California

  • November 21, 2025

    IP Notebook: Kahwa Mix-Up, WallStreetBets, Hotel California

    This round of Law360's look at emerging copyright and trademark issues includes a Federal Circuit case over an obscure tea drink and a nod to the Eagles' "Hotel California" in a precedential decision that is a primer on having an actual intent to use a trademark.

  • November 21, 2025

    FCC Revokes Calif.'s Direct Oversight Of Lifeline Program

    California will no longer be allowed to use its own process to verify eligibility for the Lifeline program after the FCC stripped it of the privilege, which has only been extended to two other states, claiming a recently passed California law will make the state's process unreliable.

  • November 21, 2025

    Real Estate Recap: REIT Reporting, Defining Water

    Catch up on this past week's key developments by state from Law360 Real Estate Authority — including reactions from real estate attorneys in two areas primed for deregulation.

  • November 21, 2025

    OpenAI Tells 9th Circ. TM Injunction Is 'Based On Guesses'

    OpenAI Inc. urged the Ninth Circuit on Friday to scrap a preliminary injunction won by IYO Inc. which blocks OpenAI from using the trademark associated with acquired competitor IO Products Inc., arguing there is no evidence that IYO faces irreparable harm and the injunction is "based on guesses" about OpenAI's future products.

  • November 21, 2025

    MGA Can Take IP Fight Over Dolls To 9th Circ. Before Retrial

    A California federal judge on Thursday allowed toy giant MGA Entertainment Inc. to ask the Ninth Circuit if a judge or jury should consider whether hip hop moguls Clifford and Tameka Harris are entitled to punitive damages in long-running litigation over the alleged use of their intellectual property in an MGA line of dolls. 

  • November 21, 2025

    Tesla's Runaway Acceleration Led To Fatal Crash, Suit Says

    A Tesla Model 3 accelerated on its own, crashing into a utility pole and exploding into an inferno that killed a Washington woman and left her husband with serious injuries, according to a lawsuit filed on Friday in federal court.

  • November 21, 2025

    Kalshi-Type Cos. Flout Laws, Calif. Tribe Org. Tells CFTC Nom

    The California Nations Indian Gaming Association on Friday called on U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission head nominee Michael Selig to shut down sports events contracts on prediction platforms like Kalshi, saying platforms are "exploiting a regulatory vacuum" to violate federal, state and tribal laws and the commission's own regulations.

  • November 21, 2025

    Electric Air Taxi Co. Joby Says Rival Stole Trade Secrets

    Joby Aviation has accused rival electric air-taxi company Archer Aviation Inc. of recruiting one of Joby's senior executives who pilfered Joby's trade secrets, which Archer then used to gain leverage in negotiations with a development partner on a lucrative deal, according to a new California state court complaint.

  • November 21, 2025

    Nextdoor Beats Investor Suit Over Post-SPAC Woes For Good

    A California federal judge has permanently dismissed a shareholder class action alleging hyperlocal social networking service Nextdoor Holdings Inc. misled investors about its projected profitability when combining with a special purpose acquisition company, finding the investors failed to cure issues from a previous complaint.

  • November 21, 2025

    3 Firms Guide American Healthcare REIT's Public Offering

    American Healthcare REIT Inc., guided by Sidley Austin LLP, announced a public offering for 8.1 million of its common stock shares, which are underwritten by Paul Hastings LLP-led RBC Capital Markets in a deal partially guided by Venable LLP, according to a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing.

  • November 21, 2025

    Writers Accuse Databricks Of Deposition Misconduct In AI Suit

    Writers suing Databricks for allegedly using their copyrighted works for artificial intelligence training have urged a California federal judge to order defense attorneys to stop coaching witnesses during depositions, with defense counsel countering that the court should bar plaintiffs from asking "personally invasive and harassing" questions.

  • November 21, 2025

    Worker Says Morgan & Morgan Fired Her Over Fraud Concern

    Injury law firm Morgan & Morgan PA fired a case manager after she voiced a concern about fraudulent client hospital records she said the firm gave to opposing counsel to snag more favorable settlements and failed to pay overtime, according to a suit in California state court.

