California

  • October 08, 2024

    Apollo Plugs $1.6B Into SCI Capital's Continuation Vehicle

    Affiliates of private equity giant Apollo Global Management have agreed to invest $1.6 billion as part of a portfolio vehicle managed by SCI Capital Partners LP that oversees portfolio companies Morton Salt and Reddy Ice, in an agreement shaped by Gibson Dunn and Proskauer Rose.

  • October 08, 2024

    Manatt RE Leader Found Common Ground Without An Ego

    Manatt Phelps & Phillips LLP has lost a Silicon Valley real estate partner with the death of Michael Polentz, and former colleagues are praising his ability to seamlessly break down complex ideas and his achievement of great success in the legal world — and doing so without an ego.

  • October 08, 2024

    9th Circ. Affirms Atty Fee Reduction In Cathode Suit

    A three-judge Ninth Circuit panel on Monday upheld a lower court's decision to cut more than $2 million from plaintiff's firm Cooper & Kirkham's $3.45 million fee award in a multidistrict litigation settlement over alleged cathode ray tube price-fixing litigation.

  • October 08, 2024

    Legal Tech Co. EvenUp Valued At $1B After $135M Series D

    The legal technology sector has a new unicorn after artificial intelligence provider EvenUp secured a $135 million Series D funding round and reached a $1 billion valuation on Tuesday.

  • October 08, 2024

    London Blank-Check Eyes Reverse Takeover 2 Years After IPO

    Cash shell Milton Capital PLC said Tuesday that it has reached a preliminary agreement with Horizon Energy Global Corp. that could result in the energy company taking over Milton's listing on the London Stock Exchange two years after it was first listed.

  • October 08, 2024

    AGs Slam TikTok With Youth Addiction, Fraud Claims

    More than a dozen states have sued TikTok, alleging the popular social media platform targets young users and manipulates them into becoming habitual users while downplaying the harmful effects it can have on mental health and development.

  • October 07, 2024

    9th Circ. Eyes 'Justiciability' Of Ex-Rabobank Exec's OCC Row

    A Ninth Circuit panel Monday signaled doubts about a former Rabobank executive's challenge to enforcement proceedings that the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency abruptly abandoned last year, flagging key mootness concerns while still expressing some unease with the agency's handling of the matter.

  • October 07, 2024

    9th Circ. Asked To Take Another Look At 'Patent Misuse' Case

    Atrium Medical Corp. has urged the full Ninth Circuit to reconsider a panel ruling siding with rival medical product maker C.R. Bard in a $52.8 million lawsuit over patent royalty provisions, saying the panel "inappropriately dispensed with the evidence adduced below and the district court's fact-finding."

  • October 07, 2024

    Activist Short Seller Blasts 'Preposterous' SEC Fraud Suit

    The founder of Citron Research, a newsletter for short sellers, has asked a California federal court to dismiss the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's fraud suit against him and his investment advisory firm, arguing the suit "strategically omits" the disclaimers it accused the founder of not making.

  • October 07, 2024

    Boehringer Defends Zantac As Cancer Jury Trial Kicks Off

    Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals defended the company's heartburn medication Zantac during the defense's opening statements in a product liability trial Monday, telling California jurors that trial evidence will show the plaintiff never used Boehringer's over-the-counter Zantac products, and that other risk factors put him at risk of developing bladder cancer.

  • October 07, 2024

    Attys Want $20M Fees For Netting $64M Tuna Price-Fixing Deal

    Attorneys representing a class of purchasers who sued several canned tuna producers have asked a California federal judge for nearly $20 million in fees and costs associated with their recently inked $64 million settlement, saying the award is fair considering the effort the case took to prosecute and the complexity of the deal.

  • October 07, 2024

    ITC Judge Pushes For Import Ban In Liver Drug Secrets Row

    The U.S. International Trade Commission's chief judge is recommending the agency block a Hong Kong-listed drug developer from potentially marketing unapproved treatments for a type of liver disease for the next seven years, a win for another company behind a different unapproved treatment for the same type of liver disease.

  • October 07, 2024

    Valero, Port Cos. To Pay $2.4M To End Bay Area Pollution Suit

    Valero and three port companies will pay nearly $2.4 million to resolve a nonprofit's lawsuit accusing the defendants of illegally dumping petroleum coke into the water without proper permits, in violation of the Clean Water Act, according to a consent decree signed by a California federal judge on Monday.

