California

  • March 16, 2026

    Jury Hands Kawasaki $48M In Semiconductor Patent Trial

    A California federal jury has said a Japanese technology company owes about $48 million for infringing a Kawasaki semiconductor patent and found that the infringement was willful.

  • March 13, 2026

    Trump Orders Restart Of Calif. Coast Oil Operations

    The U.S. Department of Energy on Friday invoked the Cold War-era Defense Production Act directing Sable Offshore Corp. to restart a pipeline in Southern California that was shuttered in 2015 following a massive oil spill, drawing the ire of environmental groups that say the "defective" pipeline is too dangerous.

  • March 13, 2026

    Adobe Inks $150M Deal In DOJ Suit Over App Subscriptions

    Adobe Inc. will pay $75 million in civil penalties and offer customers $75 million in free services under a tentative deal to resolve the U.S. Department of Justice's lawsuit over the company's software subscription practices, including an early termination fee that prosecutors had described as "a bit like heroin" for the company.

  • March 13, 2026

    CFPB Can't Rely On 'Erroneous' Funding Theory, Court Says

    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau must continue to request needed funding from the Federal Reserve, a California federal judge ruled Friday, saying Trump administration budget chief Russell Vought "acted arbitrarily, capriciously and contrary to law" by refusing to replenish the agency's dwindling funds.

  • March 13, 2026

    Real Estate Recap: Iran, Investor Optimism, Construction Debt

    Catch up on this past week's key developments by state from Law360 Real Estate Authority — including implications for the real estate sector from the war in Iran, what investors are saying about the market and specific asset classes, and a look at where construction debt is ballooning.

  • March 13, 2026

    States To Head Live Nation Antitrust Trial After Feds Settle

    Over two dozen states and the District of Columbia are forging ahead with monopolization claims against Live Nation in Manhattan federal court after the federal government unexpectedly agreed to settle with the live entertainment giant after a week of trial.

  • March 13, 2026

    Dorsey Defends Twitter Bot Count In Trial Over Musk Takeover

    Ex-Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey stood by 2022 company statements that bots made up less than 5% of accounts on the platform during video depositions shown Friday in a California federal trial over investor claims that Elon Musk deliberately tanked the company's stock with misstatements about fake accounts to renegotiate the $44 billion deal.

  • March 13, 2026

    Child Abuse Material Is Too Easy To Find On Meta, Jury Hears

    Jurors in New Mexico's social media trial saw deposition testimony Friday in which counsel for Meta questioned an expert hired but not called by the state attorney general's office regarding his review of child abuse material on the company's platforms, which he said was "publicly available for anybody."

  • March 13, 2026

    'Swinging Dicks' Dissent Stirs Uproar Across 9th Circ. Bench

    A raunchy dissent in litigation over transgender spa patrons prompted dozens of Ninth Circuit judges to denounce the "vulgar barroom talk" of a colleague, who returned fire by ridiculing his peers for adopting the "fastidious sensibilities of a Victorian nun."

  • March 13, 2026

    9th Circ. Judges Seem Split Over NCAA's 5-Year Rule Appeals

    Ninth Circuit panel judges expressed differing opinions Friday over whether a dispute between the NCAA and junior college graduates challenging the NCAA's five-year rule are moot since they graduated, with one judge saying lower courts' injunctions still block NCAA from seeking restitution against universities, while another judge called that relief "illusory."

  • March 13, 2026

    9th Circ. Keeps Block On Montana 'Drag Story Hour' Ban

    The Ninth Circuit on Friday upheld a preliminary block on a Montana state law that prohibits drag performers from hosting book-reading events for children at state-funded libraries and schools, saying the law's definition of a "drag king" or "drag queen" broadly covers G-rated movie characters, like Cinderella and Mulan.

  • March 13, 2026

    PE Firm Seeks To Block Calif. Suit Over $17.5M Deal

    A private equity investment firm has asked the Delaware Chancery Court to block two former sellers of behavioral health facilities from pursuing a parallel lawsuit in California, arguing that the claims violate contractual provisions requiring any related disputes to be litigated in Delaware.

