California

  • 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.

  • May 28, 2024

    O'Reilly Auto Parts Inks $4.1M COVID Screening Settlement

    O'Reilly Auto Enterprises has agreed to pay $4.1 million to settle a California wage and hour lawsuit alleging that the company should have paid workers for the time they spent undergoing COVID-19 screenings before shifts and for work performed during meal breaks, according to a court memo.

  • May 28, 2024

    Calif. Judge Cops To Ethics Charges, Agrees To Step Down

    A California judge censured and barred for multiple ethics violations, including drug use, inappropriate personal relationships with attorneys and making inappropriate comments, including antisemitic remarks, about litigants and attorneys, has resigned as of Monday.

  • May 28, 2024

    Edwards Urges Full Fed. Circ. To Limit FDA Safe Harbor

    Edwards Lifesciences has petitioned the full Federal Circuit to narrow its interpretation of a U.S. Food and Drug Administration safe harbor that essentially allows patent infringement during drug development, arguing that if Congress wanted the statute to be interpreted broadly, "it would have said exactly that."

  • May 28, 2024

    Reed Smith Gets Digital Music Pro From Calif. Boutique Firm

    Reed Smith LLP announced Tuesday it has hired a music and entertainment attorney in Los Angeles who worked at boutique entertainment law firm Granderson Des Rochers LLP, Universal Music Publishing Group and Google.

  • May 28, 2024

    Justices Won't Hear Avenatti Appeal Of Nike Conviction

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to hear an appeal from Michael Avenatti challenging his conviction for trying to extort millions from Nike, with the high court's rejection ending the disbarred attorney's chances at overturning one of his three criminal convictions.

  • May 28, 2024

    Chancery Speeds Microsoft Query Over $68.7B Activision Deal

    Microsoft Corp. is entitled to a quick court declaration on whether its $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard Inc. in October was valid, and a pension fund shareholder that challenged the deal has a right to be involved in the process, Delaware's Court of Chancery said Tuesday.

  • May 28, 2024

    9th Circ. Won't Touch IRS Bid For Tax Liability On Bookie

    A bookie who pled guilty to helping run an illegal sports gambling ring out of Peru can't escape his ensuing $100,000 tax liability under a Ninth Circuit ruling that declined to expunge his conviction after he argued the taxes are disproportionately punishing.

  • May 28, 2024

    High Court Won't Hear Pilot HOA's Rail Easement Case

    The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear a request from an Alaska homeowners association made up of pilots to review a Ninth Circuit decision giving a railroad control of an easement cutting into an airstrip for an airplane-centric subdivision.

  • May 28, 2024

    Justices Will Review EPA's 'Vague' SF Water Pollution Regs

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to review the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's decision to set "vague" and "generic" pollution prohibitions for San Francisco, as opposed to numerical standards.

  • May 24, 2024

    Live Nation Ticket Buyers Follow Feds With Antitrust Suit

    Live Nation and Ticketmaster were hit with a consumer antitrust proposed class action Thursday accusing them of monopolizing concert promotion and ticketing for major concert venues following their 2010 merger, which comes on the heels of the U.S. Department of Justice's own lawsuit.

  • May 24, 2024

    Sony Denied Early Bid To Block PlayStation Antitrust Class

    A California federal judge Friday denied Sony's preemptive bid to deny class certification in a suit accusing it of overcharging PlayStation Store users through a monopoly on downloadable game cards, saying Sony has yet to show that the plaintiffs are bound by class action waivers, or it can enforce arbitration.

  • May 24, 2024

    Real Estate Authority: Adaptive Reuse, Climate Risk, SFR

    Catch up on this week's key developments by state from Law360 Real Estate Authority — including one BigLaw real estate leader's take on adaptive reuse, the enduring risk of climate change for public companies, and the latest industry player perspectives on the single-family rental market.

  • May 24, 2024

    Top Senate Banking Dem Presses DoorDash On Biz Advances

    Food ordering and delivery platform DoorDash has come under fire from the chair of the U.S. Senate's banking committee over merchant cash advance products offered on its platform, with the lawmaker saying the typically high costs of such offerings bear "a troubling similarity to payday lending practices."

Expert Analysis

  • 1869 Case May Pave Off-Ramp For Justices In Trump DQ Fight

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    In deciding whether former President Donald Trump is disqualified from Colorado's Republican primary ballots, the U.S. Supreme Court could rely on due process principles articulated in a Reconstruction-era case to avert a chaotic or undemocratic outcome, says Gordon Renneisen at Cornerstone Law Group.

