Legislative, Regulatory & Legal

New York -- Target Corp. on Wednesday requested that customers no longer carry guns in its stores.

The retailer found itself embroiled in controversy when gun-rights activists in Texas and several other states chose Target stores to demonstrate their belief in the right to openly bear arms. In response, the chain came under heavy fire from groups such as "Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense" and others who expressed concern about firearms being carried into an environment where the shoppers are often accompanied by children.

Plano, Texas – J.C. Penney has filed an appeal of a June 16 ruling by the New York State Supreme Court that it "tortuously" interfered with Macy’s 2006 contract with Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia when Penney entered into its own contract with Martha Stewart in 2011. In the ruling, Justice Jeffrey K. Oing said Macy’s failed to prove that it is entitled to punitive damages.

Minneapolis – The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is reportedly investigating whether Target Corp. adequately protected its data and informed shareholders about the possible consequences relating to its fall 2013 data breach, according to Bloomberg. The report said that Target is one of several public companies that suffered a data breach which is being investigated by the SEC.

Both sides of a West Coast labor dispute are entering extra time as the contract between the Pacific Maritime Association and the International Long Shore and Warehouse Union officially expired June 30.

As expected, both sides are negotiating in an effort to avoid the economic damage from a costly strike on the docks that, according to a recent study, could cost as much as $2.5 billion per day. 

New York -- Retail chain Hobby Lobby was triumphant In a 5-4 ruling by the Supreme Court on Monday in which the court ruled that the federal government cannot force privately held corporations to provide forms of contraceptive coverage that violate the religious beliefs of their owners. The ruling means that private companies can opt out of the Affordable Health Care Act’s contraception mandate.

The Arts and Crafts retailer went to the mat over its religious convictions, and on Monday the U.S. Supreme Court sided with the privately held company in a rebuke of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010.
 
Hobby Lobby co-founder Barbara Green said her family was overjoyed by the Supreme Court’s decision.
 

New York -- The battle for control over American Apparel Inc. shifted into high gear with the company adopting a one-year stockholder rights plan, or so-called poison pill, aimed at stopping founder and ousted chairman and CEO Dov Charney from seizing control of the chain.

Charney is American Apparel’s largest shareholder, with a 27.2% stake in the company. On Wednesday, he signed a deal with Standard General whereby the New York firm would buy at least 10% of the company’s stock and then loan Charney the funds to acquire the stake.

New York -- The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that Wal-Mart violated Quebec labor law by closing its store in Jonquiere, Quebec, in 2005.
 
In a 5-2 decision announced on Friday, the court ruled that the 190 employees who were terminated when the store was closed are entitled to compensation, according to CBC Montreal.