  • March 13, 2026

    Insurers Seek Early Win In Contractor's $1.7M Premium Suit

    Hartford insurers argued in a bid for an early win that a straightforward policy justified their decision to retroactively charge a government contractor an additional $1.7 million in premiums for misclassifying some workers as clerical, instead of warehouse, employees.

  • March 13, 2026

    Skullcandy Must Face Privacy Action Over Online Trackers

    Skullcandy Inc. cannot ditch a proposed class action accusing the headphone company of invading consumers' privacy with its use of online trackers on its website, a California federal judge ruled Thursday, saying the plaintiff adequately alleges her data was recorded without consent before being transmitted to third parties in real time.

  • March 13, 2026

    C3.ai Investor Suit Over IPO Claims Gets Final Trim

    Investors in artificial intelligence company C3.ai were told by a California federal judge that they can proceed with a slimmed-down version of their suit accusing the company and its executives of touting a worthless partnership with oil company Baker Hughes, but that they have no more chances to update it.

  • March 13, 2026

    9th Circ. Upholds Death Sentence For 1990 California Murder

    A California man sentenced to death for the murder of a female co-worker had his habeas petition challenging his conviction denied by a Ninth Circuit panel, which said a lower court had sufficient reason to prevent his arguments from moving forward.

  • March 13, 2026

    ROSS Says Anthropic Case Supports 3rd Circ. IP Appeal

    An artificial-intelligence-based legal search engine appealing a finding that its use of Thomson Reuters' Westlaw headnotes did not constitute fair use has pointed to arguments in a separate case it says supports the idea that AI training is connected to national security.

  • March 13, 2026

    States Seek To Block Trump's Latest 10% Tariff Order

    President Donald Trump's order imposing 10% tariffs on countries worldwide is unlawful because it conflicts with the international payments authority he immediately invoked to justify it, two dozen states argued Friday while asking the U.S. Court of International Trade to strike down or block the regime.

  • March 13, 2026

    Schools Get Extension For College Admissions Data

    A Massachusetts judge pushed back the deadline for colleges and universities to comply with a federal government demand for years of race- and sex-related admissions data by one week on Friday, after a coalition of 17 states sued. 

  • March 13, 2026

    Trump Executive Order Targets 'Made In America' Labeling

    President Donald Trump on Friday issued an executive order directing the Federal Trade Commission to draft regulations for online retailers to verify that goods advertised as "Made In America" are in fact made in the country, making it an enforcement priority for the agency.

  • March 13, 2026

    Calif. Panel Revives Atty Lien Fight In Personal Injury Case

    California appellate justices revived a declaratory action filed by a Sacramento lawyer against his clients and their prior counsel over their respective rights to settlement proceeds in a personal injury case, ruling Friday that the action was a proper way to simultaneously enforce the lawyer's lien and resolve everyone's settlement claims.

  • March 13, 2026

    Fed. Bill Would Transfer 860 Acres To Calif.'s Pechanga Band

    A coalition of federal California lawmakers have introduced legislation that would transfer 860 acres from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management into trust for the Pechanga Band of Indians.

  • March 13, 2026

    Ex-FTC Staff Urge Full 9th Circ. Review Of Apple Injunction

    A group of former antitrust enforcement officials threw their support behind Apple's request for the Ninth Circuit to reconsider its decision blocking the company from charging developers "prohibitive" commissions on iPhone app purchases made outside its systems, arguing the decision tries to "micromanage Apple's dealings."

  • March 13, 2026

    Tesla Asks 9th Circ. To Decertify Self-Driving False Ad Class

    Tesla has asked the Ninth Circuit to decertify a class action alleging it deceived consumers into believing that its cars could fully drive themselves, saying there's no proof that all class members saw the same purportedly false statement on Tesla's website about its cars' hardware.

  • March 13, 2026

    Calif., County, Hemp Co. Vie For Wins In Destruction Suit

    The California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Kern County and its Sheriff's Office, and hemp grower Apothio LLC are pushing for wins in a suit from Apothio alleging that its hemp crop was illegally raided and destroyed.

Expert Analysis

  • Algorithmic Bias Risks Remain For Employers After AI Order

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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.

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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.

  • Series

    Judges On AI: How Courts Can Boost Access To Justice

    Author Photo

    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.

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.