California

  • January 30, 2026

    Google Can't Ditch $425M Privacy Verdict, But Won't Owe $2B

    A California federal judge on Friday refused to decertify a class of Google users who scored a $425 million jury verdict in their privacy suit; however, he also shot down the consumers' request that Google shell out an additional $2.36 billion in disgorgement of profits.

  • January 30, 2026

    Kroger, Albertsons Look To Block FTC Testimony Handover

    Grocery giants Albertsons and Kroger asked a California federal judge to protect sensitive expert testimony that helped the Federal Trade Commission torpedo their planned merger in 2024, which a new FTC target said is urgently needed to show that the regulator is creating contradictory market analyses.

  • January 30, 2026

    Conn. Justices Free Calif. Woman From Tax Bank Seizure

    The Connecticut Supreme Court ruled Friday that a tax collector cannot recover a shuttered company's debts from a California woman's personal bank accounts, saying the case presented an issue of first impression that has "vexed legal scholars" and "spawned a split of authority" among and within federal and state courts.

  • January 30, 2026

    Calif. Senator Floats Bill To Expand Data Deletion Rights

    A California senator is pushing to update the state's landmark data privacy law to expand the type of personal information that consumers can ask businesses to delete and to require companies to provide residents with more ways to submit data deletion, access and correction requests. 

  • January 30, 2026

    Real Estate Recap: Build-To-Rent, Apollo, Boston

    Catch up on this past week's key developments by state from Law360 Real Estate Authority — including takeaways for the build-to-rent sector following a recent executive order on Wall Street investment in the single-family market, Apollo REIT's $9 billion portfolio sale, and a view of Boston from the chair of a BigLaw real estate practice.

  • January 30, 2026

    Baltimore Sues Payday Lender Dave Over 'Usurious' Loans

    The city of Baltimore sued Los Angeles-based lender Dave Inc. in state circuit court Friday, alleging that the financial technology company disguises high-interest payday loans as "overdraft services," while charging "astounding, usurious" annual percentage rates exceeding 2,500%, which is far above Maryland's 33% legal limit.

  • 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.

Expert Analysis

  • Top 10 Employer Resolutions For 2026

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    Heightened regulatory attention, shifting enforcement priorities and increased litigation risk mean that routine workplace decisions in 2026 will require greater discipline and foresight, including in relation to bias and inclusion training, employee resource groups, employee speech, immigration compliance, workplace accommodations, and shadow artificial intelligence, say attorneys at Krevolin & Horst.

  • Navigating AI In The Legal Industry

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    As artificial intelligence becomes an increasingly integral part of legal practice, Law360 guest commentary this year examined evolving ethical obligations, how the plaintiffs bar is using AI to level the playing field against corporate defense teams, and the attendant risks of adoption.

  • 4 California Insurance Law Decisions To Know From 2025

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    California continued to shape the national insurance landscape in 2025, issuing a series of decisions that may recalibrate claims handling, underwriting strategy and policy drafting in areas from property damage claims after a wildfire to automobile coverage for delivery drivers in the gig economy, say attorneys at Nicolaides Fink.

  • 2025 Calif. Banking Oversight Centered On Consumer Issues

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    The combination of statutory reform, registration mandates and enforcement activity in 2025 signals that California's financial regulatory landscape is focused on consumer protection, particularly in the areas of crypto kiosk fee practices, earned wage access providers and elder fraud, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

  • The Major Securities Litigation Rulings And Trends Of 2025

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    The past 12 months saw increased regulator focus on disclosures concerning artificial intelligence, signs of growing judicial scrutiny at the class certification stage, and shifting regulatory priorities at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission — all major developments that may significantly affect securities litigation strategy in 2026 and beyond, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • Sports Gambling Scrutiny Expands Risks For Teams, Leagues

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    The Minnesota attorney general recently sent warning letters to 14 website operators for offering what the state considers illegal online gambling, demonstrating why the sports industry, including teams and leagues, should ask critical questions about organizational compliance, internal controls and potential criminal liability, say attorneys at Stinson.

  • How Fractional GCs Can Manage Risks Of Engagement

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    As more organizations eliminate their in-house legal departments in favor of outsourcing legal work, fractional general counsel roles offer practitioners an engaging and flexible way to practice at a high level, but they can also present legal, ethical and operational risks that must be proactively managed, say attorneys at Boies Schiller.

  • Health, Legal Employers Face Unique Online Speech Hurdles

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    Employers in the legal and healthcare industries must consider distinctive ethical obligations and professional requirements when disciplining employees for social media posts, while anticipating an area of the law in flux as courts seek to balance speech rights and the workplace function, say attorneys at FordHarrison.

  • Reviewing 2025's Most Pertinent Wiretap Developments

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    2025 was a remarkable year in the world of web tracking wiretapping litigation, not only for the increased caseload but also because of numerous developing theories of liability, with disputes expected to continue unabated in 2026, say attorneys at Squire Patton.

  • 7 Strategies To Optimize Impact Of Direct Examination

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    Direct examination is a make-or-break opportunity to build a witness’s credibility, so attorneys should adopt a few tactics — from asking so-called trust-fall questions to preemptively addressing weaknesses — to drive impact and retention with the fact-finder, says Allison Rocker at Baker McKenzie.

  • Series

    Nature Photography Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Nature photography reminds me to focus on what is in front of me and to slow down to achieve success, and, in embracing the value of viewing situations through different lenses, offers skills transferable to the practice of law, says Brian Willett at Saul Ewing.

  • What Defense Teams Must Know About PFAS Testing Methods

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    Whether testing for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances produces results meaningful for litigation depends on the validity of the sampling methodology — so effectively defending these claims requires understanding the scientific and legal implications of different PFAS testing protocols, say attorneys at Hollingsworth.

  • 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.

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