California

  • September 19, 2024

    Mistrial Avoided In MGA's 3rd Round With T.I. In IP Saga

    A California federal judge declined to order a mistrial Thursday in the intellectual property dispute between MGA Entertainment and hip-hop moguls Clifford "T.I." Harris and Tameka "Tiny" Harris, but he issued a curative instruction to jurors after MGA objected to statements made by an attorney for the Harrises.

  • September 19, 2024

    Safeway Touts Bogus Wine Discounts For Members, Suit Says

    Safeway faces a proposed false advertising class action filed Wednesday in California federal court alleging it advertises bogus, limited-time offers of discounted prices on wine sold at its stores for its rewards program members, which misleads customers into thinking they're scoring a bargain. 

  • September 19, 2024

    Birkin Bag Lovers Must Rework Antitrust Suit, Judge Says

    A California federal judge said Thursday that consumers behind a proposed antitrust class action accusing Hermes of unlawfully tying the sale of its iconic Birkin handbag to other expensive items should amend their complaint, since the current version doesn't show how the luxury fashion retailer has foreclosed competition.

  • September 19, 2024

    Thermo Fisher Beats Worker's 401(k) Forfeiture Suit, For Now

    A California federal judge tossed a former Thermo Fisher worker's suit claiming it used abandoned cash in its retirement plan for its own benefit instead of cutting down administrative costs, finding Thursday the company didn't shirk any responsibilities under federal benefits law.

  • September 19, 2024

    Roblox Can't Ax Negligence Claims In Online Gambling Case

    Roblox must face claims it was negligent for failing to shield minor players from gambling through its platform after a California federal judge ruled Thursday that the plaintiffs adequately alleged it was foreseeable that the players would head to online casinos and gamble away their digital currency known as "Robux."

  • September 19, 2024

    Apple's $490M Deal Over China Sales OK'ed, Attys Get $110M

    A California federal judge approved Apple Inc.'s $490 million securities fraud settlement under which class counsel will receive $110.45 million in fees and costs plus interest, resolving years-old litigation alleging Apple and its top brass misled investors about iPhone sales in China.

  • September 19, 2024

    Ch. 7 Trustee Urges Justices To Uphold Return Of Taxes

    The bankruptcy trustee of a defunct Utah transportation company warned the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday that overturning a decision forcing the IRS to return tax payments made by company directors to cover their personal debts would encourage shareholder fraud.

  • September 19, 2024

    MrBeast Co., Amazon Accused Of Exploiting TV Contestants

    Reality show contestants have hit an Amazon Studios unit and the maker of the MrBeast YouTube channel with a proposed labor class action in California court, alleging they "shamelessly" exploited "Beat Games" contestants while threatening their livelihoods and misrepresenting their odds at winning the new show's $5 million grand prize.

  • September 19, 2024

    Scammers Bilked At Least $230M In Bitcoin, Feds Say

    Two people were arrested and charged with conspiring to steal and launder at least $230 million in bitcoin, allegedly using online monikers like "Anne Hathaway" and "VersaceGod," federal prosecutors said Thursday.

  • September 19, 2024

    Shot Put Pro Alleges Cannabis Ended His Athletic Career

    A champion collegiate athlete who's won numerous medals in the shot put has filed suit against half a dozen hemp retailers in New Jersey state court, claiming their products caused him to develop a cannabis-induced psychosis that spurred a suicide attempt and ended his professional athletic career.

  • September 19, 2024

    Ex-Williams Sonoma Worker Bilked $11M In Scam, Feds Say

    A former Williams Sonoma employee was indicted in California federal court over a yearslong scheme in which he allegedly defrauded the company out of $11 million after submitting fraudulent invoices for work that was never performed by a fictitious staffing business he secretly owned, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced.

  • September 19, 2024

    Calif. Says FDIC's $20M Tax Refund Bid Must Wait

    A California tax collection agency asked a New York federal court to throw out Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. claims seeking a more than $20 million tax refund on behalf of the shuttered Signature Bank, saying the agency is entitled to wait for a potential IRS audit to end. 

  • September 19, 2024

    Calif. Port's Approval Of Hydrogen Project Challenged

    Two conservation groups filed a California state court lawsuit challenging the Port of Stockton's review and approval of a hydrogen production and distribution facility, arguing it conducted an inadequate environmental review and failed to ensure project impacts are mitigated.

