California

  • July 10, 2026

    Kalshi's Contracts 'Sound Like A Bet,' 9th Circ. Judge Says

    A Ninth Circuit panel appeared open Friday to preliminarily blocking Kalshi and Robinhood from offering sports contracts on tribal land, with one judge saying Kalshi's contracts "sound like a bet" subject to Native American gambling laws and another saying it "wouldn't be so unreasonable" to exclude tribes from federal oversight in this area.

  • July 10, 2026

    Nexstar-Tegna Merger Challenge Gets July 2027 Trial Date

    A California federal judge has scheduled an early July 2027 trial date in DirecTV and a coalition of states' lawsuit seeking to stop Nexstar Media Group Inc.'s integration with rival broadcast company Tegna Inc.

  • July 10, 2026

    Visa Can't Escape Claims It Helped Monetize Child Porn

    Visa must still face allegations that the company knew about and profited from child pornography on Pornhub under a decision by a California federal judge, who in a separate Thursday ruling tossed the suit's claims against the hedge fund lenders who backed Pornhub's parent company.

  • July 10, 2026

    WhatsApp Users Must Arbitrate Claims Over Private Messages

    A California federal judge has ordered WhatsApp users suing the messaging platform in a proposed class action over alleged privacy violations to arbitration, rejecting their argument that the underlying arbitration agreements improperly short-circuit certain of state law claims.

  • July 10, 2026

    Meta Secures Toss Of Swedish Soundtrack Co.'s Music IP Suit

    A California federal judge Friday tossed Swedish soundtrack company Epidemic Sound AB's copyright infringement lawsuit that accused Meta of offering its sounds to the social media giant's billions of users without permission, saying Epidemic failed to plausibly allege its sounds were "substantially similar" to those Meta made available.

  • July 10, 2026

    L'Oreal's Baby Products Same As Standard Version, Suit Says

    L'Oréal uses baby imagery and pediatric dermatologist references on certain CeraVe eczema and healing ointment products to mislead customers into believing that they're specifically formulated for infants, despite containing ingredients identical to cheaper versions of the same standard products, alleges a proposed class action filed Thursday in California federal court. 

  • July 10, 2026

    Court Approves Toyota $436M Forklift Emissions Settlement

    A California federal court on Friday officially signed off on Toyota Industries Corp.'s approximately $436 million settlement to resolve a proposed class action alleging that it and other entities misled customers about the true emissions levels of Toyota forklift engines.

  • July 10, 2026

    Top 5 Enviro Cases To Watch In The 2nd Half Of 2026

    The second half of 2026 could see courts delivering important rulings that will determine whether municipalities can set their own building emissions laws, the extent of California's authority to regulate pollution and citizens' power to enforce the Clean Air Act. Here, Law360 takes a look at five environmental cases that could be resolved before the end of the year.

  • July 10, 2026

    Google Accused Of Plundering Car Photos To Train AI Ad Tool

    Google harvested thousands of copyrighted images of vehicles to train its artificial intelligence image generator and to integrate the tool into its ad business, where it reaps a "substantial amount of revenue," according to a lawsuit filed by automotive photography company Evox Productions in California federal court.

  • July 10, 2026

    Ralphs To Stop Asking Job Seekers About Criminal History

    Ralphs agreed to stop asking job applicants about criminal convictions and will pay $200,000 in compensation to four applicants, to resolve allegations it unjustifiably rejected people based on prior criminal histories that had nothing to do with the job they applied for, the California Civil Rights Department said Thursday.

  • July 10, 2026

    Fed. Circ. Affirms Sony's PTAB Win Over Digital Imaging IP

    The Patent Trial and Appeal Board stayed in bounds when deciding to invalidate claims of an Intellectual Pixels Ltd. digital image generation patent on remand, the Federal Circuit said Friday.

  • July 10, 2026

    DOJ Appeals Order Shielding Trans Youth Medical Records

    The U.S. Department of Justice asked the Ninth Circuit to review a California federal court's order blocking the government from trying to identify individuals who received gender-affirming care from a Stanford Medicine hospital as minors.

  • July 10, 2026

    DOJ Defends Nurse Wage-Fixing Conviction At 9th Circ.

    The U.S. Department of Justice urged a Ninth Circuit panel to reject a Las Vegas home nursing executive's appeal of its first-ever criminal wage-fixing conviction, defending its trial characterization of a leniency deal with a cooperating company and the inclusion of the executive's statement likening nurses to prostitutes.

