California

  • February 27, 2025

    States Say DOD Transgender Ban Puts Public Safety At Risk

    Twenty-one states on Wednesday threw their support behind transgender service members and human rights organizations challenging the Trump administration's executive order banning transgender people from serving in the military, arguing that it will harm their efforts to protect their communities.

  • February 27, 2025

    Apple Falsely Touted Watches As 'Carbon Neutral,' Buyers Say

    Apple Watch purchasers on Wednesday lodged a proposed class action in California federal court, claiming that the tech giant marketed various smartwatch products as "carbon neutral" despite Apple not actually providing "genuine, additional carbon reductions."

  • February 27, 2025

    PennyMac Can't Avoid Investors' Suit Over Post-Libor Rate

    A California federal judge has ruled PennyMac's mortgage investment arm must face a suit accusing it of using last year's discontinuation of Libor to unlawfully lock in a lower dividend for some of its preferred stock, saying the plaintiffs have adequately pled that the company violated the LIBOR Act when it issued dividends at a fixed rate.

  • February 27, 2025

    Safeway Peanut Butter Cookies Caused Death, Suit Says

    Albertsons and Safeway are facing a wrongful death lawsuit from the family of an elderly Washington woman who allegedly bought supermarket cookies mislabeled as oatmeal raisin that contained undeclared peanuts, which triggered a fatal allergic reaction.

  • February 27, 2025

    Food Startup Owes $575K In TM Fight With Jaden Smith's Co.

    A disagreement over how food startup Eat Just capitalized on the word "Just" in branding will cost it over half a million dollars after a California federal court decided its conduct went against the company's agreement with the Just Water brand started by celebrity Jaden Smith and his actor dad, Will Smith.

  • February 27, 2025

    SEC Says Meme Coins Are Not Securities

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission staff declared Thursday that so-called meme coins do not fall under the agency's jurisdiction and that purchasers of the coins should not expect to be protected by federal securities laws.

  • February 27, 2025

    Artist Immediately Knew 'Moana' Was A Ripoff, Jury Hears

    An artist testified in California federal court Thursday that he was "shocked" upon taking his stepson to see "Moana" in a movie theater in 2016, saying he was certain the first time he saw the blockbuster film that The Walt Disney Co. had copied his own animated work.

  • February 27, 2025

    Alsup Halts 'Illegal' Firings Of Probationary Federal Workers

    U.S. District Judge William Alsup on Thursday temporarily blocked the mass firings of probationary federal employees ordered by President Donald Trump's administration, determining that the Office of Personnel Management illegally directed government agencies to terminate the probationary employees without authority to do so from Congress.

  • February 27, 2025

    9th Circ. Partially Upholds Ruling In Ariz. Voting Rights Row

    A Ninth Circuit panel upheld a lower court's ruling that certain provisions of two Republican-backed Arizona voting laws requiring residents to provide proof of citizenship to vote by mail and in presidential elections violated federal law, saying several of the measures are examples of voter suppression.

  • February 27, 2025

    Judge Urges $15.5M Tax Judgment Against Ex-NFL Champ

    A federal magistrate judge recommended a default judgment against four-time Super Bowl champion Bill Romanowski and his wife for $15.5 million in taxes, saying in a report Thursday that the couple failed to respond to the underlying government complaint against them.

  • February 27, 2025

    Trump Admin Asks 1st Circ. To Let It Enforce Birthright Ban

    President Donald Trump's administration on Thursday asked the First Circuit to let it begin enforcing its executive order restricting birthright citizenship while it appeals a Massachusetts federal judge's preliminary injunction.

  • February 27, 2025

    Calif. Data Broker Gets 3-Year Ban For Not Registering

    The California Privacy Protection Agency has notched another settlement in its investigative enforcement of data broker registration compliance, announcing Thursday it had secured a deal that requires a company touting its ability to unearth "scary" amounts of consumer information to cease operations for the next three years.

  • February 27, 2025

    Fed. Circ. Upholds Netflix PTAB Win Over Chip Patent

    Netflix persuaded the Federal Circuit to sign off Thursday on another one of the streaming company's wins at the patent board in its fight with a Broadcom subsidiary over chip technology.

