California

  • January 05, 2026

    Chipotle Hit With Worker Privacy Suit Over Oct. Data Breach

    Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc.'s "reckless" data security allowed cybercriminals to "easily" infiltrate its employees' Workday accounts and steal their personal information for "nefarious purposes," a proposed California federal class action claims.

  • January 05, 2026

    Calif. AG Urges Court To Install Trustee For FlipCause Ch. 11

    The California Attorney General's Office asked a Delaware bankruptcy judge to appoint a Chapter 11 trustee in the bankruptcy case of fundraising tech company FlipCause, asserting the debtor's case reveals severe mismanagement.

  • January 05, 2026

    Simpson Thacher Opens San Francisco Office

    Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP is expanding its California presence, announcing Monday it has opened an office in San Francisco.

  • January 05, 2026

    Shootout Defendant Gets New Trial, And Lawyers Get Warning

    A California appellate panel has ordered a new trial for a man sentenced to 166 years in prison for shooting at police, calling the case a "cautionary tale" for lawyers who use hypothetical questions to eliminate prospective jurors during voir dire.

  • January 05, 2026

    V&E Brings On Kilpatrick Atty To Help Lead IP Practice

    Vinson & Elkins LLP announced Monday that it has hired an attorney who helped steer Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP's patent litigation team to co-lead its IP litigation practice and bolster its capacity to handle patent infringement and other cases.

  • January 05, 2026

    Gibson Dunn Adds Sidley Tax Pro In Silicon Valley

    Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP announced Monday that it has bulked up its tax practice group with a partner in Palo Alto, California, who previously co-led the global tax practice and headed up the West Coast tax group at Sidley Austin LLP.

  • January 02, 2026

    9th Circ. Affirms Kat Von D's IP Win But Says New Test Needed

    A Ninth Circuit panel affirmed tattoo artist Kat Von D's jury win Friday over a photographer who claimed she infringed his photo of Miles Davis, although two judges said the "intrinsic" test applied by the jury should be discarded in the circuit because it handcuffs courts to verdicts finding no infringement.

  • January 02, 2026

    9th Circ. Says Dormant Commerce Clause Doesn't Cover Pot

    A Ninth Circuit panel Friday rejected arguments by a would-be cannabis retail operator that said state and local residency requirements on marijuana business licenses are unconstitutional, ruling that the U.S. Constitution's dormant commerce clause doesn't apply to the cannabis industry because it's still illegal under federal law.

  • January 02, 2026

    Trump Tells HieFo To Divest Chip Assets, Citing Security Risks

    President Donald Trump on Friday ordered California-based high-efficiency photonics company HieFo Corp. to divest digital chips and wafer assets it bought from Emcore Corp., saying a Chinese citizen's control of HieFo poses national security risks.

  • January 02, 2026

    Ticketmaster Accused Of Monopoly Tactics By Ex-Startup

    Titan of the concert and venue industry Ticketmaster and its owner Live Nation have been slapped with an antitrust lawsuit by a shuttered startup that claims it had to sell itself for parts after the larger companies' anticompetitive practices drove it out of the ticketing business.

  • January 02, 2026

    Splunk Appeals Loss Of Posttrial Bid After $1 IP Award

    Software company Splunk is appealing a California federal judge's refusal to alter a jury verdict that awarded the company just $1 after finding a rival infringed its copyrighted software.

  • January 02, 2026

    Megan Thee Stallion Fights To Reinstate Defamation Verdict

    Rapper Megan Thee Stallion urged a Florida federal court to reinstate a defamation verdict against blogger Milagro Cooper after a judge tossed the count, saying the writer admitted to being an entertainer and not a "media defendant" who is entitled to a pre-suit notice. 

  • January 02, 2026

    9th Circ. Affirms Paramount's Win In 'Top Gun' IP Fight

    The Ninth Circuit on Friday affirmed Paramount's win in a copyright lawsuit alleging the studio's 2022 "Top Gun: Maverick" blockbuster film failed to credit a journalist whose article inspired the original 1986 movie, finding that similarities between the sequel and the article are too abstract to be protected.

  • January 02, 2026

    Top Property Insurance Trends To Watch In 2026

    Homeowners insurance investigations, a novel climate suit accusing oil majors of contributing to high premiums, and a California action accusing carriers of collusion are some of the top property insurance matters attorneys will be watching this year.

