California

  • May 28, 2025

    Insurers Get Meta MDL Coverage Fight Kicked Back To Del.

    A California federal judge has ruled that Meta Platforms' sprawling dispute with dozens of insurers over coverage for personal injury multidistrict litigation belongs in Delaware state court, where two Hartford Insurance Group units first sued, rejecting Meta's claims Hartford acted in bad faith in suing in Delaware, along with other arguments.

  • May 28, 2025

    Wellness App User Must Arbitrate Video Data-Sharing Suit

    A California federal judge has shipped to arbitration a proposed class action accusing the operators of the meditation app Balance of unlawfully sharing subscribers' video-viewing data and other personal information with a third-party software provider, finding that the user leading the suit had agreed to arbitrate his claims when signing up for the service. 

  • May 28, 2025

    16 States Sue Trump Admin Over Cuts To Science Grants

    A coalition of 16 state attorneys general have sued the Trump administration in New York federal court on Wednesday to stop it from cutting millions of dollars in grant funds from the National Science Foundation for scientific research and programs aimed at enhancing diversity, equity and inclusion in STEM fields and environmental justice.

  • May 28, 2025

    5-Hour Energy Price Discrimination Suit Falls Short Again

    A California federal judge ruled Wednesday that family-owned wholesalers proved competition with Costco in their price-discrimination suit against the maker of 5-Hour Energy and that the energy "shot" company offered Costco disproportionate promotions, but the wholesalers did not prove that this discrimination caused them antitrust injury.

  • May 28, 2025

    Coinbase Users Sue Over Terraform Token Conversion Losses

    A group of crypto buyers sued Coinbase Global Inc. over losses they say they incurred from the crypto exchange's actions in the wake of the historic Terraform collapse, accusing Coinbase of muddling the process of converting their assets and providing them with inaccurate tax documents.

  • May 28, 2025

    Execs Smuggled Billions In Goods To Skirt Duties, Feds Say

    Two California shipping company executives have been charged with smuggling billions of dollars' worth of goods from the United States into Mexico — avoiding millions of dollars in duties to Mexico — using bogus documents, shell companies, bribes to public officials and kickbacks to drug cartels.

  • May 28, 2025

    FTC Orders Divestitures Before $35B Synopsys-Ansys Merger

    The Federal Trade Commission said Wednesday that software companies Synopsys and Ansys will be required to divest certain assets, including Synopsys' optical software tools and Ansys' power consumption analysis tool, in order to move forward with their planned $35 billion merger.

  • May 28, 2025

    20 State AGs Urge 9th Circ. To Resume Refugee Admissions

    Attorneys general from 20 states, as well as former federal immigration officials, have chimed in to support reinstatement of U.S. refugee admissions amid a pending legal challenge to President Donald Trump's indefinite suspension of the program, according to briefs recently filed with the Ninth Circuit.

  • May 28, 2025

    Justices Seek SG's Take On Falun Gong Case Against Cisco

    The U.S. Supreme Court has asked the solicitor general to weigh in on an Alien Tort Statute suit revived by the Ninth Circuit and lodged by a class of Falun Gong practitioners alleging that Cisco Systems aided in the Chinese government's crackdown on the religious movement.

  • May 28, 2025

    Flamin' Hot Cheetos Defamation Suit Snuffed Out, For Now

    A California federal judge Wednesday granted Frito-Lay Inc.'s motion to strike a former employee's discrimination and defamation suit claiming he invented Flamin' Hot Cheetos and had his livelihood destroyed when the company disavowed his story, finding he's unlikely to win his claims, but giving him another shot at amendment.

  • May 28, 2025

    MGA Seeks 4th Trial In $71M Doll Dispute With Rapper T.I.

    MGA Entertainment urged a California federal judge Tuesday to reverse a jury's $71.4 million award to rapper Clifford "T.I." Harris and others for MGA infringing the trade dress and publicity rights of the OMG Girlz pop group, saying the court's finding of no willful infringement should nullify the verdict.

  • May 28, 2025

    DOJ Gets Some Discovery Seeking HPE-Juniper Witness Bias

    A California federal magistrate judge granted the U.S. Department of Justice only limited discovery Tuesday as it looks for potential "bias" from an industry analyst Hewlett Packard Enterprise may call in defense of its planned $14 billion purchase of Juniper Networks Inc.

