California

  • June 15, 2026

    Attys Want Up To $33M In Long-Running UBH Benefits Fight

    Attorneys for employee benefit plan participants who sued to change how United Behavioral Health processed claims for mental health and substance use disorder treatment asked a California federal court for up to $33 million in fees and expenses for their work on the "groundbreaking" case.

  • June 15, 2026

    Oakland Diocese Seeks OK For $180M Abuse Fund Ch. 11 Plan

    The Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland on Monday asked a California bankruptcy judge to approve its $180 million Chapter 11 plan over the objections of sexual abuse claimants who argue the diocese can afford to give them a larger settlement.

  • June 15, 2026

    Facebook Users Ask 9th Circ. To Fix Jury Role 'Usurpation'

    The Ninth Circuit must undo a lower court's ruling that killed an antitrust suit brought by Facebook users after the district court judge found the novel theory propping up the suit held no water, the users have said, and that Facebook's parent company cannot defend the lower court's "usurpation of the jury's role."

  • June 15, 2026

    Constitution Shields Livestreamed ICE Agent Chase, Attys Say

    Attorneys for two women convicted of stalking after they livestreamed their pursuit of an off-duty U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement deportation officer to his home urged a California federal judge to overturn their convictions, arguing at a hearing Monday that the First Amendment protected their clients' actions.

  • June 15, 2026

    Disney And YouTube Defeat Kids' Data Privacy Suit, For Now

    A California federal judge on Monday tossed a proposed class action alleging Disney and YouTube allowed advertisers to illegally collect minors' personal information, saying the plaintiffs failed to list any specific videos they viewed that led to the improper collection of their data, but allowed them leave to amend the complaint.

  • June 15, 2026

    No Longer Sidelined, Private Equity Firms Bet Big On Sports

    With a limited number of major professional sports teams for sale and astronomical valuations leaving a high barrier to entry, experts say college sports and emerging leagues are providing opportunities for private investment, and the rapidly shifting rules are creating compliance challenges for attorneys.

  • June 15, 2026

    Judge Tosses XAI Trade Secret Case Against OpenAI

    A California federal judge on Monday dismissed xAI Corp.'s trade secret lawsuit against OpenAI without leave to amend, finding that despite updating its complaint once previously, the company still failed to plausibly allege that OpenAI knowingly obtained or used confidential information from former xAI employees.

  • June 15, 2026

    Ex-Google Worker Can't Get AI Secrets Retrial Over Jury Picks

    A California federal judge has denied one of two motions from former Google engineer Linwei Ding seeking to overturn a jury decision that convicted him of trade secret theft and economic espionage, rejecting his claim that prosecutors improperly excluded jurors of Chinese descent.

  • June 15, 2026

    ​​​​​Calif. Jury Invalidates Ugg Maker's Boot Patent In Quince Trial

    A California federal jury on Monday found that online clothing retailer Quince sold boots that ripped off Deckers Outdoor Corp.'s patented design for Ugg's Classic Ultra Mini Boot, but agreed with the online retailer that Deckers' design patent is invalid.

  • June 15, 2026

    Loews Hotel Fragrances Toxic, Violate ADA, Suit Says

    A pair of women with chemical sensitivities is suing Loews Corp. and its hotels, alleging the synthetic fragrances it uses in the hotels' public areas are toxic and violate the Americans with Disabilities Act by preventing people with similar sensitivities from using its facilities.

  • June 15, 2026

    Morgan Lewis Finance Ace Joins Cadwalader

    Financial adviser Robert Hayes joined Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft LLP as a partner and plans to move his practice to Los Angeles after the planned merger with Hogan Lovells next month, the firm announced Monday.

  • June 15, 2026

    DOJ Prepares To Seek Approval For Live Nation Deal

    The U.S. Department of Justice is preparing to seek approval for its controversial midtrial settlement with Live Nation, according to recent court filings, as state enforcers continue pressing for a breakup of the company after a jury found it violated antitrust law.

  • June 15, 2026

    Pizza Chain Worker Says Co. Shorted Breaks, Wages

    A former pizza chain worker accused her employer of requiring hourly employees to keep working after clocking out, denying them meal and rest breaks and failing to pay overtime wages, according to a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles state court.

  • June 15, 2026

    Arkansas Calls Roblox 'Breeding Ground' For Child Predators

    The state of Arkansas is suing Roblox Corp. and Discord Inc. in California state court, alleging that their lax moderation, lack of effective age verification and indifference have made them a "two-stage predatory pipeline" for child predators.