  • September 19, 2024

    9th Circ. Won't Revive Hilton Builder's $7.5M Insurance Suit

    Two insurers for a construction company have no duty to provide coverage for a more than $7.5 million water damage claim, the Ninth Circuit ruled Thursday, finding a rain damage exclusion in the company's policies is applicable.

  • September 19, 2024

    Calif. Panel Rejects Malpractice Claim In Ambulance Crash Suit

    A California appeals panel won't revive a woman's legal malpractice suit against her former attorney stemming from an ambulance crash suit that was filed too late, finding she also filed the malpractice suit outside the one-year statute of limitations.

  • September 19, 2024

    AT&T To Pay For Removal Of Hazardous Lake Tahoe Cables

    A California sportfishing nonprofit on Wednesday told a federal court that an AT&T subsidiary has agreed to pay an estimated $1.5 million to remove its lead-clad telecom cables in Lake Tahoe to end litigation that the cables pose a health threat.

  • September 19, 2024

    Snapchat Settles Conn. Bitmoji Sex Assault Case

    Snapchat parent company Snap Inc. has settled a Connecticut state court case accusing it of enabling sexual predators to convince their targets to meet them in person through the use of Bitmojis, which are cartoonish, youthful-looking caricatures of the platform's users.

  • September 19, 2024

    California Powerhouse: Kirkland

    Kirkland & Ellis LLP's California team won major corporate trials and ushered multibillion dollar transactions across the finish line over the past year, including advising on World Wrestling Entertainment's merger with Ultimate Fighting Championship, as well as helping Samsung fight off patent infringement claims and Gilead Sciences Inc. beat back claims it stifled competition for HIV medications.

  • September 19, 2024

    Calif. Vape Co. Says Mich. Store Is Selling Counterfeit G Pens

    California-based GS Holistic LLC is suing a Michigan smoke shop in federal court, alleging that it is selling counterfeit versions of its G Pen e-cigarettes without authorization at a fraction of the price, infringing its trademarks and harming its reputation.

  • September 19, 2024

    NY Knicks Owner Escapes Federal Sex Trafficking Claims

    A California federal judge has dismissed sexual assault and trafficking claims against New York Knicks owner James Dolan, casting a hired massage therapist's accusations against him as "speculative" but leaving the door open for further litigation in state court.

  • September 18, 2024

    Axonics Didn't Infringe Medtronic Patents, Calif. Jury Says

    Axonics did not infringe three of Medtronic's patents related to its bladder and bowel control device, a California federal jury determined Wednesday.

  • September 18, 2024

    MGA Threatens Mistrial In O.M.G Dolls IP Fight With T.I.

    An attorney for MGA Entertainment and its CEO told a California federal judge Wednesday that his clients may seek a mistrial in the intellectual property dispute between MGA and hip-hop moguls T.I. and Tiny Harris, which could end the third jury trial between the parties.

  • September 18, 2024

    CFPB Says Fintech's Funding Challenge 'Misconstrues' Law

    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau told a California federal judge that its lawsuit accusing fintech lender SoLo Funds Inc. of falsely touting interest-free loans on its platforms should proceed despite SoLo's claims that the agency is operating with an illegal funding scheme, among other things.

  • September 18, 2024

    SEC Says Unregistered DeFi Project Pooled $1B In Crypto

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission announced settlements with the business and co-founders behind decentralized finance, or DeFi, project Rari Capital Inc. on Wednesday after the regulator accused the project of misleading investors and acting as an unregistered broker.

  • September 18, 2024

    'Bling Empire' Star Owes $900K To Ex-Partner For Show Idea

    A California jury has concluded that the executive producer and star of Netflix's series "Bling Empire," Kelly Mi Li, owes a former business partner nearly $700,000 for breach of contract and fiduciary duties, along with $200,000 in punitive damages. 

Expert Analysis

  • Why Attorneys Should Consider Community Leadership Roles

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    Volunteering and nonprofit board service are complementary to, but distinct from, traditional pro bono work, and taking on these community leadership roles can produce dividends for lawyers, their firms and the nonprofit causes they support, says Katie Beacham at Kilpatrick.

