California

  • May 07, 2026

    Bowlers Sue Lucky Strike Over 'Starbucks Of Bowling' Tactics

    Lucky Strike has been engaging in a yearslong anticompetitive scheme to acquire rival bowling alleys across the United States so it can drive up costs and increase its own profits, while diminishing the experience of bowlers, a group of customers has alleged.

  • May 07, 2026

    Insurer Beats Calif. Health Group's Discovery Costs Suit

    A California federal judge said Wednesday that an insurer did not have to reimburse the state's largest private health foundation for roughly $400,000 in discovery costs it incurred during an executive's now-settled wrongful termination suit, finding the foundation failed to get the insurer's consent before running up the bill.  

  • May 06, 2026

    Disney, James Cameron Sued Over Actress' 'Avatar' Likeness

    The Walt Disney Co. and director James Cameron used the likeness of indigenous actress Q'orianka Kilcher without her permission to create a main character in the blockbuster film "Avatar," a new California federal lawsuit claims.

  • May 06, 2026

    Mother Of Musk's Kids Defends Role As OpenAI Liaison

    Ex-OpenAI board member Shivon Zilis, who has four children with Elon Musk, took the stand in a California federal jury trial Wednesday over Musk's challenge to OpenAI's for-profit conversion, defending her role as an intermediary between Musk and other OpenAI founders and testifying she twice raised concerns over Sam Altman's leadership.

  • May 06, 2026

    Ye Testifies In IP Suit That People 'Take Advantage' Of Him

    Ye took the stand on Wednesday to defend himself in a California copyright trial over whether early versions of his Grammy-winning hit "Hurricane" contained an unauthorized sound recording, saying that people try to "take advantage" of him despite him being "very generous" when it comes to giving artists their due.

  • May 06, 2026

    Meta's Exploitation Reporting Needs Work, NM Judge Told

    An executive for a child protection organization told a New Mexico judge Wednesday that "ongoing quality issues" with Meta's reporting and the use of message encryption have made it harder to deliver actionable reports to law enforcement, as the state seeks $3.7 billion in reforms at the social media company.

  • May 06, 2026

    'GothFerrari' Gets 6.5 Years For Role In $250M Crypto Heist

    A 20-year-old California man with the nickname "GothFerrari" was sentenced in federal court Wednesday to 78 months behind bars for his role in a sprawling cyber scam involving more than a dozen defendants who stole more than $250 million in cryptocurrency from people across the United States, according to prosecutors.

  • May 06, 2026

    Sony Reaped 'Windfall' From Illegal Tariffs, Gamers Say

    Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC retained a "substantial windfall" generated by illegal tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, two Sony PlayStation console owners said Wednesday in a proposed class action in California federal court.

  • May 06, 2026

    Corcept Must Face Most Teva Mifepristone Antitrust Claims

    A California federal judge on Tuesday once again mostly refused to throw out Teva Pharmaceuticals' claims that Corcept Therapeutics used patent system abuse, bribes and exclusive dealing to block generic competition to its cortisol disorder treatment, finding that at this stage in the litigation the allegations are adequate.

  • May 06, 2026

    Calif. Panel Revives Mesothelioma Suit Against Union Carbide

    California appellate justices revived a lawsuit against Union Carbide by a man who alleged he developed mesothelioma years after inhaling asbestos fiber when remodeling his aunt's home, ruling Tuesday that triable factual issues exist whether he was exposed to Hamilton Materials' drywall finishing products containing asbestos fiber supplied by the defendant.

  • May 06, 2026

    'Wasn't A Hard Call': Jeffer Mangels Can't Arbitrate Atty's Suit

    A Los Angeles judge ruled at a Wednesday hearing that Jeffer Mangels Butler & Mitchell LLP can't arbitrate an ex-associate's lawsuit alleging she was harassed and fired due to her pregnancy, saying it "wasn't a hard call" because her sexual harassment claims are statutorily prohibited from being arbitrated.

  • May 06, 2026

    'Do Not Use This Report': J&J Hid Asbestos Test, Jury Told

    Johnson & Johnson and a consultant it hired in the 1970s altered the conclusions of tests that found alarming levels of asbestos in the company's talc products before giving different results to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, a former FDA commissioner told a Los Angeles jury Wednesday.

