California

  • August 11, 2025

    Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court

    Nielsen Holdings Ltd. and consumer intelligence spinoff Nielsen Consumer IQ agreed to end their dispute, a sole investor asked the court to name him lead plaintiff in a suit challenging Endeavor's $13 billion take-private deal, and the Chancery Court announced a new, automated case assignment regime. Here's the latest from the Delaware Chancery Court.

  • August 11, 2025

    Fla. Drinks Co. Founder Faces Filings Ban Over Fake AI Cases

    A Florida federal judge is considering a request to ban the founder of Bang Energy from submitting any more paperwork without court permission after Monster Energy argued Monday that fake legal citations generated from artificial intelligence appeared in a pro se motion to dismiss its judgment collection lawsuit.

  • August 11, 2025

    Fisher Phillips Adds Back Kahana Feld Labor Atty In Calif.

    Fisher Phillips is expanding its West Coast team, announcing Monday a Kahana Feld LLP labor and employment ace is returning to the firm as a partner its Orange County office in Irvine, California.

  • August 11, 2025

    Girardi's Public Defender Rejoins Kendall Brill & Kelly

    A federal public defender who represented disgraced plaintiffs attorney Tom Girardi in his wire fraud trial has returned to Kendall Brill & Kelly LLP in Los Angeles as a partner, the firm said Monday.

  • August 11, 2025

    Baker McKenzie Boosts Its Deals Bench With Willkie Farr Atty

    Baker McKenzie is continuing to expand its transactions team around the world, announcing Monday that it has hired a former Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP attorney who advises private equity clients on a wide range of deals.

  • August 11, 2025

    Feds, Wind Farm Backers Cross Swords Over Permitting Halt

    The U.S. government and opponents of the Trump administration's halt of wind farm project reviews have made their cases to a Massachusetts federal judge as to why they should prevail in litigation challenging the legality of the moratorium.

  • August 11, 2025

    AI Firm Anthropic Can't Get Pause For Early Fair Use Appeal

    A California federal judge on Monday denied a request from artificial intelligence firm Anthropic to pause a case over its use of books to train its large language model so it could appeal a ruling saying a jury would decide whether damages were warranted for the company's use of pirated works.

  • August 11, 2025

    Calif. Judge Shuts Off Some Netflix Patent Claims In Suit

    A California federal judge has narrowed Netflix's lawsuit accusing Broadcom of ripping off five software patents, tossing some patent claims for good while giving the streaming company the ability to amend others.

  • August 11, 2025

    Levi Strauss Sues NotSoNormal Over Alleged TM Infringement

    Levi Strauss & Co. has launched a trademark infringement action against a Los Angeles-based retailer it accuses of selling reworked versions of its apparel products for hundreds of dollars, according to a complaint in California federal court.

  • August 11, 2025

    Weil Brings On Another IP Litigation Duo From Latham

    Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP announced Monday that it has hired more attorneys from Latham & Watkins LLP, this time bringing on two intellectual property attorneys in Boston and San Francisco on the heels of other recent additions from the firm.

  • August 11, 2025

    Suit Alleges Offshore Sportsbook Ignored Opt-Out Requests

    A California man filed a proposed class action against the offshore sportsbook MyBookie, saying it bombards him with text messages promoting its various offerings despite his repeated attempts to opt out of the communications.

  • August 09, 2025

    Real Estate Recap: Higher Ed, Big 4, Rising Stars

    Catch up on this past week's key developments by state from Law360 Real Estate Authority — including creative ways institutions of higher learning are monetizing real estate, second quarter takeaways from top commercial real estate brokerages, and profiles of two of the industry's rising stars.

  • August 08, 2025

    CFPB Preps Complaint Against Failed Fintech Firm Synapse

    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is getting ready to file a complaint against bankrupt Synapse Financial Technologies on allegations it failed to properly keep track of consumer funds and left as much as $90 million in consumer funds unrecovered, the fintech firm's trustee has told a bankruptcy judge in California.

  • August 08, 2025

    9th Circ. Grounds Lufthansa Refund Deal On Atty Fee Question

    The Ninth Circuit on Friday vacated an order that granted class certification and gave final approval to a $56.6 million settlement reached between Lufthansa and customers in a dispute concerning refunds for flights canceled due to COVID-19, saying a district court's calculation gave class counsel a disproportionate distribution.

