California

  • June 06, 2025

    OpenAI CEO Calls NYT's ChatGPT Log Demand 'Inappropriate'

    OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and his company have said they intend to appeal a Manhattan federal court order mandating the preservation of ChatGPT logs at the request of The New York Times and other news agencies in ongoing copyright infringement litigation, saying the demand goes too far.

  • June 06, 2025

    Off The Bench: NASCAR Antitrust Saga, White Sox Transfer

    In this week's Off The Bench, an appeals court says Michael Jordan's auto racing team cannot compete amid an antitrust suit against NASCAR, the Chicago White Sox start a long ownership transfer process, and the woman who accused a college football coach of sexual harassment sues the university over its handling of the complaint.

  • June 06, 2025

    Greenberg Traurig Adds Perkins Coie Tech Transactions Pro

    Greenberg Traurig LLP is expanding its technology team, bringing in a Perkins Coie LLP transactions whiz as a shareholder in its San Diego office.

  • June 05, 2025

    OneTaste Founder Tells Jury Racy Details Are a Distraction

    Counsel for OneTaste co-founder Nicole Daedone on Thursday told a Brooklyn federal jury that Daedone's provocative teachings involving "orgasmic meditation" don't matter to the forced labor conspiracy charges she and her deputy face, unlike the free will of those who say they were victimized.

  • June 05, 2025

    Playboy Fired Exec For Raising Harassment Issues, Suit Says

    Playboy's ousted chief creative officer filed a retaliation suit against the company in Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday alleging he was illegally terminated after speaking up about sexual harassment, financial improprieties and a minor uploading explicit images of herself to a public company website.

  • June 05, 2025

    'Sparse' OPM Record On Mass Firings Backs Win, Unions Say

    A "sparse and self-serving" record provided by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management still shows the agency unlawfully directed federal agencies to fire probationary employees en masse, so a California federal court can reach a final decision now and "unwind" those terminations, a coalition including unions and advocacy groups said Thursday.

  • June 05, 2025

    9th Circ. Broadens Test For ERISA Claim Releases

    The Ninth Circuit on Thursday reversed a finding that releases signed by two former microchip manufacturer employees bar them from leading a class action over claims the company illegally revoked its severance program, finding that the court should consider whether the company breached its fiduciary duty in obtaining the releases.

  • June 05, 2025

    Calif. Adviser, CEO To Pay $21M To End SEC Theft Claims

    A California investment adviser and its CEO have agreed to pay over $21 million to end U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission claims they misappropriated over $15.3 million from a cannabis industry client — including $4.6 million used to buy a home — and overstated its assets under management in regulatory filings.

  • June 05, 2025

    AI Co. Sues French Tech Biz Over $20M Graphics Content Deal

    An artificial intelligence company is suing a French technology business in California federal court over a more than $20 million deal giving it access to a platform that creates graphics content, accusing it of committing acts of bad faith "at every stage" of their relationship.

  • June 05, 2025

    Latham-Led Virtual Health Startup Omada Prices $150M IPO

    Venture-backed virtual care provider Omada Health Inc. on Thursday priced a $150 million initial public offering within its marketed range, represented by Latham & Watkins LLP and underwriters counsel Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP.

  • June 05, 2025

    Starbucks Can't Scotch $50M Verdict For Tea-Scorched Driver

    A California judge has affirmed a jury verdict awarding $50 million to a gig economy driver who suffered a severely burned penis after scalding hot tea spilled in his lap due to a Starbucks worker's negligence, saying the verdict was not excessive given his "horrific injuries."

  • June 05, 2025

    4 AGs Urge FDA To Lift Abortion Pill Restrictions

    Attorneys general from California, Massachusetts, New York and New Jersey on Thursday urged the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to lift restrictions on the abortion drug mifepristone, saying they aren't necessary under statutory requirements for an FDA drug safety program.

  • June 05, 2025

    Fed, OCC Face Bipartisan Call For Leverage Ratio Reform

    Republican and Democratic lawmakers teamed up Thursday to urge federal banking regulators to revisit their bank leverage rules "with haste," pointing to U.S. Treasury market liquidity concerns and asking for details about potential adjustments under consideration.

  • June 05, 2025

    States, Attys, Groups Push 8th Circ. For ND Tribes' Voting Rights

    Nineteen states, 16 former federal attorneys and a slew of civil rights groups are backing two North Dakota tribes in their efforts for an Eighth Circuit rehearing, arguing the appellate court's semantic shift regarding voting rights presents important questions that merit its full consideration.

  • June 05, 2025

    Music Lyrics Co. Slams $1B Antitrust Suit Over Warner Deal

    Music data company Musixmatch urged a California federal judge to end rival LyricFind Inc.'s $1 billion suit alleging it has a monopoly in the market for providing lyrics to streamers like Spotify after inking an exclusive deal with Warner Music to distribute its titles, arguing Warner is legally allowed to solely license its intellectual property to Musixmatch.