  • October 07, 2024

    9th Circ. Revives Asylum App Denied Over Alleged Plagiarism

    The Ninth Circuit revived an asylum application from an Indian national allegedly persecuted for his membership in a Sikh separatist political party, saying an immigration judge incorrectly denied the application based on its general similarities with other Indian nationals' asylum applications.

  • October 07, 2024

    Biotech, Medical Device Firms Prep Three IPOs Totaling $376M

    Two venture-backed biotechnology startups and a medical device maker launched plans on Monday for three initial public offerings projected to raise about $376 million combined, adding to a busy schedule of IPOs this week.

  • October 07, 2024

    Texas Ghost Gun Cos. Can't Keep Calif. Suit In Fed Court

    A California federal judge has sent back to state court a suit by the state alleging three Texas-based companies are trying to get around California's prohibition on equipment used primarily or exclusively to make "ghost guns," finding the companies haven't shown that there's diversity among the parties.

  • October 07, 2024

    High Court Doubts States Can Police Federal Rights Claims

    The U.S. Supreme Court seemed poised Monday to strike down an Alabama law requiring litigants to exhaust state administrative remedies before they file claims in state court accusing local officials of violating federal rights, with several justices suggesting the court already answered that question almost 40 years ago.

  • October 07, 2024

    Title Co. Denied Early Win In $13M Hotel Investment Fight

    A California federal judge declined to grant a title company an early win in a lawsuit brought by an investor accusing it of improperly releasing the investor's $13 million contribution to a 17-hotel deal, finding that a dispute remained over multiple factual issues.

  • October 07, 2024

    T-Mobile Contractor's $27M Phone Order Suit Gets Cancelled

    A Washington federal judge has again thrown out a mobile phone manufacturer's $27 million lawsuit accusing T-Mobile of reneging on purchase orders — this time, for good — ruling the company's revised claims are still at odds with the carrier's contractual right to cancel.   

  • October 07, 2024

    Vendor Says Rue21 Skipped $2M In Bills For Clothing

    A Los Angeles-based clothing supplier has sued Rue21, saying the fashion retailer stiffed it on $300,000 worth of invoices and is on the hook for $1.7 million to another vendor.

  • October 07, 2024

    Ex-CEO Of Tribal Telecom Co. Indicted For $500K Fund Theft

    A former executive with a telecommunications company owned by the Yurok Tribe has been indicted by a San Francisco federal grand jury on charges she embezzled more than $500,000 from the tribe.

  • October 07, 2024

    Target's '100% Pure' Avocado Oil Not So Pure, Suit Says

    Target customers hit the retailer with a putative class action in California federal court alleging its line of Good & Gather avocado oil is not 100% pure as the label suggests, and instead may contain additives like other lesser quality oils.

  • October 07, 2024

    Calif. Landlord Sued By Tenants Over 'Hidden' Rent Fees

    A California multifamily landlord responsible for over 60,000 apartments wrongfully charged tenants "hidden and misleading" rent fees, a proposed class of tenants has claimed in California federal court.

  • October 07, 2024

    Brothers' $10B Real Estate Battle Nets Another $11.6M In Fees

    A California judge granted over $11 million in attorney fees Monday to a man who prevailed in a 20-year legal battle with his brother over a real estate empire when a jury awarded him and his other brothers a $10 billion verdict, granting the bulk of the request.

  • October 07, 2024

    Epic Judge Orders Google To Let Rivals Set Up App Stores

    A California federal judge on Monday ordered Google to offer third-party options for downloading apps on Android phones, banned it from offering companies financial incentives to discourage competition with Google Play and blocked it from signing developer deals to have an app launch first or exclusively in its app store.

Expert Analysis

  • How A Bumblebee Got Under Calif. Wildlife Regulator's Bonnet

    Author Photo

    A California bumblebee's listing as an endangered species could lead to a regulatory quagmire as California Department of Fish and Wildlife permits now routinely include survey requirements for the bee, but the regulator has yet to determine what the species needs for conservation, says David Smith at Manatt.

  • Rare Robinson-Patman Ruling Exhibits Key Antitrust Risk

    Author Photo

    A rare federal court decision under the Robinson-Patman Act, which prohibits certain kinds of price discrimination, highlights the antitrust risks faced by certain suppliers and is likely to be cited by future plaintiffs and enforcement officials calling for renewed scrutiny of pricing and discounting practices, say attorneys at Baker McKenzie.

