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California
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March 31, 2025
Venezuelans Can Keep DHS Removal Protections For Now
A California federal judge on Monday temporarily halted U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's attempt to end temporary deportation protections for hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans, calling it an "unprecedented action" that is likely "unauthorized by law, arbitrary and capricious, and motivated by unconstitutional animus."
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March 31, 2025
SpaceX Says It's Too Soon To Transfer Battle With NLRB
SpaceX urged a Texas federal court to vacate a renewed order making California the location for the aerospace company's lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the National Labor Relations Board's structure, saying conditions the Fifth Circuit imposed for renewing a bid for a transfer after blocking it in August haven't been met.
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March 31, 2025
9th Circ. Won't Stay Injunction On Transgender Troop Ban
A Ninth Circuit panel on Monday denied the federal government's bid for an emergency stay that would have allowed the U.S. Department of Defense to move forward with the Trump administration's ban on transgender military service following a Washington federal judge's decision to block the prohibition last week.
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March 31, 2025
Wells Fargo Sued Over Online Wire Fraud Protections
Wells Fargo has been hit in by a proposed class action California federal court accusing the bank of leaving its online and mobile banking customers exposed to costly losses from fraudulent wire transfers.
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March 31, 2025
Apple Beats Suit From Actor Who Refused COVID Shot
A California appellate court held Friday that Apple Studios had the right to pull an offer for actor Brent Sexton after he refused to get vaccinated against COVID-19, ruling that a lower court should've thrown out the actor's suit.
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March 31, 2025
Trump Commutes Con Man Jason Galanis' Prison Sentence
President Donald Trump on Friday commuted the nearly 16-year sentence of fraudster Jason Galanis, who was convicted in a shareholder rip-off and a tribal bond swindle that cost investors $81 million.
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March 31, 2025
Samsung Bid To Beat Back $192M Patent Award Falls Short
Texas U.S. District Judge Rodney Gilstrap unsealed a ruling Friday explaining why he decided that a small Silicon Valley outfit's use of continuations in filing wireless charger patents were not unreasonable delays that made the patents unenforceable or void a $192 million verdict against Samsung.
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March 31, 2025
Buyer Class Of Surgical Robots Is Certified In Antitrust Fight
A California federal judge on Monday certified a class of thousands of hospitals alleging Intuitive Surgical monopolized the market for robotic surgical tools by blocking third-party repairs and tying services to robot purchases, finding the case raises common antitrust questions that can be resolved on a classwide basis.
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March 31, 2025
Fla. Man Gets Prison Over 'Grills' Purchases With Public Cash
An Orlando, Florida, man was sentenced to nearly six years in federal prison after he pled guilty to defrauding the state of California out of more than $4 million in unemployment benefits meant to help people during the COVID-19 pandemic and spending it on luxury purchases, including diamond-studded "grills," or teeth jewelry.
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March 31, 2025
9th Circ. Revives Investor Suit Over $8B Avalara Sale
The Ninth Circuit on Monday partially revived a proposed class action accusing tax software company Avalara Inc. of underselling investors on its future prospects before taking the company private in an $8.4 billion deal.
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March 31, 2025
Fed. Circ. Tells PTAB To Look At Samsung Foe's Patents Again
Samsung convinced the Federal Circuit Monday that administrative patent board judges used an "erroneous" definition of a term used in two gesture-sensing interface patents that the smartphone giant is accused of infringing in litigation in Texas.
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March 31, 2025
Levi Strauss 'Sandbagged' By Bias Case Witness, Court Told
Levi Strauss urged the California federal judge overseeing a former marketing director's sex-discrimination suit to exclude the woman's therapist from testifying at trial about the alleged emotional distress she suffered while employed by the denim manufacturer, saying Monday that the company was "sandbagged" at the last minute with the witness.
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March 31, 2025
Ford Escapes Calif. Driver's Cooling Pump Warranty Claims
A California federal judge said Ford can evade a proposed class action alleging it violated state law by keeping its cooling system pump out of California's emission control system warranty, saying a state regulator agreed the pump is not an emissions-related part.