  • November 21, 2025

    DOJ Says Calif. Tuition Laws Discriminate Against US Citizens

    The U.S. Department of Justice sued the state of California in federal court Thursday over laws that offer in-state tuition, loans, scholarships and other benefits to college students lacking legal U.S. residency, arguing these laws are unconstitutional since they're not available to U.S. citizens who are from out-of-state. 

  • November 21, 2025

    Calif. Parks Dept. Violated ESA, Judge Rules In Bird Case

    The California Department of Parks and Recreation is violating the Endangered Species Act by allowing vehicles on a beach that's home to threatened snowy plovers, resulting in injury and death to the shorebirds and loss of habitat, a federal judge ruled.

  • November 21, 2025

    Trump Admin Says Court Can't Second-Guess Revoked Visas

    The Trump administration on Friday told a California federal judge that he has no authority to review the State Department's decision to revoke the visas of three international students who say they were wrongly targeted after their names showed up in a crime database, saying the authorizing statute bars judicial review.

  • November 21, 2025

    DLA Piper Adds Fenwick Emerging Growth, VC Expert In LA

    DLA Piper is boosting its corporate team, bringing in a Fenwick & West LLP venture capital ace as a partner in its Los Angeles office.

  • November 21, 2025

    Atty Had 6 AI Tools Check Each Other, Yet Fakes Still Cited

    A California federal judge has sanctioned a solo practitioner representing the plaintiffs in a proposed wage and hour class action against clothing brand Vuori Inc. after he admitted to using about a half-dozen artificial intelligence tools to prepare a motion.

  • November 21, 2025

    Red Cross Workers' $3.5M Wage Deal Halted Again

    A $3.5 million deal to end a proposed wage and hour class action against the American Red Cross can't move forward because the worker who lodged the suit did not fix certain issues a California federal judge pointed out, the judge ruled.

  • November 21, 2025

    9th Circ. Shuts Down Northern Mariana Retiree's COLA Claim

    The Ninth Circuit rejected a retiree's claim that a retirement fund for Northern Mariana Islands government employees owed her cost of living adjustments in her benefits, backing a ruling that a law promising COLAs to retirees doesn't extend to her.

  • November 20, 2025

    Renewed Federal Push To Block State AI Laws Faces Backlash

    The Trump administration is pushing to revive a failed effort to stop states from regulating artificial intelligence systems, drawing opposition from California's data privacy regulator, consumer advocates and others that argue it's crucial for states to retain their ability to put guardrails on the emerging technology in the wake of continued federal inaction.

  • November 20, 2025

    Invisalign-Maker's Sweetened $32M Antitrust Payout OK'd

    A California federal judge who previously rejected Invisalign-maker Align Technology's $27.5 million antitrust deal with SmileDirectClub buyers because it included a coupon program said Thursday he will approve a revised deal, which provides for an all-cash $31.75 million payout.

  • November 20, 2025

    Roblox Can't Get Teen Grooming Suit Arbitrated

    A California state judge said Roblox couldn't compel a minor to arbitrate his claims that he was targeted and exploited by a sexual predator on the online gaming platform, saying that a recent federal law aimed at ending forced arbitration in sexual assault and harassment cases isn't limited to workplaces.

  • November 20, 2025

    X Corp. Ends $90M Fee Suit Against Wachtell

    X Corp. has ended its California state lawsuit against Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz over $90 million in legal fees tied to the fight over Elon Musk's purchase of Twitter, according to a court filing.

  • November 20, 2025

    9th Circ. Urged To Revive Google Maps Antitrust Suit

    App makers urged the Ninth Circuit on Thursday to revive a proposed class action targeting Google's Maps product, arguing that the lower court erred in failing to accept at the pleading stage their antitrust arguments that Google's terms suppressed competition, allowing Google to increase developer costs up to 1,400%.

  • November 20, 2025

    NLRB Seeks To Stop Calif. Agency From Acting When It Can't

    The National Labor Relations Board has asked a California federal judge to block a new state law allowing the state's labor board to perform NLRB functions when the federal agency lacks a quorum, saying the NLRB will be irreparably harmed if the law is allowed to take effect in 2026.

Expert Analysis

  • Opinion

    DOJ's HPE-Juniper Settlement Will Help US Compete

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    The U.S. Department of Justice settlement with Hewlett Packard Enterprise clears the purchase of Juniper Networks in a deal that positions the U.S. as a leader in secure, scalable networking and critical digital infrastructure by requiring the divestiture of a WiFi network business geared toward small firms, says John Shu at Taipei Medical University.

