California

  • May 29, 2025

    Willkie Brings On Musician-Turned-Atty In LA From Manatt

    Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP has hired a former Manatt Phelps & Phillips LLP partner and professional musician for its corporate and financial services department and entertainment transactions practice.

  • May 29, 2025

    RJ Reynolds Lied About Carbon Offset Of Vapes, Suit Says

    A group of California vape users is suing R.J. Reynolds Vapor Co. and its U.S. and British affiliates in federal court, alleging that its claims that the Vuse vape is the first carbon-neutral electronic cigarette are misleading.

  • May 29, 2025

    Intel Convinces Texas Jury That Fortress Controls VLSI

    A Texas federal jury on Thursday found that Fortress Investment Group controls both VLSI Technology and Finjan Holdings, and a judge will now decide whether that means Intel can escape findings that it infringed VLSI's patents by invoking its license with Finjan.

  • May 29, 2025

    Shein Eyes HK Listing After London Snag, Plus More Rumors

    Fast-fashion retailer Shein intends to list in Hong Kong after its plans to go public in London fell apart, messaging app Telegram is set to raised $1.7 billion through an upsized bond offering, while Elon Musk's Neuralink Corp. raised $600 million in a deal that values the brain-implant startup at $9 billion.

  • May 28, 2025

    Intel Pushes Fortress, VLSI On Financial Control Limits

    Intel Corp. tried to convince an Austin federal jury Wednesday that Fortress Investment Group's power to say "no" when VLSI Technology LLC requests money, among other override authorities, makes clear who has actual control over VLSI's finances, even if that "no" has never been invoked.

  • May 28, 2025

    Kevin Costner Sued By Stuntwoman Over Ad Hoc Rape Scene

    Kevin Costner and the producers of the American West film series "Horizon" were sued in California state court by a stunt double who alleged she had to perform an impromptu, unscripted violent rape scene without an intimacy coordinator on set and other protocols under the actors' union contract.

  • May 28, 2025

    Insurers Get Meta MDL Coverage Fight Kicked Back To Del.

    A California federal judge has ruled that Meta Platforms' sprawling dispute with dozens of insurers over coverage for personal injury multidistrict litigation belongs in Delaware state court, where two Hartford Insurance Group units first sued, rejecting Meta's claims Hartford acted in bad faith in suing in Delaware, along with other arguments.

  • May 28, 2025

    Wellness App User Must Arbitrate Video Data-Sharing Suit

    A California federal judge has shipped to arbitration a proposed class action accusing the operators of the meditation app Balance of unlawfully sharing subscribers' video-viewing data and other personal information with a third-party software provider, finding that the user leading the suit had agreed to arbitrate his claims when signing up for the service. 

  • May 28, 2025

    16 States Sue Trump Admin Over Cuts To Science Grants

    A coalition of 16 state attorneys general have sued the Trump administration in New York federal court on Wednesday to stop it from cutting millions of dollars in grant funds from the National Science Foundation for scientific research and programs aimed at enhancing diversity, equity and inclusion in STEM fields and environmental justice.

  • May 28, 2025

    5-Hour Energy Price Discrimination Suit Falls Short Again

    A California federal judge ruled Wednesday that family-owned wholesalers proved competition with Costco in their price-discrimination suit against the maker of 5-Hour Energy and that the energy "shot" company offered Costco disproportionate promotions, but the wholesalers did not prove that this discrimination caused them antitrust injury.

  • May 28, 2025

    Coinbase Users Sue Over Terraform Token Conversion Losses

    A group of crypto buyers sued Coinbase Global Inc. over losses they say they incurred from the crypto exchange's actions in the wake of the historic Terraform collapse, accusing Coinbase of muddling the process of converting their assets and providing them with inaccurate tax documents.

  • May 28, 2025

    Execs Smuggled Billions In Goods To Skirt Duties, Feds Say

    Two California shipping company executives have been charged with smuggling billions of dollars' worth of goods from the United States into Mexico — avoiding millions of dollars in duties to Mexico — using bogus documents, shell companies, bribes to public officials and kickbacks to drug cartels.

  • May 28, 2025

    FTC Orders Divestitures Before $35B Synopsys-Ansys Merger

    The Federal Trade Commission said Wednesday that software companies Synopsys and Ansys will be required to divest certain assets, including Synopsys' optical software tools and Ansys' power consumption analysis tool, in order to move forward with their planned $35 billion merger.

