California

  • August 19, 2026

    Social Media Use Has Addiction Hallmarks, Meta Jury Told

    A psychologist told a Tennessee jury considering claims against Meta on Wednesday that it's well accepted in his field that social media use can cause behavior that looks like addiction, and social media is a challenging presence in the lives of 15% to 20% of his patients.

  • August 19, 2026

    Davis Wright Vets Scolded: Don't Tell Foes 'How To Run Firm'

    Davis Wright Tremaine LLP veterans have failed to dodge six-figure sanctions in a prominent discovery donnybrook, and a California magistrate judge added invective to the financial injury, lambasting "troubling" omissions in case citations and heavy-handed "nitpicking" akin to commandeering an adversary's law firm.

  • August 19, 2026

    Amazon Wants Full 9th Circ. To Rethink Block On Perplexity AI

    Amazon is pressing the full Ninth Circuit to consider a lower court's injunction preventing Perplexity's "uniquely reckless" artificial intelligence tool from purchasing items for users on Amazon, arguing that a panel erred in lifting the block earlier this month.

  • August 19, 2026

    Zuckerberg Can't Be Trusted On Kids' Safety Online, Jury Told

    A Meta whistleblower testified Wednesday in a California federal jury trial over states' claims Meta hid social media's harms that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg ignored calls for Meta to prioritize kids' safety while publicly touting Meta's safety practices, saying "I feel that you just cannot trust Mark Zuckerberg with kids."

  • August 19, 2026

    9th Circ. Sides With PennyMac In Fixed LIBOR Fallback

    The Ninth Circuit on Wednesday rejected a shareholder's claim that PennyMac Mortgage Investment Trust was required to replace discontinued LIBOR with a newer floating rate when calculating preferred-share dividends, holding that the federal LIBOR Act allowed for a contractual fixed fallback rate.

  • August 19, 2026

    Scribd To Pay $3M To End Wash. Wage Scale Class Action

    Document hosting service Scribd Inc. will pay $3 million to resolve a class action accusing the tech company of violating Washington state law by failing to include pay information on job postings, according to a settlement agreement given preliminary approval by a King County Superior Court judge.

  • August 19, 2026

    Baltimore Can't Send Payday Lender Suit Back To State Court

    A Maryland federal judge refused to remand a suit brought by the city of Baltimore against Los Angeles-based lender Dave Inc. to state court, ruling that the city failed to explain how federal courts' interpretation and application of the city's consumer protection ordinance would disrupt the state's efforts to establish a policy regulating consumer loans.

  • August 19, 2026

    Calif. Award Vacated After Arbitrator Attends Law Firm Event

    A California state judge has vacated an arbitration award issued to two real estate buyers in a breach of contract dispute with an investor, ruling that the JAMS arbitrator failed to disclose her participation in a public event sponsored by the law firm representing the buyers.

  • August 19, 2026

    9th Circ. Asked To Revive YouTube 'Choking Challenge' Suit

    Parents of children harmed by online "choking challenge" videos have urged the Ninth Circuit to revive their suit against Google's YouTube and TikTok, arguing their claims are not barred by a federal law which grants immunity to third-party internet content providers.

  • August 19, 2026

    SEC Seeks $850K From Disbarred Calif. Atty

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission asked a Texas federal judge Wednesday to order a disbarred California attorney to pay more than $850,000 in disgorgement and civil penalties for his alleged participation in a $112 million pump-and-dump fraud scheme, arguing a maximum penalty is warranted "based on his egregious misconduct."

  • August 19, 2026

    Video Tech Co. Founder Gets 6 Years For Stock Fraud

    The founder of a Silicon Valley video streaming service was sentenced to six years in federal prison Wednesday for orchestrating a pump-and-dump stock fraud scheme that stole money from at least 100 investors.

  • August 19, 2026

    Netflix Hit With Band's TM Suit Over 'KPop Demon Hunters'

    Christian heavy metal band Demon Hunter is accusing Netflix in California federal court of infringing its marks for the streaming platform's hit animated musical "KPop Demon Hunters," saying the movie's brand has already caused confusion among consumers and is pushing the long-running band's identity into obscurity.

  • August 19, 2026

    PFAS Turnout Gear Buyer Lawsuits Get Consolidated In Minn.

    Minnesota will be home to firefighter turnout gear PFAS "forever chemical" federal lawsuits filed by municipal purchasers from 14 separate states, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation has decided, consolidating current actions in Montana and California with lawsuits filed in the corporate home state of 3M Co.

