative impact on NET Power's business and financial results; and (4) as a result, defendants' public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages. WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources, or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually litigate securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company at the time. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers. To join the NET Power class action, go to or call Phillip Kim, Esq. at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] for more information. No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff. Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: on Twitter: or on Facebook: Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. ——————————- Contact Information: Laurence Rosen, Esq. Phillip Kim, Esq. The Rosen Law Firm, P.A. 275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor New York, NY 10016 Tel: (212) 686-1060 Toll Free: (866) 767-3653 Fax: (212) 202-3827 [email protected]
Associated Press
2 days ago
- Business
- Associated Press
ONGOING DEADLINE ALERT: Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP Investigates Claims on Behalf of Investors of Iovance Biotherapeutics
Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP Securities Litigation Partner James (Josh) Wilson Encourages Investors Who Suffered Losses In Iovance To Contact Him Directly To Discuss Their Options If you purchased or acquired securities in Iovance between May 9, 2024 and May 8, 2025 and would like to discuss your legal rights, call Faruqi & Faruqi partner Josh Wilson directly at 877-247-4292 or 212-983-9330 (Ext. 1310). [You may also click here for additional information] New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - June 1, 2025) - Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP, a leading national securities law firm, is investigating potential claims against Iovance Biotherapeutics, Inc. ('Iovance' or the 'Company') (NASDAQ: IOVA) and reminds investors of the July 14, 2025 deadline to seek the role of lead plaintiff in a federal securities class action that has been filed against the Company. [ This image cannot be displayed. Please visit the source: ] Faruqi & Faruqi is a leading national securities law firm with offices in New York, Pennsylvania, California and Georgia. The firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors since its founding in 1995. See As detailed below, the complaint alleges that the Company and its executives violated federal securities laws by making false and/or misleading statements and/or failing to disclose the true state of Iovance's growth potential; notably, that it was not equipped to generate and drive demand or was otherwise ill equipped to capitalize upon the purported existing demand for its treatments through its network of approved treatment centers. On July 25, 2024, Iovance announced its financial results for the second quarter of fiscal 2024 and reduced its revenue guidance for the full fiscal year 2024. The Company attributed its results and lowered guidance on 1) 'the iCTC completed annual scheduled maintenance in December' and 'capacity was reduced by more than half for about 1 month,' 2) "[l]ower Proleukin sales' than the company expected, and 3) 'the variable pace at which ATCs began treatment patients.' Investors and analysts reacted immediately to Iovance's revelation. The price of Iovance's common stock declined dramatically. From a closing market price of $3.17 per share on May 8, 2025, Iovance's stock price fell to $1.75 per share on May 9, 2025, a decline of about 44.795% in the span of just a single day. The court-appointed lead plaintiff is the investor with the largest financial interest in the relief sought by the class who is adequate and typical of class members who directs and oversees the litigation on behalf of the putative class. Any member of the putative class may move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff through counsel of their choice, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision to serve as a lead plaintiff or not. Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP also encourages anyone with information regarding Iovance's conduct to contact the firm, including whistleblowers, former employees, shareholders and others. To learn more about the Iovance class action, go to or call Faruqi & Faruqi partner Josh Wilson directly at 877-247-4292 or 212-983-9330 (Ext. 1310). Follow us for updates on LinkedIn, on X, or on Facebook. Attorney Advertising. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP ( ). Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter. We welcome the opportunity to discuss your particular case. All communications will be treated in a confidential manner. To view the source version of this press release, please visit
