California

  • August 22, 2025

    9th Circ. Blocks Meta's MDL Discovery Against State Agencies

    The Ninth Circuit blocked an order requiring California's attorney general and third-party state agencies to respond to Meta's discovery demands in multidistrict litigation concerning the company's allegedly addictive designs, ruling Friday the attorney general isn't deemed to possess or control the state agencies' records and Meta must obtain them through subpoenas.

  • August 22, 2025

    Kratom Co. Says False Ad Addiction Suit Should Be Tossed

    The company behind Kryptic Kratom and K-Chill branded supplements is, once again, urging a California federal court to dismiss a lawsuit claiming that it concealed the "opiate-like" addictive nature of its products, arguing that the latest complaint, which now brings RICO claims, is just as weak as the previous ones.

  • August 22, 2025

    Calif. Justices Say Wage Law Ignorance Prompts Damages

    California employers need to show they took reasonable steps to comply with minimum wage laws to support a good faith defense against liquidated damages, the California Supreme Court ruled, flipping a state appellate court decision.

  • August 22, 2025

    9th Circ. Weighs Religious Bias Suit In LGBTQ+ Post Firings

    An attorney for two Christian flight attendants who say they were illegally fired by Alaska Airlines and abandoned by their labor union for opposing the airline's support for LGBTQ+ rights urged the Ninth Circuit Friday to revive their case, saying it is clear from the record that they were fired for their religious beliefs. 

  • August 22, 2025

    Startup Accelerator Backs Epic In Apple Case At 9th Circ.

    Startup accelerator Y Combinator is backing Epic Games as Apple asks the Ninth Circuit to nix an order blocking it from charging commissions on app purchases made outside its payment system, telling the appeals court Apple "blatantly violated" a previous order.

  • August 22, 2025

    Amazon Doesn't Let Viewers Keep Movies They 'Buy,' Suit Says

    Amazon has been hit with a proposed class action in Washington federal court claiming the company deceptively "sells" movies on Amazon Prime Video without disclosing to consumers that its limited digital license to any audiovisual work might be inaccessible down the line.

  • August 22, 2025

    Split 9th Circ. Halts Land Swap With Idaho Tribes' Backing

    A split Ninth Circuit panel on Friday upheld a lower court's decision to invalidate an Interior Department land transfer in Idaho for the expansion of a phosphogypsum plant, saying that a 1900 federal law limits the disposal of treaty-ceded lands.

  • August 22, 2025

    Apple Users' Attys Near OK On $28.5M Fees For Privacy Deal

    A California federal judge indicated Friday he'll grant final approval to Apple's $95 million settlement with tens of millions of users who claimed its voice-activated software Siri eavesdropped on their conversations without consent, and called the plaintiffs' attorneys' request for a 30% cut amounting to $28.5 million "legally appropriate."

  • August 22, 2025

    CFPB Inks Synapse Deal That Opens Door To Consumer Relief

    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has reached a settlement with the bankruptcy trustee for Synapse Financial Technologies Inc. that could unlock millions of dollars in relief for consumers whose funds were stranded in the middleware provider's collapse.

  • August 22, 2025

    Under Trump, White Collar Crypto Defense Gets New Playbook

    White collar lawyers are crafting new blueprints for crypto-related civil and criminal defense amid the Trump administration's embrace of the industry and the financial world’s growing acceptance of cryptocurrency as a legitimate asset.

  • August 22, 2025

    OpenAI Wants $10M In Atty Fees After Win In Trademark Case

    After winning a trademark case last month, OpenAI has asked a California federal judge to order a company with a similar name to pay almost $10 million in attorney fees, saying the other litigant had "extraordinarily weak positions" and used unreasonable legal tactics.

  • August 22, 2025

    Judge Can't Become Public Defender After Not Practicing Law

    A California state appellate panel has ruled that a sitting superior court judge is ineligible to serve as public defender because he had not been a practicing attorney in the state's courts for the year before he sought the appointment.

  • August 22, 2025

    Marathon Petroleum Cos. Near Final OK On $7M Wage Deal

    A California federal judge on Friday said he'd grant final approval to a $7.2 million deal by Marathon Petroleum and two related companies to resolve a 2,200-member class action accusing the oil refiners of shorting unionized workers on rest breaks and pay.

  • August 22, 2025

    Jay-Z Aims To Keep Buzbee Suit Alive After Losing Other Case

    Texas attorney Tony Buzbee's request to shut down a federal lawsuit in Alabama based on a state trial court's dismissal of a different action in California related to sexual abuse allegations connected to Sean "Diddy" Combs is a "desperate attempt to evade accountability," rapper Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter has argued.

  • August 22, 2025

    Shopify, Sales Workers End Commission, OT Suit

    A California federal judge agreed to conclude a suit accusing e-commerce company Shopify of a slew of California Labor Code violations, including misclassifying sales employees as overtime-exempt and having an illegal commissions plan.

  • August 22, 2025

    Ex-Calif. Judge Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Court Staffer

    A former California Superior Court judge has been charged with sexually assaulting a court employee and seeking to cover up that purported incident and another alleged assault, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Friday.

  • August 22, 2025

    'Gorilla Mind' Energy Drink Can't Block Rival Amid TM Suit

    A company that sells energy drinks and dietary supplements called "Gorilla Mind" lost its bid to block a rival from selling energy drink products with the word "Gorilla" while its trademark infringement suit plays out in California federal court.

  • August 22, 2025

    DOJ Expands Expedited Docket For Families Facing Removal

    The Executive Office for Immigration Review is expanding a program the Biden administration rolled out in 2021 to fast-track removal proceedings for families facing removal, directing immigration courts nationwide to place more cases on the so-called dedicated docket.

  • August 22, 2025

    SEC Scores $67M In Judgments In 'Weedgenics' Fraud Case

    Four individuals and several entities allegedly tied to a $61.7 million scheme to defraud would-be investors in a purported cannabis cultivation business named Weedgenics have been ordered to pay the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission roughly $67 million, a federal judge has ruled.

  • August 22, 2025

    9th Circ. Tosses Wash. City's Win In Military Leave Suit

    A Ninth Circuit panel threw out a Washington federal judge's ruling that a City of Ocean Shores firefighter was not entitled to pay for military leave after the state's top court decided otherwise.

  • August 22, 2025

    Real Estate Recap: 401(k) Boost, Eyes On Florida

    Catch up on this past week's key developments by state from Law360 Real Estate Authority — including attorney insights into what President Donald Trump's executive order on retirement fund investing means for real estate assets, as well as the biggest issues Florida real estate practitioners are watching in the second half of 2025.

  • August 22, 2025

    DLA Piper Adds Wilson Sonsini Emerging Growth Ace In SF

    DLA Piper is boosting its West Coast corporate team, bringing in a Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati PC emerging growth specialist as a partner in its San Francisco and Silicon Valley offices.

  • August 21, 2025

    Amazon Bags Toss Of Grocery Delivery Fee Disclosure Suit

    A Washington federal judge on Wednesday threw out a proposed class action that alleged the Amazon Fresh website waited too late in the checkout process to disclose delivery fees, saying the conditions of use on Amazon.com Inc.'s websites prevented a woman from lodging claims under California law.

  • August 21, 2025

    Cannabis Cos. Face $2.9M IT Judgment After Unable To Pay Attys

    Subsidiaries of Canadian cannabis company Halo Collective Inc. were hit with a nearly $2.9 million judgment over claims that they infringed on a Colorado-based firm's patents, losing the litigation after their attorneys withdrew because they could "no longer pay."

  • August 21, 2025

    9th Circ. Dissenters Rip Judge's 'Weaponization Of Sanctions'

    A half-dozen Ninth Circuit judges Thursday denounced six-figure sanctions against attorneys for prominent politicians challenging Arizona election procedures, accusing a lower court of "twisting and contorting" allegations in order to punish lawyers "based on the nature of the complaint and the clients that they represented."

Expert Analysis

  • A Look At Employer Wins In Title VII Suits Over DEI Training

    Author Photo

    Despite increased attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, courts across the country have favored employers in cases opposing diversity training, challenging the idea that all workplace inclusion efforts violate the law and highlighting the importance of employers precisely recognizing the legal guardrails, say attorneys at Perkins Coie.

  • 7 D&O Coverage Areas To Assess As DOJ Targets DEI

    Author Photo

    Companies that receive federal funds or have the remnants of a diversity, equity and inclusion program should review their directors and officers liability insurance policies ahead of a major shift in how the U.S. Department of Justice enforces the False Claims Act, says Bill Wagner at Taft.

  • Lessons From FTC Action On Dark Patterns In User Interfaces

    Author Photo

    The Federal Trade Commission's recent complaint against Uber for its billing and cancellation practices comes amid other actions addressing consumer confusion and deception, so it is paramount to deploy tools that assess customers' cognitive states of mind to separate lawful marketing from misconduct, says Ceren Canal Aruoba at Berkeley Research Group.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From US Attorney To BigLaw

    Author Photo

    When I transitioned to private practice after government service — most recently as the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia — I learned there are more similarities between the two jobs than many realize, with both disciplines requiring resourcefulness, zealous advocacy and foresight, says Zach Terwilliger at V&E.

  • Rebuttal

    Forced Litigation Funding Disclosure Threatens Patent Rights

    Author Photo

    A recent Law360 guest article argued that courts should adopt stronger disclosure requirements for third-party litigation funding, but rather than enabling fairness or transparency, such measures would only undermine patent holders' access to capital and weaken their ability to assert valid patent rights, says Anup Misra at Curiam Capital.

  • The Ins And Outs Of Consensual Judicial References

    Author Photo

    As parties consider the possibility of judicial reference to resolve complex disputes, it is critical to understand how the process works, why it's gaining traction, and why carefully crafted agreements make all the difference, say attorneys at Pillsbury.

  • How Focus On Menopause Care Is Fueling Innovation, Access

    Author Photo

    Recent legislative developments concerning the growing field of menopause care are creating opportunities for increased investment and innovation in the space as they increase access to education and coverage, say attorneys at Kirkland.

  • Calif. Digital Assets Proposal Provides Only Partial Clarity

    Author Photo

    Recently proposed regulations under California's Digital Financial Assets Law answer some important questions about the new regime, particularly regarding its interaction with the state's money transmission law, but many key compliance questions remain, say attorneys at Stinson.

  • Opinion

    The BigLaw Settlements Are About Risk, Not Profit

    Author Photo

    The nine Am Law 100 firms that settled with the Trump administration likely did so because of the personal risk faced by equity partners in today's billion‑dollar national practices, enabled by an ethics rule primed for modernization, says Adam Forest at Scale.

  • What Gene Findings Mean For Asbestos Mesothelioma Claims

    Author Photo

    Recent advances in genetic research have provided substantial evidence that significant numbers of malignant mesothelioma cases may be caused by inherited mutations rather than asbestos exposure — a finding that could fundamentally change how defendants approach personal injury litigation over mesothelioma, say David Schwartz at Lumanity and Kirk Hartley at LSP Group.

  • State Tort Claims May Help Deter Bribes During FCPA Pause

    Author Photo

    As the U.S. pauses Foreign Corrupt Practices Act enforcement, companies that lose business due to competitors' bribery should consider using state tortious interference suits to expose corruption, deter illegal practices and obtain compensation for commercial losses, says Jason Manning at Levy Firestone.

  • 4 States' Enforcement Actions Illustrate Data Privacy Priorities

    Author Photo

    Attorneys at Wilson Elser examine recent enforcement actions based on new consumer data privacy laws by regulators in California, Connecticut, Oregon and Texas, centered around key themes, including crackdowns on dark patterns, misuse of sensitive data and failure to honor consumer rights.

  • Series

    Brazilian Jiujitsu Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Competing in Brazilian jiujitsu – often against opponents who are much larger and younger than me – has allowed me to develop a handful of useful skills that foster the resilience and adaptability necessary for a successful legal career, says Tina Dorr of Barnes & Thornburg.

  • Birthright Ruling Could Alter Consumer Financial Litigation

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Supreme Court’s upcoming decision about the validity of the nationwide injunctions in the birthright citizenship cases, argued on May 15, could make it much harder for trade associations to obtain nationwide relief from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's enforcement of invalid regulations, says Alan Kaplinsky at Ballard Spahr.

  • Signed, Sealed, Deleted: A Look At The California Delete Act

    Author Photo

    The California Delete Act, proposed Delete Request and Opt-Out Platform regulations, and California Privacy Protection Agency enforcement raise a number of compliance considerations — even for data brokers that have existing deletion processes in place, say attorneys at Hunton.

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.