  • January 02, 2026

    AGs Get DOJ-HPE Docs, But Not Internal Gov't Comms

    The U.S. Department of Justice and Hewlett Packard Enterprise must produce all the communications between them discussing the settlement resolving a DOJ merger challenge, a California federal judge ruled Wednesday, giving a coalition of Democratic attorneys general an important but not unlimited peek into the controversial deal.

  • January 02, 2026

    Court Reverses TPS Terminations Over DHS Procedural Errors

    A California federal court has vacated Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's termination of temporary protected status for immigrants from Honduras, Nicaragua and Nepal, finding that she failed to consult other agencies and conduct an objective review of conditions inside those countries.

  • January 02, 2026

    Will Smith Accused Of Sex Harassment On Tour By Violinist

    A violinist has sued Will Smith and his touring company in California state court, alleging sexual harassment and wrongful termination stemming from an "intrusion" into his hotel room while on tour with the award-winning actor and musical performer. 

  • January 02, 2026

    Calif. ABS Fee Sharing Ban Cleared To Kick Off In 2026

    A new California law banning alternative business structure fee sharing with out-of-state law firms owned by nonattorneys has been allowed to go into effect after a Los Angeles federal court rejected an attorney's bid to temporarily block its enforcement ahead of the new year.

  • January 02, 2026

    Silicon Valley City Planners, Landowners Settle Antitrust Suit

    A company associated with a group of wealthy Silicon Valley business owners who are working on building a minicity has settled its antitrust suit against the last few local landowners that were facing the company's claims in California federal court.

  • January 02, 2026

    Legal Ethics Cases To Watch In 2026

    Federal judges will continue tackling notable ethics issues in 2026, including a U.S. Justice Department battling former federal prosecutors in court and an immigration justice system in upheaval.

  • January 02, 2026

    The Top Sports & Betting Cases To Watch In 2026

    As attorneys prepare for a busy year of sports cases centering on antitrust, labor laws and prediction markets, all eyes are sure to be locked on the U.S. Supreme Court, which will decide the fate of two state laws banning transgender girls and women from competing in female sports.

  • January 02, 2026

    Consumer Protection Cases And Trends To Watch In 2026

    State attorneys general will litigate more consumer protection cases in the new year, whether the suits are filed by their own offices or with the help of outside counsel, while the federal government under the Trump administration will drop pending enforcement actions and continue its shift away from broad rulemaking.

  • January 02, 2026

    Approach The Bench: What Judges Had To Say In 2025

    Jurists discussed their strategies for decision-making, the difficulties of case management, and their predictions for the future of litigation in a dozen interviews with Law360 this year.

  • January 02, 2026

    Product Liability Cases To Watch In 2026

    Trials in the massive litigation against social media giants like Facebook are set to start in the New Year, as litigants battle over whether the companies should be held responsible for allegedly designing their platforms to addict youth, causing a bevy of mental health harms, and cases against popular weight loss drugs like Ozempic continue to mount. Here's what else product liability attorneys will be watching in 2026.

  • January 02, 2026

    5 Policy Areas Benefits Attys Should Keep Tabs On In 2026

    The new year promises policy shifts that could change the legal landscape for health and retirement benefits, including action to follow through on an executive order encouraging alternative assets in 401(k) plans, and a potential replacement for a Biden-era rule covering how retirement plan managers can factor environmental and social issues into their investment strategy. Here are five policy areas benefits attorneys will be watching in 2026.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Educating Your Community

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    Nearly two decades prosecuting scammers and elder fraud taught me that proactively educating the public about the risks they face and the rights they possess is essential to building trust within our communities, empowering otherwise vulnerable citizens and preventing wrongdoers from gaining a foothold, says Roger Handberg at GrayRobinson.

  • How A 9th Circ. False Ad Ruling Could Shift Class Certification

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    The Ninth Circuit's July decision in Noohi v. Johnson & Johnson, holding that unexecuted damages models may suffice for purposes of class certification, has the potential to create judicial inefficiencies and crippling uncertainties for class action defendants, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

  • What To Know About Interim Licenses In Global FRAND Cases

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    Recent U.K. court decisions have shaped a framework for interim licenses in global standard-essential patent disputes, under which parties can benefit from operating on temporary terms while a court determines the final fair, reasonable and nondiscriminatory terms — but the future of this developing remedy is in doubt, say attorneys at Fish & Richardson.

