California

  • October 21, 2024

    Truck Asbestos Claims Suit Must Be Arbitrated, Court Hears

    A group of reinsurers is pressing a California federal court to order Truck Insurance Exchange to arbitrate its claim seeking coverage for millions of dollars' worth of asbestos bodily injury claims filed against Kaiser Cement & Gypsum, which was driven into bankruptcy in 2016.

  • October 21, 2024

    CFPB Funding No Reason To Ax SoLo Suit, Calif. Judge Says

    Another federal judge has refused to dismiss a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau lawsuit on the grounds that the agency lacks valid funding, and has found that the agency has pled plausible deceptive advertising, state violations and other counts against fintech lender SoLo Funds Inc.

  • October 21, 2024

    In OpenAI Copyright Case, Court Told, 'Too Many Cooks'

    Lawyers for some of the media companies and groups hitting up OpenAI and Microsoft with copyright cases say they have major reservations about marrying their cases, warning about rushed discovery and "forcing too many cooks into the same kitchen."

  • October 21, 2024

    Google, Meta Want Out Of GoodRx Health Data Sharing Suit

    Google, Meta Platforms and Criteo have asked a California federal court to cut them loose from litigation alleging that GoodRx improperly shared patients' protected health information with the tech companies, saying the claims are "fundamentally flawed."

  • October 21, 2024

    Netflix Inks $1.4M Wage Deal With Reality TV Contestants

    A California judge gave preliminary approval Monday to a $1.4 million settlement between Netflix and contestants from the reality television shows "Love Is Blind" and "The Ultimatum" to end a putative wage class action alleging the contestants were forced to work long hours with little pay.

  • October 21, 2024

    Tesla Used AI 'Blade Runner 2049' Image For Sales, Suit Says

    When Alcon Entertainment wouldn't let Tesla use an image from "Blade Runner 2049" in an event live-streamed from a Warner Bros. Discovery studio to promote an autonomous taxicab, the electric vehicle giant used an infringing image created by artificial intelligence, according to a lawsuit filed Monday in California federal court.

  • October 21, 2024

    9th Circ. Probes Bargaining Order Limits In 1st Cemex Review

    In the first court challenge to the National Labor Relations Board's landmark Cemex ruling, the Ninth Circuit grappled Monday with whether the labor board's new standard for issuing bargaining orders complies with a framework the U.S. Supreme Court set out more than 50 years ago.

  • October 21, 2024

    AI Software Developer Genesys Confidentially Files IPO

    Artificial intelligence-based software developer Genesys Cloud Services Inc. said Monday it has confidentially filed plans for an initial public offering with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, joining other AI-linked prospects preparing for IPOs.

  • October 21, 2024

    SpaceX Firing Suit Belongs In State Court, Ex-Workers Say

    Terminated SpaceX employees on Monday urged a California federal judge to remand their hostile work environment and retaliation case to state court due to lack of diversity jurisdiction, arguing that when they first sued, SpaceX's principal place of business was Hawthorne, California, not Starbase, Texas, where the company later moved.

  • October 21, 2024

    3rd Take's The Charm For Terrence Howard in CAA Suit

    A Los Angeles judge Monday declined to dismiss "Empire" star Terrence Howard's suit alleging Creative Artists Agency's conflicting interests led him to accept a salary below industry standards, finding the latest version of the complaint adequately addressed her statute of limitations concerns.  

  • October 21, 2024

    Ontrak Jury Lacked Key Compliance Instruction, Judge Told

    Counsel for convicted Ontrak founder Terren Peizer urged a California federal judge Monday to grant a new trial in the healthcare executive's novel insider trading case, saying jurors weren't properly instructed that they should acquit if Peizer's $20 million share sale was blessed by a compliance officer.

  • October 21, 2024

    Sidley Boosts Litigation Team With Latham Trial Atty In LA

    Sidley Austin LLP is boosting its Southern California litigation team, announcing Monday it is bringing in a Latham & Watkins LLP "bet-the-company" trial attorney as a partner in its Century City office in Los Angeles.

  • October 21, 2024

    Goodwin Steers Biotech Firm Septerna's Plans For $175M IPO

    Biotechnology firm Septerna Inc. on Monday launched plans for an estimated $175 million initial public offering, joining a hot market for drug developers of late, under guidance from Goodwin Procter LLP and underwriters' counsel Cooley LLP.

