California

  • May 15, 2025

    SEC Focused On 'Rooting Out' AI Abuse, Agency Atty Says

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is focused on "rooting out" the misuse of artificial intelligence by brokerage firms and publicly traded companies, a California audience heard Thursday as agency attorneys tried to combat the perception that the SEC's enforcement arm has gone silent.

  • May 15, 2025

    Full 9th Circ. Affirms BNSF Railway's Win In Retaliation Suit

    The full Ninth Circuit upheld a win for BNSF Railway on Thursday in a now-deceased conductor's lawsuit alleging he was fired in retaliation for testing train cars' brakes, finding the railroad had met the high bar required for lawful firing under whistleblower protection law. 

  • May 15, 2025

    Apple Accused Of False IPhone AI Promises In 50-State Suit

    Apple pulled a bait-and-switch on phone buyers when it promised that new artificial intelligence features would be available on the iPhone 16, despite knowing it hadn't yet developed those features, according to a sprawling proposed class action that brings claims under consumer protection laws in all 50 states.

  • May 15, 2025

    Snap's Alice Win On Image Search Patents Gets Fed. Circ. OK

    The Federal Circuit on Thursday refused to revive a lawsuit accusing Snap of infringing a pair of patents related to image searches, affirming a lower court's decision that the claims were patent ineligible under the U.S. Supreme Court's Alice decision.

  • May 15, 2025

    Kelley Drye Brings On Data Privacy Pro From Calif. Agency

    Kelley Drye & Warren LLP is expanding its data privacy team, bringing in an attorney from the California Privacy Protection Agency's enforcement division as special counsel in its Los Angeles office.

  • May 15, 2025

    Ex-LA DA's Atty's AI Use 'Affirmatively Misled' Special Master

    The retired California federal judge serving as special master for former Los Angeles District Attorney Jackie Lacey's insurance coverage suit — stemming from her husband's holding a gun in their home's doorway in 2020 — has ordered litigation sanctions against Lacey's legal team, finding the lawyers submitted "bogus AI-generated research" that initially tricked the judge.

  • May 15, 2025

    Claims Judge Slams DOJ Plea For More Time To Answer Suit

    A Court of Federal Claims judge denied the U.S. Department of Justice's bid for more time to respond to a breach of contract suit, saying its "failure to adequately staff its cases" does not warrant any more extensions beyond the four already granted.

  • May 15, 2025

    Buchalter Names Sports Agent As Sacramento Office Co-Lead

    Buchalter PC has named Josh Escovedo, co-chair of its sports law industry group, as co-managing shareholder of the firm's Sacramento, California, office.

  • May 14, 2025

    Politico Beats Readers' Suit Over Online Trackers, For Now

    A California federal judge on Tuesday tossed a proposed class action against Politico claiming the online news outlet unlawfully installed third-party trackers on users' browsers to surreptitiously collect data and personally identifying information without their consent, saying the plaintiffs had not shown they'd suffered a sufficiently concrete injury to sue.

  • May 14, 2025

    J&J Unit's Catheter Policy Stopped Free-Riding, Jury Told

    A Johnson & Johnson unit sales director took the stand Wednesday in Innovative Health's antitrust case against its medical technology unit Biosense Webster, defending Biosense's policy cutting off clinical cardiac mapping support to hospitals using third-party reprocessed catheters and explaining that the policy prevented competitors from free-riding on its investments in clinical support training.

  • May 14, 2025

    Costco Fails To Wipe Away Kirkland Baby Wipes PFAS Suit

    A California federal judge Wednesday denied a bid by Costco Wholesale Corp. to toss a mother's putative class action accusing the warehouse club of falsely advertising Kirkland brand baby wipes as being natural despite allegedly having toxic levels of so-called forever chemicals, saying the mother sufficiently alleged three types of chemicals and their quantities.

  • May 14, 2025

    Google Co-Founder Sergey Brin Settles Fatal Plane Crash Suit

    Google co-founder Sergey Brin and others have settled at least one wrongful death lawsuit filed by family members of a pilot who died while ferrying Brin's private aircraft from California to Hawaii, according to a California state court filing.