  • February 27, 2025

    Pepperdine's TM Fight Can't Block Netflix's New Show Release

    A California federal judge rejected on Wednesday Pepperdine University's bid for a temporary restraining order blocking Netflix and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. from releasing their new series "Running Point," finding that the Christian university is unlikely to win its claims alleging the new series rips off Pepperdine's "Waves" athletic team.

  • February 27, 2025

    Justices Told Bose Ruling Will Deter Patent Settlements

    A Bose rival is going to the U.S. Supreme Court after losing a Federal Circuit ruling last year that found its patents were doomed by the terms of how a related infringement case settled, warning that the decision would "dissuade parties from settlements."

  • February 27, 2025

    Cedars-Sinai Strikes Deal To End Retirement Plan Suit

    Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Inc. and a group of retirement plan participants agreed to settle a proposed class action alleging the healthcare system loaded the plan with excessive recordkeeping fees and underperforming investment options, according to a California federal court filing.

  • February 27, 2025

    O'Melveny Adds Ex-Paul Hastings Private Funds Partner In LA

    O'Melveny & Myers LLP has hired a former Paul Hastings LLP of counsel as a Los Angeles-based partner in its asset management and private equity practice groups, the firm said Thursday.

  • February 27, 2025

    Farmworker Union Sues Over Calif. Border Patrol Raid

    A farmworker union and Kern County, California, residents accused U.S. Border Patrol agents of carrying out an unlawful, nearly weeklong immigration enforcement sweep to arrest people of color who appeared to be farmworkers regardless of their immigration status.

  • February 27, 2025

    Calif. Panel Won't Send Class Wage Suit To Arbitration

    A California appeals court refused to overturn an order declining to send to arbitration a sanitation worker's wage and hour suit against his former employer, saying his Private Attorneys General Act claims were brought only on behalf of a class and therefore the case can stay in court.

  • February 27, 2025

    Barry Manilow Pushes Dispute Over Royalties To LA Court

    A London judge ruled Thursday that claims by British music royalties outfit Hipgnosis over unpaid royalties against singer Barry Manilow must be dealt with by a court in Los Angeles before proceedings in the U.K. can move forward.

  • February 27, 2025

    Stripe Says It's Valued At $91.5B Through Tender Offer

    Payment provider Stripe Inc., advised by Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, on Thursday said it reached a $91.5 billion valuation after agreeing with investors to provide liquidity to current and former Stripe employees through a tender offer.

  • February 26, 2025

    Apple Comms Director's Texts Reveal Criticisms Of Judge

    An Apple communications director's text messages came to light Wednesday on the last day of a high-stakes hearing into whether Apple complied with a 2021 antitrust injunction, revealing the director had criticized the judge extensively when the hearing began in May.

  • February 26, 2025

    Snap Investors End Derivative Suit Over Apple Privacy Change

    Executives and directors of Snapchat parent company Snap Inc. have escaped a consolidated shareholder derivative suit alleging the social media company failed to warn investors about the impact that certain iPhone privacy changes would have on its advertising revenue, with a judge signing off on a voluntary dismissal order.

  • February 26, 2025

    Calif. Judge Murdered His Wife, DA Tells Jury As Trial Wraps

    California state court judge Jeffrey Ferguson intentionally killed his wife by drunkenly shooting her to death in their home after a heated argument, prosecutors told jurors during closing arguments Wednesday, while Ferguson's attorney argued that the gun accidentally discharged as the judge tried to set it on a table.

  • February 26, 2025

    Pornhub Data Privacy Suit Will Go To Arbitration

    A group of foreign companies that allegedly operate the website Pornhub have won their bid to send a proposed data privacy class action into arbitration, after a California federal judge ruled that an arbitrator must decide whether the companies waived their right to arbitration.

Expert Analysis

  • The Fashion Industry Should Prep Now For State PFAS Bans

    Author Photo

    New York and California have each passed legislation regulating PFAS in apparel and other textiles, so retailers should consult with manufacturers and suppliers and obtain the requisite certification documents as soon as possible to avoid disruptions in supply chains, say attorneys at Venable.

  • Rank-And-File DOJ Attorneys Will Keep Calm And Carry On

    Author Photo

    Career prosecutors at the U.S. Department of Justice often pride themselves on their ability to remain apolitical in order to ensure consistency and keep the department’s mission afloat, and the incoming Trump administration is unlikely to upend this tradition, says Michael Landman at Bird Marella.

