California

  • May 15, 2026

    Calif. High Court Releases EdTech Co. From Data Breach Suit

    California's top court struck down a proposed class action accusing education technology provider Illuminate of failing to safeguard students' personal and health information, which was exposed in a data breach, finding the plaintiff hadn't sufficiently alleged key elements for his claims under the state's medical confidentiality or data security laws.

  • May 15, 2026

    Software Firm Seeks Belgian Venue For Calif. Cannabis Suit

    A Belgian software company has urged a California state court to throw out a nearly $400,000 fraud and breach of contract lawsuit filed by the owners of the PlugPlay cannabis vape brand, arguing both sides agreed all disputes must be litigated in Belgium.

  • May 15, 2026

    Meta Safety Monitor Would Create Roadblock, Judge Told

    Putting Meta under the supervision of a court-ordered monitor would only cause a slowdown in the development of new child safety features, a compliance executive testified Friday in the New Mexico attorney general's bench trial seeking changes to company practices.

  • May 15, 2026

    Real Estate Recap: Infrastructure Districts, UpCodes, Tariffs

    Catch up on this past week's key developments by state from Law360 Real Estate Authority — including the rising popularity of infrastructure districts to meet funding needs, tech-based solutions for developers to navigate building laws, and one BigLaw leader's view of how tariffs are affecting capital in real estate deals.

  • May 15, 2026

    Citron Founder Phoned Fed. Agent During FBI Raid, Jury Told

    An inspector with the U.S. Postal Service told a California federal jury considering securities fraud charges against Citron Research founder Andrew Left on Friday that even as she participated in the FBI's raid of his home, Left called her and spoke at length about the allegations against him for over an hour. 

  • May 15, 2026

    Artist's Atty Owes Disney $475K Sanctions In 'Moana' IP Case

    An attorney representing an animator who unsuccessfully alleged that The Walt Disney Co.'s "Moana" lifted his Polynesian adventure story must pay more than $475,000 in sanctions, a California federal judge ruled, saying he "acted recklessly" by pursuing trade secret misappropriation claims premised on a forged document.

  • May 15, 2026

    Pharmacies Stuck With CVS Arbitration Mandate At 9th Circ.

    A Ninth Circuit panel refused Friday to let four independent pharmacies avoid arbitrating their antitrust claims that CVS exploited a Medicare loophole to charge them exorbitant fees, standing by a district court's conclusion that just because parts of the arbitration agreement were unconscionable doesn't negate the entire thing.

  • May 15, 2026

    Judge Lets Landlord Rework Claims In Cannabis Lease Suit

    A Los Angeles County judge refused to issue a court order forcing a tenant to pay $58,000 it allegedly owes for overdue rent and parking lot improvements, telling the landlord it needs to refile its breach of contract claims if it wants to try to get the money.

  • May 15, 2026

    Cerebras' Mega IPO Boosts Confidence In AI Pipeline

    Artificial intelligence computing company Cerebras Systems Inc.'s blockbuster debut was well received by deals attorneys who track the pipeline for initial public offerings, with lawyers saying the upsized $5.6 billion IPO is a sign that investor confidence in the AI sector is growing. 

  • May 15, 2026

    9th Circ. Revives Licorice Buyer's Wiley Wallaby Label Suit

    The Ninth Circuit on Friday reinstated a consumer's proposed class action accusing a candy maker of deceptively labeling Wiley Wallaby-brand berry licorice as naturally flavored despite using an artificial ingredient, finding the buyer leveled plausible allegations that the manufacturer's statements would likely trick a reasonable consumer.

  • May 15, 2026

    Grok Chatbot Shares Private Info With Tech Cos., Suit Says

    Users of Elon Musk's artificial intelligence chatbot Grok have had their most personal queries and conversations shared with Meta, Google and TikTok for advertising purposes without the users' permission, according to a proposed class action filed in California federal court.

  • May 15, 2026

    Calif. Murder Conviction Tossed Over Bad Jury Instructions

    A man convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to up to life in prison must have a new trial as a result of improper jury instructions that were modified by a judge to conflict with actual state laws, a California appeals court has determined.

  • May 15, 2026

    'I've Looked At Your Billing Records,' Rivian Judge Jokes

    A California federal judge said Friday that she intends to grant final approval to Rivian's $250 million investor settlement, and drew laughs when she cut off a plaintiffs' attorney arguing that counsel worked hard for their requested fees, quipping, "I've looked at your billing records, I know."

