California

  • May 07, 2025

    9th Circ. Judge Suggests Sidelining Peers To Curb Injunctions

    With the U.S. Supreme Court set for a seminal showdown over nationwide injunctions, observers are advocating wide-ranging outcomes, and a Ninth Circuit judge entered the fray Wednesday by proposing that district judges be blackballed for blatant overreach or perceived bias.

  • May 07, 2025

    HUD Blocked From Withholding Grants Over DEI Policies

    A Washington federal judge on Wednesday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from forcing New York City, Boston, San Francisco and Seattle's county to adhere to policies against diversity, equity and inclusion or risk losing federal funds for homeless services, saying the strings attached are likely unconstitutional.

  • May 07, 2025

    Calif. Tribe Says State's Overcharges Void Gaming Compact

    A California tribe is asking a federal court to declare that its gaming compact is unenforceable, arguing that it has paid millions more into special funding programs than the state's actual annual cost of regulating its Class III gaming operations.

  • May 07, 2025

    Perkins Coie's DQ Applies To MoFo Co-Counsel, IP Judge Told

    FaceTec Inc. told a California federal judge it plans to seek to disqualify Morrison Foerster LLP from representing Jumio Corp. in patent infringement litigation involving facial recognition technology, arguing the law firm previously served as co-counsel with recently disqualified Perkins Coie LLP and therefore can't now replace Perkins Coie.

  • May 07, 2025

    Roku's GC Steps Down After Less Than A Year In The Role

    Roku Inc.'s general counsel Louise Pentland is leaving the company to "pursue another opportunity," a move that comes less than a year after Pentland joined the company, according to a disclosure filed Wednesday with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

  • May 07, 2025

    NexStep Wants High Court To Look At Comcast Patent Fight

    NexStep Inc. has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review the standard for an expert's testimony under a doctrine allowing patent holders to claim infringement if an accused product is similar enough to the patented invention, the latest move in a dispute with Comcast.

  • May 07, 2025

    Girardi Keese Ex-CFO Will Cop To Client Theft In Chicago

    Girardi Keese's former chief financial officer will plead guilty in federal prosecutors' Chicago case alleging he and a relative of now-disbarred Tom Girardi helped the disgraced former legal titan steal millions from clients, according to his Wednesday request that the judge handling the case accept his anticipated plea remotely.

  • May 07, 2025

    Upstart Says SEC Has Ended Probe Into AI, Loan Disclosures

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has closed an investigation into online lender Upstart's disclosures around the use of artificial intelligence for underwriting and loans, according to the firm's latest agency filing.

  • May 07, 2025

    9th Circ. Axes Fired University Worker's 1st Amendment Fight

    The Ninth Circuit on Wednesday refused to revive a lawsuit claiming two former University of Arizona officials fired a health sciences employee because of his husband's criticisms of a hiring process, saying the administrators are immune from the worker's free speech claim.

  • May 07, 2025

    16 States Sue DOT Over EV Charging Infrastructure Funds

    The Trump administration has illegally cut off congressionally approved funding for electric-vehicle charging infrastructure projects, a group of states alleged in a federal lawsuit filed on Wednesday.

  • May 07, 2025

    Wells Fargo Forced Short Sales Despite CARES Act, Suit Says

    Wells Fargo forced the short sale of a North Carolina woman's home by denying her forbearance on her mortgage as mandated under federal law at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, she alleged in a proposed class action filed in California federal court.

  • May 07, 2025

    Polsinelli Lands Energy Vet From Pillsbury In San Francisco

    Polsinelli PC said Wednesday it is boosting its new project finance group by bringing in a Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP energy and infrastructure project expert as a principal in its San Francisco office.

  • May 07, 2025

    LA Firm Sues Fisher Phillips Over 'Ridiculous' SLAPP Suit

    A Los Angeles employment lawyer has sued Fisher Phillips for malicious prosecution, alleging the international labor firm targeted him with a "frivolous Rube Goldberg-esque legal argument" in an attempt to block him from representing workers at a Southern California diner chain in claims against their employer.

  • May 07, 2025

    Feds Seek 13 Years In Avenatti's California Resentencing

    California federal prosecutors asked a judge Wednesday to sentence Michael Avenatti to 160 months in prison for tax fraud and stealing from clients, to be served atop the five-year term imposed in a pair of New York cases where Avenatti was convicted of trying to extort Nike Inc. and defrauding former client Stormy Daniels.

