California

  • September 20, 2024

    LA Sees Retired Police Lt.'s Military Leave Suit Trimmed

    A California federal judge threw out several claims in a retired police lieutenant's lawsuit alleging the city of Los Angeles denied sick time and promotions to police officers who took military leave, although the parties have taken issue with the scope of the judge's order.

  • September 20, 2024

    California Powerhouse: Hueston Hennigan

    Even though commercial litigation boutique Hueston Hennigan LLP is both the youngest and the smallest of the firms making Law360's 2024 California Powerhouses list, it has already developed a reputation as a go-to firm when cases are going to trial.

  • September 20, 2024

    Former Wilson Elser Attorney Drops 9th Circ. Benefits Appeal

    The Ninth Circuit has agreed to dismiss a federal benefits lawsuit from a former Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker LLP partner who claimed he was owed long-term disability benefits tied to chronic fatigue, after the parties held a lengthy mediation of the dispute.

  • September 19, 2024

    Wells Fargo Judge Says NDA Isn't A 'Gag' In Loan Bias Case

    A California federal judge on Thursday challenged Wells Fargo's arguments seeking to prevent a former underwriter from testifying as an expert in a proposed class action claiming the bank discriminated against non-white borrowers, saying a confidentiality agreement the ex-employee purportedly signed couldn't be used as a "gag" to silence him.

  • September 19, 2024

    Mistrial Avoided In MGA's 3rd Round With T.I. In IP Saga

    A California federal judge declined to order a mistrial Thursday in the intellectual property dispute between MGA Entertainment and hip-hop moguls Clifford "T.I." Harris and Tameka "Tiny" Harris, but he issued a curative instruction to jurors after MGA objected to statements made by an attorney for the Harrises.

  • September 19, 2024

    Safeway Touts Bogus Wine Discounts For Members, Suit Says

    Safeway faces a proposed false advertising class action filed Wednesday in California federal court alleging it advertises bogus, limited-time offers of discounted prices on wine sold at its stores for its rewards program members, which misleads customers into thinking they're scoring a bargain. 

  • September 19, 2024

    Birkin Bag Lovers Must Rework Antitrust Suit, Judge Says

    A California federal judge said Thursday that consumers behind a proposed antitrust class action accusing Hermes of unlawfully tying the sale of its iconic Birkin handbag to other expensive items should amend their complaint, since the current version doesn't show how the luxury fashion retailer has foreclosed competition.

  • September 19, 2024

    Thermo Fisher Beats Worker's 401(k) Forfeiture Suit, For Now

    A California federal judge tossed a former Thermo Fisher worker's suit claiming it used abandoned cash in its retirement plan for its own benefit instead of cutting down administrative costs, finding Thursday the company didn't shirk any responsibilities under federal benefits law.

  • September 19, 2024

    Roblox Can't Ax Negligence Claims In Online Gambling Case

    Roblox must face claims it was negligent for failing to shield minor players from gambling through its platform after a California federal judge ruled Thursday that the plaintiffs adequately alleged it was foreseeable that the players would head to online casinos and gamble away their digital currency known as "Robux."

  • September 19, 2024

    Apple's $490M Deal Over China Sales OK'ed, Attys Get $110M

    A California federal judge approved Apple Inc.'s $490 million securities fraud settlement under which class counsel will receive $110.45 million in fees and costs plus interest, resolving years-old litigation alleging Apple and its top brass misled investors about iPhone sales in China.

  • September 19, 2024

    Ch. 7 Trustee Urges Justices To Uphold Return Of Taxes

    The bankruptcy trustee of a defunct Utah transportation company warned the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday that overturning a decision forcing the IRS to return tax payments made by company directors to cover their personal debts would encourage shareholder fraud.

  • September 19, 2024

    MrBeast Co., Amazon Accused Of Exploiting TV Contestants

    Reality show contestants have hit an Amazon Studios unit and the maker of the MrBeast YouTube channel with a proposed labor class action in California court, alleging they "shamelessly" exploited "Beat Games" contestants while threatening their livelihoods and misrepresenting their odds at winning the new show's $5 million grand prize.

  • September 19, 2024

    Scammers Bilked At Least $230M In Bitcoin, Feds Say

    Two people were arrested and charged with conspiring to steal and launder at least $230 million in bitcoin, allegedly using online monikers like "Anne Hathaway" and "VersaceGod," federal prosecutors said Thursday.