  • May 28, 2025

    20 State AGs Urge 9th Circ. To Resume Refugee Admissions

    Attorneys general from 20 states, as well as former federal immigration officials, have chimed in to support reinstatement of U.S. refugee admissions amid a pending legal challenge to President Donald Trump's indefinite suspension of the program, according to briefs recently filed with the Ninth Circuit.

  • May 28, 2025

    Justices Seek SG's Take On Falun Gong Case Against Cisco

    The U.S. Supreme Court has asked the solicitor general to weigh in on an Alien Tort Statute suit revived by the Ninth Circuit and lodged by a class of Falun Gong practitioners alleging that Cisco Systems aided in the Chinese government's crackdown on the religious movement.

  • May 28, 2025

    Flamin' Hot Cheetos Defamation Suit Snuffed Out, For Now

    A California federal judge Wednesday granted Frito-Lay Inc.'s motion to strike a former employee's discrimination and defamation suit claiming he invented Flamin' Hot Cheetos and had his livelihood destroyed when the company disavowed his story, finding he's unlikely to win his claims, but giving him another shot at amendment.

  • May 28, 2025

    MGA Seeks 4th Trial In $71M Doll Dispute With Rapper T.I.

    MGA Entertainment urged a California federal judge Tuesday to reverse a jury's $71.4 million award to rapper Clifford "T.I." Harris and others for MGA infringing the trade dress and publicity rights of the OMG Girlz pop group, saying the court's finding of no willful infringement should nullify the verdict.

  • May 28, 2025

    DOJ Gets Some Discovery Seeking HPE-Juniper Witness Bias

    A California federal magistrate judge granted the U.S. Department of Justice only limited discovery Tuesday as it looks for potential "bias" from an industry analyst Hewlett Packard Enterprise may call in defense of its planned $14 billion purchase of Juniper Networks Inc.

  • May 28, 2025

    Disney Cut Loose From Singing Turtle IP Case

    A California federal judge has thrown out a copyright and trademark suit by a man who claimed The Walt Disney Co. copied his singing turtle character, finding Disney had already created its singing turtle 'Olu Mel by the time the man was depicting his turtle character as playing a ukulele.

  • May 28, 2025

    IRS Coinbase Summons Challenged As Overbroad, Unlawful

    A Connecticut man wants a California federal court to quash an Internal Revenue Service summons issued to Coinbase for his personal financial documents, arguing that the agency's request was inappropriate and violates his privacy rights.

  • May 28, 2025

    Defense-Focused SPAC Leads Pair Of Listings Totaling $285M

    Defense- and aerospace-focused Kochav Defense Acquisition Corp. began trading Wednesday after pricing a $220 million initial public offering, one of two special purpose acquisition companies to join a recovering market after raising $285 million combined.

  • May 28, 2025

    ID Verification Platform Fights Bid To DQ MoFo In IP Dispute

    Identity verification platform Jumio urged a California federal court to reject a bid to disqualify Morrison & Foerster LLP as its counsel in patent litigation over facial recognition technology, saying the law firm had not been co-counsel with its previously disqualified firm, Perkins Coie LLP.

  • May 28, 2025

    Coca-Cola Sued Over '100% Natural Flavors' In Sprite, Fanta

    The Coca-Cola Co. deceptively labels its Sprite and Fanta brands of sodas as being made with "100% natural flavors" despite that they contain synthetic sweetener ingredients and additives like citric acid and aspartame, according to a proposed class action filed Tuesday in California federal court.

  • May 28, 2025

    Ex-Benghazi Investigator Sworn In As Interim NorCal US Atty

    A longtime Los Angeles attorney and former investigator into the 2012 terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya, that killed four Americans was appointed on Tuesday as interim U.S. attorney in California's Northern District, where he'll be allowed to serve up to 120 days pending Senate confirmation.

  • May 28, 2025

    Calif. Ethics Panel Weighs Judge DQs In Racial Justice Cases

    A California judge who previously served as a district attorney need not be recused from a case involving California Racial Justice Act claims solely because the judge previously handled cases involving elements that may be subject to discovery under the act, the state's judicial watchdog has put forward in a draft opinion.

Expert Analysis

  • When Innovation Overwhelms The Rule Of Law

    Author Photo

    In an era where technology is rapidly evolving and artificial intelligence is seemingly everywhere, it’s worth asking if the law — both substantive precedent and procedural rules — can keep up with the light speed of innovation, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.