  • August 08, 2025

    9th Circ. Says Ex-Atty Sued By CFPB Still On Hook For $243M

    The Ninth Circuit refused to free a disbarred attorney from a $243 million order that included civil penalties to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau for his role in a student loan scam, finding no genuine dispute whether the former lawyer violated consumer protection law.

  • August 08, 2025

    Hospital, Clinic Exit Suit Over Man's Fatal Stabbing

    A California appeals court has refused to revive a woman's suit against a psychiatric hospital and outpatient clinic blaming them for the death of her husband who was stabbed by her mentally ill son, saying the healthcare providers are shielded by a psychotherapist immunity statute.

  • August 08, 2025

    LA Judges Tosses Suit Over $5.7M Pot Loss In Fire

    A Los Angeles cannabis entrepreneur must pay the legal fees of his neighbor, whom he sued for $5.7 million on claims that the defendant allowed his property to become a fire hazard through lax safety standards and by allowing transient people to live there, resulting in an inferno which destroyed millions of dollars worth of cannabis flower.

  • August 08, 2025

    UC President Says $1B DOJ Demand Would Cripple University

    The head of the University of California system said Friday that a $1 billion settlement proposed by the Trump administration in order to spare UCLA from threatened federal research funding cuts would "completely devastate our country's greatest public university system."

  • August 08, 2025

    Vape Maker Must Arbitrate Claims Of Distributor Misconduct

    A California federal judge has ordered the owners of a Hong Kong vape maker to arbitrate their claims accusing a competitor of trying to "usurp" their place in the market, concluding that an underlying arbitration agreement was applicable despite the competitor's founder not signing the pact.

  • August 08, 2025

    George Clinton Fights Sanctions In Decades-Long IP Battle

    Funk legend George Clinton has asked a Florida federal court to reject sanctions and lawsuit dismissal bids from music executive Armen Boladian, arguing that his copyright ownership complaint is not frivolous.

  • August 08, 2025

    Calif. Justices Rip Deference To Regulator's Solar Ruling

    The Golden State's highest court unanimously struck down a lower court ruling that the justices said gave too much deference to the California Public Utilities Commission in a dispute over rooftop solar rates, saying when reviewing decisions of the state's utilities regulator, courts "remain the final arbiters of statutory meaning."

  • August 08, 2025

    LAPD Wins Bid To Withhold 'Embarrassing' Body Cam Footage

    The public will not get to see body-camera footage allegedly showing a Los Angeles police officer destroying an MRI machine after his rifle was pulled into its magnetic field during a raid on an X-ray clinic that was wrongly assumed to be a cannabis grow site, a California federal court ruled, seeking to avoid "embarrassing" the officers named in the civil suit.

  • August 08, 2025

    FTC Maintains Support For Right-To-Repair In Med Robot Case

    The Federal Trade Commission is providing important backing for a surgical repair company's Ninth Circuit bid to revive claims accusing Intuitive Surgical of blocking third parties from refurbishing components for its popular da Vinci surgery robot, in an amicus brief suggesting defending right-to-repair work remains important for the Republican-controlled agency.

  • August 08, 2025

    Longer Child Detentions At Border Is 'Disturbing,' Judge Says

    A California federal judge overseeing enforcement of a decades-old settlement agreement governing the custody of immigrant children indicated Friday she will reject the government's effort to end the consent decree, and also finds recent reports of children being held for long periods at border stations "disturbing."

  • August 08, 2025

    Colleges, Universities Sued Over Early Admissions Offers

    Thirty-two colleges and universities violated federal antitrust laws by sharing data about students admitted through an "early decision" process, reducing competition and inflating tuition by boxing applicants out of potentially more rewarding financial aid packages elsewhere, students alleged in a proposed federal class action on Friday.

Expert Analysis

  • A Simple Way Courts Can Help Attys Avoid AI Hallucinations

    Author Photo

    As attorneys increasingly rely on generative artificial intelligence for legal research, courts should consider expanding online quality control programs to flag potential hallucinations — permitting counsel to correct mistakes and sparing judges the burden of imposing sanctions, say attorneys at Lankler Siffert & Wohl and Connors.

  • Surveying The Changing Overdraft Fee Landscape

    Author Photo

    Despite recent federal moves that undermine consumer overdraft fee protections, last year’s increase in fee charges suggests banks will face continued scrutiny via litigation and state regulation, says Amanda Kurzendoerfer at Bates White.

