California

  • January 30, 2026

    SEC Walks Away From Biden-Era Construction Fraud Case

    Greenberg Traurig LLP celebrated a legal victory on Friday as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission abandoned its securities fraud claims against their client, a former construction executive, with a firm leader telling Law360 that a meeting with top SEC staff last year marked a turning point in their favor. 

  • January 30, 2026

    OpenAI Challenges X's Deposition Bid In Antitrust Case

    OpenAI said one of its former executives shouldn't be deposed in an antitrust case brought by X Corp. regarding ChatGPT integration on Apple devices, saying he had nothing to do with the deal.

  • January 30, 2026

    'I Will Not Stop Now': Don Lemon Defiant After Arrest

    A Los Angeles federal judge released journalist Don Lemon from custody Friday afternoon, rejecting a prosecutor's request that his travel be restricted after he was arrested Thursday on charges related to his coverage of a protest inside a Minnesota church. 

  • January 30, 2026

    9th Circ. Says DOJ Can Withhold VW Grand Jury Records

    The Ninth Circuit on Friday held that the U.S. Department of Justice couldn't be forced to hand over about 6 million Volkswagen documents that were part of a Jones Day investigation into the automaker's 2015 emissions-cheating scandal, as the government obtained them through a grand jury subpoena.

  • January 30, 2026

    Impossible Foods' CLO, 2 Execs To Lead As CEO Steps Down

    Impossible Foods CEO Peter McGuinness has stepped down from his role and the company's operations will now be run by its three-person executive leadership team comprising chief legal and operating officer Jason Gao, its chief demand officer and its chief supply officer, the company announced on Friday.

  • January 30, 2026

    CBD Cos. Say They're Wrong Defendants In Kratom Suit

    Shaman Botanicals LLC and CBD American Shaman LLC are urging a California federal judge to throw out claims that they mislead consumers by failing to warn them that Soma Kratom products are dangerous and addictive, saying they're not affiliated with Soma Kratom in the first place.

  • January 30, 2026

    Startup Founder Ran $37M 'Ponzi-Like' Scheme, SEC Says

    A Silicon Valley software startup owner faces U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission claims he defrauded at least 100 would-be investors as he raised $37 million, using their money to cover his and his company's expenses in a Ponzi-like scheme.

  • January 30, 2026

    Google Says Publishers Shouldn't 'Hijack' AI Copyright Suit

    Google told a California federal judge that publishers Hachette Book Group and Cengage Learning can file their own case if they want to allege copyright infringement, but should not be allowed to "hijack" an ongoing class action over Google's alleged use of copyrighted material to train artificial intelligence.

  • January 30, 2026

    Drugmakers Ask To Appeal Overarching Conspiracy Claim

    A group of pharmaceutical companies that failed to secure a pretrial win on an overarching conspiracy claim in a sprawling generic-drug antitrust enforcement action is asking a Connecticut federal judge to let them seek Second Circuit review, saying the ruling raises a novel legal issue.

  • January 30, 2026

    9th Circ. Bars Coast Guard Suit Over Conception Boat Fire

    A split panel of the Ninth Circuit Friday affirmed a California federal judge's decision to dismiss wrongful death litigation that the families of 34 people killed by a fire on the dive boat MV Conception had brought against the government.

  • January 30, 2026

    9th Circ. Allows Nevada Inmate's COVID Yard Restriction Case

    A Nevada prison inmate who says he was denied almost all access to the outdoors for over a year during the COVID-19 pandemic in violation of his constitutional rights may continue his case against the warden who he claims kept his protective segregation unit indoors unlawfully, the Ninth Circuit has affirmed.

  • January 30, 2026

    Bill Regulating Attorney AI Use Passes California Senate

    A proposed California law that would regulate attorneys and arbitrators' use of generative artificial intelligence statewide has headed to the Assembly after the state Senate unanimously approved the measure.

  • January 30, 2026

    Paramount Taps DC Lobbyist To Lead US Policy Operations

    Paramount Skydance Corp. has picked a Washington, D.C., lobbyist and former staffer to several Republican senators to lead its U.S. policy operations.