  • Engaging With Feds On Threats To Executives, Employees

    Author Photo

    In an increasingly polarized environment, where companies face serious concerns about how to protect executives and employees, counsel should consider working with federal law enforcement soon after the discovery of threats or harassment, says Jordan Estes at Gibson Dunn.

  • The Risk And Reward Of Federal Approach To AI Regulation

    Author Photo

    The government has struggled to keep up with artificial intelligence's furious pace, but while an overbroad federal attempt to adopt a more unified approach to regulating AI poses its own risks, so does the current environment of regulatory uncertainty, say attorneys at Covington.

  • Imagine The Possibilities Of Openly Autistic Lawyering

    Author Photo

    Andi Mazingo at Lumen Law, who was diagnosed with autism about midway through her career, discusses how the legal profession can create inclusive workplaces that empower openly autistic lawyers and enhance innovation, and how neurodivergent attorneys can navigate the challenges and opportunities that come with disclosing one’s diagnosis.

  • Top 10 Healthcare And Life Sciences Issues To Watch In 2025

    Author Photo

    Under the new Trump administration, this coming year may benefit some healthcare and life sciences stakeholders, while creating new challenges for others amid an increasingly complex regulatory environment, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • Why Trump's FTC May Not U-Turn On Robinson-Patman

    Author Photo

    The Federal Trade Commission's recent revival of Robinson-Patman Act enforcement may well be here to stay under the Trump administration — albeit with some important caveats for businesses caught in the government's crosshairs, say attorneys at Reed Smith.

  • Series

    Documentary Filmmaking Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Becoming a documentary filmmaker has allowed me to merge my legal expertise with my passion for storytelling, and has helped me to hone negotiation, critical thinking and problem-solving skills that are important to both endeavors, says Robert Darwell at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Litigation Funding Disclosure Debate: Strategy Considerations

    Author Photo

    In the ongoing debate over whether courts should require disclosure of litigation funding, funders and plaintiffs tend to argue against such mandates, but voluntarily disclosing limited details about a funding arrangement can actually confer certain benefits to plaintiffs in some scenarios, say Andrew Stulce and Marc Cavan at Longford Capital.

  • A Look At Shifting Legal Landscape For Data Brokers

    Author Photo

    An increasingly complex legal landscape at both the federal and state levels has expanded the types of businesses classified as data brokers, so consumer-facing businesses should consider their designations under these new regulations and any consequences for compliance and business operations, say attorneys at Morrison Foerster.

  • State AG Enforcement Is Poised For Another Pivot In 2025

    Author Photo

    Backed by a Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, the Trump administration intends to make substantial policy changes, and attorneys general of both parties around the country are preparing their response playbooks, say attorneys at WilmerHale.

  • Del. Dispatch: Lessons From Failed Albertsons-Kroger Merger

    Author Photo

    The allegations in Albertsons' lawsuit against Kroger following the grocery stores' blocked merger demonstrate how a target company can best ensure that a buyer timely and effectively complies with its obligations to pursue the necessary regulatory approvals for a deal, say attorneys at Fried Frank.

  • Series

    Adventure Photography Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Photographing nature everywhere from Siberia to Cuba and Iceland to Rwanda provides me with a constant reminder to refresh, refocus and rethink the legal issues that my clients face, says Richard Birmingham at Davis Wright.

  • What Vinyl Acetate's Prop 65 Listing Means For Cos.

    Author Photo

    California's recent move to add vinyl acetate to the Proposition 65 list of carcinogens, with enforcement starting later this year, will have sweeping compliance and risk implications for businesses in the retail, food and beverage, paint, adhesive, industrial manufacturing, and personal care product industries, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

  • Opinion

    Commercial Tree Thinning Should Be Part of Wildfire Control

    Author Photo

    The devastating wildfires currently afflicting California make it clear that the U.S. Forest Service should step up its use of methods including commercial tree removal to lower fire risk — but litigation that drags on for years stymies many of these efforts and endangers the public, says Jeffrey Beelaert at Givens Pursley.

  • High Court Could Further Limit Deference With TCPA Fax Case

    Author Photo

    The Supreme Court's decision to hear McLaughlin Chiropractic Associates v. McKesson, a case involving alleged junk faxes that centers whether district courts are bound by Federal Communications Commission rules, offers the court a chance to possibly further limit the judicial deference afforded to federal agency interpretations of statutes, says Samantha Duke at Rumberger Kirk.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the California archive.