Legal matters

• Sears Holdings Corp. is suing former CEO Eddie Lampert and a number of previous board members – including Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin – for allegedly stealing billions from the retailer. 

• Two separate class-action complaints have been filed against Lyft Inc., with investors claiming the ride-booking company overstated its market position in its initial public offering. Since going public last month, Lyft shares have dropped 17 percent from its offering price of $72 to $59.51.

• Apple Inc. and Qualcomm Inc. settled their years-long dispute over the use of Qualcomm chips in iPhones, an agreement which includes a six-year licensing deal, a multiyear supply arrangement and a payment from Apple to Qualcomm for an undisclosed amount. 

Advertising

• The National Rifle Association is suing Ackerman McQueen Inc., which has served the NRA’s ad agency since the 1980s, over allegedly refusing to comply with requests to justify its billings. 

• Publicis Groupe SA has acquired data intelligence company Epsilon for an estimated $4.4 billion, the largest deal in the holding group’s 93-year history and the latest example of the advertising industry’s increasing reliance on consumer data. 

Purchasing power

• American Media Inc. has found a buyer for the National Enquirer: James Cohen, CEO of Hudson News, who is purchasing the tabloid, along with two other sister publications, for $100 million.

• Marquee Brands LLC purchased Martha Stewart’s brand empire, which includes home furnishings and kitchenware lines, for $215 million, $140 million less than what Sequential Brands Group Inc. bought it for in 2015. 

New ventures

• Ahead of Earth Day, Ralph Lauren Corp. debuted a version of its iconic polo shirt made entirely of recycled plastic bottles and dyed with a process that uses no water – part of the brand’s broader strategy to implement more environmentally friendly policies in its manufacturing processes.

• Walmart Inc. is partnering with Kidbox Inc. to offer clothes for babies, girls and boys as the retail giant moves to grow its apparel business with its first apparel subscription box. 

• The four-day content strategy conference Confab kicks off in Minneapolis April 23: Hear from speakers from the likes of Adobe Inc., PayPal Inc. and Expedia Group Inc.

• Digiday’s “Future of TV” summit starts on April 23, and hopes to give direction to advertisers in the ever-changing entertainment landscape.

• Just when it seems like earnings season is winding down, the new season is beginning, with at least 500 reports coming this week from Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc., Hershey Co., 3M Co. and the troubled Boeing Co.

1) Earth, meet Polo: Ralph Lauren unveils plastic bottle shirt
Leanne Italie, The Associated Press

2) Martha Stewart brand sold for $215 million
Lisa Fickenscher, New York Post

3) Publicis Dives Deeper Into Data With $4.4 Billion Epsilon Acquisition
Patrick Coffee, Adweek

4) Offering shoppers new experiences isn’t helping as malls see tsunami of store closures, falling traffic
Lauren Thomas, CNBC

5) Taking Stock with Teens
Piper Jaffray

6) More Than 100 Brands Collaborated With Game of Thrones. Here Are the Best Stunts
Sara Jerde, Adweek

7) Beats by Dre Brings in an A-List of Athletes for An Ad You Can’t Take Your Eyes Off Of
David Griner, Adweek

8) Walmart is launching its first subscription box for apparel. And this one’s for kids
Lauren Thomas, CNBC

9) NRA Files Suit Against Ad Agency in Rift With Key Partner
Mark Maremont, The Wall Street Journal

10) ‘Trust’ Emerges As New Ad Metric, Becomes Media-Buying Factor
Joe Mandese, MediaPost