  • October 21, 2024

    9th Circ. Revives Atty's ADA Suit Against Calif. Bar

    The State Bar of California may not have sovereign immunity that would allow it to duck an attorney's federal lawsuit claiming it failed to provide him with adequate disability accommodations during a bar exam amid the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ninth Circuit said Monday.

  • October 21, 2024

    20-Year FBI Vet Joins Motion Picture Association In California

    A former supervisory special agent with the FBI has joined the Motion Picture Association in Los Angeles to work as vice president of the group's content protection enforcement for the Americas region, and for its Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment, according to a Monday announcement.

  • October 21, 2024

    Ex-Morgan Lewis Atty Seeks Moderation In LA County DA Bid

    Nathan Hochman, a former federal prosecutor and onetime partner at Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP, is running on a "hard middle" platform as he looks to unseat progressive Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón, the candidate told Law360 in an interview delving into his experience on both sides of the bar.

  • October 21, 2024

    Justices Nix GOP States' Intervention In Asylum Rule Talks

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday denied a group of Republican states' attempt to intervene in settlement talks between immigrant rights groups and the Biden administration over a rule limiting asylum at the southern border.

  • October 18, 2024

    Law360 MVP Awards Go To Top Attys From 74 Firms

    The attorneys chosen as Law360's 2024 MVPs have distinguished themselves from their peers by securing hard-earned successes in high-stakes litigation, complex global matters and record-breaking deals.

  • October 18, 2024

    Fritos Didn't Defame In Flamin' Hot Cheetos Feud, Judge Told

    An attorney for Frito-Lay Inc. on Friday urged a California federal judge to dismiss a former employee's suit claiming he invented Flamin' Hot Cheetos and had his livelihood destroyed when the company disavowed his story, saying it's not inherently defamatory to disagree about the snack's origins.

  • October 18, 2024

    9th Circ. Judge Doubts AI 'Robot Judges' Can Replace Jurists

    Ninth Circuit Judge William Fletcher expressed skepticism Friday that artificially intelligent "robot judges" should replace jurists, saying during a conference on complex litigation ethics that judges understand how to creatively apply the law to best serve justice, and "I don't trust the AI system to break the law when it should."

  • October 18, 2024

    Fired SF Rail Workers Win First Phase Of Vax Mandate Trial

    A California federal jury on Friday ruled that the Bay Area Rapid Transit District didn't prove it tried to accommodate six unvaccinated employees the agency fired during the COVID-19 pandemic, pushing the trial to a second phase over whether the workers had a "sincerely held" religious belief against being vaccinated.

  • October 18, 2024

    Fed. Circ. Sinks BofA's Fight Over Image Recognition Patents

    Bank of America had no luck Friday in an appeal seeking to revive a handful of challenges targeting patents owned by companies run by billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong that are suing the bank in California federal court.

  • October 18, 2024

    US Fights PetroSaudi Bid To Limit $380M Seizure

    The U.S. on Friday slammed a PetroSaudi company's request for a California federal court to clarify that officials can only seize 5% of a $380 million award, calling the request an improper attempt at revisiting a 3-year-old court ruling.

  • October 18, 2024

    Tech Cos. Ask 9th Circ. To Skip DMCA Probe In GitHub IP Suit

    Microsoft, GitHub and OpenAI have told the Ninth Circuit to rebuff an interlocutory appeal petition from a group of anonymous software developers who want clarity on whether the Digital Millennium Copyright Act requires an infringing copy to be identical to the original to claim a DMCA violation, saying the injury the group alleges is theoretical.

  • October 18, 2024

    Weedmaps' Parent Co. Faces Investor Suit After SEC Fine

    The parent company of cannabis tech company Weedmaps was hit with an investor's proposed class action alleging shareholders were damaged following the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's announcement that it fined the company $1.5 million for allegedly making misleading statements about its monthly active users.

Expert Analysis

  • Think Like A Lawyer: Always Be Closing

    Author Photo

    When a lawyer presents their case with the right propulsive structure throughout trial, there is little need for further argument after the close of evidence — and in fact, rehashing it all may test jurors’ patience — so attorneys should consider other strategies for closing arguments, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.

  • How A Bumblebee Got Under Calif. Wildlife Regulator's Bonnet

    Author Photo

    A California bumblebee's listing as an endangered species could lead to a regulatory quagmire as California Department of Fish and Wildlife permits now routinely include survey requirements for the bee, but the regulator has yet to determine what the species needs for conservation, says David Smith at Manatt.