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March 31, 2025
Trader Joe's Scores Win In Chocolate Heavy Metals Case
Consumers alleging dark chocolate sold by Trader Joe's contains unsafe levels of lead and cadmium cannot pursue some of their state law claims because information about the presence of heavy metals in chocolate has been reasonably available to consumers for decades, a California federal judge ruled.
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March 31, 2025
JB Hunt Drivers Urge 9th Circ. To Revive Piece-Rate Wage Suit
Delivery truck drivers urged the Ninth Circuit to revive their wage-and-hour suit alleging J.B. Hunt used a piece-rate formula that did not separately compensate for tasks done off-the-clock, which included fueling trucks or completing paperwork, arguing Monday the company's system ultimately failed to pay drivers for all hours worked.
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March 31, 2025
DOI Rescinds Gaming Eligibility In $700M Calif. Casino Project
The Department of the Interior has temporarily suspended a gaming eligibility determination for a California tribe's $700 million casino and gaming resort project, saying Secretary Doug Burgum is concerned that the agency didn't consider additional evidence regarding the 160-acre parcel's restored lands exception.
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March 31, 2025
Insurer Denies Coverage For Crushing Death, Alleging Lies
A wood company's insurer said it owed nothing in connection with the crushing death of a recycling company worker who was killed by equipment rented from the wood seller, telling a California federal court that its insured misrepresented itself when claiming it didn't lease equipment on its coverage application.
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March 31, 2025
A&O, Ropes & Gray Steer $2.7B LPL, Commonwealth Deal
LPL Financial said Monday it has agreed to acquire Commonwealth Financial Network for approximately $2.7 billion, bringing together two top players in the independent wealth management space.
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March 31, 2025
Winston & Strawn Adds Goodwin Transactions Ace In LA
Winston & Strawn LLP is boosting its transactions team, announcing Monday it is bringing in a Goodwin Procter LLP private equity expert as a partner in its Los Angeles office.
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March 31, 2025
DOJ Seeking Steep Costs To Make Challengers Think Twice
The U.S. Department of Justice is quickly implementing President Donald Trump's plan to seek huge sums of money from litigants whose cases impede his agenda but ultimately prove unsuccessful, court records show.
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March 31, 2025
Feds Seek 10 Years For Ex-Girardi CFO's 'Brazen' Crimes
Los Angeles federal prosecutors said Girardi Keese's former head of accounting should spend 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to assisting Tom Girardi in siphoning clients' settlement funds and what the government called a "brazen" side fraud to steal from the firm's operating accounts.
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March 31, 2025
Calif. Pot Co. Seeks Receivership, Blames Merger 'Disaster'
A cannabis producer in California has moved to enter receivership in state court, disclosing more than $173 million in liabilities and saying a 2023 merger with its parent company proved to be a "financial disaster."
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March 31, 2025
Disbarred Fraudster Gets 25 Years For $18M Hemp Scam
A disbarred attorney with a history of investor fraud was sentenced to 25 years in prison for a scheme in which he solicited more than $18 million from investors by claiming to own a hemp farm that didn't exist and overhyping an edibles company.
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March 31, 2025
Ex-Workday Atty's Bias Claims Axed, Stock Dispute Kept Alive
A California federal judge tossed a Black ex-Workday attorney's claims that he endured race and disability bias that culminated in the software vendor sending police to his house to conduct an unnecessary wellness check, but the judge allowed the attorney pursue claims that he was shorted on stock options.
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March 31, 2025
Wachtell, S&C Build Mechanics Bank, HomeStreet Merger
Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz LLP-advised Mechanics Bank on Monday announced plans to merge with Sullivan & Cromwell LLP-led HomeStreet Bank in a deal that will create a combined company with 168 branches and $23 billion in assets.
Expert Analysis
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Firms Must Embrace Alternative Billing Models Or Fall Behind
As artificial intelligence tools eliminate inefficiencies and the Big Four accounting firms enter the legal market, law firms that pivot from the entrenched billable hour model to outcomes-based pricing will see a distinct competitive advantage, says attorney William Brewer.
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How Attorneys Can Master The Art Of On-Camera Presence
As attorneys are increasingly presented with on-camera opportunities, they can adapt their traditional legal skills for video contexts — such as virtual client meetings, marketing content or media interviews — by understanding the medium and making intentional adjustments, says Kerry Barrett.
