California

  • December 23, 2025

    Walmart Gets $623K As Sanction Award In Avocado Oil Suit

    A California federal judge has ordered two attorneys from a Santa Monica-based law firm to pay Walmart $623,000 in attorney fees as a sanction in their client's decertified class action that accused Walmart of falsely labeling its avocado oil as containing only avocado oil despite allegedly containing other oils.

  • December 23, 2025

    SEC, FAT Brands Near Deal In Suit On CEO's $27M Loan Scam

    Restaurant franchiser FAT Brands, its former CEO and other executives told a California federal judge on Tuesday that they reached a deal to resolve the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's civil claims that they ran an illegal $27 million personal-loan scheme to fuel the former CEO's lavish lifestyle as the public company floundered.

  • December 23, 2025

    Intent Not Needed To Boost ID Theft Sentence, 9th Circ. Says

    Federal prosecutors need not show that a defendant intended to commit fraud with stolen materials that have authentication features, such as driver's licenses, for courts to apply a sentencing enhancement for possessing those materials, the Ninth Circuit has held.

  • December 23, 2025

    3 Federal Circuit Clashes To Watch In January

    The Federal Circuit is set to hear several intellectual property cases in January, including one over a nine-figure patent judgment against cybersecurity company Gen Digital tied to a contempt finding against a major law firm that represented it, and another over the tech industry's long-running crusade against patent review denials based on related litigation.

  • December 23, 2025

    Full 9th Circ. Won't Hear Ex-Theranos Exec Balwani's Appeal

    A Ninth Circuit panel rejected ex-Theranos executive Ramesh "Sunny" Balwani's en banc hearing request to reconsider his 12-count conviction and nearly 13-year prison sentence, while also amending its opinion to clarify that there was "ample evidence" to convict Balwani, even if prosecutors failed to correct a witness's testimony.

  • December 23, 2025

    OCC Wants To Preempt State Mortgage Escrow Interest Laws

    The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has unveiled a pair of proposals aiming to, among other things, preempt state laws requiring banks it regulates to make interest payments for escrow accounts connected to certain types of residential mortgage loans, calling it a "critical tool for reducing unnecessary burden."

  • December 23, 2025

    Estate Of 1970s Cannabis Pioneer Sues Publisher Over IP Use

    The family of cannabis legalization activist and author Jack Herer is seeking to wrestle back control of his IP, filing a lawsuit in California state court which claims the patriarch's name, image and likeness have been "fraudulently" taken.

  • December 23, 2025

    Dem Sens. Blast Idea Of Charging Value-Based Patent Fees

    A group of Democratic U.S. senators has asked Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick not to move forward with a proposed overhaul of the U.S. patent fee system that reportedly would implement fees based on a patent's value, saying such changes would create a "prohibitive bar to innovation for start-ups and other small-to-mid-size businesses."

  • December 23, 2025

    Justices Urged To Review 'Bike+' TM Suit Against Peloton

    A fitness company with a cycling app called Bike+ has urged the U.S. Supreme Court to review a Ninth Circuit decision dismissing its trademark infringement claims against Peloton, saying the appeals court erred in assessing the likelihood of confusion and should have let a jury decide the matter.

  • December 23, 2025

    Squires Will Review If Hydrafacial's ITC Win Should End IPR

    U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Director John Squires has paused the Patent Trial and Appeal Board's review of a Hydrafacial LLC skin treatment patent to consider the effect of a related U.S. International Trade Commission decision.

  • December 23, 2025

    Telcoin Sues To Freeze $1.5M In Stolen Crypto-Assets

    Cryptocurrency platform Telcoin LLC has gone to California federal court seeking an emergency injunction and damages against unknown hackers who allegedly siphoned millions in digital assets from customer wallets on Christmas Day 2023.

  • December 23, 2025

    Fed. Circ. Won't Revive Claims In Internet Voice Patent

    The Federal Circuit on Tuesday affirmed a Patent Trial and Appeal Board decision in a reexamination requested by Cisco Systems Inc. that claims in a widely asserted Estech Systems IP LLC patent on voice over internet protocol telephone systems are invalid.

  • December 23, 2025

    Arby's, Dunkin' Owner Dodges Web Cookie Suit, For Now

    A California federal judge dismissed a proposed class action Monday against Arby's, Jimmy John's, Dunkin', Baskin-Robbins and their parent company alleging their websites contained cookie banners falsely promising to remove trackers, finding the plaintiffs failed to meet heightened pleading standards required when the claims are based in fraud allegations.