  • August 19, 2026

    XAI Sued Over Grok's Alleged Creation Of CSAM Deepfakes

    Elon Musk's xAI failed to implement industry-standard safeguards on its artificial intelligence chatbot Grok and knowingly allowed it to be used to create deepfakes of real children depicted in child sexual abuse material, according to a proposed class action filed in California federal court.

  • August 19, 2026

    EPA Waiver Review Could Upend Rulemaking, Judge Signals

    A D.C. federal judge predicted Wednesday that there could be wide-ranging implications for oversight of agency rulemaking if the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is allowed to put California emissions waivers up for congressional review more than a decade after they were first granted.

  • August 19, 2026

    9th Circ. Says Initial Arbitration No Obstacle To EFAA

    A split Ninth Circuit panel ruled Wednesday that a fired biopharmaceutical executive could quit arbitration and file a suit claiming her boss subjected her to gender-based harassment, finding the pivot was fair game under a law that shields sex misconduct disputes from out-of-court resolutions.

  • August 19, 2026

    'Bob's Burgers' Actor Sues Lucid Over 'Lemon' SUV

    Comedian and "Bob's Burgers" star Eugene Mirman has sued California-based electric automaker Lucid in Massachusetts state court for leasing him a "lemon" last year.

  • August 19, 2026

    Google Beats Class Suit Over Free Workspace Promises

    Google has defeated a class action alleging it reneged on its promise to offer free access to its business-productivity tools, formerly known as Google Apps, with a California federal judge saying the contracts with users affirmatively authorized the company to stop offering a free version of the service. 

  • August 19, 2026

    OpenAI Opposes Early Discovery In Apple Trade Secret Suit

    OpenAI and two of its employees have asked a California federal court to reject Apple's bid for expedited discovery in its trade secret lawsuit accusing OpenAI of using former Apple employees to obtain confidential information, arguing that discovery will begin soon enough.

  • August 19, 2026

    Paramount Judge Urges Parties To Be 'More Reasonable'

    A California federal judge overseeing the challenge to Paramount Skydance's $110 billion Warner Bros. Discovery acquisition brought by the Writers Guild of America and state attorneys general urged the parties Wednesday to be "much more reasonable" with discovery disputes, warning that if they aren't, "you will find yourself asked to engage a special master."

  • August 19, 2026

    Paramount Viewers Stuck With Bringing Amended Suit

    A California federal judge refused Tuesday to reconsider dismissing a consumer complaint challenging Paramount's completed merger with Skydance and its planned purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery, holding that the filing of an amended complaint mooted the motion.

  • August 19, 2026

    Chipotle Beats Investor Suit Over Viral Burrito Size Backlash

    Chipotle Mexican Grill has permanently beaten an investor suit tied to social media-fueled complaints about its portion sizes, with a California federal judge finding that the suit failed to plausibly plead its securities fraud theories.

  • August 19, 2026

    Clark Hill Adds 3-Atty International Trade Team From Crowell

    Clark Hill PLC announced on Wednesday that it had bolstered its international law, trade and transaction practice with the addition of three Crowell & Moring LLP lawyers who have worked together for more than 20 years.

  • August 19, 2026

    Deloitte Can't Shake Leave Bias Suit From Ex-Manager

    A California federal court has refused to dismiss a proposed class action accusing Deloitte Consulting LLP of penalizing employees through a performance evaluation system that shortchanges the compensation of workers who take parental or pregnancy leave.

  • August 19, 2026

    Med Co. Director's Fiduciary Claims Not Covered, Judge Says

    A Nationwide unit had no duty to defend or indemnify a medical diagnostics company's directors against another director and shareholder's fiduciary breach allegations, a California federal court ruled, saying coverage was barred by an "insured v. insured" exclusion.

Expert Analysis

  • The Growing Antitrust Risks Of AI Pricing For Health Insurers

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    Attorneys at Patterson Belknap provide an overview of the increased risk of antitrust enforcement for health insurance companies using algorithmic price models, including in the form of multidistrict private litigation, new state and federal bills, and potential federal enforcement.

  • Trade Secret Practice Tips From The 1st Half Of 2026

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    Intellectual property attorneys should consider what several significant developments in 2026 thus far mean for how they protect, litigate and value trade secrets, focusing on new state noncompete bans, cases scrutinizing how plaintiffs identify trade secrets and federal rulings on damages doctrines, say attorneys at Faegre Drinker.