  • June 15, 2026

    Chevy Bolt Owners Ask 6th Circ. To Let Them Opt Out Of Deal

    Individual class members in litigation alleging General Motors sold Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicles with defective batteries are urging the Sixth Circuit to reverse the decision of a Michigan federal court that rejected their opt-outs in a $150 million settlement for not being signed on paper.

  • June 15, 2026

    Judge Gives First OK To $69M ChemoCentryx Deal

    A California federal judge has given the first green light to a $69 million settlement reached between investors and ChemoCentryx, resolving claims that the California-based pharmaceutical company overstated the efficacy of its newly developed treatment for autoimmune disease ANCA vasculitis.

  • June 15, 2026

    Judge Pauses Decision Blocking $100K H-1B Visa Fee

    A Massachusetts federal judge temporarily paused his ruling vacating President Donald Trump's $100,000 fee for certain skilled-worker visas while the government asks the First Circuit for a stay.

  • June 15, 2026

    California Soda Ash Miner Hits Ch. 11 With $85M Secured Debt

    A California soda ash and borate mining operation filed for Chapter 11 protection Monday in Delaware bankruptcy court with $85.5 million of secured debt and plans to sell its assets.

  • June 12, 2026

    'Poor Lawyering': Walmart Flub Haunts Class Attys At 9th Circ.

    Amid warnings of a chilling effect on plaintiffs counsel, a Ninth Circuit panel Friday scrutinized six-figure sanctions against attorneys whose false advertising suit targeting Walmart Inc. collapsed because of crucial fine print in an avocado oil receipt.

  • June 12, 2026

    3M, DuPont Seek To Ax Out-Of-State PFAS Claims In Montana

    3M, DuPont de Nemours Inc. and other manufacturers asked a Montana federal judge to toss amended firefighter turnout gear PFAS claims brought by cities and municipalities in Connecticut, California and several other states, saying newly added out-of-state plaintiffs have no connection to Montana.

  • June 12, 2026

    Oregon Athletes Appeal Title IX Class Cert. Denial To 9th Circ.

    Female student-athletes who were denied class certification in a Title IX lawsuit against the University of Oregon have asked the Ninth Circuit permission to appeal, saying a federal judge's decision was "riddled with legal and procedural errors."

  • June 12, 2026

    DOJ Clears Paramount's $110B Deal To Acquire Warner Bros.

    The U.S. Department of Justice is closing its investigation into Paramount Skydance Corp.'s $110 billion deal for Warner Bros. Discovery Inc., the department's antitrust unit announced Friday, saying its review suggests the deal will "increase" and not harm competition in media and entertainment.

  • June 12, 2026

    Chinese National Gets 1 Year In AI Chip Export Scheme

    A Chinese national was sentenced in California federal court Friday to one year and one day in prison for conspiring to unlawfully export to China computer chips used in artificial intelligence applications, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California.

  • June 12, 2026

    9th Circ. Tells Serial Litigant App Developer No More

    The Ninth Circuit has said it does not want to hear any more from a serial litigant who has a bone to pick with tech behemoth Apple and a California federal court over the exclusion of an application for tracking COVID-19 cases from the App Store.

  • June 12, 2026

    Upper Deck Beats Game Co.'s Bid For $4M Fees After IP Loss

    A Washington federal judge denied a bid from toymaker Ravensburger and a game designer for $3.8 million in legal fees after the court mostly sided with them in Upper Deck's copyright case targeting a Disney-branded trading card game, noting that the suit was "neither unreasonable nor frivolous."  

Expert Analysis

  • 4 Emerging Limits Of Employer Mental Health Notice Defense

    Author Photo

    A California appeals court's recent decision in Husband v. Target, addressing when an employer knows about an employee's undisclosed disability, leaves open questions about how changes in mental health awareness and workforce monitoring tools may raise the bar for what employers can claim not to know, says Benjamin Heller at RFZ Law.

  • Raptors Ruling Shows Risks Of Calif. Enviro Suit Intervention

    Author Photo

    Intervention in California environmental litigation can allow businesses to help defend agency approvals, but after a state appeals court's recent ruling in Raptors Are the Solution v. CropLife America, it is clear that intervention also carries a price — and that courts will hold parties accountable for the full arc of their litigation conduct, says Thierry Montoya at FBT Gibbons.

