California

  • March 05, 2026

    ERISA Recap: 6 Developments To Remember From Feb.

    The Second Circuit refused to boot a former Luxottica worker's proposed class claims into solo arbitration, a Texas federal judge declined to snuff out a tobacco fee suit against 7-Eleven and a healthcare company inked a $43 million deal to wrap a case over how it handled 401(k) plan forfeitures. Here's a look back at six noteworthy moves in Employee Retirement Income Security Act cases from last month.

  • March 05, 2026

    Tribe Says Calif. Overreached With Safety Penalties

    A California Indigenous nation is asking a federal district court to block the state's labor and safety departments from citing and enforcing civil penalties against one of its largest arms of tribal government, saying it is at risk of facing more than $200,000 in unlawful fines if the practice continues.

  • March 05, 2026

    Calif. Privacy Agency Dings Ford Over Opt-Out 'Friction'

    Ford Motor Co. has agreed to pay a fine of just over $375,000 and provide consumers with "easy methods" to stop the sharing and sale of their personal data in order to resolve the California privacy regulator's claims that the company added "unnecessary friction" to this opt-out process, the agency said Thursday. 

  • March 04, 2026

    Musk Tells Jury 'Biased' Judge Forced His Twitter Buy

    Elon Musk testified Wednesday in a California federal trial over Twitter investors' claims that the billionaire tanked the company's stock to get a better deal and said he paid the full $44 billion offer price because the Delaware Chancery judge overseeing litigation over the sale was "extremely biased" against him.

  • March 04, 2026

    Zuckerberg Denies 'Addiction' In Testimony Played To NM Jury

    New Mexico jurors saw videotaped testimony Wednesday from Mark Zuckerberg in the state attorney general's social media mental health trial in which the Meta CEO acknowledged that "problematic use" is a well-known problem among accountholders but rejected labels like "addiction" and "habit-forming."

  • March 04, 2026

    9th Circ. Spurns Uber's Bid To Halt Seattle Gig Worker Law

    A divided Ninth Circuit panel on Wednesday rejected Uber and Instacart's attempt to block a Seattle law regulating deactivation of app-based worker accounts, rejecting the companies' contention that the ordinance amounts to a First Amendment violation.

  • March 04, 2026

    ICE Detainees Aren't Owed Bond Hearings, DOJ Tells 9th Circ.

    A Justice Department attorney Wednesday urged the Ninth Circuit to reverse a district judge's ruling that a Trump administration policy denying bond hearings to detainees at an ICE facility is unlawful, arguing the detainees aren't eligible to challenge their detention because they're "seeking admission" to the country.

  • March 04, 2026

    Judge Eyes Fall Trial For NBA-Tied Rigged Poker Case

    A Brooklyn federal judge on Wednesday told NBA stars and others accused of a scheme to use Mafia-backed, rigged poker games to cheat unsuspecting players out of millions of dollars to prepare for a November trial, while prosecutors aim to slim the case down with a raft of plea deals.

  • March 04, 2026

    Meta Seeks Bench Trial, Not Jury, In Mental Health MDL

    Facebook and Instagram's parent company has had a change of heart when it comes to facing a jury on claims they caused underage users to become addicted to their platforms, resulting in emotional harm, telling the California federal judge overseeing the multidistrict litigation that they would now prefer a bench trial.

  • March 04, 2026

    Google AI Coached 'Mass Casualty' Attempt, Suicide, Suit Says

    The father of a 36-year-old Florida man who recently died by suicide sued Google LLC in California federal court Wednesday, alleging Google's chatbot Gemini deluded his son into believing it was his "AI wife," convincing him to attempt a "mass casualty" attack at Miami International Airport and then coaching his suicide.

  • March 04, 2026

    Hayden AI Hits Co-Founder With Fraud, Trade Secret Claims

    Artificial intelligence startup Hayden AI has sued one of its co-founders, alleging that after it fired him for forging board signatures and improperly charging personal expenses, he took large amounts of trade secret data to start a competing company.

  • March 04, 2026

    Social Media Addiction Fed Girl's Conflict With Mom, Jury Told

    A UCLA psychiatrist testified Wednesday in a landmark bellwether trial over allegations that using Instagram and YouTube harm children's mental health, saying that a girl's social media addiction contributed to friction with her mother.