  • May 15, 2026

    $19.2M Joint Juice Deal Ends Calif. False Ad Suit

    A California federal judge has given final approval to a nearly $19.2 million settlement to end more than a decade of litigation alleging that the makers of Joint Juice misled consumers about its health benefits.

  • May 15, 2026

    DOJ Says Grant Condition Stay Must Stop At 3 Programs

    The U.S. Department of Justice told a Rhode Island federal judge that a stay blocking grant conditions tied to immigration status and diversity efforts should apply only to several programs and that a nonprofit coalition is improperly trying to expand its reach.

  • May 15, 2026

    Meta Fights Uphill To Nix BIPA Voiceprint Privacy Claims

    A California federal judge said Friday she's inclined to deny Meta Platforms Inc.'s summary judgment bid on an Illinois resident's claims Meta violated the Prairie State's Biometric Information Privacy Act by obtaining her voice recordings from Facebook and Messenger platforms, saying there's enough evidence to establish a material factual dispute.

  • May 15, 2026

    Caitlyn Jenner Faces Fresh Suit Over Meme Coin Collapse

    Media personality and former Olympian Caitlyn Jenner faces potential class action fraud claims in California state court over the collapse of her meme coins after a similar action was tossed from federal court last month because a judge said the plaintiff couldn't sustain his securities fraud claims.

  • May 15, 2026

    CSU Cuts $12M Deal To End Fired Admins' Sex Bias Suit

    Two female former California State University administrators announced Friday that CSU will pay them $12 million to resolve their suit claiming they were fired for protesting gender bias and pay discrimination, after a jury awarded one of the women $6 million on her harassment claims.

  • May 15, 2026

    Lender Vouches For Blank Rome In Cannabis Dispensary Suit

    A lender is urging a California federal court to deny an attempt to disqualify Blank Rome LLP from representing it in the company's fraud lawsuit over a $1.6 million loan for a cannabis dispensary, arguing the request is simply an attempt to delay litigation.

  • May 15, 2026

    X.AI Urges 9th Circ. To Block Calif. AI Data Disclosure Law

    Elon Musk's company, X.AI LLC, has asked the Ninth Circuit to overturn a California court's refusal to block a state law that requires artificial intelligence developers to publicly disclose details about their training data, saying the judge's decision was "flawed from top to bottom."

  • May 15, 2026

    Balancing The Scales: Justices To Revisit Sentencing Rules

    The U.S. Supreme Court will take a closer look at a circuit split over the deference that should be allotted to U.S. Sentencing Commission commentary, and a man convicted in the killing of an infant has been released after 27 years served over evidence that points to pneumonia as the likely cause of death.

  • May 15, 2026

    Girardi Trial Judge Josephine Staton To Take Senior Status

    The California federal judge who sentenced disgraced trial attorney Tom Girardi to prison for wire fraud last year has announced that she'll be taking senior status in the fall, allowing President Donald Trump to appoint her successor.

  • May 15, 2026

    California Senate Confirms New State Bar Director

    The California State Senate confirmed longtime statewide courts administrator Laura Enderton-Speed as the state bar's new executive director Thursday, clearing the way for her to take on the unenviable task of rebuilding trust in an organization whose controversies culminated with the botched administration of last year's February bar exam.

  • May 15, 2026

    8th Circ. Wells Fargo Ruling Focuses On Establishing Injury

    The Eighth Circuit's recent decision affirming the dismissal of a proposed class action claiming Wells Fargo misspent 401(k) forfeitures won't dissuade workers from filing similar suits, attorneys say, but those plan participants will likely include more details on how they were allegedly hurt.

  • May 15, 2026

    GoPro Freed From $8.2M Verdict As Judge Axes Camera IP

    A California federal judge has freed camera giant GoPro from owing $8.2 million for infringing a claim in a video technology patent owned by Contour IP Holding LLC, finding that the claim was invalid.

Expert Analysis

  • A Framework For Habeas Relief After 5th Circ. Bond Ruling

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    Following the Fifth Circuit’s recent Buenrostro-Mendez v. Bondi decision foreclosing statutory bond for detained nonimmigrants not deemed admitted to the U.S., lawyers should adopt a framework that requests habeas relief pursuant to the Fifth Amendment’s due process clause, says Kemal Hepsen at Mandamus Lawyers.

  • Startup Founder Disputes Increasingly Turn On Governance

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    Recent Delaware developments suggest that as courts place increasing emphasis on board process, independence and oversight in founder-led startups, the growing intersection of governance, technology risk and investor oversight is accelerating both the emergence and escalation of founder disputes, says mediator Frank Burke.