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Patent Drafting Pointers From Fed. Circ. COVID Test Ruling
The Federal Circuit's recent decision in DNA Genotek v. Spectrum Solutions provides several best practice pointers for drafting and prosecuting patent applications, highlighting how nuances in wording can potentially limit the scope of claims or otherwise affect claim constructions, says Irah Donner at Manatt.
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Series
Baseball Fantasy Camp Makes Me A Better Lawyer
With six baseball fantasy experiences under my belt, I've learned time and again that I didn't make the wrong career choice, but I've also learned that baseball lessons are life lessons, and I'm a better lawyer for my time at St. Louis Cardinals fantasy camp, says Scott Felder at Wiley.
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2 Recent Federal Decisions Affecting State CIPA Cases
Two recent cases may help stem the tide of the ever-increasing number of California Invasion of Privacy Act complaints filed in federal court, but won't prevent plaintiffs from filing in state courts, so companies need to shift their focus from Article III standing to statutory standing, says Matthew Pearson at Womble Bond.
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Series
Adapting To Private Practice: From Fed. Prosecutor To BigLaw
Making the jump from government to private practice is no small feat, but, based on my experience transitioning to a business-driven environment after 15 years as an assistant U.S. attorney, it can be incredibly rewarding and help you become a more versatile lawyer, says Michael Beckwith at Dickinson Wright.
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And Now A Word From The Panel: MDL Hubs
The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation showed a willingness in 2024 to establish new multidistrict litigation proceedings in cities with both less MDL and air traffic, including states that had no other pending MDL proceedings, but the overall number of pending MDL proceedings has dwindled down, says Alan Rothman at Sidley.
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Service By Token Is Transforming Crypto Litigation Landscape
As the Trump administration advocates a new course of cryptocurrency regulation, courts in the U.S. and abroad are authorizing innovative methods of process service, including via nonfungible tokens and blockchain messaging, offering practical solutions for litigators grappling with the anonymity of cyber defendants, says Jose Ceide at Salazar Law.
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Opinion
After Fires, Calif. Must Streamline Enviro Reviews For Housing
Recent waivers to the California Environmental Quality Act and other laws granted by California Gov. Gavin Newsom to expedite reconstruction of residential property damaged in the Los Angeles wildfires are laudable — but given the state's widespread housing shortage, policymakers should extend the same benefits to other communities, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.
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PG&E Win Boosts Employers' Defamation Defense
A California appeals court's recent Hearn v. PG&E ruling, reversing a $2 million verdict against PG&E related to an ex-employee’s retaliation claims, provides employers with a stronger defense against defamation claims tied to termination, but also highlights the need for fairness and diligence in internal investigations and communications, say attorneys at Kaufman Dolowich.
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How Calif. Algorithmic Pricing Bills Could Affect Consumers
California's legislative efforts to regulate algorithmic pricing may address antitrust and fairness concerns, but could stop retailers from providing consumer discounts, says Alyssa Sones at Sheppard Mullin.
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State Securities Enforcers May Fill A Federal Enforcement Gap
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission appears poised to take a lighter touch under the new administration, but state enforcement efforts are likely to continue unabated, and potentially even increase, particularly with regard to digital assets and ESG disclosures, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.
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Firms Still Have Lateral Market Advantage, But Risks Persist
Partner and associate mobility data from the fourth quarter of 2024 shows that we’re in a new, stable era of lateral hiring where firms have the edge, but leaders should proceed cautiously, looking beyond expected revenue and compensation analyses for potential risks, say Julie Henson and Greg Hamman at Decipher Investigative Intelligence.
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Recent Cases Highlight Latest AI-Related Civil Litigation Risks
Ongoing lawsuits in federal district courts reveal potential risks that companies using artificial intelligence may face from civil litigants, including health insurance coverage cases involving contractual and equitable claims, and myriad cases concerning securities disclosure claims, say attorneys at Katten.
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Opinion
We Must Allow Judges To Use Their Independent Judgment
As two recent cases show, the ability of judges to access their independent judgment crucially enables courts to exercise the discretion needed to reach the right outcome based on the unique facts within the law, says John Siffert at Lankler Siffert & Wohl.