  • The Evolving Legal Landscape For THC-Infused Beverages

    Author Photo

    A recent Eighth Circuit ruling, holding that states may restrict the sale of intoxicating hemp-derived products without violating federal law, combined with ongoing regulatory uncertainty at both the federal and state levels, could alter the trajectory of the THC-infused beverage market, say attorneys at Pashman Stein.

  • Cos. Must Tailor Due Diligence As Trafficking Risks Increase

    Author Photo

    As legislators, prosecutors and plaintiffs attorneys increasingly focus on labor and sex trafficking throughout the U.S., companies must tailor their due diligence strategies to protect against forced labor trafficking risks in their supply chains, say attorneys at Steptoe.

  • Antitrust Scrutiny Heightens In The Cannabis Industry

    Author Photo

    Two ongoing antitrust cases signal intensified scrutiny of pricing practices, distribution restraints and exclusionary conduct in the cannabis sector, says Robin Crauthers at McCarter & English.

  • Series

    Creating Botanical Art Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Pressing and framing plants that I grow has shown me that pursuing an endeavor that brings you joy can lead to surprising benefits for a legal career, including mental clarity, perspective and even a bit of humility, says Douglas Selph at Morris Manning.

  • What To Expect As Calif. Justices Weigh Arbitration Fee Law

    Author Photo

    If the California Supreme Court’s upcoming ruling in Hohenshelt v. Superior Court holds that the Federal Arbitration Act does not preempt the California Arbitration Act's strict fee deadlines, employers and businesses could lose the right to arbitrate over minor procedural delays, say attorneys at Bird Marella.

  • Reddit v. Anthropic Is A Defining Moment In The AI Data Race

    Author Photo

    The recent lawsuit filed by Reddit against Anthropic in California state court marks a pivotal moment in the burgeoning field of artificial intelligence by sidestepping a typical copyright dispute, focusing instead on the enforceability of online terms of service and ownership of the digital commons, says William Galkin at Galkin Law.

  • Opinion

    Privacy Bill Must Be Amended To Protect Small Businesses

    Author Photo

    While a bill recently passed by the California Senate would exempt a company's use of legally compliant website advertising and tracking technologies from the California Invasion of Privacy Act, it must be amended to adequately protect small businesses, say attorneys at Thompson Hine.

  • Opinion

    The Legal Education Status Quo Is No Longer Tenable

    Author Photo

    As underscored by the fallout from California’s February bar exam, legal education and licensure are tethered to outdated systems, and the industry must implement several key reforms to remain relevant and responsive to 21st century legal needs, says Matthew Nehmer at The Colleges of Law.

  • Opinion

    Calif. Must Amend Trade Secret Civil Procedure

    Author Photo

    A California procedural law that effectively shields trade secret defendants from having to return company materials until the plaintiff can craft detailed requests must be amended to recognize that property recovery and trade secret analysis are distinct issues, says Matthew Miller at Hanson Bridgett.

  • Previewing State Efforts To Regulate Mental Health Chatbots

    Author Photo

    New York, Nevada and Utah have all recently enacted laws regulating the use of artificial intelligence to deliver mental health services, offering early insights into how other states may regulate this area, say attorneys at Goodwin.

  • What Dismissal Rulings May Mean For ERISA Forfeiture Cases

    Author Photo

    Following an influx of Employee Retirement Income Security Act class actions challenging the long-standing practice of plan sponsors using plan forfeitures to offset employer contributions, recent motion to dismiss rulings and a U.S. Department of Labor amicus brief may encourage more courts to reject plaintiffs' forfeiture theories, say attorneys at Mayer Brown.

  • E-Discovery Quarterly: Rulings On Relevance Redactions

    Author Photo

    In recent cases addressing redactions that parties sought to apply based on the relevance of information — as opposed to considerations of privilege — courts have generally limited a party’s ability to withhold nonresponsive or irrelevant material, providing a few lessons for discovery strategy, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Opinion

    9th Circ. Customs Fraud Ruling Is Good For US Trade

    Author Photo

    In an era rife with international trade disputes and tariff-evasion schemes that cost billions annually, the Ninth Circuit's recent decision in Island Industries v. Sigma is a major step forward for trade enforcement and for whistleblowers who can expose customs fraud, say attorneys at Singleton Schreiber.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here