Civil Law | Judiciary.org

Why Your Arbitration Agreement’s Attorney Fee Clause Can Be Important

The Connecticut Appellate Court just released Golden v. WorldQuant Predictive Technologies, LLC, and while the decision covers several arbitration issues (more on another one of those in a future post), there’s one lesson that should have companies reviewing their arbitration clauses: a well-drafted attorney fee provision can be the difference between winning and actually getting paid for winning.

The Golden Setup: When Arbitration Clauses Get Tested

According to the Court’s opinion, James Golden was WorldQuant’s CEO with an $ … Read the rest

Civil Law

Five Compliance Reminders on Meal and Rest Breaks to Protect Against Costly Claims

California employers continue to face heavy scrutiny and litigation regarding their meal and rest break practices. Since the Brinker Restaurant Group v. Superior Court decision in 2012, courts have reaffirmed that compliance is measured by strict timing rules, not just having written policies in place. Here are five key reminders on the timing requirements and related obligations for meal and rest breaks in California:

1. Timing of Breaks

Meal Breaks
The Brinker decision makes it clear:

First meal break must

… Read the rest

Civil Law

DUAA 2025 : introduction de « l’intérêt légitime reconnu » au UK

Cet article est le troisième d’une série d’articles[1] examinant les changements apportés par le « Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 » ou Loi DUA par comparaison au RGPD.

La loi DUA introduit la notion d’« intérêt légitime reconnu » comme nouvelle base juridique qui permettra à certains types de traitements d’être effectués sans qu’il soit nécessaire de procéder à une évaluation de l’équilibre avec les droits et libertés des personnes.

Une liste est incluse en annexe 1 du RGPD britannique. Il … Read the rest

Civil Law

Two Decades of Injustice: Looking Back at George Smith’s Disappearance

George Smith disappeared over two decades ago on July 5, 2005, from Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas. What followed was a mishandled crime scene, a family denied answers, and a case that forced the public to see how little accountability exists at sea.

George Smith was on a honeymoon cruise with his newlywed bride, Jennifer Hagel, who we later represented on behalf of Mr. Smith’s estate against the cruise line over his disappearance. The couple was drinking late in … Read the rest

Civil Law

Rupture brutale des relations commerciales : quelques rappels et précisions utiles

Nous vous proposons ci-dessous une revue de quelques décisions rendues en 2025 par la Cour de cassation en matière de rupture brutale des relations commerciales, donnant l’occasion de rappels et précisions utiles concernant notamment les modalités de l’indemnisation, la qualification de la relation commerciale ou la détermination de la juridiction compétente.

1. La rupture partielle est indemnisable, mais uniquement sur la perte partielle de marge, ni plus, ni moins

En application de l’Article L. 442-1 II du Code de commerce, … Read the rest

Civil Law

Settlement Agreements: No Second Chances

This blog is co-authored by Lesedi Dube, candidate attorney.

The finality of full and final settlement agreements is highlighted in an August 2025 judgment in the High Court. The court found that a settlement agreement between the applicant and respondent could not be rescinded on the basis of alleged prior non-performance of contractual obligations discovered after the finalisation of the settlement agreement. The court held that the settlement agreement, once concluded, was binding and could not be rescinded merely because … Read the rest

Civil Law

Le cadre de transfert de données personnelles vers les États- Unis reste valide

Au grand soulagement du monde des affaires, le cadre de protection du transfert de données entre l’UE et les États-Unis (Data Privacy Framework ou « DPF ») n’a pas été invalidé par le Tribunal de l’Union européenne le 3 septembre ! (Affaire T-553/23)

Data Privacy Framework ou « DPF »

Lorsque la Commission européenne estime qu’un pays tiers assure un niveau de protection adéquat, les transferts de données personnelles vers ce pays peuvent avoir lieu sans autre autorisation, sur la … Read the rest