California

  • October 29, 2026

    Block Investors Win Cert. In Biz Growth, Compliance Suit

    A California federal judge has certified a narrowed class of investors in Block Inc., the parent company of Square and Cash App, in a suit alleging the company failed to maintain a "strong compliance infrastructure" and misled investors about the growth of Cash App, leading to an 84% stock price decline once the truth came to light.

  • October 29, 2026

    Parents Say Roblox, Discord Can't Compel Arbitration

    Federal law bars Roblox and Discord from compelling sexual assault plaintiffs to arbitrate their claims that the companies enabled adult predators to use their platforms to groom and abuse children, parents have told the California federal court overseeing their suits.

  • October 29, 2026

    Squires Grants 4 Patent Review Bids In Latest Bulk Order

    U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Director John Squires has greenlighted four new petitions seeking review of patents in his latest round of decisions, while turning down one on discretionary grounds.

  • October 29, 2026

    Importer, NJ Distributor End Suit Over Stealing Grocery Biz

    A distributor has agreed to drop its lawsuit alleging a Korean food importer purposefully mischaracterized why it was ending the parties' relationship in order to gain direct access to a popular grocery chain, according to a filing in New Jersey federal court.

  • October 29, 2026

    9th Circ. Drops Speech Holding In Seattle Gig Worker Ruling

    The Ninth Circuit on Thursday withdrew its earlier finding that Seattle's protections for app-based delivery workers don't regulate speech, replacing it with a narrower ruling that assumes the law involves speech but still passes First Amendment scrutiny.

  • October 29, 2026

    'We're Going To Get Sued': LA Revives Ban On Oil, Gas Wells

    The Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday passed an ordinance banning all new oil and gas drilling within city limits and phasing out existing wells within 20 years, with one councilmember commenting that the city expects to get sued by members of the industry over the vote. 

  • October 29, 2026

    Fed. Circ. Upholds Decision Wiping Out Cybersecurity Patent

    The Federal Circuit on Thursday affirmed a Patent Trial and Appeal Board decision holding that a patent covering methods of monitoring a system for cyberattack detection was invalid as obvious.

  • October 29, 2026

    9th Circ. Probes Warehouse Workers' Arbitration Exemption

    A Ninth Circuit panel on Thursday appeared somewhat skeptical of an argument that a transportation worker exemption to federal arbitration requirements doesn't apply to a proposed class of warehouse workers, after the appellate court found warehouse workers fit the carveout in a separate case.

  • October 29, 2026

    FCC Floats $4.4M Fine For Boomerang's Alleged Lifeline Fraud

    The Federal Communications Commission proposed a $4.4 million fine against Boomerang Wireless for allegedly defrauding the Lifeline program, which gives discounts on phone and internet services to qualifying low-income Americans.

  • October 29, 2026

    FTC, States Allege Toast Trapped Restaurants With Fees

    The Federal Trade Commission and eight states sued Toast Inc. on Thursday, accusing the restaurant software company of saddling restaurants with hidden fees, failing to provide promised customer support and making it difficult to cancel its services.

  • October 29, 2026

    Troutman, Baker McKenzie Report Data Breaches

    Troutman Pepper Locke LLP and Baker McKenzie experienced data breaches last month as a result of social engineering attacks, according to notices submitted this week to the attorneys general offices in California and Texas.

  • October 29, 2026

    GoFundMe Hires Fiserv Compliance Chief

    GoFundMe has announced it welcomed the chief compliance officer of Fiserv as its own compliance head to lead the fundraising platform's global compliance strategy, following her previous roles at First Data and Citi.

  • October 29, 2026

    Judge Rejects Extra Hurdle For Medicaid Frailty Exemption

    A Trump administration bid to create additional barriers to Medicaid eligibility was rejected Thursday by a Massachusetts federal judge, who ruled that Congress did not delegate to the executive branch the task of deciding who is too medically frail to meet work requirements.

  • October 29, 2026

    Pot Use Firing Suit Can Be Arbitrated Despite Flawed Clause

    A California state judge has granted Aarris Healthcare Staffing LLC's bid to compel arbitration against a former employee alleging she was wrongly fired for off-duty cannabis use, despite finding portions of the agreement unenforceable.

  • October 29, 2026

    Google Cut Worker's Duties After Military Leave, Feds Say

    Google failed to reinstate a former employee to a similar role after he returned from a yearlong stint in the U.S. Army's Cyber Command unit and eventually laid him off, according to a lawsuit the U.S. Department of Justice filed Thursday in Manhattan.

  • October 28, 2026

    Democracy 'At Stake': Feds Can't Set Aside 20K Calif. Ballots

    A California federal judge on Wednesday rejected the Trump administration's request to require the state to set aside mail-in ballots for some 20,000 voters the federal government contends are "likely" noncitizens, saying it would "wreak havoc" on the midterm elections that are already underway.

  • October 28, 2026

    Product Liability's Regulatory & Legislative Recap So Far

    Over the summer and early fall, lawmakers proposed measures aimed at putting safeguards around the rapidly growing industry of artificial intelligence, as public concerns over its safety climb in tandem. The new nominee to head the U.S. Food and Drug Administration also faced sharp queries over her views on vaccines and birth control.

  • October 28, 2026

    PayPal's Financial Offerings Are Under Fresh FTC Scrutiny

    PayPal has disclosed that it is facing a Federal Trade Commission investigation into its financial products and services, including marketing, fees and purchase protections.