  • May 28, 2025

    Disney Cut Loose From Singing Turtle IP Case

    A California federal judge has thrown out a copyright and trademark suit by a man who claimed The Walt Disney Co. copied his singing turtle character, finding Disney had already created its singing turtle 'Olu Mel by the time the man was depicting his turtle character as playing a ukulele.

  • May 28, 2025

    IRS Coinbase Summons Challenged As Overbroad, Unlawful

    A Connecticut man wants a California federal court to quash an Internal Revenue Service summons issued to Coinbase for his personal financial documents, arguing that the agency's request was inappropriate and violates his privacy rights.

  • May 28, 2025

    Defense-Focused SPAC Leads Pair Of Listings Totaling $285M

    Defense- and aerospace-focused Kochav Defense Acquisition Corp. began trading Wednesday after pricing a $220 million initial public offering, one of two special purpose acquisition companies to join a recovering market after raising $285 million combined.

  • May 28, 2025

    ID Verification Platform Fights Bid To DQ MoFo In IP Dispute

    Identity verification platform Jumio urged a California federal court to reject a bid to disqualify Morrison & Foerster LLP as its counsel in patent litigation over facial recognition technology, saying the law firm had not been co-counsel with its previously disqualified firm, Perkins Coie LLP.

  • May 28, 2025

    Coca-Cola Sued Over '100% Natural Flavors' In Sprite, Fanta

    The Coca-Cola Co. deceptively labels its Sprite and Fanta brands of sodas as being made with "100% natural flavors" despite that they contain synthetic sweetener ingredients and additives like citric acid and aspartame, according to a proposed class action filed Tuesday in California federal court.

  • May 28, 2025

    Ex-Benghazi Investigator Sworn In As Interim NorCal US Atty

    A longtime Los Angeles attorney and former investigator into the 2012 terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya, that killed four Americans was appointed on Tuesday as interim U.S. attorney in California's Northern District, where he'll be allowed to serve up to 120 days pending Senate confirmation.

  • May 28, 2025

    Calif. Ethics Panel Weighs Judge DQs In Racial Justice Cases

    A California judge who previously served as a district attorney need not be recused from a case involving California Racial Justice Act claims solely because the judge previously handled cases involving elements that may be subject to discovery under the act, the state's judicial watchdog has put forward in a draft opinion.

  • May 28, 2025

    GAO Denies Protest Over Air Force Security Solicitation

    The U.S. Government Accountability Office denied a San Diego company's protest over the Air Force's issuance of a third-phase Small Business Innovation Research solicitation, finding it adequately linked to a prior development phase related to a modular security and surveillance system.

  • May 28, 2025

    Insurance Atty Talks FEMA Cuts As Storm, Fire Seasons Near

    As hurricane and wildfire seasons approach, Anthony Lopez, founder of the law firm Your Insurance Attorney, told Law360 Real Estate Authority that with natural disasters intensifying, the Trump administration's cuts to FEMA are likely to put more pressure on states and property owners in an already challenging insurance environment.

  • May 27, 2025

    Musk, DOGE Fail To Nix States' Suit Against 'Limitless' Power

    Fourteen states can proceed in their lawsuit challenging Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency's influence in the federal government after a D.C. federal judge Tuesday refused to toss their suit, rejecting the government's contention that Musk wasn't subject to the U.S. Constitution's appointments clause.

  • May 27, 2025

    OneTaste Co-Founder Tells Jury Of Group's Pressure Tactics

    The co-founder and former chief operating officer of OneTaste on Tuesday testified that he and ex-CEO Nicole Daedone manipulated adherents of the sexual wellness company's teachings and described how psychological pressure was used to keep workers in line, as the trial of its former top executive and the head of sales entered its third week. 

  • May 27, 2025

    Anthropic Declaration Partly Stricken Over AI Hallucination

    A California federal magistrate judge has partially stricken an expert report filed by Anthropic in copyright infringement litigation that cited a nonexistent study — an error created by the artificial intelligence company's own Claude AI tool — calling the issue "serious," but "not quite so grave as it first appeared."

  • May 27, 2025

    Retailer To Face Privacy Suit Instead Of Arbitration Claims

    More than 2,400 Janie & Jack website visitors pursuing arbitration claims over the children clothing retailer's allegedly unlawful online tracking practices have agreed to drop these individual grievances and instead lodge a single proposed class action to press their allegations, according to a notice filed in California federal court. 

Expert Analysis

  • As Failure-To-Warn Preemption Wanes, Justices May Weigh In

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    Federal preemption of state failure-to-warn claims has long been a powerful defense in strict liability tort cases, but is now under attack in litigation over the weedkiller Roundup and other products — so the scope and application of preemption may require clarification by the U.S. Supreme Court, says Michael Sena at Segal McCambridge.