  • March 04, 2026

    Former NPR Host Says Google Trained Its AI On His Voice

    Journalist David L. Greene, former longtime co-host of NPR's "Morning Edition," says Google stole his voice to train its artificial intelligence podcasting product, allowing users to mimic his cadence and personality without his consent or any kind of compensation, according to a lawsuit removed to California federal court this week.

  • March 04, 2026

    Care Management Co. Accused Of Swiping Software Platform

    The developer of software used in the Medicare treatment arena has sued a customer care management company in Delaware Chancery Court, accusing it of wrongfully using the platform to create a competing application.

  • March 04, 2026

    Google Agrees To More Android Changes In Deal With Epic

    Google and Epic Games offered a California federal court a new proposal Wednesday to modify an injunction issued in a monopolization case over the distribution apps on Android devices, while also reaching a broader agreement on global changes to the mobile operating system.

  • March 04, 2026

    ITC Probing Patent Infringement Claims Against ASUS, Others

    The U.S. International Trade Commission said Wednesday it will investigate claims made by AX Wireless that laptops, routers and computer products imported into the U.S. by ASUSTeK, TP-Link Systems Inc. and other companies are infringing five patents.

  • March 04, 2026

    Chuckwalla Case To Stay In Michigan As Tribes Join Fight

    A Michigan federal judge has decided that transferring a miner's case challenging the establishment of the Chuckwalla National Monument out of her court is "not inappropriate," while also ruling that a slew of tribal nations and environmental groups may intervene in the lawsuit.

  • March 04, 2026

    Construction Co. Hammers Out Deal In 401(k) Fee Suit

    A construction company has agreed to settle a suit claiming it stood by while its retirement plan was overcharged in management fees, causing workers to lose out on millions of dollars in savings, according to a California federal court filing.

  • March 04, 2026

    Post University Wins $75M IP Verdict Against File Sharer

    A Connecticut federal jury hit the parent of academic file sharing site Course Hero with a $75.3 million verdict on Wednesday, finding that it violated the Digital Millennium Copyright Act more than 3,000 times when it manipulated documents that belonged to Post University.

  • March 04, 2026

    Former Netflix Litigation Head Joins JAMS In Los Angeles

    A former top legal executive for Netflix has joined alternative dispute resolution firm JAMS to provide mediation services at its Los Angeles center.

  • March 04, 2026

    Weinstein's 3rd NY Rape Trial Bumped To April

    A New York state judge on Wednesday set an April 14 date for Harvey Weinstein's third rape trial after a last-minute defense attorney swap.

  • March 04, 2026

    BCLP Adds Capital Markets Specialist From Kirkland In LA

    Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP, which is also known as BCLP, is expanding its transactions team, bringing in a Kirkland & Ellis LLP capital markets expert as a partner in its Los Angeles office.

  • March 03, 2026

    Breyer Rips Musk Atty For 'False Impression' To Twitter Jury

    U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer blasted Elon Musk's counsel Tuesday in a trial over Twitter investors' allegations that Musk intentionally tanked its stock, telling the lawyer she'd created a "false impression" with the jury by questioning an ex-Twitter attorney about her right to speak with plaintiffs' counsel while under oath.

  • March 03, 2026

    Ye's Ex-Worker 'Not Sure' Of Own Declaration In Wages Trial

    A construction project manager suing Ye for retaliation and unpaid wages after he was fired from working at the rapper's Malibu home testified in a Los Angeles courtroom Tuesday that he's "not sure" if someone else signed a declaration filed under his name in the case.

  • March 03, 2026

    EPA Fights Fluoridated Water IQ Risk Finding At 9th Circ.

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency urged the Ninth Circuit on Tuesday to reverse a ruling that the EPA's current "optimal" level of fluoride in drinking water poses an unreasonable risk of lowering children's IQ, arguing that the trial judge improperly held his ruling in abeyance for years to await more scientific evidence.

Expert Analysis

  • Algorithmic Bias Risks Remain For Employers After AI Order

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    A recent executive order articulates a federal preference for a minimally burdensome approach to artificial intelligence regulation, but it doesn't eliminate employers' central compliance challenge or exposure when using AI tools, say Marjorie Soto Garcia and Joseph Mulherin at McDermott, and Candice Rosevear at Peregrine Economics.

