Fatburger Owner FAT Brands Hits Ch. 11 With $1.5B Debt

By Emily Lever

FAT Brands Inc., the owner of Fatburger and Johnny Rockets, and its affiliates have filed for Chapter 11 protection in a Texas bankruptcy court with $1.45 billion in funded debt, felled by an unsustainable debt load and flagging liquidity. 

2 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Creators Say Snap Bypassed YouTube Safeguards To Train AI

By Adam Lidgett

Snapchat has been hit with a proposed class action in California federal court by YouTubers who claim the social media platform wrongfully scraped copyrighted videos to train its artificial intelligence model.

Complaint attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Autodesk Investor Suit Over Internal Controls Axed For Good

By Katryna Perera

A California federal judge has dismissed, for good, a class action alleging that software company Autodesk misled investors on its financial metrics and internal controls, finding that there is nothing actionable or misleading about the three remaining challenged statements in the suit.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Facebook Users' Suit Over Hacked Accounts Tossed, For Now

By Dorothy Atkins

A California federal judge tossed with leave to amend Monday a proposed class action alleging Meta lets hackers take over users' Facebook accounts while profiting from users' data, finding that the consumers fail to allege a viable contract breach, but allowing them another shot at amending their theory of liability.

Opinion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Google's Allegedly Stolen AI Secrets Not Valuable, Jury Told

By Bonnie Eslinger

Former Google engineer Linwei Ding's counsel wrapped his defense case Tuesday, questioning a technical expert who told a California federal jury that the documents taken by Ding related to artificial intelligence supercomputers wouldn't allow someone to replicate Google's technology and had minimal value to competitors.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Law360 Seeks Members For Its 2026 Editorial Boards

Law360 is looking for avid readers of our publications to serve as members of our 2026 editorial advisory boards.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Language Access Bill Targets Trump's English-Only Order

By Joyce Hanson

Four members of Congress have introduced a bill that would protect language access at federal agencies for millions of people in the United States with limited English, saying an executive order by President Donald Trump declaring English as the official U.S. language wrongly minimizes multilingual services.

Bill attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Marilyn Monroe Homeowners Sue LA Again Over Landmarking

By Gina Kim

Owners of a home where Marilyn Monroe died sued Los Angeles officials for the second time Friday, alleging in California federal court that designating the property a historic cultural monument prevented them from demolishing the decaying building they still must pay taxes on, which amounts to an unconstitutional government taking without just compensation.

Complaint attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Investor Group Battles PG&E's $100M Wildfire Suit Deal

By Emlyn Cameron

A faction of the proposed class members in a securities class action targeting Pacific Gas & Electric Co. have asked the California federal judge overseeing the case to deny a settlement of claims that the company misled investors about its safety practices ahead of deadly wildfires in the past decade.

2 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Split 9th Circ. Backs Blue Shield Win In Residential Care Row

By Gianna Ferrarin

A split Ninth Circuit panel on Tuesday held Blue Shield of California did not abuse its discretion in declining to cover an adolescent's stay at a mental health treatment facility, rejecting arguments on appeal that the insurer wrongly went against the recommendations of treating physicians.

Opinion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Kratom Buyers Call Co.'s Products Addictive, Dangerous

By Mike Curley

A group of kratom product buyers is suing 7Tabz Retail LLC in California federal court, launching the latest suit alleging kratom companies are pushing an addictive drug without warning buyers about the danger.

Complaint attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Lasik Provider Can't Shake Wiretap Claims In Tracking Row

By Allison Grande

The operator of a laser eye surgery website must face a proposed class action alleging it illegally shared patients' confidential medical information with Meta, a California federal judge ruled, finding that the plaintiff could continue to press allegations under state and federal wiretap law.

