California

  • June 12, 2025

    Ex-UPS Workers Urge 9th Circ. To Revive State Law Claims

    An attorney for some former United Parcel Service workers urged a Ninth Circuit panel Thursday to undo a decision barring them from proceeding with some state employment claims because the workers memorialized them on union grievance forms, telling the panel the claims aren't preempted by federal law.

  • June 12, 2025

    Google Again Asks To Trim Yelp's Antitrust Suit

    Google is once again asking a California federal judge to trim Yelp's case accusing it of monopolizing the local search market, arguing that the reworked complaint doesn't fix deficiencies the court pointed out in a dismissal order earlier this year.

  • June 12, 2025

    'I Want Names': YouTube Attys' MDL Redactions Face Scrutiny

    A California federal magistrate judge ordered YouTube on Thursday to provide him with unredacted versions of documents it produced in sprawling multidistrict litigation over claims social media is addictive, and demanded that YouTube identify counsel who made its relevance-redaction determinations, saying. "I want names and I want teams."

  • June 12, 2025

    Holmes Seeks 2 Year Cut, Commits To Criminal Justice Work

    Elizabeth Holmes has asked a California federal judge to knock two years off her 11-year prison sentence, arguing she's eligible for the adjustment under sentencing guidelines and has spent her time behind bars tutoring and advocating for her fellow prisoners.

  • June 12, 2025

    Trump's Deployment Of National Guard Illegal, Judge Says

    A California federal judge on Thursday granted California's request for a temporary restraining order blocking President Donald Trump's order sending the National Guard into Los Angeles, calling the president's actions "illegal" and unconstitutional, but the decision was quickly paused by the Ninth Circuit.

  • June 12, 2025

    USPTO Tells Fed. Circ. Not To Review Ruling In Xencor Case

    The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has found that the full Federal Circuit doesn't need to review a decision rejecting Xencor Inc.'s application for an antibody patent, saying that a panel of the appellate court applied the right standard.

  • June 12, 2025

    'My Big Coin' Operators To Pay $26M To End CFTC Claims

    The Commodity Futures Trading Commission announced that the alleged orchestrators of the My Big Coin digital asset fraud scheme that swindled over $6 million from 28 investors will hand over $25.7 million to end claims against them.

  • June 12, 2025

    Ohio Law Bars Cities' Negligence Claims Against Hyundai, Kia

    A California federal court sided with Hyundai and Kia by finding that an Ohio products liability law bars negligence claims from five Ohio cities in sprawling multidistrict litigation alleging the automakers knowingly sold vehicles with design flaws that resulted in a car theft crime spree.

  • June 12, 2025

    Calif. Sues Trump Over 'Wildly Partisan' EV Waiver Repeal

    The California attorney general and 10 other states sued the Trump administration in federal court Thursday, minutes after President Donald Trump signed resolutions repealing California's Clean Air Act waiver that allowed the state to establish its own vehicle emissions standards, slamming the resolutions as unconstitutional, irrational and "wildly partisan."

  • June 12, 2025

    Stranded Asylum-Seekers Sue Trump Over Border Closure

    A proposed class of asylum-seekers stranded in Mexico has sued the Trump administration, arguing there is no legal basis to shut down the southern U.S. border to people who are entitled under U.S. law to apply for asylum when they arrive in the U.S. or at the border.

  • June 12, 2025

    9th Circ. Says Brazilian Didn't Get Fair Shake In Asylum Request

    The Ninth Circuit has revived a Brazilian woman's asylum claim, saying neither the Board of Immigration Appeals nor an immigration judge appropriately considered how the danger she faced in her home country stopped her from practicing her religion freely.

  • June 12, 2025

    Athletes Revive Title IX Objections In NIL Settlement Appeal

    Eight female former and current college athletes who previously objected to the Title IX implications of the $2.78 billion settlement between the NCAA and a class of former athletes seeking past name, image and likeness pay have appealed the final approval of the settlement, granted just last Friday, to the Ninth Circuit.

  • June 12, 2025

    Avenatti Sheds 3 Years After 9th Circ. Orders Resentencing

    A California federal judge on Thursday resentenced disbarred attorney Michael Avenatti to just over 11 years in federal prison for filching millions of dollars from his clients' settlement funds, reducing a 14-year sentence overturned by the Ninth Circuit and leaving Avenatti with about eight years left after time served.