  • September 19, 2024

    Shot Put Pro Alleges Cannabis Ended His Athletic Career

    A champion collegiate athlete who's won numerous medals in the shot put has filed suit against half a dozen hemp retailers in New Jersey state court, claiming their products caused him to develop a cannabis-induced psychosis that spurred a suicide attempt and ended his professional athletic career.

  • September 19, 2024

    Ex-Williams Sonoma Worker Bilked $11M In Scam, Feds Say

    A former Williams Sonoma employee was indicted in California federal court over a yearslong scheme in which he allegedly defrauded the company out of $11 million after submitting fraudulent invoices for work that was never performed by a fictitious staffing business he secretly owned, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced.

  • September 19, 2024

    Calif. Says FDIC's $20M Tax Refund Bid Must Wait

    A California tax collection agency asked a New York federal court to throw out Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. claims seeking a more than $20 million tax refund on behalf of the shuttered Signature Bank, saying the agency is entitled to wait for a potential IRS audit to end. 

  • September 19, 2024

    Calif. Port's Approval Of Hydrogen Project Challenged

    Two conservation groups filed a California state court lawsuit challenging the Port of Stockton's review and approval of a hydrogen production and distribution facility, arguing it conducted an inadequate environmental review and failed to ensure project impacts are mitigated.

  • September 19, 2024

    9th Circ. Won't Revive Hilton Builder's $7.5M Insurance Suit

    Two insurers for a construction company have no duty to provide coverage for a more than $7.5 million water damage claim, the Ninth Circuit ruled Thursday, finding a rain damage exclusion in the company's policies is applicable.

  • September 19, 2024

    Calif. Panel Rejects Malpractice Claim In Ambulance Crash Suit

    A California appeals panel won't revive a woman's legal malpractice suit against her former attorney stemming from an ambulance crash suit that was filed too late, finding she also filed the malpractice suit outside the one-year statute of limitations.

  • September 19, 2024

    AT&T To Pay For Removal Of Hazardous Lake Tahoe Cables

    A California sportfishing nonprofit on Wednesday told a federal court that an AT&T subsidiary has agreed to pay an estimated $1.5 million to remove its lead-clad telecom cables in Lake Tahoe to end litigation that the cables pose a health threat.

  • September 19, 2024

    Snapchat Settles Conn. Bitmoji Sex Assault Case

    Snapchat parent company Snap Inc. has settled a Connecticut state court case accusing it of enabling sexual predators to convince their targets to meet them in person through the use of Bitmojis, which are cartoonish, youthful-looking caricatures of the platform's users.

  • September 19, 2024

    California Powerhouse: Kirkland

    Kirkland & Ellis LLP's California team won major corporate trials and ushered multibillion dollar transactions across the finish line over the past year, including advising on World Wrestling Entertainment's merger with Ultimate Fighting Championship, as well as helping Samsung fight off patent infringement claims and Gilead Sciences Inc. beat back claims it stifled competition for HIV medications.

  • September 19, 2024

    Calif. Vape Co. Says Mich. Store Is Selling Counterfeit G Pens

    California-based GS Holistic LLC is suing a Michigan smoke shop in federal court, alleging that it is selling counterfeit versions of its G Pen e-cigarettes without authorization at a fraction of the price, infringing its trademarks and harming its reputation.

  • September 19, 2024

    NY Knicks Owner Escapes Federal Sex Trafficking Claims

    A California federal judge has dismissed sexual assault and trafficking claims against New York Knicks owner James Dolan, casting a hired massage therapist's accusations against him as "speculative" but leaving the door open for further litigation in state court.

  • September 18, 2024

    Axonics Didn't Infringe Medtronic Patents, Calif. Jury Says

    Axonics did not infringe three of Medtronic's patents related to its bladder and bowel control device, a California federal jury determined Wednesday.

Expert Analysis

  • Law Firms Should Move From Reactive To Proactive Marketing

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    Most law firm marketing and business development teams operate in silos, leading to an ad hoc, reactive approach, but shifting to a culture of proactive planning — beginning with comprehensive campaigns — can help firms effectively execute their broader business strategy, says Paul Manuele at PR Manuele Consulting.

  • Opinion

    The Big Issues A BigLaw Associates' Union Could Address

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    A BigLaw associates’ union could address a number of issues that have the potential to meaningfully improve working conditions, diversity and attorney well-being — from restructured billable hour requirements to origination credit allocation, return-to-office mandates and more, says Tara Rhoades at The Sanity Plea.

