California

  • May 30, 2024

    Calif. Judge Censured For Mid-Trial Text To Prosecutor

    A Los Angeles judge has received a severe public censure for sending a text message to a prosecutor during a murder retrial in order to influence her decision to call a rebuttal witness, then trying to minimize the ex parte communication by making misleading statements after the fact.

  • May 30, 2024

    Justices Back Ariz. Execution Despite Trial Lawyer's Miscues

    Three decades after an Arizona man fatally bludgeoned a friend, a young girl and a grandmother, the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday ended his efforts to escape execution, finding that a trial lawyer's incomplete illustration of the man's psychologically damaging experiences doesn't merit leniency.

  • May 30, 2024

    Ex-Sidley Atty To Lead Faegre's West Coast Class Action Team

    Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP is boosting its litigation team, announcing Wednesday it is bringing in a Sidley Austin LLP class action ace as a partner in its Los Angeles office.

  • May 29, 2024

    Meta's Policy On Threats List 'Sounds Nefarious,' Judge Says

    The California federal judge overseeing claims Meta blacklists certain adult performers questioned the social media giant's practice of keeping its list of dangerous organizations and individuals as a "living document" that changes constantly and isn't archived, saying the policy appears to destroy evidence and "sounds nefarious."

  • May 29, 2024

    Autonomy Founder Pushed Sales Team Hard, Jury Hears

    A federal prosecutor cross-examining ex-Autonomy CEO Michael Lynch on Wednesday in a criminal fraud trial over claims the British tech tycoon conned HP into overpaying billions for his software company sought to portray Lynch as an overbearing leader who put intense pressure on his team to generate "revenue revenue revenue."

  • May 29, 2024

    Pot Co. Must Face Calif. City's Counterclaims In License Battle

    A California cannabis company and entrepreneur can't escape counterclaims that they failed to pay fees associated with a commercial license to sell in the city of Baldwin Park — the same municipality whose officials they claim helped swindle him out of nearly $1 million — a federal judge ruled Tuesday.

  • May 29, 2024

    9th Circ. Revives Bulk Of Walmart Worker's Disability Bias Suit

    The Ninth Circuit on Wednesday reversed most of a district court's ruling in favor of Walmart on claims by a vision-impaired employee that the retail giant didn't let him return to work after a medical leave of absence, saying the employee presented evidence suggesting Walmart lied about the reasons why he couldn't return.

  • May 29, 2024

    Forescout Investors Win Class Cert. Over Tanked Sale

    A California federal judge agreed to certify a class of shareholders of cybersecurity company Forescout who allege the company deceived investors ahead of a sale that ultimately fell apart, marking the latest win for plaintiffs who previously saw the case dismissed with prejudice three years ago.

  • May 29, 2024

    Pot Co. Stiiizy Accused Of Marketing Unsafe High-THC Wares

    California cannabis giant Stiiizy has been accused of marketing dangerous high-potency THC products to young people, allegedly resulting in cannabis-induced psychosis in one user who brought a product liability and fraud suit Wednesday in Northern California state court.

  • May 29, 2024

    Microsoft's Post-Merger Layoffs Cited In I-Told-You-So Appeal

    A private group of gamers is pointing to Microsoft's recent layoffs of 1,900 Activision and XBox employees as evidence of market harms stemming from Microsoft Corp.'s acquisition of Activision Blizzard Inc., as the group seeks to revive a private antitrust suit challenging the merger in the Ninth Circuit.

  • May 29, 2024

    Google, Apple Say Nothing New To Revive Search Pact Suit

    Google and Apple urged a California federal judge not to revive a private lawsuit accusing Google of paying Apple not to produce its own search engine, arguing the consumers have nothing new in citing months-old revelations from the Justice Department's search monopolization case against Google.

  • May 29, 2024

    Nationwide Says Hyundai, Kia Owe $7.7M For Engine Claims

    Nearly a dozen Nationwide insurers told a California federal court Wednesday that Hyundai and Kia are on the hook for 829 engine failure and engine fire claims totaling over $7.7 million in damages resulting from alleged engine defects in certain 2011-2019 vehicle models.