  • June 12, 2025

    Calif. Casinos Seek Coverage For Tribes' Gambling Suits

    California casino operators said they are entitled to defense coverage for suits brought by several tribes over their gambling operations, telling a federal court that their insurer has denied coverage based on policy exclusions that do not apply and has failed to conduct a proper investigation of their claims.

  • June 12, 2025

    Weinstein Sex Abuse Trial Ends After Mixed, Partial Verdict

    Harvey Weinstein's sexual abuse retrial ended Thursday with a Manhattan jury failing to reach a verdict on a count alleging the movie mogul raped an actress, one day after he was convicted of forcing sex on a production assistant and cleared on a third charge.

  • June 11, 2025

    Ex-Google Engineer Loses Bid To Toss AI Espionage Counts

    A California federal judge has refused to toss economic espionage charges against an ex-Google engineer accused of stealing artificial intelligence trade secrets to help startups in China, adding that prosecutors' assertion that the man was trying to benefit the People's Republic of China "as opposed to benefiting himself ... seems dubious."

  • June 11, 2025

    Judge Unlikely To Add Migrant Orgs. To Sanctuary Cities Suit

    A California federal judge Wednesday said he wasn't inclined to allow three Los Angeles-based immigrant organizations to intervene in a lawsuit brought by U.S. cities and counties challenging the Trump administration's targeting of sanctuary jurisdictions, saying it could "impede and complicate the case without any real benefit."

  • June 11, 2025

    9th Circ. Doubts Kleenex Ad Fight Belongs In District Court

    Two judges on a Ninth Circuit panel doubted Wednesday that they have jurisdictional authority to revive a putative class action alleging Kimberly-Clark Corp.'s Kleenex Wet Wipes Germ Removal products mislead consumers about its ability to kill germs, saying repeatedly that the consumers' complaint has not met their burden to establish jurisdiction.

  • June 11, 2025

    Micron's National Security Arguments Fall Flat At PTAB

    The Patent Trial and Appeal Board has said it will consider patent validity challenges that Micron Technology Inc. and Yangtze Memory Technologies Co. brought against each other, overriding the competing semiconductor companies' efforts to escape scrutiny, including Micron's national security arguments.

  • June 11, 2025

    Acura Drivers' Attys Get $8.5M In Bluetooth Device Settlement

    A California federal judge has granted final approval to a deal between a class of Acura drivers and American Honda Motor Co., settling claims over alleged defects in vehicles' Bluetooth hands-free systems and awarding class counsel $8.56 million in attorney fees — an amount reduced from the attorneys' original $10.9 million request.

  • June 11, 2025

    9th Circ. Backs Reddit Win In WallStreetBets Creator's TM Suit

    The Ninth Circuit on Wednesday refused to revive WallStreetBets subreddit founder Jaime Rogozinski's lawsuit accusing Reddit Inc. of hijacking his creation and infringing his right to trademark the brand, saying in an unpublished opinion that Rogozinski failed to adequately plead ownership over the brand mark.

  • June 11, 2025

    PTAB Issues Mixed Group Of Discretionary Denial Decisions

    The Patent Trial and Appeal Board has invoked its discretion to free Nike Inc. and Cleveland Medical Devices from having their patents scrutinized, but refused to do so for Vermeer Manufacturing Co.

  • June 11, 2025

    Calif. Justices OK More Bar Exam Proposals After Fiasco

    The California Supreme Court on Wednesday approved more measures to address the widespread problems that arose during the administration of the February bar exam, which includes a provisional license program for applicants who failed or withdrew from the exam. 

  • June 11, 2025

    9th Circ. Judge Doubts Apple ICloud Buyer's Storage Appeal

    A Ninth Circuit judge on a panel appeared skeptical Wednesday of an Apple consumer's bid to revive a proposed class action alleging the tech giant shortchanged tens of millions of paying iCloud subscribers out of 5 gigabytes of the storage space, saying the consumer "got exactly what you were promised."

  • June 11, 2025

    American Airlines Workers Win $18.7M Toxic Uniform Award

    A California state jury has awarded $18.7 million to five American Airlines flight attendants who blamed their employer and a uniform maker for causing them to suffer injuries due to uniforms made with toxic chemicals.

