California

  • September 19, 2025

    Film Co. Founders Accused Of $1.2M Con For Fake Pot Co.

    A Los Angeles film company and its founders are accused of fraudulently taking $1.2 million from a private equity fund, spending it on luxury properties, artwork and their existing ventures, but never putting a dime of the loan on its intended purpose, launching a "booming cannabis empire," according to a lawsuit filed in California state court.

  • September 19, 2025

    BofI Directors Beat Investor Suit Over Whistleblower Probe

    A California federal judge has permanently dismissed a shareholder derivative suit against the top brass of BofI Holding Inc. accusing them of misconduct that led to a costly internal investigation into a whistleblower's allegations, finding the plaintiff failed to demonstrate that a pre-suit demand upon the board would have been futile.

  • September 19, 2025

    Real Estate Recap: Rate Cut, REIT Rules, Construction Debt

    Catch up on this past week's key developments by state from Law360 Real Estate Authority — including reactions to the Fed's interest rate cut, new guidance for states reviewing securities issued by public nonlisted real estate investment trusts, and a look at the banks with the most construction debt.

  • September 19, 2025

    Aerospace Co. Workers' 401(k) Management Suit Falls Flat

    An aerospace technology company Friday largely defeated a proposed class action alleging its 401(k) plan was loaded with costly and underperforming investment options after a California federal judge said plan participants hadn't shown the investment strategy was unreasonable.

  • September 19, 2025

    Trump Administration Takes TPS Fight Back To Supreme Court

    The Trump administration took its fight to end temporary protected status for Venezuela back to the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday, urging the justices to stay a district court decision that found the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's attempt to unwind those protections unlawful.

  • September 19, 2025

    9th Circ.: Feds Can't Give Up On 'Unclaimed' Hearing Notices

    The Ninth Circuit has ruled the government cannot merely "throw up its hands and do nothing" when it learns a removal hearing notice has been returned unclaimed, vacating a lower court's denial of a Mexican immigrant's dismissal bid in a case accusing him of reentering the United States illegally.

  • September 19, 2025

    Justices Asked To Review Optional NAR Rule In Zillow Case

    A defunct brokerage platform is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review its case accusing Zillow and the National Association of Realtors of stamping out competition by using the trade association's optional rule to relegate outside home listings to a secondary tab on Zillow's site.

  • September 19, 2025

    Calif. Official Questions FCC Power To Trim Historic Reviews

    The head of California's Office of Historic Preservation has criticized the Federal Communications Commission's decision to weigh regulatory changes that would streamline environmental and historic reviews for wireless broadband infrastructure projects.

  • September 19, 2025

    SoCal Edison Inks Deal To Recover $2B In Woolsey Losses

    Southern California Edison Co. revealed in a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing Friday that it has reached a proposed settlement that would allow it to recover about $2 billion of its estimated $5.6 billion in losses connected to the 2018 Woolsey Fire.

  • September 19, 2025

    'Drop' Maker Blumhouse Accused Of Ripping Off Horror Script

    RG Media Properties sued Los Angeles horror filmmaker Blumhouse Productions in California federal court alleging that the production company's 2025 film "Drop" infringes the copyright for the script "Table 18," which the suit says tells the same tale of a first date that devolves into a violent hostage situation.

  • September 19, 2025

    Prince's Estate Seeks To Toss 'Purple Rain' Star's TM Suit

    The estate of pop icon Prince has asked a California federal judge to dismiss a trademark complaint from the late musician's co-star in the movie "Purple Rain" over the name "Apollonia," saying the court does not have subject matter jurisdiction over a dispute that's also playing out at the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board.

  • September 19, 2025

    Privacy Class Suit Over Meta Code On Sports Site Stays Alive

    A California man's proposed class action accusing a website that provides free instructional sports videos of invading his privacy by way of Meta Platforms Inc. code will continue in federal court, after a judge denied the website's motions to dismiss the suit and to change the venue.

  • September 19, 2025

    Calif. Bar Escapes Class Claims Over Girardi Case

    A Los Angeles judge has dismissed a proposed class action brought against the State Bar of California accusing the agency and its former leadership of mishandling its investigation into former celebrity attorney Tom Girardi, who was convicted of swindling clients, after plaintiffs seemingly abandoned the case.

