Disclosure of a Creepy Watcher

Would you move into a haunted house?

Three days after closing in June 2014, Derek Broaddus and his wife Maria began second guessing their $1.3 million purchase of 657 Boulevard in Westfield, New Jersey.  One typed note placed in the Broaddus’s mailbox served as the catalyst to a string of odd events that eventually led to a lawsuit filed against the previous homeowners, John and Andrea Woods.  Although the family’s horror movie started over four years ago, the story is most relevant now because everything is being disclosed, including the contents of each of the four letters sent to the Broadduses by “The Watcher.”  Continue reading →

Concussions, CTE, & Closure

For the love of the game

The family of Junior Seau has reached settlement with the National Football League over his 2012 suicide. The Hall of Fame linebacker, who played more than half of his 20 year football career with the San Diego Chargers, took his own life at the age of 43. He was later diagnosed with CTE, a chronic form of brain damage, likely brought on by his violent on-field tackling in the NFL. Reports claim that Seau’s family will receive up to $4m in the wrongful death settlement, which was filed in a Philadelphia PA federal court. The NFL has come under fire over the last few years as more and more retired and former players are showing signs of brain damage, concussions, and dementia. Read more

Campbell: No Soup for You

In hot water

Investors are boiling over a famous American brand’s communication tactics, or lack thereof. Campbell Soup is being sued by a hedge fund called Third Point, whose main investor is billionaire Dan Loeb. The lawsuit claims that Campbell’s board refrained from disclosing some important information to potential and current investors in their latest strategic review. Third Point claims that there was some significant details excluded and made private by the snack maker. The board at Campbell has fired back, saying that Loeb & Third Point are misinformed and over-stepping their bounds. The lawsuit was filed in state superior court in Camden, New Jersey. Read more

LaCroix’s Cross to Bear

A lawsuit of many flavors

The beverage company’s sparkling reputation has been tainted by a new lawsuit filed in early October.  It is the hope of the plaintiff that the case will reach class action status, as all LaCroix consumers are subjected to the apparent false advertising and deception of LaCroix’s parent company, the National Beverage Corporation.  The company markets all-natural ingredients in their products, however, the plaintiff alleges that the “natural essences” of LaCroix’s sparkling water are accompanied by synthetic and potentially harmful chemicals. Continue reading →

Settlement: SEC Smells Musk

Pay up

Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s settlement with the SEC has been approved by a judge. The South African businessman and investor was accused of fraud after tweeting that he had secured funding to take his auto-maker, Tesla, private.Musk will have to pay a hefty $20m fine and is being forced to step down as chairman within the next 6 weeks. The charges against Musk were filed by the SEC in the early fall, shortly after Musk allegedly rejected a potential settlement offer. Tesla stock plummeted around 40 points after his “secure funding” tweet. Musk, often boisterous and grandiose in his ideas, designs, and persona, is no stranger to trouble after he was shown smoking weed in a live broadcast.  Read more