  • October 28, 2026

    Unilever May Get Suit By Ex-Ben & Jerry's Chair Moved To NY

    A California federal judge said on Wednesday that he is unlikely to toss claims that Unilever defamed Ben & Jerry's then-board chair to justify ousting her over her support for Palestinians, and indicated he is inclined to transfer the case to New York.

  • October 28, 2026

    Jury Selection Starts In 2nd Social Media Bellwether In LA

    Jury selection began Wednesday in a California courtroom for the second bellwether trial focused on allegations that major social media companies are harming the mental health of children, with Meta Platforms Inc. returning to the defense table next to Snap Inc., which is facing jurors on the claims for the first time.

  • October 28, 2026

    Cannabis Event Founders Accused Of $750K Fraud

    A Los Angeles attorney and his business partner are accused in a California state lawsuit of diverting investor money to pay for private jet flights, bar dues and other personal expenses instead of funding business-to-consumer cannabis trade shows, including the failed 2022 Green Street Festival.

  • October 28, 2026

    'Lessons Learned': 9th Circ. Judge Doubts Uber Clawback Bid

    A Ninth Circuit judge doubted Uber's request Wednesday to claw back 42 documents inadvertently produced in sexual assault multidistrict litigation during its attorney-client privilege rereview, telling counsel, "At a certain point, we have to say stop, put your pencils down," and asking why this shouldn't be "an example of lessons learned."

  • October 28, 2026

    States Seek To Block Fed's Renewed Immigration Grant Terms

    Multiple states asked a Rhode Island federal judge to enforce an order that barred the Trump administration from conditioning the receipt of federal emergency funds on whether the states aid in the enforcement of federal immigration policies.

  • October 28, 2026

    SF Archdiocese Gets Initial OK To Take Votes On Ch. 11 Plan

    A California bankruptcy judge Wednesday signaled he would allow the Archdiocese of San Francisco to solicit votes on its $395 million Chapter 11 plan, after the debtor agreed to include in its disclosures a statement summarizing how the plan would affect the claims of abuse survivors.

  • October 28, 2026

    9th Circ. Open To Decertifying BofA COVID Fee-Relief Class

    A Ninth Circuit panel appeared open Wednesday to decertifying a class of Bank of America account holders who allege the bank abruptly ended a COVID-19 fee-relief program without notice, with all three judges criticizing the class definition for being overly broad, and two judges suggesting individualized issues predominate.

Expert Analysis

  • AI Note-Taking Suits May Fill Gap In Privacy Law Structure

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    A recent class action against Granola joins other pending lawsuits against AI note-taking providers, highlighting the legal uncertainty surrounding these tools, but there are practical steps companies using "invisible" AI services can take to mitigate risk, including conducting inventories and reviewing access permissions, say attorneys at Barnes & Thornburg.

  • How 'Swap' Fight Underpins Prediction Market Enforcement

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    As courts around the country grapple with whether, and under what circumstances, event contracts qualify as swaps, federal enforcement authority hangs in the balance, with implications for companies that need to manage compliance risks during this period of legal uncertainty, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • FDA Closeout Letter Suggests Relaxing Stance On Wearables

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    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's recent decision not to pursue enforcement action against Whoop's wearable blood pressure tracker, read together with guidance released earlier this year, suggests a softer shift in the FDA's approach to regulating wearables, say attorneys at Arnold & Porter.

  • How Rogue AI May Shape Corporate Liability, Responsibility

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    Recent artificial intelligence cyber incidents offer a window into how companies deploying autonomous systems should document risk controls even when systems exceed their intended boundaries, as jurors may treat unexpected AI conduct as foreseeable evidence of inadequate safeguards, says Jorge Monroy at Verdict Insight Partners.

  • The State Of Prediction Market Litigation After 9th Circ. Ruling

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    The Ninth Circuit's recent decision in Kalshi v. Assad gives state regulators significant appellate backing to enforce state gaming laws over prediction markets, creating a direct split with the Third Circuit that will likely lead to Supreme Court review of the question, say attorneys at Arnold & Porter.

  • Meta Layoff Suit Serves As Early Test Of AI Bias Claims

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    A lawsuit in California federal court alleging that Meta's use of artificial intelligence in recent layoffs negatively affected employees on protected leave provides insight for plaintiffs about what evidence to preserve and how to build these discrimination claims, says Manny Starr at Frontier Law Center.

  • Series

    Ballet Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    A lifetime of learning and performing ballet taught me that success — whether in dance or practicing law — comes only through hours of thorough preparation, boundless energy and relentless effort, says Sharon Katz-Pearlman at Greenberg Traurig.

  • 9th Circ. 'Bad Spaniels' Ruling Rewrites TM Dilution Playbook

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    The Ninth Circuit’s recent ruling that each element of the Jack Daniel's packaging parodied by the Bad Spaniels dog toy must be independently assessed for fame narrows trademark owners' ability to use a flagship mark's halo effect to protect the entire brand from tarnishment, say attorneys at Reed Smith.

  • How Texas' Protein Powder Probe Reflects Prop 65's Influence

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    Texas' recently announced investigation into contaminants in protein powder illustrates how California's Proposition 65, with its hundreds of listed chemicals, safe harbor levels and consumer warnings, may have an influence on enforcement and regulation in other states, say attorneys at Buchalter.

  • 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.

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