  • Expect More State Scrutiny Of PE In Healthcare M&A

    Author Photo

    While a California bill that called for increased antitrust scrutiny of many healthcare private equity transactions was recently vetoed by the governor, state legislatures are likely to continue introducing similar laws, particularly if the Trump administration eases federal enforcement, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • California Supreme Court's Year In Review

    Author Photo

    Attorneys at Horvitz & Levy highlight notable decisions on major questions from the California Supreme Court's last term, including voter initiatives, hostile work environment and the economic loss rule.

  • DC Circ. Decision Opens Door To NEPA Regulation Litigation

    Author Photo

    A recent D.C. Circuit decision in Marin Audubon Society v. Federal Aviation Administration could open the door to more litigation over the White House Council on Environmental Quality's National Environmental Policy Act regulations, and could affect how many agencies conduct and interpret environmental assessments, say attorneys at ArentFox Schiff.

  • Calif. Ruling May Shield Public Employers From Labor Claims

    Author Photo

    In Stone v. Alameda Health System, the California Supreme Court recently exempted a county hospital from state-mandated rest breaks and the Private Attorneys General Act, granting government employers a robust new bulwark against other labor statutes by undermining an established doctrine for determining if a law applies to public entities, say attorneys at Hunton.

  • Service Providers Must Mitigate 'Secondary Target' Risks

    Author Photo

    A lawsuit recently filed in an Illinois federal court against marketing agency Publicis over its work for opioid manufacturers highlights an uptick in litigation against professional service providers hired by clients that engaged in alleged misconduct — so potential targets of such suits should be sure to conduct proper risk analysis and mitigation, say attorneys at Dechert.

  • Series

    Flying Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Achieving my childhood dream of flying airplanes made me a better lawyer — and a better person — because it taught me I can conquer difficult goals when I leave my comfort zone, focus on the demands of the moment and commit to honing my skills, says Ivy Cadle at Baker Donelson.

  • 9th Circ.'s High Bar May Limit Keyword Confusion TM Claims

    Author Photo

    A recent Ninth Circuit ruling that a law firm did not infringe upon a competitor’s trademarks by paying Google to promote its website when users searched for the rival’s name signals that plaintiffs likely can no longer win infringement suits by claiming competitive keyword advertising confuses internet-savvy consumers, say attorneys at Mitchell Silberberg.

  • Post-Election Implications For The EPA's Methane Rules

    Author Photo

    Amid the U.S. Supreme Court's recent denial of requests to halt implementation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's methane rule in two suits, and given the outcome of the election, a complete reversal of the methane rule is expected, but state-level policymaking and enforcement will continue, says John Watson at Spencer Fane.

  • Nvidia Supreme Court Case May Not Make Big Splash

    Author Photo

    The skeptical tenor of the justices' questioning at oral argument in Nvidia v. Ohman Fonder suggests that the case is unlikely to alter the motion to dismiss pleading standard in securities class actions, as some had feared, say attorneys at WilmerHale.

  • Defense Insights As PFAS Consumer Product Claims Rise

    Author Photo

    Amid the recent proliferation of lawsuits seeking damages for failure to disclose the presence of PFAS in consumer products, manufacturers, distributors and consumer product companies should follow the science and consider a significant flaw in many of the filings, say attorneys at Farella Braun.

  • Series

    Circus Arts Make Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Performing circus arts has strengthened my ability to be more thoughtful, confident and grounded, all of which has enhanced my legal practice and allowed me to serve clients in a more meaningful way, says Bailey McGowan at Stinson.

  • How D&O Coverage Can Aid Against Increased AI Scrutiny

    Author Photo

    The recent increase in regulatory enforcement and securities class actions stemming from corporate use of artificial intelligence should prompt companies to ensure that their directors and officers liability insurance coverage is appropriately tailored to AI-related risks, say attorneys at Reed Smith.

  • Purse-Case Scenarios: 'MetaBirkin' Appeal Tests TM Rights

    Author Photo

    A federal court's finding that "MetaBirkin" nonfungible tokens infringed on Hermes' iconic Birkin bag imagery is now on appeal in the Second Circuit, and the order will have a lasting effect on how courts balance trademark rights and the First Amendment, say attorneys at Venable.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the California archive.
Hello! I'm Law360's automated support bot.

How can I help you today?

For example, you can type:
  • I forgot my password
  • I took a free trial but didn't get a verification email
  • How do I sign up for a newsletter?
Ask a question!