  • January 30, 2026

    Feds Say Alleged $100K H-1B Fee Harm Only Speculative

    The Trump administration asked a California federal judge to dismiss a suit challenging President Donald Trump's $100,000 H-1B visa fee, arguing it rests upon multiple what-ifs that deprive the groups that challenged the fee of standing.

  • January 30, 2026

    1st Circ. Upholds Atty's 7-Year Sentence In Email Fraud Case

    A panel of the First Circuit has affirmed a more than seven-year prison term and $2 million restitution order for an Illinois lawyer convicted of collecting proceeds from a romance and real estate email fraud scheme.

  • January 30, 2026

    DOJ Requires Divestitures For Reddy Ice-Arctic Glacier Tie-Up

    The U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division is forcing Reddy Ice to divest assets in five geographic areas in order to win approval for a $126 million acquisition of competitor Arctic Glacier.

  • January 30, 2026

    Amazon Says Shoppers' Labeling Suit Is Corrupted By AI Errors

    In customers' latest filing in their proposed class action accusing Amazon of failing to make required disclosures on dietary supplement product pages, the e-commerce giant alleges that the plaintiffs have submitted a document riddled with errors derived from the use of generative text.

  • January 30, 2026

    Blackstone-Backed Liftoff Mobile Joins Growing IPO Pipeline

    Private equity-backed technology firm Liftoff Mobile has launched plans to raise an estimated $711 million in its initial public offering, joining a crowded pipeline of IPO prospects that are slated to go public during the first week of February.

  • January 30, 2026

    Singer Sues Over 'Furious 7' Song Royalties In Calif.

    A musician who says he provided vocals on the song "See You Again" used in the film "Furious 7" as a send off to actor Paul Walker and his character Brian O'Conner has filed a lawsuit in California federal court claiming he wasn't properly compensated for his work.

  • January 30, 2026

    Tribe's Cannabis Raid Claims Largely Survive Dismissal

    A California federal judge has denied the bulk of two motions to dismiss a suit from the Round Valley Indian Tribes and three of its members alleging that their properties were illegally raided for growing cannabis, dismissing only the claims that law enforcement officers didn't have jurisdiction over the properties.

  • January 29, 2026

    Fitness App Must Face Trimmed Suit Over Tracking Cookies

    A California federal judge cut several wiretap and fraud claims from a proposed class action accusing MyFitnessPal of allowing third parties to track the browsing activities of website visitors who rejected the use of tracking cookies while allowing the plaintiffs to proceed with invasion of privacy and two other allegations.

  • January 29, 2026

    Boies Schiller Hits Meta With Arbitration Bids Over Addiction

    Boies Schiller Flexner LLP on Thursday filed nine arbitration demands against Meta Platforms Inc. on behalf of young Instagram users, claiming that the social media company's products are harmful and intentionally designed to hook young people.

  • January 29, 2026

    OppFi Says It's Not Pulling Calif. 'Dummy Lender' Scheme

    An attorney for Opportunity Financial LLC urged a Los Angeles state judge Thursday to toss a California regulator's claims that it uses a Utah bank partner to dodge state regulations, saying it's not part of a "dummy lender" scheme and the court has all the information it needs to end the case.

  • January 29, 2026

    Costco Sued Over 'No Preservatives' Roast Chicken Ads

    A pair of Golden State consumers have hit Washington-based Costco Wholesale Corp. with a proposed class action in California federal court, accusing the company of falsely advertising its popular $4.99 rotisserie chicken as preservative free despite containing two chemicals — sodium phosphate and carrageenan — which allegedly function like preservatives.

  • January 29, 2026

    Apple Dodges Users' Deposition In Google Antitrust Case

    A California federal judge has quashed a Christmas Eve deposition subpoena that sought information from Apple Inc. concerning dealings with Google LLC, saying users who accused Google of suppressing rival search engines through anticompetitive deals had no valid reason for the subpoena.

Expert Analysis

  • 2025 State AI Laws Expand Liability, Raise Insurance Risks

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    As 2025 nears its end, claims professionals should be aware of trends in state legislation addressing artificial intelligence use, as insurance claims based on some of these liability-expanding statutes are a certainty, say attorneys at Wiley.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Practical Problem Solving

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    Issue-spotting skills are well honed in law school, but practicing attorneys must also identify clients’ problems and true goals, and then be able to provide solutions, says Mary Kate Hogan at Quarles & Brady.