  • Deciphering SEC Disgorgement 4 Years After Liu

    Author Photo

    Since the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2020 decision in Liu v. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to preserve SEC disgorgement with limits, courts have continued to rule largely in the agency’s favor, but a recent circuit split over the National Defense Authorization Act's import may create hurdles for the SEC, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

  • Wiretap Use In Cartel Probes Likely To Remain An Exception

    Author Photo

    Although the U.S. Department of Justice's Antitrust Division has recently signaled interest in wiretaps, the use of this technology to capture evidence of antitrust conspiracies and pursue monopolization as a criminal matter has been rare historically, and is likely to remain so, say Carsten Reichel and Will Conway at DLA Piper.

  • Opinion

    California Has A Duty To Curtail Frivolous CIPA Suits

    Author Photo

    As plaintiffs increasingly file class actions against companies for their use of website tracking cookies and pixels, the Legislature should consider four options to amend the California Invasion of Privacy Act and restore the balance between consumer privacy and business operational interests, say Steven Stransky and Jennifer Adler at Thompson Hine and Glenn Lammi at the Washington Legal Foundation.

  • Playing The Odds: Criminal Charges Related To Sports Betting

    Author Photo

    In light of recent sports betting scandals involving MLB player Shohei Ohtani and NBA player Jontay Porter, institutions and individuals involved in athletics should be aware of and prepared to address the legal issues, including potential criminal charges, that sports gambling may bring to their door, say attorneys at Steptoe.

  • 8th Circ. Insurance Ruling Spotlights Related-Claims Defenses

    Author Photo

    The Eighth Circuit’s recent Dexon v. Travelers ruling — that the insurer must provide a defense despite the policy’s related-acts provision — provides guidance for how policyholders can overcome related-acts defenses, say Geoffrey Fehling and Jae Lynn Huckaba at Hunton.

  • Series

    Playing Chess Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    There are many ways that chess skills translate directly into lawyer skills, but for me, the bigger career lessons go beyond the direct parallels — playing chess has shown me the value of seeing gradual improvement in and focusing deep concentration on a nonwork endeavor, says attorney Steven Fink.

  • 9th Circ. Clarifies ERISA Preemption For Healthcare Industry

    Author Photo

    The Ninth Circuit's recent ruling in Bristol SL Holdings v. Cigna notably clarifies the broad scope of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act's preemption of certain state law causes of action, standing to benefit payors and health plan administrators, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.

  • State Procurement Could Be Key For Calif. Offshore Wind

    Author Photo

    A recent ruling from the California Public Utilities Commission highlights how the state's centralized electricity procurement mechanism could play a critical role in the development of long lead-time resources — in particular, offshore wind — by providing market assurance to developers and reducing utilities' procurement risks, say attorneys at Wilson Sonsini.

  • Calif. Budget Will Likely Have Unexpected Tax Consequences

    Author Photo

    A temporary suspension of net operating loss deductions and business incentive tax credits, likely to be approved on June 15 as part of California’s next budget, may create unanticipated tax liabilities for businesses that modeled recently completed transactions on current law, says Myra Sutanto Shen at Wilson Sonsini.

  • Patent Lessons From 7 Federal Circuit Reversals In May

    Author Photo

    A look at recent cases where the Federal Circuit reversed or vacated decisions by the Patent Trial and Appeal Board or a federal district court provide guidance on how to succeed on appeal by clarifying the obviousness analysis of design patents, the finality of a judgment, and more, say Denise De Mory and Li Guo at Bunsow De Mory.

  • Litigation Inspiration: Attys Can Be Heroic Like Olympians

    Author Photo

    Although litigation won’t earn anyone an Olympic medal in Paris this summer, it can be worthy of the same lasting honor if attorneys exercise focused restraint — seeking both their clients’ interests and those of the court — instead of merely pursuing every advantage short of sanctionable conduct, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.

  • Politics In The Workplace: What Employers Need To Know

    Author Photo

    As the 2024 election approaches and protests continue across the country, employers should be aware of employees' rights — and limits on those rights — related to political speech and activities in the workplace, and be prepared to act proactively to prevent issues before they arise, say attorneys at Littler.

  • Lean Into The 'Great Restoration' To Retain Legal Talent

    Author Photo

    As the “great resignation,” in which employees voluntarily left their jobs in droves, has largely dissipated, legal employers should now work toward the idea of a “great restoration,” adopting strategies to effectively hire, onboard and retain top legal talent, says Molly McGrath at Hiring & Empowering Solutions.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the California archive.
Hello! I'm Law360's automated support bot.

How can I help you today?

For example, you can type:
  • I forgot my password
  • I took a free trial but didn't get a verification email
  • How do I sign up for a newsletter?
Ask a question!