Opinion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Judge Asks If Jurisdiction Exists To Cancel 'Perplexity' TM

By Elliot Weld

A California federal judge has ordered artificial intelligence startup Perplexity AI to explain why she has jurisdiction to cancel a trademark for a similarly named company after vacating a default judgment that was issued due to that company failing to secure a lawyer.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

SF Giants Accused Of Charging 'Junk Fees' On MLB Tickets

By Gina Kim

The San Francisco Giants for years lured consumers into buying tickets to ball games by unlawfully charging undisclosed "junk fees" that aren't revealed until checkout, after pressuring them with a countdown clock, alleges a proposed class action filed Monday in California federal court.

Complaint attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

9th Circ. Affirms Ripple's Early Win On Registration Claim

By Emilie Ruscoe

The Ninth Circuit won't revive class action claims alleging cryptocurrency company Ripple Labs sold the digital token XRP in an unregistered securities offering, upholding in its decision Tuesday a lower court's finding that the claims are time-barred.

Opinion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

SEC Blunts Some Shareholder Activists With Policy Reversal

By Sarah Jarvis

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has reversed course on allowing shareholders with less than $5 million in holdings to publicize information about their proxy ballot proposals through the agency, saying it will object to such voluntary submissions going forward.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Crypto Network Cofounder Hit With $100M RICO Suit

By Gina Kim

The co-founder and board members of cryptocurrency-associated data cloud platform Cere Network were sued in California federal court Tuesday over an alleged pump-and-dump scheme where they secretly sold over $41 million in Cere tokens on various exchanges and misappropriated investor funds. 

Complaint attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

AGs' HPE-Juniper Hold Too Broad, Too Late, Judge Says

By Bryan Koenig

A California federal judge explained his reasoning for refusing to block further integration between Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Juniper Networks, while Democratic attorneys general challenge the Justice Department's controversial settlement permitting the merger.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Medtronic Rival's VP Says Docs Praised Device But Didn't Buy

By Craig Clough

A vice president in charge of sales at Applied Medical testified Tuesday in a California federal trial over his company's antitrust claims against Medtronic, and said the overwhelmingly positive feedback Applied received from surgeons who used its advanced bipolar devices often didn't result in sales. 

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Shein Moves To Toss Artist's 'Misguided' Copyright, RICO Suit

By Rae Ann Varona

Shein urged a California federal court to toss a proposed copyright and racketeering class action that accuses the fast-fashion online retailer of using sophisticated algorithmic systems and artificial intelligence to steal artists' works, chiding the suit's bid to equate Shein with a criminal enterprise as "fanciful and severely misguided."

2 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Kirkland-Led Leonard Green Gets $3.6B For Single-Asset Fund

By Jade Martinez-Pogue

Leonard Green & Partners LP, advised by Kirkland & Ellis LLP, has announced it closed its inaugural investment program focused on single-asset continuation funds sponsored by third-party private equity managers, with $3.6 billion of commitments.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

3 Firms Guide GigCapital's Latest SPAC, Raising $220M

By Jade Martinez-Pogue

GigCapital9 Corp., the latest special purpose acquisition company led by serial SPAC sponsor Avi Katz, began trading publicly Tuesday after pricing its $220 million initial public offering.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Immigrants Sue ICE Over 'Intolerable' Calif. Detention Center

By Lauren Berg

After launching a "sweeping dragnet" of immigration arrests in California, the Trump administration is subjecting people to "dangerous conditions and pervasive abuses" at a detention center in the Mojave Desert as part of its broader plan to intimidate and deport immigrants, according to a lawsuit filed in California federal court.

Complaint attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Kelley Drye Adds Ex-23andMe, Facebook Privacy Pros

By Lauren Berg

Kelley Drye & Warren LLP said Monday it is boosting its privacy and information security practice with the addition of a former 23andMe attorney in California and a former Facebook attorney in Texas.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Willkie Adds Private Equity Pro From Sidley Austin In LA

By Rose Krebs

Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP has added a partner from Sidley Austin LLP to strengthen its capacity to advise private equity funds, asset managers and other clients about corporate transactions.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Lessons From EdTech Provider's Data Breach Settlements

Education technology company Illuminate Education's recent settlements with three states and the Federal Trade Commission over state privacy law claims following a student data breach are some of the first of their kind, suggesting a shift in enforcement focus to how companies handle student data and highlighting the potential for coordinated enforcement actions, say attorneys at Wilson Sonsini.