  • Crypto In 2025: From Federal Deregulation To State Action

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    The cryptocurrency enforcement landscape evolved in 2025, marked by federal deregulatory trends and active state attorney general enforcement, creating both opportunity and risk for businesses navigating the digital asset market, say attorneys at Cozen O'Connor.

  • Reel Justice: 'The Mastermind' And Juror Decision-Making

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    The recent art heist film “The Mastermind” forces viewers to discern the protagonist’s ambiguous motives and reconcile contradictions, offering lessons for attorneys about how a well-crafted trial narrative can tap into the psychological phenomena underlying juror decision-making, says Veronica Finkelstein at Wilmington University.

  • Learning From 2025 FCA Trends Targeting PE In Healthcare

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    False Claims Act enforcement trends and legislative developments from this year signal intensifying state and federal scrutiny of private equity's growing footprint in healthcare, and the urgency of compliance, says Lisa Re at Arnold & Porter.

  • Reviewing 2025's State And Federal AI Regulations

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    In light of increasing state and federal action to oversee the use of artificial intelligence, companies that develop or deploy the technology should keep abreast of current and forthcoming AI laws and consider their applicability to their business activities, says Jessica Brigman at Spencer Fane.

  • What Trump Order Limiting State AI Regs Means For Insurers

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    Last week's executive order seeking to preclude states from regulating artificial intelligence will likely have minimal impact on insurers, but the order and related congressional activities may portend a federal expectation of consistent state oversight of insurers' AI use, says Kathleen Birrane at DLA Piper.

  • 4 Privacy Trends This Year With Lessons For Companies

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    As organizations plan for ongoing privacy law changes, 2025 trends that include a shift of activity from the federal to the state level mean companies should take an adaptive and principle-based approach to privacy programs rather than trying to memorize constantly changing laws, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Opinion

    A Uniform Federal Rule Would Curb Gen AI Missteps In Court

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    To address the patchwork of courts’ standing orders on generative artificial intelligence, curbing abuses and relieving the burden on judges, the federal judiciary should consider amending its civil procedure rules to require litigants to certify they’ve reviewed legal filings for accuracy, say attorneys at Shook Hardy.

  • 9th Circ. Ruling Clarifies Auditor Liability For IPO Errors

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    The Ninth Circuit's recent decision in Hunt v. PricewaterhouseCoopers elucidates the legal standard for claims against auditors in connection with a company's initial public offering, confirming that audit opinions are subjective and becoming the first circuit to review this precise question since the U.S. Supreme Court's 2015 Omnicare ruling, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • AG Watch: Texas Junk Fee Deal Shows Enforcement Priorities

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    Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's recent $9.5 million settlement with online travel agency website Booking Holdings for so-called junk fee practices follows a larger trend of state attorneys general who have taken similar action and demonstrates the significant penalties that can follow such allegations, say attorneys at Kelley Drye.

  • Calif. AG's No-Poach Case Reflects Tougher Antitrust Stance

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    This month, California’s attorney general resolved the latest enforcement action barring the use of no-poach agreements, underscoring an aggressive antitrust enforcement trend with significant increases in criminal and civil penalties, say attorneys at Pillsbury.

  • 2025 Noncompete Developments That Led To Inflection Point

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    Employers must reshape their approaches to noncompete agreements following key 2025 developments, including Delaware's rejection of blue-penciling and the proliferation of state wage thresholds, say attorneys at Gunderson Dettmer.

  • Series

    The Law Firm Merger Diaries: Integrating Practice Groups

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    Enacting unified leadership and consistent client service standards ensures law firm practice groups connect and collaborate around shared goals, turning a law firm merger into a platform for growth rather than a period of disruption, says Brian Catlett at Fennemore Craig.

  • Opinion

    Supreme Court Term Limits Would Carry Hidden Risk

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    While proposals for limiting the terms of U.S. Supreme Court justices are popular, a steady stream of relatively young, highly marketable ex-justices with unique knowledge and influence entering the marketplace of law and politics could create new problems, say Michael Broyde at Emory University and Hayden Hall at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.

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