  • May 07, 2025

    Edward Jones' Arbitration Delay Lets Worker Return To Court

    Edward Jones' delay in paying the required fees to arbitrate a former employee's wage and hour claims allows the worker to take her claims back to court, a California appeals court ruled.

  • May 07, 2025

    Masimo Unloads Embattled Audio Unit In $350M Sale

    Samsung Electronics subsidiary Harman International has agreed to acquire Masimo Corp.'s consumer audio division, Sound United, for $350 million in cash, with Masimo taking a financial hit on the business it acquired three years ago for about $1 billion. 

  • May 07, 2025

    9th Circ. Affirms FTC Loss In Microsoft-Activision Case

    The Ninth Circuit on Wednesday affirmed a lower court's ruling in a Federal Trade Commission case that refused to block Microsoft's $68.7 billion acquisition of game developer Activision Blizzard Inc.

  • May 06, 2025

    CO2 Conversion Co. Sues Wash. Neighbor Over Toxic Fumes

    A carbon conversion technology firm has launched a lawsuit in Washington federal court over noxious gases that have allegedly drifted onto its state project site from a neighboring chemical storage facility, making conditions "unbearable" for workers building a new sustainable aviation fuel plant.

  • May 06, 2025

    HUD Says Suit To Block Fund Cuts Belongs In Claims Court

    The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development urged a Washington federal judge on Tuesday to reject emergency relief sought by San Francisco, Boston, New York and King County, Washington, to block the Trump administration from slashing millions of dollars of homelessness assistance grants, saying federal court lacks jurisdiction. 

  • May 06, 2025

    PennyMac Wins Quick 9th Circ. Appeal Of Libor-Rate Ruling

    A California federal judge on Monday allowed PennyMac entities to pursue their quick appeal in a proposed class action alleging they illegally imposed a lower fixed interest rate instead of a variable rate on preferred-stock dividends, asking the Ninth Circuit to clarify whether the Libor Act bars such fixed rates.

  • May 06, 2025

    Whole Foods Beef Buyers Urge Judge Not To Wait On Justices

    An attorney for a group of consumers alleging Whole Foods falsely advertises its beef as free from antibiotics urged a California federal judge Tuesday not to wait for a pending U.S. Supreme Court ruling about class certification standards for uninjured members, saying that all the purchasers were injured because they paid inflated prices. 

  • May 06, 2025

    Judge Scolds US Over 'Vague' Bid To Stay $380M Award Row

    A California federal judge has scolded the Trump administration as it tries to seize part of a $380 million arbitral award purportedly tied to embezzled Malaysian funds, saying it has not constructively engaged in the discovery process while seeking a stay during related criminal proceedings.

  • May 06, 2025

    OneTaste Execs Used Sexual Meditation For Abuse, Jury Told

    A prosecutor on Tuesday told a New York federal jury that OneTaste Inc. founder Nicole Daedone and her top deputy used the company's "orgasmic meditation" practice to manipulate vulnerable women for the leaders' own financial gain, including through coerced sex work, while defense lawyers argued that patrons of the sexual wellness startup were consenting adults who could have left at any time.

  • May 06, 2025

    Apple Seeks Sanctions Against Winston & Strawn In App Suit

    Apple has asked a California federal judge to sanction Winston & Strawn LLP and its client Musi Inc., arguing Monday they made "false and misleading allegations" in a lawsuit over Apple's decision to boot the music streaming service from the App Store for intellectual property infringement.

  • May 06, 2025

    Calif. Senate Committee Demands Audit After Bar Exam Errors

    The California Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday moved a bill forward calling for a full audit of the February bar exam, which was marred by technical glitches, after holding a hearing where the committee's chair said he's "incredulous" that some of the questions were filled with errors and typos.

Expert Analysis

  • How Calif.'s Wildfire Insurance Crisis Might Affect Texas

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    Attorneys at Munsch Hardt examine the implications of California's wildfire insurance crisis for Texas, including potential shifts in coverage availability, regulatory differences and how the insurers in the second-largest U.S. state may react to a major wildfire event.