  • May 06, 2026

    Judge Tosses 'Futile' Leaf EV Fire Risk, Charging Defect Suit

    Nissan has defeated a proposed class action brought by Leaf owners who claimed the electric vehicle's battery contains a defect that makes fast charging a fire risk, with a California federal judge ruling that the drivers failed to show the cars were unsafe and that amending at this point would be "futile."

  • May 06, 2026

    Fla. Court Asked To Lift Freeze In $91M Fake Health Plans Suit

    Two siblings asked a Florida federal court Wednesday to lift an asset freeze in the Federal Trade Commission's lawsuit alleging they sold $91 million of fake health benefits on the Affordable Care Act exchange, arguing they need money to pay their attorneys. 

  • May 06, 2026

    Calif. Tribe Can't Get ATF's Cigarette Sales Decision Tossed

    A Ninth Circuit panel determined Wednesday that federal tobacco regulators acted appropriately when placing the Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians on a noncompliance list, concluding the tribe's remote cigarette sales to retailers of other tribes count as "off-reservation" activities covered by California state tax and licensing laws.

  • May 06, 2026

    Igloo's Ads 'Uncool' But Not Unlawful, Split 9th Circ. Says

    It may have been "uncool" for ice chest company Igloo to wrongfully take credit for the first biodegradable cooler, but its claims are not unlawful under the Lanham Act, a split Ninth Circuit ruled Wednesday.

  • May 06, 2026

    Judge Questions OMB Justification For Voiding Grants

    A Massachusetts federal judge on Wednesday pushed back on arguments by the Trump administration that federal agency grants are subject to termination at any time based solely on a change in priorities — a situation, she suggested, that would essentially render any contracts with the government "illusory."

  • May 06, 2026

    Altria, Juul Ask For Stay During Antitrust Class Cert. Appeal

    Altria and Juul are asking a California federal court to pause a case alleging the companies schemed to have Altria exit the e-cigarette market while they appeal a class certification ruling to the Ninth Circuit.

  • May 06, 2026

    Google Users Say DOJ Win 'Leaves Only Damages For Trial'

    Consumers want a California federal judge to go straight to trial over the amount of damages Google owes them for illegally monopolizing online search, arguing the company's violation of antitrust law "is now an undisputed fact as a matter of law."

  • May 06, 2026

    EDTX Urged To Deny Samsung New Trial After $78.5M Verdict

    A patent owner that won a $78.5 million infringement verdict in the Eastern District of Texas against Samsung urged the court to reject the electronics giant's bid for a new trial, saying the South Korean company wants to turn the law "on its head."

  • May 06, 2026

    High Court Rejects Apple's Bid To Pause App Store Ruling

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected Apple's request to pause a mandate in the case from Epic Games that directs a lower court to determine what commission Apple can charge developers for purchases made outside of its app store through links.

  • May 06, 2026

    Calif. Justices Seem Divided On Gilead HIV Negligence Claim

    The California Supreme Court appeared split Wednesday over whether Gilead should face a negligence claim for allegedly withholding a safer HIV drug from the market to maximize profits from an older drug with more harmful side effects. 

  • May 06, 2026

    9th Circ. Won't Revive Hospital Workers' Vaccine Bias Suit

    The Ninth Circuit refused Wednesday to reopen a religious bias lawsuit accusing a Washington hospital of unlawfully denying employees' requests to avoid a COVID-19 vaccination mandate, finding that the medical center demonstrated that exemptions would've been too burdensome under a 2023 U.S. Supreme Court decision.

  • May 06, 2026

    Alto Says Investors Use Hindsight In Suit Over Drug Trial

    Alto Neuroscience has urged a California federal judge to toss an investor suit alleging the psychiatric biotech company and its top brass overstated the efficacy of their lead drug candidate for treating major depressive disorder, saying the suit is a "classic case of trying to plead fraud by hindsight."

  • May 06, 2026

    Judge Approves $2.25M Walmart Wage Deal On Third Try

    A decade-long wage lawsuit against Walmart has come to a close after a California federal judge granted final approval of a $2.25 million class action settlement that includes claims under California's Private Attorneys General Act.

Expert Analysis

  • CFTC Actions Show Prediction Market Insider Trading Risks

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    It is a myth that insider trading law does not apply in prediction markets, as the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission's recent enforcement actions illustrate that it has full authority to pursue such cases federally — and intends to, says attorney Gregg Goldfarb.