  • 2 Microsoft Matters Could Help Shape AI Antitrust Outlook

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    A pending federal court case and investigation focusing on Microsoft's allegedly anticompetitive conduct in the deployment of artificial intelligence tools are testing whether antitrust law can distinguish ordinary competition to supply the AI ecosystem from conduct that distorts how that competition unfolds, says Kylie Kim at Massey & Gail.

  • Fed. Circ. Licensing Rulings Shed Light On Patentee Standing

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    Two recent decisions from the Federal Circuit provide a useful framework for evaluating whether a patent license agreement preserves a sufficient exclusionary interest to support future patent infringement claims, say attorneys at Venable.

  • Asylum Ruling Signals Larger Separation Of Powers Battle

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in Mullin v. Al Otro Lado that border officials may turn away asylum-seekers without inspection is part of a broader conversation about the reach of institutional safeguards that subject governmental authority to legal constraint, says Dree Collopy at American University's Washington College of Law.

  • Solar's Momentum At Mid-2026 Will Help It Overcome Snags

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    The rapid expansion of U.S. solar development in the first half of 2026 is likely to continue its pace, even amid ongoing shifts in federal trade policy and supply chain regulations, obstacles to permitting reform, and an increasing divide between states enacting policies to encourage or stymie project development, say attorneys at Beveridge & Diamond.

  • Carbon Health Settlement Highlights Why Evidence Is Key

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    The California Attorney General's Office's first-of-its-kind settlement with Carbon Health, imposing penalties for alleged corporate practice of medicine violations, shows that friendly professional corporation challenges usually hinge not on the parties' management services agreement, but on whether the operational record matches it, says Ben Dubin at VC Expert Services.

  • Series

    Being A Magician Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    The skills I've developed as a lifelong magician have translated directly into tangible benefits in the courtroom because performing magic and trying cases both live at the intersection of psychology, storytelling, timing and disciplined rehearsal, says Mark Dombroff at Fox Rothschild.

  • How Litigants Are Testing Conversion Therapy Ruling's Scope

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    Litigants are already using the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent Chiles v. Salazar ruling, which applied strict scrutiny to Colorado’s conversion therapy ban, to challenge laws limiting algorithmic rental pricing, artificial intelligence-based discrimination and anti-union employer speech, and courts must soon decide Chiles’ First Amendment limits, say attorneys at O'Melveny.

  • Illinois Audit Law Will Make AI Clauses Actually Enforceable

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    A law recently enacted in Illinois creates a first-in-the-nation requirement for artificial intelligence developers to undergo annual audits, providing objective standards that can be incorporated into private contracts and addressing the problem of defining responsible AI use, says William Tanenbaum at Moses & Singer.

  • Opinion

    Shareholder Derivative Litigation Needs A Better Framework

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    Uncoordinated, multiforum shareholder derivative litigation is a growing issue for corporate defendants that have little to no recourse for organizing and consolidating actions, but several commonsense steps should be utilized to preempt such disputes, say attorneys at Sullivan & Cromwell.

  • Occupier Contract Strategies For Locking In Expansion Rights

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    In a market defined by record-setting demand, shrinking availability and rising rents, large commercial office occupiers must treat expansion space planning as a strategic priority, including by auditing existing rights, understanding the competitive landscape within their buildings and exploring creative lease provisions, says Josh Winefsky at HSF Kramer.

  • How State, Local Rules Are Expanding Debt Collection Reach

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    Consumer protection rules recently enacted by several states signal that the rules of debt collection are being rewritten at a pace that should command the attention of every creditor, servicer, debt buyer, collection agency and collection law firm operating across state lines, says Weldianne Scales at Reed Smith.

  • 2 AI Washing Rulings Apply Familiar Securities Fraud Rules

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    Two recent federal court decisions to allow AI washing complaints to proceed begin to clarify the line between nonactionable optimism and actionable misstatements by framing the core issue as not overstating the promise of artificial intelligence, but misrepresenting the current state of a company's products, say attorneys at WilmerHale.

  • A New Regulatory Environment For PE In Calif. Healthcare

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    The California Office of Health Care Affordability's proposed revisions to its cost and market impact review regulations, amid broader state scrutiny of private equity-backed healthcare arrangements, represent a qualitative shift in California's regulatory posture toward institutional healthcare investment, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

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