  • September 19, 2025

    Moldex Says Rival Is Greenwashing With 'Bio-Based' Claims

    Moldex-Metric Inc. is suing rival earplug maker Protective Industrial Products Inc. in California federal court, saying it  is enjoying an unfair advantage by claiming that its products are "eco-friendly" and made with 82% "bio-based" material despite knowing that these claims are false.

  • September 19, 2025

    Hagens Berman Seeks To Limit Sanctions For AI Mistakes

    A Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP partner should face only limited sanctions and the firm shouldn't be sanctioned at all over a contract attorney's use of artificial intelligence to generate legal briefs in a proposed class action against online platform OnlyFans since its attorneys did not act in bad faith, the firm told a California federal judge.

  • September 19, 2025

    Off The Bench: Briefings On Trans Ban, New Kalshi Conflicts

    In this week's Off The Bench, the U.S. Supreme Court receives initial briefs from West Virginia and Idaho regarding their bans on gender identity-based participation in school sports, Kalshi is taken to court by another state over its event contract offerings, and Washington, D.C.'s National Football League team takes a major step toward returning to its namesake city.

  • September 19, 2025

    Greenberg Traurig Adds Venture Capital Atty From O'Melveny

    Greenberg Traurig LLP has brought on an O'Melveny & Myers LLP partner in its Los Angeles office, strengthening its venture capital practice with an attorney who has guided clients on hundreds of transactions that total over $10 billion.

  • September 19, 2025

    ICE Leaders Sued For Calif. Court Arrests, Custody Conditions

    A class action complaint filed Thursday accused Trump administration officials of turning Northern California's immigration courts into "a trap" where masked agents ambush and needlessly arrest immigrants who must then endure squalid conditions in a makeshift San Francisco holding facility.

  • September 19, 2025

    Calif. Bar Taps Judicial Council Pro For Director Role

    The State Bar of California has announced the selection of a longtime statewide courts administrator as its new executive director, following the departure of its prior leader amid the fallout from the bungled administration of the February 2025 bar exam.

  • September 19, 2025

    Google Must Face Suit Over Mideast Protest Firings

    Google managed to narrow, but couldn't knock out, a proposed class action challenging the firings of employees who protested the company's connections to the Israeli military, as a California federal court said it's too soon to decide if the in-office dissent lost the protection of federal anti-retaliation law.

  • September 18, 2025

    Starbucks Accused Of Not Paying For 'Restrictive' Dress Code

    Starbucks employees from Colorado, Illinois and California on Wednesday launched legal actions against the coffeehouse giant for allegedly refusing to reimburse them for clothing and shoes despite requiring a new dress code.

  • September 18, 2025

    American Airlines On Hook For $9.6M For Passenger's Stroke

    A California federal jury has awarded $9.6 million to an American Airlines passenger who suffered an in-flight stroke resulting in severe injuries, after determining that the airline failed to heed its own guidelines regarding in-flight medical emergencies, according to plaintiffs' counsel.

  • September 18, 2025

    'My Life Ended In That Car,' Uber Assault Accuser Says

    A woman suing Uber over claims a driver sexually assaulted her told a San Francisco jury Thursday that "my life ended in that car" because of the lasting effects of the traumatic attack, and explained tearfully that she gave the driver a five-star review out of fear he'd come after her.

  • September 18, 2025

    Calif. Judge Pauses US Suit Over $380M PetroSaudi Award

    A California federal judge has paused the U.S. government's lawsuit targeting a PetroSaudi unit's $380 million arbitral award over its purported connection to funds embezzled from Malaysia, saying uncertainty remains over related proceedings in the Cayman Islands and Barbados.

  • September 18, 2025

    Cytokinetics Investor Sues Over Heart Drug Approval Claims

    Biopharmaceutical company Cytokinetics and its CEO have been hit with a proposed investor class action in California federal court alleging they made false and misleading statements about the regulatory timeline for one of the company's new drugs, which caused a share price drop when the truth came to light.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From US Attorney To BigLaw

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    When I transitioned to private practice after government service — most recently as the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia — I learned there are more similarities between the two jobs than many realize, with both disciplines requiring resourcefulness, zealous advocacy and foresight, says Zach Terwilliger at V&E.