  • Firms Must Offer A Trifecta Of Services In Post-Chevron World

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    After the U.S. Supreme Court’s Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo decision overturning Chevron deference, law firms will need to integrate litigation, lobbying and communications functions to keep up with the ramifications of the ruling and provide adequate counsel quickly, says Neil Hare at Dentons.

  • 5 Ways Life Sciences Cos. Can Manage Insider Trading Risk

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    In light of two high-profile insider trading jury decisions against life sciences executives this year, public companies in the sector should revise their policies to account for regulators' new and more expansive theories of liability, says Amy Walsh at Orrick.

  • 5 Tips To Succeed In A Master Of Laws Program And Beyond

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    As lawyers and recent law school graduates begin their Master of Laws coursework across the country, they should keep a few pointers in mind to get the most out of their programs and kick-start successful careers in their practice areas, says Kelley Miller at Reed Smith.

  • Bayer Antitrust Case Hinged On Evolving Market Definition

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    Generic flea and tick medication manufacturer Tevra's evolving market definition played a key role in the development and outcome of its five-year antitrust litigation against Bayer Healthcare, highlighting challenges that litigants may face when a proposed definition is assessed at trial, say Amy Vegari and Colleen Anderson at Patterson Belknap.

  • NYC Wage Info Bill Highlights Rise In Pay Transparency Laws

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    With New York City the latest to mull requiring companies to annually report employee wage data, national employers should consider adapting their compliance practices to comply with increasingly common pay transparency and disclosure obligations at state and local levels, says Kelly Cardin at Littler Mendelson.

  • The Bank Preemption Ripple Effects After Cantero, Flagstar

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    The importance of federal preemption for financial institutions will only increase as technology-driven innovations evolve, which is why the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in Cantero v. Bank of America and vacatur of Kivett v. Flagstar Bank have real modern-day significance for national banks, say attorneys at WilmerHale.

  • Series

    Being An Opera Singer Made Me A Better Lawyer

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    My journey from the stage to the courtroom has shown that the skills I honed as an opera singer – punctuality, memorization, creativity and more – have all played a vital role in my success as an attorney, says Gerard D'Emilio at GableGotwals.

  • How Law Firms Can Avoid 'Collaboration Drag'

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    Law firm decision making can be stifled by “collaboration drag” — characterized by too many pointless meetings, too much peer feedback and too little dissent — but a few strategies can help stakeholders improve decision-making processes and build consensus, says Steve Groom at Miles Mediation.

  • Election Outlook: A Precedent Primer On Content Moderation

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    With the 2024 election season now in full swing, online platforms will face difficult and politically sensitive decisions about content moderation, but U.S. Supreme Court decisions from last term offer much-needed certainty about their rights, say Jonathan Blavin and Helen White at Munger Tolles.

  • Banking Compliance Takeaways From Joint Agency Statement

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    Federal bank regulatory agencies’ recent joint statement warning of risks associated with third-party fintech deposit services spotlights a fundamental problem that may arise with bank deposit products that are made through increasingly complex customer relationships, says Tom Witherspoon at Stinson.

  • Workday AI Bias Suit Suggests Hiring Lessons For Employers

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    As state laws and a federal agency increasingly focus on employment bias introduced by artificial intelligence systems, a California federal court's recent decision to allow a discrimination suit to proceed against Workday's AI-driven recruitment software, shows companies should promptly assess these tools' risks, say attorneys at Williams & Connolly.

  • Assessing The Practicality Of Harris' Affordable Housing Plan

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    Vice President Kamala Harris' proposed "Build the American Dream" plan to tackle housing affordability issues takes solid recommendations into account and may fare better than California's unsuccessful attempt at a similar program, but the scope of the problem is beyond what a three-point plan can solve, says Brooke Miller at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Opinion

    Litigation Funding Disclosure Key To Open, Impartial Process

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    Blanket investor and funding agreement disclosures should be required in all civil cases where the investor has a financial interest in the outcome in order to address issues ranging from potential conflicts of interest to national security concerns, says Bob Goodlatte, former U.S. House Representative for Virginia.

  • The Ethics of Using Generative AI In Environmental Law

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    The rapid emergence of generative artificial intelligence tools is challenging environmental lawyers, consultants and government agencies to determine when and how these tools can be responsibly, ethically and productively integrated into their practices to streamline research, predictive analytics and regulatory compliance, say Ahlia Bethea and Pamela Esterman at Sive Paget.

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