California

  • September 13, 2024

    9th Circ. Ruling Guts Religious Protections, Apaches Say

    The U.S. Supreme Court should stop the federal government from handing over a sacred tribal site in Arizona's Tonto National Forest to a copper mining joint venture owned by Rio Tinto and BHP, the San Carlos Apache Tribe argued, saying that the decision could pose an "existential threat" to Native Americans.

  • September 13, 2024

    SEC Fines Zymergen $30M Over Misleading Pre-IPO Claims

    Now-shuttered biotechnology company Zymergen Inc. has agreed to pay a $30 million fine to settle U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission allegations that it misled investors in its initial public offering when it used "unsupported hype" about the market potential for its technology for foldable touch screens.

  • September 13, 2024

    16 State AGs Demand DOJ Probe Of Texas Voter Fraud Raids

    A group of 16 state attorneys general implored the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate recent raids by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's office that were said to be connected to an election integrity investigation but reportedly targeted the Latino population, warning that Paxton risks "undermining the very elections he purports to want to protect."

  • September 13, 2024

    Trio Of BigLaw Mergers Expected To Drive More Deal Talks

    After months of a relatively steady pace of law firm mergers and acquisitions, the trio of proposed BigLaw tie-ups announced in recent days will likely spur more firms toward entertaining similar deal talks, experts say. Here, Law360 offers a snapshot of the proposed deals.

  • September 13, 2024

    Monster Tears Into Supplements Co. For Using 'Beast' Marks

    Monster Energy Co. has launched a suit in California federal court that accuses a Miami-based company of marketing and selling supplements that infringe Monster's "Beast"-related trademarks.

  • September 13, 2024

    Med Techs Settle Eyelid Cleaner Patent Spat

    Two companies specializing in eyelid cleaning technology have reached a deal to settle their dispute in California federal court after the court refused to dismiss the infringement allegations.

  • September 13, 2024

    USC Sex Abuse Coverage Dispute Dropped After Doc's Death

    The University of Southern California and several of its insurers dropped a dispute over coverage for sexual assault allegations against disgraced gynecologist Dr. George Tyndall, which comes after the death of the doctor in October 2023.

  • September 13, 2024

    Calif. Delivery Co. To Pay $7.5M To Settle Drivers' Wage Suit

    A $7.5 million wage-and-hour settlement between a California-based transportation services company and some of its drivers secured a federal judge's final approval, resolving a five-year-old suit's minimum wage, expense reimbursement and follow-on claims.

  • September 13, 2024

    Intel's Appeal For Neural Network Tech Blows A Fuse

    Officials at the European Patent Office have rejected an appeal by Intel Corp. to register its patent application for deep neural network optimization, as it ruled that the protections it sought were unclear.

  • September 13, 2024

    Former Y Combinator GC Joins Freshfields In Silicon Valley

    The former general counsel for a well-known startup accelerator that has backed companies including Airbnb, Coinbase, DoorDash and Instacart has jumped to Freshfields and its Silicon Valley office, the law firm announced on Friday.

  • September 13, 2024

    Ex-ABL Space Counsel Jumps To Barnes & Thornburg

    A former Barnes & Thornburg associate is returning to the firm after an in-house stint with space launch service provider ABL Space Systems, but this time as a partner.

  • September 12, 2024

    Southwest Leave Penalty Suit Cleared For Class Treatment

    A California judge gave her blessing Thursday to a class action accusing Southwest Airlines Co. of penalizing flight attendants who take family or medical leave, letting the suit move ahead on behalf of thousands of workers.

  • September 12, 2024

    Corp. Disclosure Law Kills Community Boards, Nonprofits Say

    The Community Associations Institute and other groups have sued the U.S. Department of the Treasury over the Corporate Transparency Act, arguing the law should not apply to them, violates constitutional rights and will lead to mass resignations from their community leadership boards.

  • September 12, 2024

    9th Circ. Sends Salary Basis Case Back To Lower Court

    San Francisco city nurses claiming they were not paid a true salary and are therefore entitled to overtime pay will have their day in court after the Ninth Circuit reversed a lower court's summary judgment and remanded the case for further proceedings.