  • May 14, 2025

    Girardi's Son-In-Law Should Face Ill. Theft Case, Feds Say

    Disbarred attorney Tom Girardi's son-in-law should be ordered to face Chicago charges that he helped the once-celebrated plaintiffs' lawyer steal client money because he "blew through" the deadline for dismissal motions and supported them with arguments that lack merit, federal prosecutors argued Wednesday.

  • May 14, 2025

    Wells Fargo, Others To Pay $19.5M For Recording Biz Calls

    Wells Fargo and two other companies agreed to pay $19.5 million to settle allegations they listened in on small businesses' calls in violation of the California Invasion of Privacy Act, according to a motion seeking final approval of the deal filed in federal court. 

  • May 14, 2025

    DOJ Tells Judge It's Reshaping, Not Killing, Detainee Legal Aid

    A D.C. federal judge suggested he might need more in an administrative record to decide whether to reinstate government-backed legal assistance programs for detained noncitizens after a late filing from the feds suggested congressionally appropriated funds would still go out but to different recipients.

  • May 14, 2025

    ICE Policy Tweak Won't Fix Harm To F-1 Students, Judge Says

    A California federal judge issued an injunction Wednesday in multiple cases challenging the Trump administration's termination of foreign students' F-1 visa records, rejecting the government's arguments that its recent policy change eliminates the likelihood students will be irreparably harmed, but he held off on deciding whether to grant nationwide relief.

  • May 14, 2025

    Adobe Hires Former Roku GC As Its New Chief Legal Officer

    Adobe Inc. announced Wednesday it is bringing in a technology industry veteran who most recently was the general counsel of Roku as its new chief legal officer.

  • May 14, 2025

    Judge Hints At Shielding Docs Of Live Nation Competitors

    The California federal judge overseeing claims from concertgoers accusing Live Nation of violating antitrust law is likely to grant a request from ticketing rivals to protect documents the rivals say could facilitate the very conduct at issue in the case.

  • May 14, 2025

    9th Circ. Doubts Wash. Anti-Vaxxers' Stance In Med Board Suit

    A Ninth Circuit judge expressed skepticism on Wednesday that the federal appellate court could revive Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s suit against the Washington Medical Commission for initiating disciplinary proceedings against physicians who publicly aired anti-vaccination views, pointing out that federal courts generally "don't interfere" with ongoing state litigation.

  • May 14, 2025

    HUD Allocates $1.1B For Tribal Affordable Housing Initiatives

    The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will allocate more than $1.1 billion in Indian Housing Block Grant funding to support affordable housing efforts in Native American tribal communities, HUD announced Tuesday.

  • May 14, 2025

    Gaming Co. Asks High Court To Undo Wash. Compacts' Order

    A casino owner and operator is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to undo a Ninth Circuit ruling that dismissed its challenge to Washington state tribal gaming compacts, arguing the case implicates an acknowledged conflict about the interplay of the Administrative Procedure Act.

  • May 14, 2025

    Potential Jurors In IP Hot Spots Hold Mixed Views On Big Tech

    A survey of possible jurors in popular courts for intellectual property cases has found their overall outlook on Big Tech to be largely positive, but also found that many believe that tech giants will swipe technology from smaller businesses and that they suppress competition.

  • May 14, 2025

    Risks Abound For Higher Ed As Top Court Ruling Turns 2

    Since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down affirmative action in higher education admissions, schools around the country have been looking for innovative ways to achieve diversity on campus amid constant threats of additional litigation that could make them the next high-profile high court case.

  • May 14, 2025

    9th Circ. Says Trustee Is Liable Under New Social Media Test

    A California school board member violated the First Amendment when she blocked two parents from making comments on her public Facebook and Twitter pages, the Ninth Circuit ruled Wednesday, reaffirming a district court's judgment after applying the U.S. Supreme Court's new state-action test.

  • May 14, 2025

    Newsom Blames 'Trump Slump' As Calif. Faces $12B Shortfall

    California's fiscal situation has changed for the worse since January, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday, putting the blame on what he said was a "Trump slump" that has resulted in lower capital gains tax collections.

Expert Analysis

  • Opinion

    NCAA Name, Image, Likeness Settlement Is A $2.8B Mistake

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    While the plaintiffs in House v. NCAA might call the proposed settlement on name, image and likeness payments for college athletes a breakthrough, it's a legally dubious Band-Aid that props up a system favoring a select handful of male athletes at the expense of countless others, say attorneys at Clifford Chance.