  • June 05, 2025

    States Push To Block Feds From Slashing EV Charging Funds

    Sixteen states have pressed a Washington federal judge to block the Trump administration from cutting off congressionally approved funding for electric-vehicle charging infrastructure projects, saying state budgets and procurement processes are being upended by the administration's unilateral actions.

  • June 05, 2025

    Maryland Judge Halts 'Mass Closure' Of AmeriCorps Programs

    A Maryland federal judge on Thursday temporarily enjoined the Trump administration's "mass closure" of AmeriCorps programs in two dozen states and ordered more than 750 national service members be restored, but declined to vacate the firing of AmeriCorps' paid staff.

  • June 05, 2025

    Actors Ask 9th Circ. To Revive SAG Vax Mandate Fight

    SAG-AFTRA members urged the Ninth Circuit on Thursday to revive their claims that the union betrayed them by allowing studios to impose COVID-19 vaccine mandates against members with medical and religious objections, arguing that the state claims aren't preempted and "not everything that involves these guilds is a federal matter."

  • June 05, 2025

    Orgs. Clash At DC Circ. Over FCC's Spectrum Revamp

    Public safety groups are clashing at the D.C. Circuit over whether the Federal Communications Commission overstepped its authority when it expanded spectrum rights in the 4.9 gigahertz band, a segment of airwaves long relied on by emergency responders.

  • June 05, 2025

    Fired Tesla Worker Drops Class Claims In Favor Of PAGA Case

    A Tesla worker booted amid mass layoffs last year told a California federal judge that under a deal struck with the automaker, he'll drop his putative class action wage and notice claims to pursue most of the same causes of action in state court under the Private Attorneys General Act.

  • June 05, 2025

    CVS Sued Over Health Plan's Tobacco, Spousal Surcharges

    A CVS employee brought the pharmacy retailer into California state court Wednesday alleging in a proposed class action it discriminatorily imposes illegal surcharges to its health insurance participants who use tobacco or want to add their spouses to their plans as dependents, in violation of state and federal benefits laws.

  • June 05, 2025

    Pillsbury Brings On Buchalter IP Co-Leader In San Diego

    Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP is boosting its intellectual property team, announcing Thursday it is bringing on the former co-chair of Buchalter PC's intellectual property practice as a partner in its San Diego office.

  • June 05, 2025

    Background Extra Says Entertainment Cos. Owe Wages

    A production company and an entertainment company failed to pay background extras for all the hours they worked after forcing them to work off-the-clock and through breaks, according to a proposed class action filed in California state court.

  • June 05, 2025

    5 Firms Steer Self-Driving Truck Startup's $1.2B SPAC Merger

    Self-driving truck software maker Plus Automation Inc. plans to go public at an estimated $1.2 billion valuation by merging with special purpose acquisition company Churchill Capital IX Corp., both parties announced Thursday, in a deal guided by five law firms.

  • June 05, 2025

    DOL Head Vows To Fight Wage Theft With Fewer Investigators

    The U.S. labor secretary told a U.S. House committee Thursday that the Department of Labor will continue to combat wage theft even with fewer resources after President Donald Trump's administration proposed cutting the number of wage and hour investigators.

Expert Analysis

  • Rebuttal

    Forced Litigation Funding Disclosure Threatens Patent Rights

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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.

  • And Now A Word From The Panel: A Rare MDL Petition Off-Day

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    In an unusual occurrence in the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation's history, there are zero new MDL petitions scheduled for Thursday's hearing session, but the panel will be busy considering a host of motions regarding whether to transfer cases to eight existing MDL proceedings, says Alan Rothman at Sidley.

  • Energy Order Brings Risks For Lenders And Borrowers Alike

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    A recent executive order directing the attorney general to submit a report next month with recommendations for halting enforcement of state laws the administration says are hampering energy resources presents risks for lenders and borrowers using state-generated carbon credits, but proactive steps now can help insulate against adverse consequences, say attorneys at Faegre Drinker.

  • Customs Fraud Enforcement In The Age Of Tariffs

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    In the wake of the Trump administration’s new approach toward tariffs, two recent Justice Department developments demonstrate aggressive customs fraud enforcement, with the DOJ emphasizing competitive harm to American businesses, and signaling that investigations will likely involve both civil and criminal enforcement tools, say attorneys at Bernstein Litowitz and London & Naor.

  • Series

    Power To The Paralegals: An Untapped Source For Biz Roles

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    Law firms looking to recruit legal business talent should consider turning to paralegals, who practice several key skills every day that prepare them to thrive in marketing and client development roles, says Vanessa Torres at Lowenstein Sandler.

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