  • December 23, 2025

    Biggest Energy & Environmental Court Decisions Of 2025

    Two U.S. Supreme Court rulings that erected stricter boundaries on federal environmental reviews and permitting highlighted an action-packed 2025 for energy and environmental litigation. Here, Law360 looks back at this year's most consequential court decisions in energy and environmental law.

  • December 23, 2025

    Disney Wants ESPN Streaming Rates Suit Sent To Arbitration

    Disney is seeking to force a proposed class of Fubo subscribers to arbitrate their claims that Disney unlawfully made streaming services pay inflated rates for ESPN and other sports channels, telling a California federal judge that the company can enforce Fubo's arbitration clause after its purchase of the streamer.

  • December 23, 2025

    'Surprise' Expert Prompts Axing Of $14M Car Crash Verdict

    A California appellate court has vacated a $13.8 million jury verdict after finding that the trial court abused its discretion by allowing a "surprise" medical expert witness to testify at an auto collision trial, saying his testimony likely affected the jury's substantial award.

  • December 23, 2025

    The Court Cases That Defined Sports Law In 2025

    From a landmark settlement that looks to reshape the future of college athletics to an eye-popping victory for a golf legend, the sports legal world was teeming with cases that commanded attorneys' attention throughout 2025.

  • December 23, 2025

    State Telecom Roundup: AGs Step Up War On Robocalls

    Americans have been pummeled by more than 2.5 billion robocalls every month this year, and stanching the onslaught has become one of the more bipartisan issues in national politics. Federal and state authorities also agree on the magnitude of the issue, and the nation's attorneys general are teaming up for battle across the country at the state level.

  • December 23, 2025

    DHS Finalizes Rule Shifting H-1B Odds To Higher Earners

    The Trump administration finalized changes to the H-1B lottery Tuesday, unveiling a final rule it said will favor higher-paid and higher-skilled positions and tamp down on employers exploiting the program to hire low-wage workers and depress the wages of U.S. workers.

  • December 23, 2025

    Federal Agencies Urge 9th Circ. To Lift Layoff Freeze

    The U.S. government urged the Ninth Circuit to stay a court order barring agencies from laying off workers through next month under the shutdown deal, saying the court intruded on federal labor panels' territory and the funding resolution didn't bar layoffs agencies had in the works.

  • December 23, 2025

    Fast-Track Court Fights Shaped Immigration Litigation In 2025

    The U.S. Supreme Court’s use of the emergency docket drove 2025’s biggest immigration decisions, with the justices stepping in repeatedly to stay nationwide injunctions, greenlight key parts of President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda, and in some cases preserve due process rights. Here, Law360 looks at the year’s key immigration decisions.

  • December 23, 2025

    4 Judges Who Battled Criminal Charges In 2025

    A number of high-profile cases in 2025 found judges taking on the role of criminal defendants over a wide range of allegations, from murder and sexual assault to corruption and interfering with an ICE arrest.

  • December 23, 2025

    Calif. Chamber Of Commerce Counsel Rejoins Jackson Lewis

    A former California Chamber of Commerce senior employment law counsel has rejoined Jackson Lewis PC as a principal, returning to the firm where she has already done a five-year stint, the firm announced.

  • December 23, 2025

    Ex-Oura CEO Pushes To DQ Quinn Emanuel In Firing Suit

    The onetime CEO of fitness tracker company Oura Health is pushing to disqualify Quinn Emanuel from representing the smart ring maker in his compensation suit, telling a San Francisco federal judge that he shared confidential information when he consulted with the firm about his claims prior to filing suit.

  • December 23, 2025

    Greenberg Traurig-Led Silicon Valley SPAC Raises $200M

    Special purpose acquisition company Silicon Valley Acquisition Corp. began trading publicly on Tuesday after raising $200 million in its initial public offering, with plans to pursue an acquisition of a company undergoing "structural transformation."

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    The Biz Court Digest: Texas, One Year In

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    A year after the Texas Business Court's first decision, it's clear that Texas didn't just copy Delaware and instead built something uniquely its own, combining specialization with constitutional accountability and creating a model that looks forward without losing touch with the state's democratic and statutory roots, says Chris Bankler at Jackson Walker.