  • July 10, 2026

    Calif. Judge Blocks Grant Conditions Over DEI, Immigration

    A California federal judge blocked the Trump administration from imposing grant funding conditions on California and Oregon municipalities concerning immigration enforcement and its opposition to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, finding the conditions likely encroach on Congress' spending powers.

  • July 10, 2026

    The Biggest TM Rulings Of 2026: A Midyear Report

    The Seventh Circuit placed limits on trademark plaintiffs in cases against foreign online sellers accused of counterfeiting, and the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board issued precedential decisions with fresh guidance on what marks can get on — or stay on — the federal trademark register. Here is Law360's list of the biggest trademark rulings so far this year.

  • July 10, 2026

    Feds Seek $16.2M Restitution In Counterfeit Apple Device Suit

    Prosecutors asked a California federal judge on Friday to order a Chinese national to pay part of the $16.2 million in restitution to Apple Inc. for her role in a scheme in which fraudsters returned counterfeit iPhones, iPads and other Apple products in exchange for genuine Apple devices.

  • July 10, 2026

    Apple Alleges OpenAI, Ex-Employees Took Trade Secrets

    Apple filed a trade secret lawsuit Friday against OpenAI, its acquired hardware startup io Products and two former Apple employees, alleging in California federal court that the defendants engaged in a coordinated scheme to misappropriate Apple's confidential information to accelerate OpenAI's push into consumer hardware.

  • July 10, 2026

    Athletes Look To Rein In Review Of 3rd-Party NIL Deals

    College athletes looking to monetize their name, image and likeness under a historic antitrust settlement have asked a California federal judge to relax oversight of third-party brand deals, arguing that increased scrutiny is undermining the agreement.

  • July 10, 2026

    4 Takeaways From Probe Of Feb. 2025 Calif. Bar Exam Fiasco

    Poor implementation of the February 2025 California Bar Exam resulted in millions of dollars in extra costs and negatively affected "a significant portion" of test-takers, according to a new report by the California State Auditor.

  • July 10, 2026

    Oura Health Swaps In Sidley For Quinn After Ex-CEO's DQ Bid

    A California federal judge granted Oura Health's request to swap in Sidley Austin LLP for Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP in breach-of-contract litigation by the fitness tracker company's former CEO after the ex-executive sought to disqualify Quinn Emanuel for purportedly having access to his confidential data.

  • July 10, 2026

    AT&T Inks $184M Deal To End Pension Mortality Data Suit

    AT&T has brokered a $184 million deal to close a 300,000-member proposed class action claiming the telecommunications company used outdated mortality data to calculate pension payments, causing some employees to see less in benefits than others.

  • July 09, 2026

    Meta Nears Beating Cert. Bid By Artist Suing Over IP In Ads

    A California federal judge indicated Thursday that she's inclined to deny certification to a putative class of artists who say Meta illegally allowed third parties to use their copyrighted works in advertisements, saying she's concerned about meeting the commonality and typicality requirements for classwide treatment.

  • July 09, 2026

    Accellion Defeats Bid To Expand Classes In Data Breach Suit

    A California federal judge rejected a bid by plaintiffs suing software vendor Accellion over a sprawling data breach to broaden a previous order that limited class certification to allow only for the recovery of nominal damages, finding the introduction of a new damages expert wasn't enough to change the outcome.

  • July 09, 2026

    Promoter Can't Escape Suit Over Drakeo's Backstage Killing

    A Los Angeles judge held Thursday that a promoter who booked some acts for a concert where rapper Drakeo The Ruler was killed cannot escape a consolidated wrongful death suit brought by the artist's family and associates, ruling his insistence he was not responsible for security at the concert is not enough evidence.

  • July 09, 2026

    Cookies Retail Led Dispensary Into $1.9M Tax Crisis, Suit Says

    Six entrepreneurs alleged in a California state court lawsuit that cannabis giant Cookies Retail pushed them out of their dispensary and took control over its bank accounts, leaving the retail shop saddled with nearly $2 million in unpaid taxes.

Expert Analysis

  • A New Regulatory Environment For PE In Calif. Healthcare

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    The California Office of Health Care Affordability's proposed revisions to its cost and market impact review regulations, amid broader state scrutiny of private equity-backed healthcare arrangements, represent a qualitative shift in California's regulatory posture toward institutional healthcare investment, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

  • CFIUS' Mandate Misses Foreign Risk In Project Subcontracts

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    Recent calls for the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States to review equity transactions like the Paramount Skydance-Warner Bros. deal miss a consequential oversight gap — CFIUS' inability to review the subcontracting layer of U.S. infrastructure projects, says Thibaut Giret at Alstef Group.

  • AI Governance Tips For Avoiding Securities Suits

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    A recent securities class action in California federal court against lending platform Upstart highlights how statements about artificial intelligence are increasingly being scrutinized not only by regulators, but also by shareholders, meaning companies should ensure oversight frameworks keep pace with the technology, say attorneys at Akerman.

  • How Cos. Can Prep For Ultra-Processed Food Legal Risks

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    A wave of litigation and government scrutiny directed against ultra-processed foods is now gaining momentum, following patterns seen previously in other industries — and food companies that recognize those patterns early will be better positioned to manage the increasing risks, say attorneys at Arnold & Porter.

  • Series

    Bass Fishing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Landing a trophy striped bass and closing a big deal both require cultivating the patience to finesse — not force — your way to desired outcomes, changing course when your old approach isn’t working and learning from the ones that got away, says Jon Ruiss at Alston & Bird.

  • Roundup

    The Most Talked-About Supreme Court Decisions Of 2026

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    This term, 11 U.S. Supreme Court decisions quickly became hot topics among Law360's guest writers.

  • Pregnancy Bias Suits Highlight EEOC's Expanding Reach

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    Recent U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission suits show that enactment of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act has drawn scrutiny to a wider range of employment decisions and an increasing focus on individual decisions as indicators of whether an employer's policies comply with evolving federal requirements, say attorneys at Krevolin Horst.

  • Series

    Calif. Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q2

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    The year's second quarter brought several noteworthy financial services developments to California, including activity around a commercial finance oversight bill, the former Consumer Financial Protection Bureau head's appointment to lead a new consumer agency, and a ruling reinforcing viable bank-fintech partnerships, say attorneys at Manatt.

  • What Ex-CFPB Head's Calif. Role May Foretell For Oversight

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    California Gov. Gavin Newsom's selection of former Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Rohit Chopra to lead a new consumer agency signals tougher state financial services oversight, especially for fintechs, as well as heightened enforcement activity and larger penalties, say attorneys at WilmerHale.

  • Justices Stand On Statutory Specifics In Cisco And Landor

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    With its June 23 decisions in Cisco Systems Inc. v. Doe and Landor v. Louisiana Department of Corrections and Public Safety, the U.S. Supreme Court doubled down on the critical point that the statute invoked in a federal claim must authorize a private lawsuit and the remedy sought, says Patrick Judd at Phelps Dunbar.

  • Immigration Ruling Maps Alternative To Universal Injunctions

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    A Rhode Island federal court's decision in Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island v. USCIS vacating policies that froze key immigration adjudications for nationals of 39 countries, and paused asylum applications altogether, suggests how practitioners might press for the Administrative Procedure Act's bad faith exception to record review and seek vacatur as a viable alternative to universal injunctions, says Kemal Hepsen at Mandamus Lawyers.

  • A Potential Turning Point For Short-And-Distort Claims

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    A California federal jury's conviction of Andrew Left signals that the historically blurry line between securities fraud and legitimate criticism of companies is growing clearer, and that there is a viable recourse against so-called short-and-distort campaigns intended to create a false impression of the market, say attorneys at Baker McKenzie.

  • 10 Years, 150 Cases: The Rise And Fall Of Post-Halo Damages

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    When the U.S. Supreme Court decided Halo v. Pulse in 2016, patent practitioners predicted that enhanced damages would become easier to win, but analysis of every contested district court ruling on a motion for enhanced damages in the last 10 years shows that courts have shown increasing restraint, say attorneys at Reichman Jorgensen.

  • How Maine's Expanded Health Deal Reviews Complicate M&A

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    A pair of recently approved Maine competition laws establish notice and approval requirements for certain healthcare transactions and expand state antitrust oversight, creating new hurdles for dealmakers as states take a more aggressive role in policing healthcare consolidation, especially involving private equity, say attorneys at McDermott.

  • Series

    Choral Singing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Singing in the New York City Bar Chorus — a hobby partly inspired by the late U.S. District Judge Richard Owen, who infused my clerkship year with opera music — has improved my legal career by refining my abilities to listen, exude confidence and develop emotional intelligence, says Bonnie Baker at Friedman Kaplan.

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