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WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

SIGNIFICANT SUITS - As 2023 comes to an end, Law.com's Mike Neighbors has taken a look back at the significant litigation trends surfaced by Law.com Radar. These trends—which touch on cybersecurity; antitrust; ESG and DEI; and cryptocurrency—stuck out because they test new legal theories, tie into broader economic developments or take aim at emerging technologies and have the potential to shape new law. The data also offered some indications of potential trends to keep an eye for in 2024, including in the areas of artificial intelligence, securities and pay transparency statutes.

#METOO'S IMPACT - Pro-employee rulings in sexual harassment cases increased in federal district courts after the #MeToo movement in 2017, a study posted this month found. The paper, set to appear in the Washington and Lee Law Review, examined 163 cases brought under Title VII pre- and post-#MeToo—between January 2016 and May 2020—that were fully adjudicated at the district or appellate courts. According to the paper, the probability of a pro-plaintiff ruling was seven times greater after the onset of the #MeToo movement compared with before. "In theory, we think judges are supposed to apply the law to the facts and they shouldn't be overly swayed by current events, but we know that judges are people and people are impacted by the realities of the world," Duke University law professor Veronica Root Martinez, who wrote the paper with University of Notre Dame political science professor Matthew Hall, told Law.com's Avalon Zoppo.

ON THE RADAR - The NBA Board of Governors has approved the sale of the controlling interest in the Dallas Mavericks from Mark Cuban to Dr. Miriam Adelson and Sivan and Patrick Dumont in a deal guided by Latham & Watkins. The transaction, announced Dec. 27, is expected to close this week. Financial terms were not disclosed. Cuban was represented by a Latham & Watkins team led by partner Frank Saviano. Counsel information for Dr. Adelson and Sivan and Patrick Dumont was not immediately available. Stay up on the latest state and federal litigation, as well as the latest corporate deals, with Law.com Radar.  

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