4 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Key Sectors, Antitrust Risks In Pricing Algorithm Litigation

Algorithmic pricing lawsuits have proliferated in rental housing, hotels, health insurance and equipment rental industries, and companies should consider emerging risk factors when implementing business strategies this year, say attorneys at Hunton.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Fla. Prosecutors' Detention Defense Met With Sanction Threat

By Adrian Cruz

The U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Florida, Gregory Kehoe, along with an assistant U.S. attorney have been threatened with sanctions by a federal judge for the methods their office used in defending the mandatory detention of noncitizens.

Decision attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Gibson Dunn Mentor Program Sets Up Attys For Success

By Tracey Read

January is National Mentoring Month. Law360 heard from attorneys who are in Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP’s firmwide mentorship program about its top benefits.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Mass. Disbars Pot Shop Lawyer Convicted In Bribery Scheme

By Julie Manganis

A Massachusetts attorney convicted of attempting to bribe a Boston-area police chief to endorse his client's pot shop license has been disbarred, according to a notice released by the state's bar this week.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

NJ Atty Calls Fla. Bar's High Fees Unconstitutional

By Carolina Bolado

A New Jersey lawyer urged the Eleventh Circuit on Wednesday to revive his suit accusing the Florida Board of Bar Examiners of violating the dormant commerce clause by charging out-of-state attorneys disproportionately high fees to sit for the Florida bar exam.

3 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Longtime DOJ Antitrust Litigator Joins Duane Morris

By Christine DeRosa

A veteran antitrust litigator at the U.S. Department of Justice left the federal government to join Duane Morris LLP as a partner, the firm has announced.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Tom Goldstein Saga Could Go From Courtroom To Big Screen

By Rachel Rippetoe

As federal prosecutors are two weeks into detailing SCOTUSblog founder Thomas Goldstein's storied descent into the world of high-stakes poker during his tax fraud trial in Maryland, Hollywood producers are gearing up to tell the same story on-screen.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Ropes & Gray Adds 3 Partners In New York

By Christine DeRosa

Ropes & Gray LLP has expanded its offerings in New York with the addition of three attorneys, one each from Debevoise, Paul Weiss and Wachtell Lipton.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Reciprocal Discipline Unfair After 'Ambush,' Atty Tells 4th Circ.

By Hayley Fowler

A solo practitioner in North Carolina whose law license was suspended for alleged tax crimes and trust account problems told the Fourth Circuit on Wednesday not to reciprocate the punishment, arguing his due process rights were violated and the underlying facts don't support disciplining him.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Ex-DOJ Leader Joins High-Profile Litigation Group In DC

By Jack Rodgers

The former acting chief of the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division's Appellate Section has joined Washington Litigation Group, a boutique firm that is involved in several high-profile matters, including a lawsuit challenging the president's renaming of the Kennedy Center, and successfully blocked the appointment of Alina Habba as acting U.S. attorney in New Jersey.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Firm Revenue Up 12.6% As Billing Rates, Demand Grew In '25

By Alison Knezevich

Increased billing rates and strong demand helped drive another financially successful year for the U.S. legal industry in 2025, according to survey results released Wednesday.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

ArentFox Schiff Launches Longevity Industry Group

By Gianna Ferrarin

ArentFox Schiff LLP on Wednesday announced the launch of a group geared toward advising companies focused on advancing wellness, preventive health care and the longevity of life.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Prosecutors Form New Group To Fight Federal Overreach

By Ryan Boysen

Several progressive prosecutors have launched a new group to hold accountable federal officials who "exceed their lawful authority," amid a growing backlash to the Trump administration's immigration crackdown and the recent killing of two protesters by immigration agents in Minneapolis.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Nomura Unit Taps Legal Chief To Steer Crypto Trust Bank Plan

By Aislinn Keely

A crypto-focused subsidiary of financial services group Nomura has applied to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to establish a national trust bank headed by its legal chief.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »