California

  • May 28, 2024

    Autonomy Founder Says HP 'Panicked,' Tried To Unwind Deal

    Autonomy founder Michael Lynch testified Tuesday in a California federal criminal trial over claims he conned HP into overpaying for his company that HP's board "panicked" after news of the acquisition leaked and HP's stock dropped 20%, that HP fired its CEO and that it attempted to back out of the deal.

  • May 28, 2024

    AI Co. Can't Escape Meta's Suit Over User Data Scraping

    A California federal judge has refused to toss Meta Platforms Inc.'s suit accusing an artificial intelligence company of unlawfully scraping Facebook users' data and selling it to its clients, finding that Meta had identified a valid contract and that the court had jurisdiction over all the social media giant's claims.

  • May 28, 2024

    Chancery Finds Ex-CEO Owed $79M For Share Lockup Losses

    The former CEO of a 3D building imaging company is owed more than $79 million in damages in his share value suit against the company, but not the more than $141 million he sought, the Delaware Chancery Court ruled Tuesday.

  • May 28, 2024

    Abbott, Dexcom Call For New Glucose Monitor Patent Trial

    Just over two months after a jury in Wilmington handed down a mixed verdict in a patent lawsuit over glucose monitors, both sides are now asking the judge to give them another trial.

  • May 28, 2024

    Consumers, Advertisers Seek Class Cert. Against Meta

    Advertisers and consumers suing Facebook owner Meta Platforms Inc. over allegations of monopolizing the online social media advertising market and misusing users' data in the process have told the California federal court overseeing their claims that they believe it's time for the proposed classes to be certified.

  • May 28, 2024

    Google, Meta Can Arbitrate H&R Block User's Tax Data Suit

    A California federal judge on Friday ruled that a man who was previously instructed to arbitrate his proposed class action alleging that H&R Block shared private data must also arbitrate claims against Google and Meta Platforms Inc., saying the allegations against the two technology companies are closely connected to those against H&R Block.

  • May 28, 2024

    The NCAA Put Out One Fire, But The House Is Still Ablaze

    Despite the enormous size of the settlement of a class action by hundreds of thousands of former college athletes over name, image and likeness compensation denied to them, experts say it only resolves one of the NCAA's many legal crises, while shining a light on the severity of the others.

  • May 28, 2024

    Twitter Investors Seek Cert Over Musk's Backtrack On Buyout

    A group of Twitter investors have asked a California federal judge to certify a class over claims Elon Musk fraudulently tweeted about the social media company's alleged bot problem to get out of his $44 billion acquisition, arguing that the case is "perfectly suited for class certification."

  • May 28, 2024

    Agribiz Pushes Ninth Circ. To Reverse Land Swap Decision

    A global agribusiness with operations in Idaho has again asked the Ninth Circuit to reverse a lower court's "misguided" holding under the National Environmental Policy Act that favored the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes in their challenge to a U.S. Department of the Interior land transfer.

  • May 28, 2024

    Cloud Software Co. Hid Slowing Growth, Investor Suit Says

    Software company Fastly Inc. was hit with a proposed shareholder class action alleging it concealed from investors that it would be unable to meet its previously issued financial guidance following a period of unsustainable customer growth.

  • May 28, 2024

    50 Cent's Co. Can't Exit Injured Fan's Suit Over Thrown Mic

    A California judge on Tuesday denied 50 Cent's touring company an early exit from a lawsuit alleging the rapper injured a fan by throwing a microphone into a crowd, saying the complaint does not lump the defendants together in a way that makes the allegations "unduly vague." 

  • May 28, 2024

    Microsoft, OpenAI Beat Overstuffed Privacy Suit, For Now

    A California federal judge threw out, for now, consumers' suit alleging their privacy was violated by Microsoft Corp. and OpenAI LP's products, slamming the complaint as "excessive" and packed with "unnecessary and distracting allegations" to the point it's "nearly impossible" to determine the adequacy of the claims.

  • May 28, 2024

    States, Greens Want Judgment Over USPS' New Vehicle Plan

    Environmentalists and a coalition of 17 states called on a California federal judge to grant them judgment in litigation alleging the U.S. Postal Service violated the National Environmental Policy Act when it decided to replace its aging delivery fleet with "gas-guzzling vehicles."

  • May 28, 2024

    Activision Wins $14M From Call Of Duty Cheat Code Sellers

    Activision Publishing scored over $14.4 million in damages and nearly $300,000 in attorney fees against German companies accused of selling cheat codes for Call of Duty games when a California federal judge Tuesday granted its motion for default judgment, finding none of the defendants appeared in the case for a year.

  • May 28, 2024

    Absent Atty Irks Judge In Girardi-Linked Bar Corruption Case

    A California judge on Tuesday chastised a lawyer representing former clients of Tom Girardi accusing the state bar of "rampant corruption," telling the attorney over the phone that he is "nonplussed" as to why he attempted to skip the hearing on the bar's motion to toss the case.

  • May 28, 2024

    Groups Fight Calif. AG's Subpoenas In Plastic Waste Probe

    Two chemical and plastic industry groups have accused California Attorney General Rob Bonta of violating their First Amendment rights by demanding they hand over privileged documents as part of an investigation into global plastics pollution, in a pair of complaints filed in D.C. federal court.

  • May 28, 2024

    HIV Drug Buyers Fight Bid To Combine 9th Circ. Appeal Briefs

    Drug buyers that allege Gilead Sciences Inc. and Teva Pharmaceuticals delayed generic versions of HIV medications told the Ninth Circuit it would be unfair to grant the companies' call for a single brief addressing the 17 appeals filed after a jury rejected the claims last year.

  • May 28, 2024

    Healthcare Tech Co. To Pay $1.5M To End Class Wage Claims

    A healthcare software consulting company agreed to a $1.5 million deal resolving claims it violated Washington state wage law by requiring its software training staff to work up to 80 hours and seven days a week, according to a motion to approve the deal filed in federal court.

  • May 28, 2024

    Pelosi Attacker's 30-Yr. Term The Same After Sentencing Flub

    A California federal judge sentenced David DePape to 30 years in prison Tuesday for attempting to kidnap then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and assaulting her husband during a resentencing hearing that was held after the judge neglected to give DePape a chance to speak during his initial sentencing.

  • May 28, 2024

    Qualcomm Can't Knock Out 401(k) Forfeiture Suit

    Qualcomm Inc. must face a proposed class action alleging it used ex-employees' forfeited 401(k) funds to reduce company plan contributions rather than cover participants' expenses, with a California federal judge finding Qualcomm might have violated federal benefits law even if it was following the plan's terms.

  • May 28, 2024

    Kroger, Albertsons Must Give FTC Texts, Written Notes

    Claims from a pair of multibillion-dollar grocery giants that a discovery request will pose financial burden held no sway over a Federal Trade Commission in-house judge who last week ordered Kroger and Albertsons to produce text messages and handwritten notes from key employees as part of the agency's merger challenge.

  • May 28, 2024

    OCC's Hsu Says More Banks May Need Crisis Playbook Rules

    The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency's acting chief Michael Hsu called for potentially subjecting more banks to recovery planning standards that currently kick in at the $250 billion asset size threshold, floating it as another possible regulatory response to last year's regional bank failures.

  • May 28, 2024

    Apple Denied Appeal Of Cert. In App Store Monopoly Suit

    The Ninth Circuit on Friday rejected Apple's interlocutory appeal of an order certifying a class of millions of App Store users who allege antitrust violations, paving the way for discovery to proceed as the case heads toward a trial currently set for February 2026.

  • May 28, 2024

    Wells Fargo Seeks To Send Account Offsets Suit To Arbitration

    Wells Fargo has asked a California federal judge to send a class action lawsuit alleging it unlawfully dipped into customers' deposit accounts to repay itself for credit owed card debt to arbitration since the plaintiff signed a deposit account agreement containing a binding arbitration provision.

  • May 28, 2024

    Immigration Programs' Survival Justifies $3.7M Fee, Attys Say

    The attorneys who challenged Trump-era orders ending immigration protections for people from countries in crisis are seeking a $3.7 million fee award, telling a California federal judge that the Biden administration's rescission of the orders showed their lawsuit was successful.

Expert Analysis

  • How AI Cos. Can Cope With Shifting Copyright Landscape

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    In the evolving landscape of artificial intelligence, recent legal disputes have focused on the utilization of copyrighted material to train algorithms, meaning companies should be aware of fair use implications and possible licensing solutions for AI users, say Michael Hobbs and Justin Tilghman at Troutman Pepper.

  • How Attys Can Avoid Pitfalls When Withdrawing From A Case

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    The Trump campaign's recent scuffle over its bid to replace its counsel in a pregnancy retaliation suit offers a chance to remind attorneys that many troubles inherent in withdrawing from a case can be mitigated or entirely avoided by communicating with clients openly and frequently, says Christopher Konneker at Orsinger Nelson.

  • Using A Children's Book Approach In Firm Marketing Content

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    From “The Giving Tree” to “Where the Wild Things Are,” most children’s books are easy to remember because they use simple words and numbers to tell stories with a human impact — a formula law firms should emulate in their marketing content to stay front of mind for potential clients, says Seema Desai Maglio at The Found Word.

  • The State Of Play In DEI And ESG 1 Year After Harvard Ruling

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    Almost a year after the U.S. Supreme Court decided Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, attorney general scrutiny of environmental, social and governance-related efforts indicates a potential path for corporate diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives to be targeted, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.

  • Key Lessons From Recent Insurance Policy Reform Litigation

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    A review of recent case law reveals the wide range of misunderstandings that may arise between insurers and policyholders in the purchase and renewal of insurance policies, as well as the utility — and the limits — of reformation and related remedies for these misunderstandings, say Jad Khazem and Seth Tucker at Covington.

  • Patent Lessons From 4 Federal Circuit Reversals In April

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    Four Federal Circuit decisions in April that reversed or vacated underlying rulings provide a number of takeaways, including that obviousness analysis requires a flexible approach, that an invalidity issue of an expired patent can be moot, and more, say Denise De Mory and Li Guo at Bunsow De Mory.

  • What The FTC Report On AG Collabs Means For Cos.

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    The Federal Trade Commission's April report on working with state attorneys general shows collaboration can increase efficiency and consistency in how statutes are interpreted and enforced, which can minimize the likelihood of requests for inconsistent injunctive relief that can create operational problems for businesses, say attorneys at Kelley Drye.

  • When Oral Settlements Reached In Mediation Are Enforceable

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    A recent decision by the New Jersey Appellate Division illustrates the difficulties that may arise in trying to enforce an oral settlement agreement reached in mediation, but adherence to certain practices can improve the likelihood that such an agreement will be binding, says Richard Mason at MasonADR.

  • Series

    Being An EMT Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    While some of my experiences as an emergency medical technician have been unusually painful and searing, the skills I’ve learned — such as triage, empathy and preparedness — are just as useful in my work as a restructuring lawyer, says Marshall Huebner at Davis Polk.

  • 3 Employer Lessons From NLRB's Complaint Against SpaceX

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    Severance agreements traditionally have included nondisparagement and nondisclosure provisions as a matter of course — but a recent National Labor Relations Board complaint against SpaceX underscores the ongoing efforts to narrow severance agreements at the state and federal levels, say attorneys at Williams & Connolly.

  • Lessons On Challenging Class Plaintiffs' Expert Testimony

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    In class actions seeking damages, plaintiffs are increasingly using expert opinions to establish predominance, but several recent rulings from California federal courts shed light on how defendants can respond, say Jennifer Romano and Raija Horstman at Crowell & Moring.

  • Exploring An Alternative Model Of Litigation Finance

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    A new model of litigation finance, most aptly described as insurance-backed litigation funding, differs from traditional funding in two key ways, and the process of securing it involves three primary steps, say Bob Koneck, Christopher Le Neve Foster and Richard Butters at Atlantic Global Risk LLC.

  • Airlines Must Prepare For State AG Investigations

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    A recent agreement between the U.S. Department of Transportation and 18 states and territories will allow attorneys general to investigate consumer complaints against commercial passenger airlines — so carriers must be ready for heightened scrutiny and possibly inconsistent enforcement, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Series

    Teaching Yoga Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Being a yoga instructor has helped me develop my confidence and authenticity, as well as stress management and people skills — all of which have crossed over into my career as an attorney, says Laura Gongaware at Clyde & Co.

  • A Vision For Economic Clerkships In The Legal System

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    As courts handle increasingly complex damages analyses involving vast amounts of data, an economic clerkship program — integrating early-career economists into the judicial system — could improve legal outcomes and provide essential training to clerks, say Mona Birjandi at Data for Decisions and Matt Farber at Secretariat.

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