  • Implications Of Kid Privacy Rule Revamp For Parents, Cos.

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    The Federal Trade Commission's recent amendments to the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act will expand protections for children online, meaning parents will have greater control over their children's data and tech companies must potentially change their current privacy practices — or risk noncompliance, say attorneys at Labaton Keller.

  • Copyright Ruling Could Extend US Terminations Worldwide

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    If upheld on appeal, Vetter v. Resnik, a recent ruling from a Louisiana federal court, could extend the geographical scope of U.S. copyright termination rights to foreign territories, say attorneys at Manatt.

  • Anticipating Calif. Oversight Of PE Participation In Healthcare

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    A new bill recently introduced in the California Senate revives last year's attempt to increase oversight of healthcare transactions involving private equity groups and hedge funds, meaning that attorneys may soon need to assess the compliance status of existing management relationships and consider modifying contract terms, says Andrew Demetriou at Husch Blackwell.

  • Recent Cases Suggest ESG Means 'Ever-Shifting Guidelines'

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    U.S. courts have recently handed down a number of contradictory decisions on important environmental, social and governance issues, adding to an already complex mix of conflicting political priorities, new laws and changing regulatory guidance — but there are steps that companies can take to minimize risk, say attorneys at Paul Hastings.

  • Pepperdine Case Highlights Shift In Collegiate IP Landscape

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    A complaint filed by Pepperdine University against Netflix and Warner Bros. two weeks ago alleges that a comedy series unlawfully copies the school's trademarks, and the decision could reshape the portrayal of collegiate athletics on screen and the legal tools schools use to defend their emblems, says Mindy Lewis at Michelman & Robinson.

  • What To Know About Insurance Coverage For Greenwashing

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    As the number of public and private lawsuits relating to greenwashing dramatically grows, risk managers of companies making environmental claims should look to several types of insurance for coverage in the event of a suit, say attorneys at Hunton.

  • 7 Tips For Associates To Thrive In Hybrid Work Environments

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    As the vast majority of law firms have embraced some type of hybrid work policy, associates should consider a few strategies to get the most out of both their in-person and remote workdays, says James Argionis at Cozen O’Connor.

  • Series

    Playing Beach Volleyball Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My commitment to beach volleyball has become integral to my performance as an attorney, with the sport continually reminding me that teamwork, perseverance, professionalism and stress management are essential to both undertakings, says Amy Drushal at Trenam.

  • Considering The Future Of AI Regulation On Health Sector

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    As Texas looks to become the next state to pass a comprehensive law regulating artificial intelligence, the healthcare industry should consider how AI regulation will continue to evolve in the U.S. and how industry members can keep up with compliance considerations, say attorneys at Kirkland & Ellis.

  • Opinion

    California Climate Lawsuit Bill Is Constitutionally Flawed

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    A bill in the California Legislature that would let victims of climate-related disasters like the Los Angeles wildfires sue oil and gas producers for spreading misinformation about climate change is too vague, retroactive and focused on one industry to survive constitutional scrutiny, says Kyla Christoffersen Powell at the Civil Justice Association of California.

  • How Law Firms Can Counteract The Loneliness Epidemic

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    The legal industry is facing an urgent epidemic of loneliness, affecting lawyer well-being, productivity, retention and profitability, and law firm leaders should take concrete steps to encourage the development of genuine workplace connections, says Michelle Gomez at Littler and Gwen Mellor Romans at Herald Talent.

  • What's At Stake In High Court's Class Member Standing Case

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s eventual decision in Labcorp v. Davis could significantly alter how parties prosecute and defend class actions in federal court, particularly if the court determines some proof of member standing is required before a class may be certified, say attorneys at Reed Smith.

  • Opinion

    DOJ's HPE-Juniper Challenge Is Not Rooted In Law

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    Legal precedents that date back as far as 1990 demonstrate that the U.S. Department of Justice's recent challenge to the proposed $14 billion merger between Hewlett Packard and Juniper is misplaced because no evidence of collusion or coordinated conduct exists, says Thomas Stratmann at George Mason University.

  • 5 Keys To Building Stronger Attorney-Client Relationships

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    Attorneys are often focused on being seen as the expert, but bonding with clients and prospects by sharing a few key personal details provides the basis for a caring, trusted and profoundly deeper business relationship, says Deb Feder at Feder Development.

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