Weil IP star Matt Powers has taken his lumps in recent weeks for his unsuccessful defense of Microsoft in the Texas trial that resulted in a $290 million verdict against the software giant. But he sure came through for Merck. In an opinion that sent the company's shares soaring, a New Jersey judge barred Teva from introducing a generic version of Merck's allergy blockbuster.

With class certification briefing due next month, BofA may turn out to have been smart for getting out early from this sweeping MDL, which alleges that more than a dozen banks fleeced their most vulnerable depositors by charging exorbitant overdraft fees.

At the first annual "Bright Lights" intellectual property conference, Erich Spangenberg and Paul Ryan discussed their strategies.

The class, which includes a huge swath of U.S. industry, accuses CSX, Union Pacific, and others of fixing prices for fuel surcharges. Treble damages could run into the billions of dollars.