  • Rebuttal

    Forced Litigation Funding Disclosure Threatens Patent Rights

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    A recent Law360 guest article argued that courts should adopt stronger disclosure requirements for third-party litigation funding, but rather than enabling fairness or transparency, such measures would only undermine patent holders' access to capital and weaken their ability to assert valid patent rights, says Anup Misra at Curiam Capital.

  • The Ins And Outs Of Consensual Judicial References

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    As parties consider the possibility of judicial reference to resolve complex disputes, it is critical to understand how the process works, why it's gaining traction, and why carefully crafted agreements make all the difference, say attorneys at Pillsbury.

  • How Focus On Menopause Care Is Fueling Innovation, Access

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    Recent legislative developments concerning the growing field of menopause care are creating opportunities for increased investment and innovation in the space as they increase access to education and coverage, say attorneys at Kirkland.

  • Calif. Digital Assets Proposal Provides Only Partial Clarity

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    Recently proposed regulations under California's Digital Financial Assets Law answer some important questions about the new regime, particularly regarding its interaction with the state's money transmission law, but many key compliance questions remain, say attorneys at Stinson.

  • Opinion

    The BigLaw Settlements Are About Risk, Not Profit

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    The nine Am Law 100 firms that settled with the Trump administration likely did so because of the personal risk faced by equity partners in today's billion‑dollar national practices, enabled by an ethics rule primed for modernization, says Adam Forest at Scale.

  • What Gene Findings Mean For Asbestos Mesothelioma Claims

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    Recent advances in genetic research have provided substantial evidence that significant numbers of malignant mesothelioma cases may be caused by inherited mutations rather than asbestos exposure — a finding that could fundamentally change how defendants approach personal injury litigation over mesothelioma, say David Schwartz at Lumanity and Kirk Hartley at LSP Group.

  • State Tort Claims May Help Deter Bribes During FCPA Pause

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    As the U.S. pauses Foreign Corrupt Practices Act enforcement, companies that lose business due to competitors' bribery should consider using state tortious interference suits to expose corruption, deter illegal practices and obtain compensation for commercial losses, says Jason Manning at Levy Firestone.

  • 4 States' Enforcement Actions Illustrate Data Privacy Priorities

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    Attorneys at Wilson Elser examine recent enforcement actions based on new consumer data privacy laws by regulators in California, Connecticut, Oregon and Texas, centered around key themes, including crackdowns on dark patterns, misuse of sensitive data and failure to honor consumer rights.

  • Series

    Brazilian Jiujitsu Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Competing in Brazilian jiujitsu – often against opponents who are much larger and younger than me – has allowed me to develop a handful of useful skills that foster the resilience and adaptability necessary for a successful legal career, says Tina Dorr of Barnes & Thornburg.

  • Birthright Ruling Could Alter Consumer Financial Litigation

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s upcoming decision about the validity of the nationwide injunctions in the birthright citizenship cases, argued on May 15, could make it much harder for trade associations to obtain nationwide relief from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's enforcement of invalid regulations, says Alan Kaplinsky at Ballard Spahr.

  • Signed, Sealed, Deleted: A Look At The California Delete Act

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    The California Delete Act, proposed Delete Request and Opt-Out Platform regulations, and California Privacy Protection Agency enforcement raise a number of compliance considerations — even for data brokers that have existing deletion processes in place, say attorneys at Hunton.

  • And Now A Word From The Panel: A Rare MDL Petition Off-Day

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    In an unusual occurrence in the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation's history, there are zero new MDL petitions scheduled for Thursday's hearing session, but the panel will be busy considering a host of motions regarding whether to transfer cases to eight existing MDL proceedings, says Alan Rothman at Sidley.

  • Energy Order Brings Risks For Lenders And Borrowers Alike

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    A recent executive order directing the attorney general to submit a report next month with recommendations for halting enforcement of state laws the administration says are hampering energy resources presents risks for lenders and borrowers using state-generated carbon credits, but proactive steps now can help insulate against adverse consequences, say attorneys at Faegre Drinker.

  • Customs Fraud Enforcement In The Age Of Tariffs

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    In the wake of the Trump administration’s new approach toward tariffs, two recent Justice Department developments demonstrate aggressive customs fraud enforcement, with the DOJ emphasizing competitive harm to American businesses, and signaling that investigations will likely involve both civil and criminal enforcement tools, say attorneys at Bernstein Litowitz and London & Naor.

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