  • Anthropic Ruling Creates Fair Use Framework For AI Training

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    A California federal court’s recent ruling that Anthropic’s use of copyrighted books to train its large language model qualified as fair use provides important guidance for both artificial intelligence developers and copyright holders because it distinguishes between transformative uses and unauthorized uses involving pirated or format-shifted works, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

  • How Property Insurers Serve As Climate Change Harbingers

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    Thomas Dawson at McDermott discusses the role that U.S. property insurers may play in identifying and assessing climate risk, as well as in financing climate change adaptation projects, in light of global warming and shifting geopolitical realities.

  • Series

    Playing Baseball Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Playing baseball in college, and now Wiffle ball in a local league, has taught me that teamwork, mental endurance and emotional intelligence are not only important to success in the sport, but also to success as a trial attorney, says Kevan Dorsey at Swift Currie.

  • APA Relief May Blunt Justices' Universal Injunction Ruling

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    The Administrative Procedure Act’s avenue for universal preliminary relief seems to hold the most promise for neutralizing the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Trump v. CASA to limit federal district courts' nationally applicable orders, say attorneys at Crowell.

  • Managing Risks As State AGs Seek To Fill Enforcement Gap

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    Given an unprecedented surge in state attorney general activity resulting from significant shifts in federal enforcement priorities, companies must consider tailored strategies for navigating the ever-evolving risk landscape, say attorneys at Cozen O'Connor.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Skillful Persuasion

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    In many ways, law school teaches us how to argue, but when the ultimate goal is to get your client what they want, being persuasive through preparation and humility is the more likely key to success, says Michael Friedland at Friedland Cianfrani.

  • Litigation Inspiration: How To Respond After A Loss

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    Every litigator loses a case now and then, and the sting of that loss can become a medicine that strengthens or a poison that corrodes, depending on how the attorney responds, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.

  • Tips For Cos. From California Climate Reporting FAQ

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    New guidance from the California Air Resources Board on how businesses must implement the state's sweeping climate reporting requirements should help companies assess their exposure, understand their disclosure obligations and begin documenting good-faith compliance efforts, says Thierry Montoya at Frost Brown.

  • What Calif. Insurance Ruling Means For Smoke Damage Limits

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    As California continues to grapple with an increasing number of wildfire claims, a state court's recent Aliff v. California FAIR Plan decision serves as a clear directive to insurers that policy language that narrows the scope of fire coverage below the California Insurance Code's minimum standards is impermissible, say attorneys at Wood Smith.

  • How NJ's Proposed Privacy Rules Could Reshape AI Data Use

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    Although not revolutionary, New Jersey's proposed privacy rules would create obligations around the management and processing of consumer personal data that will require careful planning before they can be successfully implemented, say attorneys at Norton Rose.

  • The Metamorphosis Of The Major Questions Doctrine

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    The so-called major questions doctrine arose as a counterweight to Chevron deference over the past few decades, but invocations of the doctrine have persisted in the year since Chevron was overturned, suggesting it still has a role to play in reining in agency overreach, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.

  • What 9th Circ. Ruling Shows About Rebutting SEC Comments

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    The Ninth Circuit's June opinion in Pino v. Cardone Capital suggests that a company's lack of pushback to a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission comment may be evidence of its state of mind for evaluating potential liability, meaning companies should consider including additional disclosure in SEC response letters, say attorneys at Barnes & Thornburg.

  • Business Takeaways Following CCPA Enforcement Actions

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    Advisories and recent enforcement activity by the California Privacy Protection Agency against Honda and Todd Snyder underscore the agency's enforcement interest in the intersection of data minimization and consumer rights, and could make it more challenging for a business to provide a streamlined consumer rights process, say attorneys at Covington.

  • Compliance Lessons From 1st-Ever Product Safety Sentences

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    A California federal judge’s recent sentencing of two former Gree USA executives in a landmark Consumer Product Safety Act case serves as a reminder of the federal government’s willingness to pursue criminal prosecution of individuals who fail to report safety hazards, as well as companies’ need to strengthen their reporting and compliance programs, say attorneys at Cooley.

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