California

  • September 10, 2026

    1st Circ. Keeps USPS Ballot Mail Rule Blocked For Midterms

    The First Circuit on Thursday rejected a request from the U.S. Postal Service to lift a Massachusetts federal judge's order blocking new mail ballot requirements that the appellate court said would create "chaos and widespread disenfranchisement" just weeks before the November midterm elections.

  • September 10, 2026

    Reed Smith Continues Private Capital Growth With Two Hires

    Reed Smith LLP announced two new hires to its private capital team on Wednesday as the firm continues rapidly expanding the platform.

  • September 10, 2026

    Akerman Brings On Troutman Debt Finance Pro In LA

    Akerman LLP announced Thursday it has added an experienced debt finance attorney from Troutman Pepper Locke LLP to its corporate practice group in Los Angeles.

  • September 09, 2026

    Nektar CEO Opens Door To Finance Questions In Eli Lilly Trial

    Nektar Therapeutics failed Wednesday to block evidence of its financial condition from entering into a California federal trial over a failed deal to codevelop its drug Rezpeg with Eli Lilly, after its CEO's testimony on cross-examination prompted the judge to allow the evidence for impeachment purposes.

  • September 09, 2026

    Deckers Denied New Trial On Ugg Boot Design Patent Validity

    A California federal judge denied Deckers Outdoor Corp.'s bid for a new trial over the validity of its design patent for its Ugg Classic Ultra Mini Boot, finding no error in submitting a question of indefiniteness to a jury.

  • September 09, 2026

    Defunct Tax Startup CEO Charged In $13.3M Investor Fraud

    The CEO of a defunct tax-compliance startup has been arrested on fraud charges based on allegations she defrauded investors out of more than $13 million by lying about her credentials and her company's revenues, the U.S. Department of Justice said Wednesday.

  • September 09, 2026

    NM Again Hauls Meta To Trial, This Time Over Privacy

    The state of New Mexico told a jury Wednesday that Facebook flagrantly misrepresented its privacy practices, including the one that let Cambridge Analytica harvest the data of 87 million mostly nonconsenting users, as the state goes to trial against the company for the third time in seven months.

  • September 09, 2026

    Meta's 'Fanciful' AI Training Disclosures Leave Judge Doubtful

    A California federal judge appeared skeptical Wednesday that Meta Platforms Inc. had identified all magazines used to train its artificial intelligence tool after copyright plaintiffs pointed out Meta disclosed only nine issues spanning a 17-year period, telling Meta's counsel during a hearing that the likelihood Meta used only nine issues "seems rather fanciful to me."

  • September 09, 2026

    Kalshi Seeks Rehearing After 9th Circ. Loss

    Kalshi on Wednesday asked the Ninth Circuit to rehear its dispute with Nevada regulators, arguing the appeals court miscast its sports event contracts as sports bets in an August opinion that cleared the way for the state's gaming regulators to pursue the prediction market platform.

  • September 09, 2026

    21 States Want Changes To Endangered Species Act Blocked

    California, Massachusetts, Washington and 18 other states on Wednesday filed a pair of suits challenging the Trump administration's recent changes to how the Endangered Species Act is implemented, claiming that the rules drastically weaken safeguards for the most vulnerable species and were rolled out unlawfully.

  • September 09, 2026

    9th Circ. Deems NCAA's 5-Year Rule Injunction Appeals Moot

    A Ninth Circuit panel on Wednesday tossed the NCAA's appeals of court orders barring it from enforcing its five-year rule to sideline two football players from the 2025 season, finding the cases are moot because the "clock has run out" on the season and the athletes' collegiate careers have wrapped.

  • September 09, 2026

    Fed. Circ. Eyes PTAB Cases That May Sink $445M Netlist Win

    A $445 million verdict against Micron Technology Inc. for infringing two Netlist Inc. computer memory patents hung in the balance Wednesday, as a Federal Circuit panel questioned Netlist's arguments that the Patent Trial and Appeal Board wrongly found claims in both patents invalid.

  • September 09, 2026

    AI Travel Firm Brass Accused Of Misleading Investors

    Executives and directors of business travel technology firm Navan have been hit with a shareholder's derivative suit accusing them of misleading investors about the company's profitability and AI-driven business model in the registration statement for its initial public offering. 

  • September 09, 2026

    Ringleader Pleads Guilty In $245M Crypto RICO Enterprise

    The 22-year-old ringleader of an international conspiracy that used social engineering to steal more than $245 million in cryptocurrency has pled guilty in D.C. federal court for his role in building "a cybercrime empire," the U.S. Department of Justice said.