  • AG Watch: Illinois A Key Player In State-Level Enforcement

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    Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul has systematically strengthened his office to fill federal enforcement gaps, oppose Trump administration mandates and advance state policy objectives, particularly by aggressively pursuing labor-related issues, say attorneys at Troutman.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Educating Your Community

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    Nearly two decades prosecuting scammers and elder fraud taught me that proactively educating the public about the risks they face and the rights they possess is essential to building trust within our communities, empowering otherwise vulnerable citizens and preventing wrongdoers from gaining a foothold, says Roger Handberg at GrayRobinson.

  • How A 9th Circ. False Ad Ruling Could Shift Class Certification

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    The Ninth Circuit's July decision in Noohi v. Johnson & Johnson, holding that unexecuted damages models may suffice for purposes of class certification, has the potential to create judicial inefficiencies and crippling uncertainties for class action defendants, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

  • What To Know About Interim Licenses In Global FRAND Cases

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    Recent U.K. court decisions have shaped a framework for interim licenses in global standard-essential patent disputes, under which parties can benefit from operating on temporary terms while a court determines the final fair, reasonable and nondiscriminatory terms — but the future of this developing remedy is in doubt, say attorneys at Fish & Richardson.

  • 5 Crisis Lawyering Skills For An Age Of Uncertainty

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    As attorneys increasingly face unprecedented and pervasive situations — from prosecutions of law enforcement officials to executive orders targeting law firms — they must develop several essential competencies of effective crisis lawyering, says Ray Brescia at Albany Law School.

  • Compliance Tips Amid Rising FTC Scrutiny Of Minors' Privacy

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    The Federal Trade Commission has recently rolled out multiple enforcement actions related to children's privacy, highlighting a renewed focus on federal regulation of minors' personal information and the evolving challenges of establishing effective, privacy-protective age assurance solutions, say attorneys at Nelson Mullins.

  • Insights From Recent Cases On Navigating Snap Removal

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    Snap removal, which allows defendants to transfer state court cases to federal court before a forum defendant is properly joined and served, is viewed differently across federal circuits — but keys to making it work can be drawn from recent decisions critiquing the practice, say attorneys at Perkins Coie.

  • Opinion

    It's Time For The Judiciary To Fix Its Cybersecurity Problem

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    After recent reports that hackers have once again infiltrated federal courts’ electronic case management systems, the judiciary should strengthen its cybersecurity practices in line with executive branch standards, outlining clear roles and responsibilities for execution, says Ilona Cohen at HackerOne.

  • Workday Case Shows Auditing AI Hiring Tools Is Crucial

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    Following a California federal court's recent decisions in Mobley v. Workday signaling that both employers and vendors could be held liable for discriminatory outcomes from artificial intelligence hiring tools, companies should consider two rigorous auditing methods to detect and mitigate bias, says Hossein Borhani at Charles River Associates.

  • Tips For Cos. Crafting Enforceable Online Arbitration Clauses

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    Recent rulings from the Ninth Circuit and the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California indicate that courts are carefully examining the enforceability of online arbitration clauses, so businesses should review the design of their websites and consider specific language next to the "purchase" button, say attorneys at DTO Law.

  • 7 Lessons From The Tractor Supply CCPA Enforcement Action

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    The California Privacy Protection Agency's recent enforcement action targeting Tractor Supply for alleged violations of the California Consumer Privacy Act provides critical insights into the compliance areas that remain a priority for the California regulator, including businesses with significant consumer interactions, say attorneys at Troutman.

  • Parody Defendants Are Finding Success Post-Jack Daniel's

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    Recent decisions demonstrate that, although the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Jack Daniel's v. VIP Products did benefit trademark plaintiffs by significantly limiting the First Amendment expressive use defense, courts also now appear to be less likely to find a parodic work likely to cause confusion, says Andrew Michaels at University of Houston Law Center.

  • Series

    Writing Novels Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Writing my debut novel taught me to appreciate the value of critique and to never give up, no matter how long or tedious the journey, providing me with valuable skills that I now emphasize in my practice, says Daniel Buzzetta at BakerHostetler.

  • Trader Joe's Ruling Highlights Trademark Infringement Trends

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    The Ninth Circuit's recent decision in Trader Joe's Co. v. Trader Joe's United explores the legal boundaries between a union's right to advocate for workers and the protection of a brand's intellectual property, and illustrates a growing trend of courts disfavoring early dismissal of trademark infringement claims in the context of expressive speech, say attorneys at Mitchell Silberberg.

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