  • How Design Thinking Can Help Lawyers Find Purpose In Work

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    Lawyers everywhere are feeling overwhelmed amid mass government layoffs, increasing political instability and a justice system stretched to its limits — but a design-thinking framework can help attorneys navigate this uncertainty and find meaning in their work, say law professors at the University of Michigan.

  • Biden-Era M&A Data Shows Continuity, Not Revolution

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    While the federal antitrust agencies under former President Joe Biden made broad claims about increasing merger enforcement activity, the data tells a different story, with key claims under Biden coming in at the lowest levels in decades, say attorneys at Covington.

  • Navigating Mortgage Insurance Provisions After LA Fires

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    As homeowners affected by the Los Angeles wildfires consider rebuilding, mortgage lenders and servicers must negotiate the complex intersection between the standard deed of trust and property insurance, says Heather Wright at Buchalter.

  • 4 Do's And Don'ts For Trial Lawyers Using Generative AI

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    Trial attorneys who use artificial intelligence tools should review a few key reminders, from the likelihood that prompts are discoverable to the rapid evolution of court rules, to safeguard against embarrassing missteps, says Nate Sabri at Perkins Coie.

  • Series

    Competitive Weightlifting Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    The parallels between the core principles required for competitive weightlifting and practicing law have helped me to excel in both endeavors, with each holding important lessons about discipline, dedication, drive and failure, says Damien Bielli at VF Law.

  • How Southern Calif. Fires Can Affect National, Local Pricing

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    The fire-related California state of emergency declared last month in Los Angeles and Ventura counties triggered laws around price-gouging and pricing restrictions that affect not just individuals and businesses in the state, but also nationwide, meaning sellers should be mindful of how price changes are discussed and rolled out, say attorneys at Proskauer.

  • The Case For Compliance During The Trump Administration

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    Given the Trump administration’s shifting white collar enforcement priorities, C-suite executives may have the natural instinct to pare back compliance initiatives, but there are several good reasons for companies to at least stay the course on their compliance programs, if not enhance them, say attorneys at Riley Safer.

  • Employer Tips For Wise Use Of Workers' Biometrics And Tech

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Employers that collect employee biometric data and operate bring-your-own-device policies, which respectively offer better corporate security and more flexibility for workers, should prioritize certain best practices to protect the privacy and rights of employees and safeguard sensitive internal information, says Douglas Yang at Sheppard Mullin.

  • CFPB Small Biz Study Brings Fair Lending Considerations

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    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's recent report highlighting potential racial discrimination in small business lending may not result in more aggressive enforcement under the Trump administration — but lenders can expect state regulators, private plaintiffs and advocacy groups to step up their own efforts, say attorneys at Husch Blackwell.

  • Expect To Feel Aftershocks Of Chopra's CFPB Shake-Up

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    Publications released by Consumer Financial Protection Bureau personnel in the last days of the Biden administration outline former Director Rohit Chopra's long-term vision for aggressive state-level enforcement of federal consumer financial laws, opening the doors for states to launch investigations and pursue actions, say attorneys at Hudson Cook.

  • The Rising Need For The Selective Prosecution Defense

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    In a political climate where criminal and civil prosecution on the basis of political affiliation, constitutionally protected speech or other arbitrary classification is increasingly likely, existing precedent shows why judges should be more open to allowing a selective prosecution defense, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Opinion

    Inconsistent Injury-In-Fact Rules Hinder Federal Practice

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    A recent Third Circuit decision, contradicting a previous ruling about whether consumers of contaminated products have suffered an injury in fact, illustrates the deep confusion this U.S. Supreme Court standard creates among federal judges and practitioners, who deserve a simpler method of determining which cases have federal standing, says Eric Dwoskin at Dwoskin Wasdin.

  • What Financial Intermediaries Can Expect From New Admin

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    Understanding the current regulatory landscape of consumer financial services — and anticipating how it might evolve under Trump 2.0 — is essential for brokers, lead generators and digital platforms, and they should consider strategies for managing regulatory uncertainty, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Virginia AI Bills Could Serve As Nationwide Model

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    If signed into law, two Virginia bills focused on regulating the use of high-risk AI systems in the private and public sectors have the potential to influence similar legislation in other states, as well as the compliance strategies of companies operating in the commonwealth and across the U.S., say attorneys at Woods Rogers.

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