  • September 12, 2024

    Kids Ask Supreme Court To Revive Long-Running Climate Suit

    A group of children accusing the federal government of creating policies that worsen climate change asked the U.S. Supreme Court to revive their case, arguing in a petition filed Thursday that the Ninth Circuit overstepped when it ordered the trial court to dismiss the case this spring.

  • September 12, 2024

    Google Hit With 'Gemini' TM Suit Over AI Program Name

    Google LLC is facing a trademark infringement suit in California federal court by a small business that claims the tech giant made "the calculated decision to bulldoze over" its intellectual property rights by rebranding Google's large language model artificial intelligence program to Gemini.

  • September 12, 2024

    Pillsbury Hires King & Spalding Atty To Lead Appellate Team

    Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP on Wednesday named a new leader for its U.S. appellate practice, tapping a veteran litigator and former prosecutor who joined the firm's Silicon Valley office from King & Spalding LLP.

  • September 12, 2024

    Disneyland Performers Can Join Colleagues In Existing Union

    Certain Disneyland performers can have the opportunity to vote to join an existing bargaining unit, the National Labor Relations Board ruled, overturning an NLRB judge's decision that they didn't share enough in common with existing members of the union to be part of their unit.

  • September 12, 2024

    Medline Can't Force Arbitration In Transportation Wage Suit

    Medical supply giant Medline can't compel a warehouse employee to arbitrate her wage-and-hour claims, the Ninth Circuit ruled, upholding a lower court's decision that she's exempted under the interstate-commerce exemption of the Federal Arbitration Act because she loads goods that cross state lines.

  • September 12, 2024

    Feds Eye Nixing Girardi's Ill. Case After Calif. Theft Conviction

    The federal government might drop its criminal charges in Illinois against disbarred attorney Tom Girardi following his recent conviction in California on similar charges of stealing millions from clients, a prosecutor indicated Thursday during a status hearing in the Prairie State matter.

  • September 12, 2024

    Buchanan Ingersoll Looks Inward For New COO

    Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC didn't have to look far for its new chief operating officer.

  • September 12, 2024

    Faegre Drinker Adds White Collar Trio From Greenberg Traurig

    Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP is building out its white collar team with former veteran prosecutors, announcing Wednesday it had added two partners and an associate from Greenberg Traurig LLP who will bolster its San Francisco and Philadelphia offices

  • September 12, 2024

    Calif. OTA Denies Refund For Criminal Restitution Payments

    California's Office of Tax Appeals said it is unable to refund criminal restitution payments to a couple who operated 21 Subway franchises in the southern part of the state between 2003 and 2010 and pleaded guilty to tax fraud and evasion for some of those years.

  • September 12, 2024

    Weinstein Hit With New Charges In NY Ahead Of Retrial

    Harvey Weinstein was charged in a new indictment Thursday as Manhattan prosecutors prepare to retry the disgraced Hollywood mogul after his previous sex-crimes conviction was overturned.

  • September 11, 2024

    Litigation Spending To Rise As Cases Grow More Aggressive

    A substantial number of large companies are expecting to increase their litigation spending by double digits next year in the face of more complex and hard-fought cases — and they are more open to bringing in new legal talent to navigate the matters, according to a report released Thursday. 

Expert Analysis

  • 3 Leadership Practices For A More Supportive Firm Culture

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    Traditional leadership styles frequently amplify the inherent pressures of legal work, but a few simple, time-neutral strategies can strengthen the skills and confidence of employees and foster a more collaborative culture, while supporting individual growth and contribution to organizational goals, says Benjamin Grimes at BKG Leadership.

  • E-Discovery Quarterly: Rulings On Hyperlinked Documents

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    Recent rulings show that counsel should engage in early discussions with clients regarding the potential of hyperlinked documents in electronically stored information, which will allow for more deliberate negotiation of any agreements regarding the scope of discovery, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Loper Bright Limits Federal Agencies' Ability To Alter Course

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision to dismantle Chevron deference also effectively overrules its 2005 decision in National Cable & Telecommunications Association v. Brand X, greatly diminishing agencies' ability to change regulatory course from one administration to the next, says Steven Gordon at Holland & Knight.

  • Latest 'Nuclear Verdict' Underscores Jury-Trial Employer Risk

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    A Los Angeles Superior Court jury's recent $900 million verdict in a high-profile sexual assault and harassment case illustrates the increase in so-called nuclear verdicts in employment cases, and the need for employers to explore alternative methods of resolving disputes, say Anthony Oncidi and Morgan Peterson at Proskauer.

  • Calif. Out-Of-State Noncompete Ban Faces Several Hurdles

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    California's attempt to bolster its noncompete law has encountered significant procedural and constitutional challenges, and litigating parties must carefully analyze not only the restrictive covenants contained in their agreements, but also the forum-selection and choice-of-law provisions, say Jennifer Redmond and Gal Gressel at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Addressing The Growing Hazards Of Mass Arbitration

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    Though retail companies typically include arbitration provisions in their terms of service, the recent trend of costly mass arbitrations filed by plaintiffs may cause businesses to rethink this conventional wisdom, say attorneys at BCLP.

  • Motion To Transfer Venue Considerations For FCA Cases

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    Several recent decisions highlight the importance for practitioners of analyzing as early as possible whether a False Claims Act case warrants a change of venue, and understanding how courts weigh certain factors for defendants versus whistleblowers, say Ellen London at London & Stout, and Li Yu and Corey Lipton at DiCello Levitt.

  • New NHTSA Fuel Economy Rule Adds Compliance Complexity

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    The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's recently announced final rule on new corporate average fuel economy standards for passenger cars and light trucks will create challenges for manufacturers, which must also comply with the EPA's multipollutant rule and California's zero-emission vehicle programs, say Joanne Rotondi and Hannah Graae at Hogan Lovells.

  • Autonomy Execs' Acquittal Highlights Good Faith Instruction

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    The recent acquittal of two former Autonomy executives demonstrates that a good faith jury instruction can be the cornerstone of an effective defense strategy in white collar criminal cases, in part because the concept of good faith is a human experience every juror can relate to, says Sara Kropf at Kropf Moseley.

  • Series

    Teaching Scuba Diving Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    As a master scuba instructor, I’ve learned how to prepare for the unexpected, overcome fears and practice patience, and each of these skills – among the many others I’ve developed – has profoundly enhanced my work as a lawyer, says Ron Raether at Troutman Pepper.

  • Navigating The Murky Waters Of Patent Infringement Damages

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    Recent cases show that there is no easy way to isolate an infringed patent’s value, and it would serve all sides well for courts to thoroughly examine expert opinions of this nature and provide consistent guidance for future cases, say Manny Caixeiro and Elizabeth Manno at Venable.

  • 3 Ways To Lower Insider Trading Risk After First 10b5-1 Case

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    In light of the U.S. Department of Justice's insider trading prosecution against the former CEO of Ontrack based on alleged abuse of a Rule 10b5-1 safe harbor plan — designed to allow executives to sell their companies' securities without liability — companies and individuals should take steps to avoid enacting similar plans in bad faith, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.

  • Lawyers Can Take Action To Honor The Voting Rights Act

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    As the Voting Rights Act reaches its 59th anniversary Tuesday, it must urgently be reinforced against recent efforts to dismantle voter protections, and lawyers can pitch in immediately by volunteering and taking on pro bono work to directly help safeguard the right to vote, says Anna Chu at We The Action.

  • PE Firms Should Prepare For Increased False Claims Scrutiny

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    The impact private equity firms may have over medical decisions and care is increasingly attracting potential liability under the False Claims Act and attention from states and the federal government, so investors should follow best practices including conducting due diligence both before and after acquisitions, say attorneys at K&L Gates.

  • Proposed NIL Deal Leaves NCAA Antitrust Liability Door Open

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    The proposed House v. NCAA settlement filed in California federal court creates the possibility of significant direct payments to student-athletes for the first time, but the resulting framework is unlikely to withstand future antitrust scrutiny because it still represents an agreement among competitors to limit labor cost, says Yaman Desai at Lynn Pinker.

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