  • Calif. Antitrust Bill Could Alter Enforcement Landscape

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    If enacted, a recently proposed California bill that would strengthen the state’s antitrust law could signal a notable shift in the U.S. enforcement environment, but questions remain about the types of cases the state could pursue, whether other states will follow suit and more, say attorneys at DLA Piper.

  • Series

    Performing Stand-Up Comedy Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Whether I’m delivering a punchline on stage or a closing argument in court, balancing stand-up comedy performances and my legal career has demonstrated that the keys to success in both endeavors include reading the room, landing the right timing and making an impact, says attorney Rebecca Palmer.

  • Bias Suit Shows WNBA Growing Pains On Court And In Court

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    A newly filed disability discrimination and retaliation lawsuit against the Los Angeles Sparks is the latest in a series of employment discrimination disputes filed by WNBA professionals, highlighting teams' obligation to meet elevated workplace expectations and the league's role in facilitating an inclusive work environment, say attorneys at Michelman & Robinson.

  • Unpacking The Illicit E-Cigarette Crackdown By State AGs

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    A bipartisan coalition of attorneys general for nine states and the District of Columbia announced a coordinated effort to curb illicit electronic cigarette sales, illustrating the rising prominence of state attorneys general using consumer protection laws to address issues of national scope, especially when federal efforts prove ineffective, say attorneys at Troutman.

  • Investor Essentials For Buying Federally Owned Property

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    Investors and developers can take advantage of the Trump administration's plan to sell government-owned real estate by becoming familiar with the process and eligible to bid, and should prepare to move quickly once the U.S. General Services Administration posts the list of properties for sale, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From SEC To BigLaw

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    As I adjusted to the multifaceted workflow of a BigLaw firm after leaving the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, working side by side with new colleagues on complex matters proved the fastest way to build a deep rapport and demonstrate my value, says Jennifer Lee at Jenner & Block.

  • The Revival Of Badie Arbitration Suits In Consumer Finance

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    Plaintiffs have recently revived a California appellate court's almost 30-year-old decision in Badie v. Bank of America to challenge arbitration requirements under the Federal Arbitration Act, raising issues banks and credit unions in particular should address when amending arbitration provisions, say attorneys at Orrick.

  • How Trump's Crypto Embrace Is Spurring Enforcement Reset

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recent willingness to step away from ongoing enforcement investigations and actions underscores the changing regulatory landscape for crypto under the new administration, which now appears committed to working with stakeholders to develop a clearer regulatory framework, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Making The Case For Rest In The Legal Profession

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    For too long, a culture of overwork has plagued the legal profession, but research shows that attorneys need rest to perform optimally and sustainably, so legal organizations and individuals must implement strategies that allow for restoration, says Marissa Alert at MDA Wellness, Carol Ross-Burnett at CRB Global, and Denise Robinson at The Still Center.

  • What Trump's Order Means For The Legal Status Of IVF

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    An executive order signed by President Donald Trump last month signals the administration's potential intention to increase protections for in vitro fertilization services, though more concrete actions would be needed to resolve the current uncertainty around IVF access or bring about a binding legal change, says Jeanne Vance at Weintraub Tobin.

  • Cross-Border Lessons In Using Hague Evidence Convention

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    Recent case law demonstrates that securing evidence located abroad requires a strategic approach, including utilization of the Hague Evidence Convention and preparation to justify your chosen evidence-gathering path, say attorneys at Fish & Richardson.

  • 4 Ways Women Attorneys Can Build A Legal Legacy

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    This Women’s History Month, women attorneys should consider what small, day-to-day actions they can take to help leave a lasting impact for future generations, even if it means mentoring one person or taking 10 minutes to make a plan, says Jackie Prester, a former shareholder at Baker Donelson.

  • Navigating The Growing Thicket Of 'Right To Repair' Laws

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    An emerging patchwork of state laws on the right to repair creates tensions with traditional intellectual property and competition principles, so manufacturers should plan proactively for legal disputes and minimize potential for rival third-party repairs to weaponize state laws, say attorneys at Reed Smith.

  • Unpacking First Consumer Claim Under Wash. Health Data Act

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    The first consumer class action claim filed under Washington's My Health My Data Act, Maxwell v. Amazon.com, may answer questions counsel have been contending with since the law was introduced almost a year ago, if the court takes the opportunity to interpret some of more opaque language, say attorneys at Polsinelli.

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