  • Considerations In Building Guardrails For AI Use In Arbitration

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    A recent California federal court case involving allegations of artificial intelligence ghostwriting an arbitration award, prior analogous practice on tribunal delegation, and emerging generative AI recommendations all support building a forward-looking framework for arbitration rules to minimize the risk of AI-based challenges, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.

  • Series

    Calif. Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q4

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    The regulatory and litigation developments for California financial institutions in the fourth quarter of 2025 were incremental but consequential, with the Department of Financial Protection & Innovation relying on public enforcement actions to articulate expectations, and lawmakers and privacy regulators playing a role as well, says Stephen Britt at Stinson.

  • Series

    Fly-Fishing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Much like skilled attorneys, the best anglers prize preparation, presentation and patience while respecting their adversaries — both human and trout, says Rob Braverman at Braverman Greenspun.

  • 4 Ways GCs Can Manage Growing Service Of Process Volume

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    As automation and arbitration increase the volume of legal filings, in-house counsel must build scalable service of process systems that strengthen corporate governance and manage risk in real time, says Paul Mathews at Corporation Service Co.

  • IP Appellate Decisions Show 4 Shifts In 2025

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    In 2025, intellectual property decisions issued by the Ninth, D.C., and Federal Circuits trended toward tightening doctrinal boundaries, whether to account for technological developments in existing legal regimes, or to refine areas with some ambiguity, says Nate Sabri at Perkins Coie.

  • Calif. AI Law Will Have Ripple Effect On Emerging Cos.

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    California's Transparency in Frontier Artificial Intelligence Act is the first comprehensive state-level AI safety framework with mandated public disclosures in the U.S., and although it may not affect emerging companies directly, companies that embed governance and transparency into their operations will differentiate themselves in highly competitive markets, say attorneys at Mintz.

  • Series

    The Law Firm Merger Diaries: Forming Measurable Ties

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    Relationship-building should begin as early as possible in a law firm merger, as intentional pathways to bringing people together drive collaboration, positive client response, engagements and growth, says Amie Colby at Troutman.

  • A Look At EEOC Actions In 2025 And What's Next

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    President Donald Trump issued several executive orders last year that reshaped policy at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and with the administration now controlling a majority of the commission, the EEOC may align itself fully with orders addressing disparate impact and transgender issues, say attorneys at Jones Day.

  • 5 E-Discovery Predictions For 2026 And Beyond

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    2026 will likely be shaped by issues ranging from artificial intelligence regulatory turbulence to potential evidence rule changes, and e-discovery professionals will need to understand how to effectively guide the responsible and defensible adoption of emerging tools, while also ensuring effective safeguards, say attorneys at Littler.

  • Where States Jumped In When SEC Stepped Back In 2025

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    The state regulators that picked up the slack when the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission scaled back enforcement last year should not be underestimated as they continue to aggressively police areas where the SEC has lost interest and probe industries where SEC leadership has actively declined to intervene, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • 2026 State AI Bills That Could Expand Liability, Insurance Risk

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    State bills legislating artificial intelligence that are expected to pass in 2026 will reshape the liability landscape for all companies incorporating AI solutions into their business operations, as any novel private rights of action authorized under AI-related statutes signal expanding exposures, say attorneys at Wiley.

  • What's On Deck In Tribal Nations' Prediction Markets Litigation

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    Native American tribes' response to the expansion of sports-based prediction markets enters a decisive phase this year, with appellate courts positioned to address whether federal commodities law permits nationwide offering of sports-based event contracts free from state and tribal gaming regulation, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • SEC Virtu Deal Previews Risks Of Nonpublic Info In AI Models

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s recent settlement with Virtu Financial Inc. over alleged failures to safeguard customer data raises broader questions about how traditional enforcement frameworks may apply when material nonpublic information is embedded into artificial intelligence trading systems, says Braeden Anderson at Gesmer Updegrove.

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    Judges On AI: How Courts Can Boost Access To Justice

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    Arizona Court of Appeals Judge Samuel A. Thumma writes that generative artificial intelligence tools offer a profound opportunity to enhance access to justice and engender public confidence in courts’ use of technology, and judges can seize this opportunity in five key ways.

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