  • Sripetch May Prove To Be An Empty Victory For The SEC

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in Sripetch v. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission held that the SEC need not prove pecuniary harm for disgorgement, but if the commission must still identify victims and distribute funds in a compensatory way, it faces the same economic problem as before the ruling, says Erin Smith at Compass Lexecon.

  • 9th Circ. Cooler Ruling Chills 1st Mover Lanham Act Claims

    Author Photo

    The Ninth Circuit's recent decision in Vericool World v. Igloo Products that Vericool's claim of being first-to-market with an ecocooler was not actionable under the Lanham Act largely foreclosed false advertising litigation over first mover status, so potential plaintiffs should instead look to patent counseling or intellectual property strategy for these claims, say attorneys at Manatt.

  • Mapping 5 Fronts Of The Prediction Markets Regulatory Battle

    Author Photo

    The legal framework governing prediction markets is under simultaneous challenge in five independent areas, and the outcomes will determine not just who can operate prediction markets, but the compliance obligations of every participant in the ecosystem, says Ivor Wolk at Manatt.

  • Using Past Tech Transitions As A Lens For Calif. Worker AI Bill

    Author Photo

    Examining previous workplace automation battles reveals the goals of a California bill that would impose obligations on employers for layoffs and hiring cessations caused by artificial intelligence, and illustrates where it may prove difficult to administer and how to prepare for its enactment, say attorneys at Skadden.

  • How A Founder's AI Pitch Deck Can Become A Crime Scene

    Author Photo

    As recent indictments and prosecutions against tech executives illustrate, AI washing is a criminal enforcement priority, not a regulatory formality, highlighting the importance of ensuring that founders don't overstate what their artificial intelligence does, particularly in the initial pitch deck to investors, says attorney Alan N. Walter.

  • SEC Disgorged Fund Distribution Is Next Query After Sripetch

    Author Photo

    Following the Supreme Court's Sripetch v. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission decision, investor harm isn't required for the SEC to obtain a disgorgement award, but future cases must resolve whether the commission will be freed from a requirement to distribute disgorged funds to the victims of alleged misconduct, says Daniel Walfish at Katsky Korins.

  • New State AI Laws Create Dual Misrepresentation Risk

    Author Photo

    As artificial intelligence transparency laws are enacted across the country and the volume and specificity of compliance records increase, companies will be required to speak more often, more precisely and to more audiences about the same systems, compounding the risk of litigation, say attorneys at Cooley.

  • Trump Admin's Agency Records Purge Tests Judicial Notice

    Author Photo

    While courts commonly take judicial notice of data in government websites and reports, the Trump administration's recent modification or wholesale deletion of these sources means that litigants must look elsewhere to support trial admission of this information, says Jon Gryskiewicz at Lewis Baach.

  • Series

    Cow Horse Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Moving an unwilling 800-pound cow while riding a horse at high speed is exhilarating, a little unhinged and, at least for me, a surprisingly effective training ground for litigation — both demand focus, preparation over rigid planning and the willingness to act despite fear, says Ashley Zitrin at Glenn Agre.

  • Vax Ruling Offers Employer Tips For Handling Political Speech

    Author Photo

    A California appeals court's recent decision in Rademacher v. ABC, rejecting a "General Hospital" actor's suit alleging he was terminated for opposing a vaccine policy, demonstrates the importance of the employer's process, including neutral policies, documentation, and evidence of who knew what and when, say attorneys at Krevolin Horst.

  • PowerSchool Data Breach Ruling Underscores PE Liability

    Author Photo

    The recent California federal court decision in PowerSchool, where Bain Capital was unable to dismiss claims relating to a data breach based in part on Bain's preinvestment activities, is an important addition to the line of cases addressing investor liability for acts of a portfolio company, says Mark Kelley at MoloLamken.

  • What Prop 65 Listings For Welding Fumes, Drugs Mean For Cos.

    Author Photo

    With California poised to add welding chemicals and three medications to its list of known carcinogens under Proposition 65, businesses must assess risks from nontraditional pharmaceutical dispensing, occupational and environmental exposures to welding operations, and downstream exposures from the manufacture of both types of substances, says Gregory Berlin at Alston & Bird.

  • 3 Disgorgement Questions Linger After Justices' SEC Ruling

    Author Photo

    While the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in Sripetch v. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission avoided placing new limits on the SEC’s disgorgement powers, it passed over several questions, including whether the commission can seek disgorgement when returning the money to investors isn't possible, says David Slovick at Kopecky Schumacher.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here