  • Rare Robinson-Patman Ruling Exhibits Key Antitrust Risk

    Author Photo

    A rare federal court decision under the Robinson-Patman Act, which prohibits certain kinds of price discrimination, highlights the antitrust risks faced by certain suppliers and is likely to be cited by future plaintiffs and enforcement officials calling for renewed scrutiny of pricing and discounting practices, say attorneys at Baker McKenzie.

  • Deciphering SEC Disgorgement 4 Years After Liu

    Author Photo

    Since the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2020 decision in Liu v. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to preserve SEC disgorgement with limits, courts have continued to rule largely in the agency’s favor, but a recent circuit split over the National Defense Authorization Act's import may create hurdles for the SEC, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

  • Wiretap Use In Cartel Probes Likely To Remain An Exception

    Author Photo

    Although the U.S. Department of Justice's Antitrust Division has recently signaled interest in wiretaps, the use of this technology to capture evidence of antitrust conspiracies and pursue monopolization as a criminal matter has been rare historically, and is likely to remain so, say Carsten Reichel and Will Conway at DLA Piper.

  • Opinion

    California Has A Duty To Curtail Frivolous CIPA Suits

    Author Photo

    As plaintiffs increasingly file class actions against companies for their use of website tracking cookies and pixels, the Legislature should consider four options to amend the California Invasion of Privacy Act and restore the balance between consumer privacy and business operational interests, say Steven Stransky and Jennifer Adler at Thompson Hine and Glenn Lammi at the Washington Legal Foundation.

  • Playing The Odds: Criminal Charges Related To Sports Betting

    Author Photo

    In light of recent sports betting scandals involving MLB player Shohei Ohtani and NBA player Jontay Porter, institutions and individuals involved in athletics should be aware of and prepared to address the legal issues, including potential criminal charges, that sports gambling may bring to their door, say attorneys at Steptoe.

  • 8th Circ. Insurance Ruling Spotlights Related-Claims Defenses

    Author Photo

    The Eighth Circuit’s recent Dexon v. Travelers ruling — that the insurer must provide a defense despite the policy’s related-acts provision — provides guidance for how policyholders can overcome related-acts defenses, say Geoffrey Fehling and Jae Lynn Huckaba at Hunton.

  • Series

    Playing Chess Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    There are many ways that chess skills translate directly into lawyer skills, but for me, the bigger career lessons go beyond the direct parallels — playing chess has shown me the value of seeing gradual improvement in and focusing deep concentration on a nonwork endeavor, says attorney Steven Fink.

  • 9th Circ. Clarifies ERISA Preemption For Healthcare Industry

    Author Photo

    The Ninth Circuit's recent ruling in Bristol SL Holdings v. Cigna notably clarifies the broad scope of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act's preemption of certain state law causes of action, standing to benefit payors and health plan administrators, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.

  • State Procurement Could Be Key For Calif. Offshore Wind

    Author Photo

    A recent ruling from the California Public Utilities Commission highlights how the state's centralized electricity procurement mechanism could play a critical role in the development of long lead-time resources — in particular, offshore wind — by providing market assurance to developers and reducing utilities' procurement risks, say attorneys at Wilson Sonsini.

  • Calif. Budget Will Likely Have Unexpected Tax Consequences

    Author Photo

    A temporary suspension of net operating loss deductions and business incentive tax credits, likely to be approved on June 15 as part of California’s next budget, may create unanticipated tax liabilities for businesses that modeled recently completed transactions on current law, says Myra Sutanto Shen at Wilson Sonsini.

  • Patent Lessons From 7 Federal Circuit Reversals In May

    Author Photo

    A look at recent cases where the Federal Circuit reversed or vacated decisions by the Patent Trial and Appeal Board or a federal district court provide guidance on how to succeed on appeal by clarifying the obviousness analysis of design patents, the finality of a judgment, and more, say Denise De Mory and Li Guo at Bunsow De Mory.

  • Litigation Inspiration: Attys Can Be Heroic Like Olympians

    Author Photo

    Although litigation won’t earn anyone an Olympic medal in Paris this summer, it can be worthy of the same lasting honor if attorneys exercise focused restraint — seeking both their clients’ interests and those of the court — instead of merely pursuing every advantage short of sanctionable conduct, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.

  • Politics In The Workplace: What Employers Need To Know

    Author Photo

    As the 2024 election approaches and protests continue across the country, employers should be aware of employees' rights — and limits on those rights — related to political speech and activities in the workplace, and be prepared to act proactively to prevent issues before they arise, say attorneys at Littler.

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!