  • Rebuttal

    FTC Case Reinforces Established Price Discrimination Rules

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    Far from redefining price discrimination, as contended by a recent Law360 guest article, the Federal Trade Commission's suit against Southern Glazer's falls squarely within the historical interpretation of the Robinson-Patman Act, says retired attorney Irving Scher.

  • Prepping For White House's Proposed AI Framework

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    The artificial intelligence legislative framework issued by the White House last month reframes the policy landscape, creating a number of near-term developments for companies to track as congressional committees attempt to convert the framework into legislative text, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Opinion

    Apple Discovery Fight Could Revive DOJ's Antitrust Appetite

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    Winning discovery disputes in the ongoing federal antitrust litigation over Apple’s app store practices is a huge opportunity for the Justice Department to return to its once-vigorous pursuit of product tying by tech monopolies, catch up with foreign competition regulators and establish clear standards for digital markets, says Ediberto Roman at Florida International University.

  • Lockdown To Ledger: COVID Rulings Inform Crypto Coverage

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    As cryptocurrencies move deeper into mainstream financial markets, courts tasked with determining whether traditional insurance policies respond to digital asset losses have been evaluating coverage through the analytical framework of COVID-19 business interruption litigation, with one key recurring theme, say attorneys at Kennedys.

  • Opinion

    State Bars Need To Get Specific About AI Confidentiality

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    Lawyers need to put actual client information into artificial intelligence tools to get their full value, but they cannot confidently do so until state bars offer clear, formal authority on which plan tiers of the three most popular generative AI tools are safe to use when sharing specific client details, says attorney Nick Berk.

  • The Federal Circuit's Evolving View Of Trade Secrets

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    In recent years, the Federal Circuit's approach to defining "readily ascertainable" information and determining sufficiency of trade secret identification has shifted, trending away from other circuits and potentially presenting a higher bar for trade secrets plaintiffs, say attorneys at MoFo.

  • What Justices' Review Of Guam Case Will Mean For Permitting

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    In U.S. Department of the Air Force v. Prutehi Guahan, the U.S. Supreme Court will address whether a federal agency's permit application is a final decision that courts can review — a question whose answer could reshape the timing and strategy of environmental litigation across the federal permitting landscape, say attorneys at Foley Hoag.

  • How Calif. Safety Worker Pension Bill Could Cost Employers

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    Public employers should carefully consider how pension costs and bargaining concerns could change under a California Legislature bill that would increase retirement benefits for safety employees like police and firefighters, which could erode previous efforts to fully fund the public retirement system without necessarily improving worker retention, says Michael Youril at Liebert Cassidy.

  • Opinion

    Judicial Restraint Anchors Constitutional Order

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    Contrasting opinions in two recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings — Trump v. CASA and Bost v. Illinois State Board of Elections — demonstrate how the judiciary’s constitutionally entrusted role can easily be preserved or disrupted, and invite renewed attention to the enduring importance of judicial restraint, says Ninth Circuit Judge J. Clifford Wallace.

  • The Evolution Of States' Workplace Violence Prevention Laws

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    Utah's new law requiring hospitals to implement comprehensive workplace violence reporting systems continues a broader trend of state efforts to expand workplace protections in the absence of sufficient federal regulations, say attorneys at Ogletree.

  • Series

    Alpine Skiing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Skiing has shaped habits I rely on daily as an attorney — focus, resilience and the ability to remain steady when circumstances shift rapidly — and influences the way I approach legal strategy, client counseling and teamwork, says Isaku Begert at Marshall Gerstein.

  • Weighing The Practical Implications Of SC Kids' Privacy Law

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    South Carolina's recently enacted Age-Appropriate Code Design Act includes a unique provision: a private right of action for certain violations, but its practical effect remains uncertain, as courts and litigants grapple with complex questions of standing, causation and the definition of actionable harm, say attorneys at K&L Gates.

  • Ohio Case Reflects States' Aggressive Criminal Antitrust Turn

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    The Ohio Attorney General's Office’s recent bid-rigging indictment of an online auctioneer is the latest signal that states, through attorneys general pursuing more kickback cases and legislators expanding the reach of antitrust laws, are shedding their historical reluctance to wield their criminal antitrust enforcement powers, say attorneys at Arnold & Porter.

  • Telehealth Suit May Redraw Rules For Physician Classification

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    A new class action in California federal court, Cioppettini v. Mochi Medical, alleging a telehealth company misclassified providers as independent contractors, suggests that traditional markers of physician independence may not apply to telehealth, say attorneys at Reed Smith.

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