  • 5 Crisis Lawyering Skills For An Age Of Uncertainty

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    As attorneys increasingly face unprecedented and pervasive situations — from prosecutions of law enforcement officials to executive orders targeting law firms — they must develop several essential competencies of effective crisis lawyering, says Ray Brescia at Albany Law School.

  • Compliance Tips Amid Rising FTC Scrutiny Of Minors' Privacy

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    The Federal Trade Commission has recently rolled out multiple enforcement actions related to children's privacy, highlighting a renewed focus on federal regulation of minors' personal information and the evolving challenges of establishing effective, privacy-protective age assurance solutions, say attorneys at Nelson Mullins.

  • Insights From Recent Cases On Navigating Snap Removal

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    Snap removal, which allows defendants to transfer state court cases to federal court before a forum defendant is properly joined and served, is viewed differently across federal circuits — but keys to making it work can be drawn from recent decisions critiquing the practice, say attorneys at Perkins Coie.

  • Opinion

    It's Time For The Judiciary To Fix Its Cybersecurity Problem

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    After recent reports that hackers have once again infiltrated federal courts’ electronic case management systems, the judiciary should strengthen its cybersecurity practices in line with executive branch standards, outlining clear roles and responsibilities for execution, says Ilona Cohen at HackerOne.

  • Workday Case Shows Auditing AI Hiring Tools Is Crucial

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    Following a California federal court's recent decisions in Mobley v. Workday signaling that both employers and vendors could be held liable for discriminatory outcomes from artificial intelligence hiring tools, companies should consider two rigorous auditing methods to detect and mitigate bias, says Hossein Borhani at Charles River Associates.

  • Tips For Cos. Crafting Enforceable Online Arbitration Clauses

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    Recent rulings from the Ninth Circuit and the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California indicate that courts are carefully examining the enforceability of online arbitration clauses, so businesses should review the design of their websites and consider specific language next to the "purchase" button, say attorneys at DTO Law.

  • 7 Lessons From The Tractor Supply CCPA Enforcement Action

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    The California Privacy Protection Agency's recent enforcement action targeting Tractor Supply for alleged violations of the California Consumer Privacy Act provides critical insights into the compliance areas that remain a priority for the California regulator, including businesses with significant consumer interactions, say attorneys at Troutman.

  • Parody Defendants Are Finding Success Post-Jack Daniel's

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    Recent decisions demonstrate that, although the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Jack Daniel's v. VIP Products did benefit trademark plaintiffs by significantly limiting the First Amendment expressive use defense, courts also now appear to be less likely to find a parodic work likely to cause confusion, says Andrew Michaels at University of Houston Law Center.

  • Series

    Writing Novels Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Writing my debut novel taught me to appreciate the value of critique and to never give up, no matter how long or tedious the journey, providing me with valuable skills that I now emphasize in my practice, says Daniel Buzzetta at BakerHostetler.

  • Trader Joe's Ruling Highlights Trademark Infringement Trends

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    The Ninth Circuit's recent decision in Trader Joe's Co. v. Trader Joe's United explores the legal boundaries between a union's right to advocate for workers and the protection of a brand's intellectual property, and illustrates a growing trend of courts disfavoring early dismissal of trademark infringement claims in the context of expressive speech, say attorneys at Mitchell Silberberg.

  • SDNY OpenAI Order Clarifies Preservation Standards For AI

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    The Southern District of New York’s recent order in the OpenAI copyright infringement litigation, denying discovery of The New York Times' artificial intelligence technology use, clarifies that traditional preservation benchmarks apply to AI content, relieving organizations from using a “keep everything” approach, says Philip Favro at Favro Law.

  • What 9th Circ.'s Rosenwald Ruling Means For Class Actions

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    The Ninth Circuit's recent decision in Rosenwald v. Kimberly-Clark has important implications around the Class Action Fairness Act and traditional diversity jurisdiction — both for plaintiff-side and defense-side class action litigators — and deepens the circuit split concerning the use of judicial notice to establish diversity, says Grace Schmidt at DTO Law.

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