  • Opting In To CIPA Risk Mitigation After New Precedent

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    A recent California federal court decision, adopting a new, broad interpretation of the California Invasion of Privacy Act, will likely increase the volume of CIPA claims and should prompt businesses to undertake certain preventative measures, including adopting an opt-in approach to using third-party website advertising technologies, say attorneys at Thompson Hine.

  • Opinion

    It's Time For A BigLaw Associates' Union

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    As BigLaw faces a steady stream of criticism about its employment policies and practices, an associates union could effect real change — and it could start with law students organizing around opposition to recent recruiting trends, says Tara Rhoades at The Sanity Plea.

  • Bankruptcy Courts May Be Budding Open To Cannabis Cases

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    Two recent California bankruptcy court rulings, denying motions to dismiss the respective debtors' bankruptcies, provide persuasive authority to allow cannabis debtors the protections of federal bankruptcy law, say Noah Weingarten and Bethany Simmons at Loeb & Loeb.

  • CFPB's Earned Wage Access Rule Marks Regulatory Shift

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    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's newly issued interpretive rule on earned wage access products, classifying them as extensions of credit, marks a significant shift in their regulatory landscape and raises some important questions regarding potential fringe cases and legal challenges, say Erin Bryan and Courina Yulisa at Dorsey & Whitney.

  • How Calif. Justices' Prop 22 Ruling Affects The Gig Industry

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    The California Supreme Court's recent upholding of Proposition 22 clarifies that Uber, Lyft, DoorDash and other companies in the gig industry can legally classify their drivers as independent contractors, but it falls short of concluding some important regulatory battles in the state, says Mark Spring at CDF Labor.

  • How Justices Upended The Administrative Procedure Act

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    In its recent Loper Bright, Corner Post and Jarkesy decisions, the U.S. Supreme Court fundamentally changed the Administrative Procedure Act in ways that undermine Congress and the executive branch, shift power to the judiciary, curtail public and business input, and create great uncertainty, say Alene Taber and Beth Hummer at Hanson Bridgett.

  • Employers Face Uncertainty After Calif. Justices' Slur Ruling

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    In Bailey v. San Francisco District Attorney's Office, the California Supreme Court recently ruled that a singular use of a racial slur may be sufficiently severe to support a hostile work environment claim, leaving employers to speculate about what sort of comments or conduct will meet this new standard going forward, says Stephanie Roeser at Manatt.

  • Considerations As State AGs Step Up Privacy Enforcement

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    As new state privacy laws take effect, businesses are facing an increasingly complex patchwork of compliance obligations and risk of scrutiny by attorneys general, but companies can gain a competitive edge by building consumer trust and staying ahead of regulatory trends, say Ann-Marie Luciano and Meghan Stoppel at Cozen O’Connor.

  • 9th Circ. Ruling Flags Work Harassment Risks Of Social Media

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    The recent Ninth Circuit ruling in Okonowsky v. Garland, holding an employer could be liable for a co-worker's harassing social media posts, highlights new challenges in technology-centered and remote workplaces, and underscores an employer's obligation to prevent hostile environments wherever their employees clock in, say Jennifer Lada and Phillip Schreiber at Holland & Knight.

  • Lessons From Rising Fake Discount Consumer Class Actions

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    Ellen Robbins and Scott Allbright at Akerman discuss the rise of false reference price consumer class actions and outline key strategies to minimize legal risk and protect businesses.

  • Mirror, Mirror On The Wall, Is My Counterclaim Bound To Fall?

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    A Pennsylvania federal court’s recent dismissal of the defendants’ counterclaims in Morgan v. Noss should remind attorneys to avoid the temptation to repackage a claim’s facts and law into a mirror-image counterclaim, as this approach will often result in a waste of time and resources, says Matthew Selmasska at Kaufman Dolowich.

  • Daubert Motion Trends In Patent Cases Reveal Damages Shift

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    A review of all 2023 Daubert decisions in patent cases reveals certain trends and insights, and highlights the complexity and diversity in these cases, particularly in relation to lost profits and reasonable royalty damages opinions, say Sherry Zhang and Joanne Johnson at Ocean Tomo.

  • Why The SEC Is Targeting Short-And-Distort Schemes

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recent crackdown on the illegal practice of short-and-distort trades highlights the urgent need for public companies to adopt proactive measures, including pursuing private rights of action, say attorneys at Baker McKenzie.

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