  • 3 AI Adoption Mistakes GCs Should Avoid

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    The pressure in-house legal teams face to quickly adopt artificial intelligence tools, combined with budget constraints and the need to evaluate a crowded market of options, sets the stage for implementation mistakes that are often difficult to undo, says former 23andMe general counsel Guy Chayoun.

  • Sentencing Tips For Defending Crypto Conspiracy Cases

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    The sentencing of Evan Tangeman to 70 months in federal prison for laundering money in a cryptocurrency conspiracy illustrates that defense attorneys representing clients in multidefendant crypto cases need to understand the mechanics of conspiracy liability, loss attribution and restitution exposure before they reach the sentencing table, says Joseph De Gregorio at Sentencing Advocacy.

  • Series

    Playing Basketball Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My grandfather used to say "I wear your jersey" as shorthand for wholly committing to support someone with loyalty and integrity — ideals that have shaped my life on the basketball court and in legal practice, says Tracy Schimelfenig at Schimelfenig Legal.

  • Nexstar Offers A Cautionary Tale On State-Level Deal Scrutiny

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    State-enforcement challenges to the $6.2 billion Nexstar-Tegna merger remind legal practitioners that federal approval isn't always sufficient to deliver certainty on closing, integration and timetable assumptions, says Brett Story at Britehorn Securities.

  • How 'Bundling' Enforcement Is Parsing Efficiency, Access

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    Recent antitrust enforcement actions have taken a selective view of companies' bundling of products or services — challenging it when it shuts out rivals, but tolerating it when it creates efficient scale — making the real test now less about lower prices than about whether competition is being blocked, says attorney Alan Kusinitz.

  • Series

    The Biz Court Digest: Georgia Court Has Business On Its Mind

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    Thanks to recent legislation, the Georgia State-wide Business Court will soon offer business litigants greater access to the court than ever before, further enhancing the court's emphasis on efficiency, predictability and accessibility for sophisticated commercial disputes, says former GSBC judge Walt Davis at Jones Day.

  • Operational AI Washing: A New Securities Class Action

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    In rising claims of operational AI washing — plaintiffs alleging that artificial intelligence was invoked to explain corporate business decisions in ways that may obscure underlying financial distress — earnings calls, restructuring disclosures and board-level communications will serve as key defense evidence, say attorneys at Akerman.

  • Where The Preemption Fight Over Prediction Markets Stands

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    While the Third Circuit's recent ruling in Kalshi v. Flaherty remains a significant win for the federal government in its quest to regulate prediction markets, the Fourth, Sixth and Ninth Circuits appear more skeptical, indicating that this fight is likely headed for the Supreme Court, says Johnny ElHachem at Holland & Knight.

  • 4 Emerging Approaches To AI Protective Order Language

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    Over the last year, at least five federal district courts have issued or analyzed specific protective order provisions restricting the use of generative artificial intelligence platforms with protected materials, establishing that proactive AI-specific provisions are now standard practice and demonstrating that no single model works for every case, says Joel Bush at Kilpatrick.

  • 1st Surveillance Pricing Law In Md. Reflects Broader Scrutiny

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    A new law will make Maryland the first state to target data-driven or surveillance-based price manipulation, highlighting increased scrutiny from federal and state enforcement agencies and policymakers as they consider whether new laws are required to regulate dynamic pricing, say attorneys at Pillsbury.

  • Understanding The Insider Trading Gap In Prediction Markets

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    While the first-ever insider trading indictment involving a prediction market — the recent prosecution of a service member involved in the capture of Nicolás Maduro — comprised extreme facts and straightforward legal theories, future cases will test the bounds of insider trading law, say attorneys at Baker McKenzie.

  • Heppner Ruling Left AI Privilege Risk For Lawyers Unresolved

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    While a New York federal judge’s recent ruling in U.S. v. Heppner resolved a privilege question surrounding client-side artificial intelligence use, it did not address how to mitigate the risks that can arise when confidential information enters the operative context of an AI system used by an attorney, says Jianfei Chen at Quarles & Brady​​​​​​​.

  • The Ethics And Practicalities Of Representing AI Agents

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    With autonomous artificial intelligence agents now able to take action without explicit instructions from — or the awareness of — their human owners, the bar must confront whether existing frameworks like informed consent and client privilege will be sufficient on the day an AI agent calls seeking counsel, say attorneys at Morrison Cohen.

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