  • September 09, 2026

    Stiiizy Beats Bid To Block Packaging Supplier Switch

    A California federal judge said she won't force cannabis distributor Stiiizy Inc. to exclusively buy packaging from an Aurora, Colorado-based supplier, saying the alleged multimillion-dollars in damages caused in this contract dispute do not justify jumping to such an "extraordinary" remedy.

  • September 09, 2026

    Chevron, Insurers Settle $52M Iran Oil Seizure Dispute

    Three insurers have reached a settlement with Chevron over whether their separate marine cargo and war risk policies covered nearly $52 million worth of crude oil the Iranian military seized in retaliation for U.S. economic sanctions.

  • September 09, 2026

    9th Circ. Says Duress Is No Defense For Persecution

    A Ninth Circuit panel denied an El Salvador man's appeal contesting the rejection of his bid for deportation relief, ruling there is no implied duress defense to a statutory bar that withholds such relief from people who assisted in the persecution of others.

  • September 09, 2026

    Williams-Sonoma Loses Bid To Arbitrate 'Drip Pricing' Suit

    A California federal judge has allowed a pair of customers to proceed with their lawsuit claiming that Williams-Sonoma advertised low prices then tacked on extra fees at checkout, ruling a mass arbitration provision in the retailer's terms "unconscionably chills" consumers from making claims.

  • September 09, 2026

    States Say DOT's Driver Data Demand Is Immigration Pretext

    The Democratic-led states asking a Virginia federal judge to stop the Trump administration from accessing the Social Security numbers of commercial drivers nationwide for immigration enforcement backed up their request for an injunction Wednesday, saying the federal government is using post hoc rationalizations to defend its data demands.

  • September 09, 2026

    DOJ Says Berkeley Law Is Racially Biased In Admissions

    The U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Education said Wednesday that the University of California, Berkeley School of Law discriminated against white and Asian applicants in its 2024 and 2025 admissions cycles by preferring Black applicants because of their race, violating federal civil rights law and recent U.S. Supreme Court precedent.

  • September 09, 2026

    Wells Fargo Beats Cert. Bid In Rate-Lock Extension Fee Suit

    A California federal judge declined on Wednesday to certify a proposed class of Wells Fargo customers alleging it wrongly charged certain mortgage fees due to closing delays, ruling that liability cannot be determined without an individual file-by-file analysis to see whether the borrower or the bank was responsible for the delays.

  • September 09, 2026

    2nd Circ. Says FDIC Need Not File Claim To Save SVB Setoff

    The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. is not required to file a claim in the bankruptcy case of Silicon Valley Bank's former parent to preserve its defensive setoff rights, the Second Circuit found Wednesday, delivering another blow to the company in its legal battle with the regulator.

  • September 09, 2026

    Wine Label Makers Spar Over Injunction In Trade Secret Fight

    A California federal judge on Wednesday weighed whether to grant a wine label company's motion for a preliminary injunction against rivals in a case accusing them of using trade secrets allegedly brought over by a former employee.

  • September 09, 2026

    States, Amici Ask Justices To Keep Mail Ballot Rules On Ice

    Nearly half of the states and the District of Columbia urged the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday to leave in place a federal judge's order blocking the U.S. Postal Service from enforcing new mail-in ballot regulations in this year's midterms, arguing the changes are a major political decision USPS had no authority to make. 

  • September 09, 2026

    Justices Call For Early Response Over Paramount Merger

    The U.S. Supreme Court is giving California and other state enforcers that are challenging Paramount Skydance Corp.'s planned $110 billion purchase of Warner Bros. until later this month to respond to Iowa and Montana's bid to block the merger challenge.

Expert Analysis

  • Calif. Ruling Opens Del. Cos. Up To Stockholder Inspection

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    A California appellate court's recent decision in Salamon v. Orchid Global underscores that despite last year's amendments to the Delaware General Corporation Law, Delaware companies with principal operations in California remain subject to California's broader and more stockholder-protective inspection regime, say attorneys at Sheppard.

  • 10 Ways To Avoid Privacy Risks Revealed In AI Notetaker Suits

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    Litigation claiming Otter.ai trained its AI-powered transcription tool on user conversations and a recent complaint alleging Granola’s notetaking bot joined video calls unbeknownst to participants show companies should assess these technologies as communications-capture tools with privacy and wiretap risks, says Jennifer Ruehr at Hintze Law.

  • What 9th Circ. Devas Ruling Means For AI Infrastructure Deals

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    The Ninth Circuit's recent confirmation of a $2 billion arbitration award in Devas Multimedia's arbitration against a state-owned commercial arm of India’s space agency creates a cross-border enforcement road map for disputes that are bound to arise from the current generation of artificial intelligence infrastructure deals, says Fernanda Merouco at Davis Wright.

  • 9th Circ. Wage Ruling Shows Arbitration Pacts Are Still Useful

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    After years of uncertainty for California employers, the Ninth Circuit’s recent Cocom v. ABM Aviation decision signals that workplace arbitration agreements remain a powerful and enforceable tool — if thoughtfully drafted and employment-focused, says Benjamin Runge at Thompson Coburn.

  • The Expanding Litigation Front Against The Data Center Boom

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    A survey of environmental and land use claims raised in disputes over data center projects across the country shows that the outcomes of these disputes will have significant implications not only for the future of data center development, but for infrastructure projects in general, say attorneys at Arnold & Porter.

  • Series

    Taekwondo Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Taekwondo has taught me to recognize when to fight for a position and when to focus on finding a solution, and that the best outcomes are often achieved by solving problems — all of which has improved my work as a bankruptcy lawyer, mediator and Subchapter V trustee, says Amy Denton Mayer at Berger Singerman.

  • Early Action Can Benefit Distressed Restaurant Franchisees

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    As rising costs put increased pressure on restaurants, as evidenced by recent bankruptcy filings by Popeyes, Farmer Boys and Applebees franchisees, distressed businesses should move early to preserve profitable locations, reject uneconomic obligations, manage brand defaults and choose the appropriate restructuring path, says Christopher Caplinger at Kean Miller.

  • What To Know As Legal Duty To Consider AI Takes Shape

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    While the U.K. Jurisdiction Taskforce’s recent statement on liability for artificial intelligence harms is nonbinding for both U.K. and U.S. lawyers, it highlights the importance of being able to distinguish between the availability of a tool and a professional obligation to use it, say Jonny Frank and Michael Costa at StoneTurn.

  • Patent Ruling Shows Concrete Tech Solution Key To Eligibility

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    The Federal Circuit’s recent Ceiva Opco v. Amazon.com decision offers an important reminder that software-related inventions can remain patent eligible when they claim a concrete technological solution to a specific problem, says Irah Donner at Manatt.

  • NC Dental Review Change Counters Tougher National Trend

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    North Carolina’s elimination of its prior review requirement for dental management agreements departs sharply from the national trend toward expanded corporate practice of medicine oversight, but stakeholders should not view this regulatory shift as a relaxation of compliance expectations, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • Amazon v. Perplexity Ruling Limits CFAA Reach Over AI Tools

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    The Ninth Circuit's recent decision in Amazon v. Perplexity provides important early guidance on how the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act applies to agentic artificial intelligence, and is the latest in a line of rulings in which courts have declined to stretch existing statutes to broadly regulate AI, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

  • Costco Chicken Case Highlights Food Labeling Lessons

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    Recent litigation over allegedly deceptive food labels, including the ongoing proposed class action in a California federal court over Costco's rotisserie chicken, shows that plaintiffs rarely focus on single label statements in isolation — so product claims that comply with regulations could still incur litigation risk, says Brandy Alonzo-Mayland at Michelman & Robinson.

  • Series

    Being In A Band Made Me A Better Lawyer

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    Playing shows in storied New York City venues and rehearsing with my bandmates in poorly ventilated rooms helped develop the professional qualities I rely on as a litigator, including an ability to collaborate with strong-minded equals and the determination to treat each client with singular focus, says Eliad Shapiro at Herrick Feinstein.

  • Notable Q2 Updates In Insurance Class Actions

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    After 2026's second quarter, there is more authority rejecting class certification on total loss valuation theories from courts at the federal circuit, federal district and state appellate level — along with a resolution of a novel issue of depreciation on a wildfire claim, says Kevin Zimmerman at BakerHostetler.

  • How Drug Trial Prediction Markets Pose Insider Trading Risks

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    Multiple prediction market platforms have recently announced plans to offer event contracts related to clinical trial outcomes and regulatory decisions, creating new insider trading risks by expanding the group of people possessing related material nonpublic information far beyond traditional corporate insiders, say attorneys at King & Spalding.

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