Expert Analysis

  • Meta Case Brings Customer-Facing Statements Issue To Fore

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    Now that Facebook v. Amalgamated Bank has returned to California federal court after the U.S. Supreme Court in November found it improvidently granted certiorari, it will be worth watching whether customer-facing communications, such as Facebook's privacy policies, are found to be made in connection with the sale of a security, says Samuel Groner at Fried Frank.

  • A Cold War-Era History Lesson On Due Process

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    The landmark Harry Bridges case from the mid-20th century Red Scare offers important insights on why lawyers must be free of government reprisal, no matter who their client is, says Peter Afrasiabi at One LLP.

  • Series

    Improv Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Improv keeps me grounded and connected to what matters most, including in my legal career where it has helped me to maintain a balance between being analytical, precise and professional, and creative, authentic and open-minded, says Justine Gottshall at InfoLawGroup.

  • TikTok Bias Suit Ruling Reflects New Landscape Under EFAA

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    In Puris v. Tiktok, a New York federal court found an arbitration agreement unenforceable in a former executive's bias suit, underscoring an evolving trend of broad, but inconsistent, interpretation of the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act, say attorneys at Williams & Connolly.

  • Avoiding Pitfalls Around New Calif. Commercial Lease Law

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    A California law that became effective this year requires commercial landlords to extend certain protections previously afforded to residential tenancies, and a few key provisions of the law especially warrant reexamination of leasing and operational processes, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • How BigLaw Executive Orders May Affect Smaller Firms

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    Because of the types of cases they take on, solo practitioners, small law firms and public interest attorneys may find themselves more dramatically affected by the collective impact of recent government action involving the legal industry than even the BigLaw firms named in the executive orders, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.

  • Opinion

    Lawsuits Shouldn't Be Shadow Assets For Foreign Capital

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    Third-party litigation financing amplifies inefficiencies from litigation and facilitates national exposure to foreign influence in the U.S. justice system, so full disclosure of financing arrangements should be required as a matter of institutional integrity, says Roland Eisenhuth at the American Property Casualty Insurance Association.

  • How To Accelerate Your Post-Attorney Career Transition

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    Professionals seeking to transition to nonattorney careers may encounter skepticism as nontraditional candidates, but there are opportunities for thought leadership and to leverage speaking and writing to accelerate a post-attorney career transition, say Janet Falk at Falk Communications and Evgeny Efremkin at Toronto Metropolitan University.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Be An Indispensable Associate

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    While law school teaches you to research, write and think critically, it often overlooks the professional skills you will need to make yourself an essential team player when transitioning from a summer to full-time associate, say attorneys at Stinson.

  • The Path Forward For Construction Cos. After Calif. Wildfires

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    The increasing frequency of disastrous wildfires, like those that recently occurred in California, presents a set of complex challenges for the construction industry, including regulatory hurdles and supply chain disruptions that can complicate rebuilding efforts, say attorneys at Cozen O'Connor.

  • Series

    Birding Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Observing and documenting birds in their natural habitats fosters patience, sharpens observational skills and provides moments of pure wonder — qualities that foster personal growth and enrich my legal career, says Allison Raley at Arnall Golden.

  • What Pending FCPA Trials Suggest About DOJ Priorities

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    Following President Donald Trump's executive order in February instructing the U.S. Department of Justice to temporarily pause enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, developments surrounding five FCPA cases already set for trial provide a glimpse into how the DOJ is attempting to navigate the situation at hand, say attorneys at Covington.

  • Series

    Calif. Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q1

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    Among the most notable developments in California banking in the first quarter of the year, regulators and legislators issued regulations interpreting debt collection laws, stepped up enforcement actions, and expanded consumer protections for those affected by wildfires, says Stephen Britt at Severson & Werson.

  • Inside State AGs' Arguments Defending The CFPB

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    Recent amicus briefs filed by a coalition of 23 attorneys general argue that the Trump administration's efforts to dismantle the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will irreparably harm consumers in several key areas, making clear that states are preparing to fill in any enforcement gaps, say attorneys at Kelley Drye.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From DOJ Leadership To BigLaw

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    The move from government service to private practice can feel like changing one’s identity, but as someone who has left the U.S. Department of Justice twice, I’ve learned that a successful transition requires patience, effort and the realization that the rewards of practicing law don’t come from one particular position, says Richard Donoghue at Pillsbury.

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