  • Directors And Officers Face Unique AI-Related Risks

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    As privacy, intellectual property and discrimination lawsuits focusing on artificial intelligence increase, corporate directors and officers must stay aware of associated risks, including those related to compliance, litigation and cybersecurity, says Jonathan Meer at Wilson Elser.

  • Series

    Playing Competitive Tennis Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My experience playing competitive tennis has highlighted why prioritizing exercise and stress relief, maintaining perspective under pressure, and supporting colleagues in pursuit of a common goal are all key aspects of championing a successful legal career, says Madhumita Datta at Lowenstein Sandler.

  • New Strain Of Web Tracking Suits Pose Risks For Retailers

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    Amid an ongoing surge of California state and federal lawsuits that are using novel theories to allege companies used certain recording technologies to illegally track website users, retailers should take steps to develop a potential argument that customers consented to any alleged uses of these devices, say attorneys at Benesch.

  • Series

    The Pop Culture Docket: Judge Djerassi On Super Bowl 52

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    Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Judge Ramy Djerassi discusses how Super Bowl 52, in which the Philadelphia Eagles prevailed over the New England Patriots, provides an apt metaphor for alternative dispute resolution processes in commercial business cases.

  • 9 Tools To Manage PAGA Claims After Calif. High Court Ruling

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    In Estrada v. Royalty Carpet Mills, the California Supreme Court recently dealt a blow to employers by ruling that courts cannot dismiss Private Attorneys General Act claims on manageability grounds, but defendants and courts can still use arbitration agreements, due process challenges and other methods when dealing with unmanageable claims, says Ryan Krueger at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Workplace Speech Policies Limit Legal And PR Risks

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    As workers increasingly speak out on controversies like the 2024 elections and the Israel-Hamas war, companies should implement practical workplace expression policies and plans to protect their brands and mitigate the risk of violating federal and state anti-discrimination and free speech laws, say attorneys at McDermott.

  • Staying Ahead Of The AI Policymaking Curve

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    With artificial intelligence poised to be the hottest legislative and regulatory topic in 2024, expect the AI policymaking toolbox to continue to expand and evolve as stakeholders in the U.S. and abroad develop, deploy, use and learn more about these technologies, say attorneys at Hogan Lovells.

  • 10 Years Of Retail Battles: Unpacking Pricing Litigation Trends

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    A close look at a decade of pricing class actions against retailers reveals evolving trends, plaintiffs bar strategies, and the effects of significant court decisions across states, say attorneys at Benesch.

  • Employee Experience Strategy Can Boost Law Firm Success

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    Amid continuing business uncertainty, law firms should consider adopting a holistic employee experience strategy — prioritizing consistency, targeting signature moments and leveraging measurement tools — to maximize productivity and profitability, says Haley Revel at Calibrate Consulting.

  • Opinion

    CFPB Must Clarify When Anti-Fraud Benefits Offset Harms

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    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's ill-explained orders against two banks, concerning legitimate unemployment accounts that were frozen in attempts to control COVID-era fraud, illustrate an urgent need for bureau guidance on when the systemwide benefits of a potentially unfair practice outweigh the risk of harming a minority of consumers, says Jonathan Joshua at Joshua Law Firm.

  • And Now A Word From The Panel: A Strong Year For MDLs

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    While the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation granted even fewer MDL petitions last year than in 2022, hitting a 21st-century low, a closer look at the record-setting number of total actions encompassed within current proceedings reveals that MDL practice is still quite robust, says Alan Rothman at Sidley.

  • How Consumer Product Cos. Can Keep Up With Class Actions

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    Recent cases show California's federal courts and the Ninth Circuit remain the preferred arena for consumers pursuing false advertising and trade deception claims against companies — so manufacturers, distributors and retailers of consumer products should continue to watch these courts for guidance on how to fight class actions, say attorneys at Dechert.

  • Series

    Competing In Triathlons Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    While practicing law and competing in long-distance triathlons can make work and life feel unbalanced at times, participating in the sport has revealed important lessons about versatility, self-care and perseverance that apply to the office as much as they do the racecourse, says Laura Heusel at Butler Snow.

  • Where Justices Stand On Chevron Doctrine Post-Argument

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    Following recent oral argument at the U.S. Supreme Court, at least four justices appear to be in favor of overturning the long-standing Chevron deference, and three justices seem ready to uphold it, which means the ultimate decision may rest on Chief Justice John Roberts' vote, say Wayne D'Angelo and Zachary Lee at Kelley Drye.

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