  • May 29, 2024

    9th Circ. Rejects Objections To $23M Monsanto Roundup Deal

    The Ninth Circuit on Wednesday affirmed a district court's approval of a $23 million MDL settlement to resolve claims that Monsanto failed to warn buyers of the carcinogens in its Roundup weed killer, finding there was no indication of collusion as argued by Missouri-based objectors.

  • May 29, 2024

    Google Rips Sonos Bid To Revive $32M Patent Verdict

    Google is urging the Federal Circuit to reject Sonos' claim that a California federal court endangered thousands of patents when it threw out a jury's $32.5 million infringement verdict in the smart speaker maker's favor, with the tech giant arguing that Sonos is not entitled to patent protection for audio features that the company waited years to disclose.

  • May 29, 2024

    Barilla Pasta Buyers Win Class Cert. In Italy Labeling Suit

    A California federal judge on Tuesday certified a class action alleging Barilla falsely labels its pasta as being made in Italy after she rejected the company's argument the class is insufficiently defined since it removed the challenged representation in 2022, finding a well-defined class can include those who suffered no injury.

  • May 29, 2024

    NBA Star's Marketing Biz Says Dish Owes $1.4M

    A company owned by Los Angeles Clippers point guard Russell Westbrook sued Dish Wireless in Colorado federal court, accusing the satellite television service provider of not paying more than $1.4 million in invoices for marketing services the basketball player's business provided under a 2021 contract.

  • May 29, 2024

    Ex-Calif. Atty Cops To Role In $9.5M Crypto Ponzi Scheme

    A disbarred California attorney has pled guilty in federal court to his role in promoting a $9.5 million cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme.

  • May 29, 2024

    NLRB Wants Subpoenas Enforced In Calif. Tribal Casino Row

    The National Labor Relations Board has gone to federal court to enforce its subpoenas seeking a list of casino workers in a proposed bargaining unit, saying the refusals of a California tribe and a gaming company to provide the information are impeding an agency investigation.

  • May 29, 2024

    9th Circ. Affirms Dismissal Of Doctor's Military Bias Suit

    An Arizona hospital defeated a doctor's discrimination lawsuit for the second time, with the Ninth Circuit upholding an Arizona federal judge's decision to toss the doctor's claims that the hospital showed bias against his military status by not renewing his contract after he deployed.

  • May 29, 2024

    Greenberg Traurig Adds IP Atty From Eversheds Sutherland

    Greenberg Traurig LLP has bolstered its California bench of attorneys with an Eversheds Sutherland lawyer who has years of experience advising digital health and medical device companies on intellectual property issues.

  • May 29, 2024

    Farm Will Pay $100K To End Calif. Agency's Sex Abuse Suit

    A fruit farm agreed to provide $100,000 to resolve a suit brought by California's Civil Rights Department in state court alleging its owner sexually harassed a strawberry harvester daily and groped her on the job.

  • May 29, 2024

    Theranos, Elizabeth Holmes Prosecutor Joins Cooley In Calif.

    Cooley LLP announced Wednesday it has brought in as a partner in its Silicon Valley office a former assistant U.S. attorney who successfully prosecuted biotechnology entrepreneur Elizabeth Holmes in the Theranos trial.

  • 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.

Expert Analysis

  • What Recent Study Shows About AI's Promise For Legal Tasks

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    Amid both skepticism and excitement about the promise of generative artificial intelligence in legal contexts, the first randomized controlled trial studying its impact on basic lawyering tasks shows mixed but promising results, and underscores the need for attorneys to proactively engage with AI, says Daniel Schwarcz at University of Minnesota Law School.

  • For Now, Generative AI Is Risky For Class Action Counsel

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    Although a recent survey showed most in-house counsel think that their outside counsel should be using generative artificial intelligence "in some way" in class action work, the technology is more a target for class actions than it is a tool to be used in practice at present, says Matthew Allen at Carlton Fields.

  • The Epic Antitrust Cases And Challenges Of Injunctive Relief

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    The Epic cases against Apple and Google offer a window into the courts' considerable challenges in Big Tech litigation and establishing injunctive relief that enhances competition and benefits consumers, say Kelly Lear Nordby and Jon Tomlin at Ankura Consulting.

  • Steps To Reduce CIPA Litigation Risks For Companies

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    As class action claims brought under the California Invasion of Privacy Act continue to advance new theories under an old law to target companies for commonplace website and app activities, there are steps that organizations can take to reduce exposure and strengthen their defenses against such lawsuits, say attorneys at Hintze Law.

  • How Calif. Video Recording Ruling May Affect Insured Exams

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    A recent California appellate decision, Myasnyankin v. Nationwide, allowing policyholders to video record all parties to an insurance examination under oath, has changed the rules of the road for EUOs and potentially opened Pandora's box for future disputes, say John Edson and Preston Bennett at Sheppard Mullin.

  • 2026 World Cup: Companies Face Labor Challenges And More

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    Companies sponsoring or otherwise involved with the 2026 FIFA World Cup — hosted jointly by the U.S., Canada and Mexico — should be proactive in preparing to navigate many legal considerations in immigration, labor management and multijurisdictional workforces surrounding the event, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Avoiding Jurisdictional Risks From Execs' Remote Work

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    Following a California federal court's recent decision in Evans v. Cardlytics — where the case was remanded to state court because the company’s executives worked remotely in California — there are several steps employers can take to ensure they will not be exposed to unfavored jurisdictions, says Eric Fox at Quarles & Brady.

  • Legal Considerations For Circular Economy Strategies

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    As circular economy goals — generating revenue at multiple points in a product's life cycle — become nearly ubiquitous in corporate sustainability practices, companies should reassess existing strategies by focusing on government incentives, regulations, and reporting and disclosure requirements, say Rachel Saltzman and Erin Grisby at Hunton.

  • Preempting Bottled Water Microplastics Fraud Claims

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    Food products like bottled water are increasingly likely to be targets of consumer fraud complaints due to alleged microplastics contamination — but depending on the labeling or advertising at issue, the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act can provide a powerful preemption defense, say Tariq Naeem and Brenda Sweet at Tucker Ellis.

  • Wildfire Challenges For Utility Investors: Regs And Financing

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    For investors in public utilities, wildfire liability considerations include not only regulatory complexities, but also bankruptcy claims resolution, financing judgments and settlements, and how to leverage organizational structures to maximize investment protections, say David Botter and Lisa Schweitzer at Cleary.

  • Fintech Compliance Does Not Always Equal Bank Compliance

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    Recent enforcement actions are a reminder for banks working with financial technology providers — whether as partners to extend their reach or as internal resources to support existing operations — that few areas of risk need more frequent attention than Bank Secrecy Act and anti-money laundering compliance, says Christopher Couch at Phelps Dunbar.

  • Opinion

    9th Circ. Nazi Art Theft Ruling Is Bad For Repatriation Cases

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    The Ninth Circuit’s recent decision in Cassirer v. Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection Foundation, holding that a Spanish museum doesn't have to return a Nazi-stolen painting to the original Jewish owners, spells trouble for future heirloom repatriation cases, which hinge on similar archaic laws, say Andrea Perez and Josh Sherman at Carrington Coleman.

  • Enforcement Risk Amid Increased Consumer Data Use

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    While no state has introduced a private right of action for noncompliance with a comprehensive consumer privacy law — except for the California Consumer Privacy Act's data breach provision — organizations and retailers face risk from enforcement actions by state attorneys general and privacy regulators, say attorneys at Dentons.

  • Litigation Inspiration: A Source Of Untapped Fulfillment

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    As increasing numbers of attorneys struggle with stress and mental health issues, business litigators can find protection against burnout by remembering their important role in society — because fulfillment in one’s work isn’t just reserved for public interest lawyers, say Bennett Rawicki and Peter Bigelow at Hilgers Graben.

  • Opinion

    The Problems In Calif. Draft Behavioral Ad Privacy Regs

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    The California Privacy Protection Agency has an opportunity with its automated decision-making technology and profiling rulemaking to harmonize California's regulation of data-driven advertising, but this will be a failure unless several things are changed in its proposed treatment of behavioral advertising, say Alan Friel and Kyle Fath at Squire Patton.

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