California

April 02, 2025
Experian Says CFPB Suit Is Too Late, Too Flawed To Proceed

Experian asked a California federal court Tuesday to throw out a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau lawsuit accusing it of mishandling consumer credit reporting disputes, arguing the case is an overblown, untimely "attempt to legislate through enforcement."
April 02, 2025
Groups Say Interior Is Ignoring Aging Calif. Oil Platforms

The federal government has failed to require Sable Offshore Corp. to update safety and pollution control plans at oil and gas drilling facilities off the California coast that fed an onshore pipeline that spilled in 2015, a new lawsuit says.
April 02, 2025
9th Circ. Gives Ex-CoreLogic Worker 2nd Shot At 401(k) Suit

The Ninth Circuit revived a suit Wednesday from a former CoreLogic worker who claimed the company stacked its retirement plan with costly and underperforming investment funds, ruling a district judge erred by tossing the case rather than giving the ex-worker a chance to revise his complaint.
April 02, 2025
Judge Won't Let Feds Cut Legal Funding For Migrant Kids Yet

A California federal judge said the federal government can't cut funding for groups that provide legal representation to unaccompanied immigrant children, finding that the public interest strongly weighs in favor of maintaining the status quo.
April 02, 2025
CVS Asserts DOJ's Opioid Prescription Suit Lacks Facts

CVS Pharmacy Inc. has told a Rhode Island federal judge that most of the U.S. Department of Justice's claims that it knowingly filed invalid prescriptions for opioids should be tossed, saying the agency failed to adequately allege the company willfully put profits over safety.
April 02, 2025
Calif. Tribe Sues After DOI Rescinds $700M Casino Eligibility

The U.S. Department of the Interior's sudden decision to rescind gambling eligibility for a $700 million tribal casino-resort project violates the California tribe's due process rights and is an overreach of the agency's authority, the tribe told a D.C. federal judge in a new lawsuit.
April 02, 2025
Microsoft Ad Platform Allows Illegal Surveillance, Suit Says

Microsoft has been targeted in a proposed class action that alleges it uses software and an advertising and analytics platform to illegally track sensitive private information and the browsing histories of hundreds of millions of people in violation of federal and California privacy laws.
April 02, 2025
Amazon Delivery Partner Faces Wage, Breaks Suit In Calif.

An Amazon delivery service partner offering delivery and assembly of large items didn't pay employees for all hours worked, violated rest breaks law and paid just $5 per pay period to cover their cellphone expenses, according to a proposed class action in California state court.
April 02, 2025
9th Circ. Doubts Bang Energy Founder's $272M Verdict Appeal

A Ninth Circuit panel expressed skepticism Wednesday about an attempt to undo Monster Beverage Corp.'s $272 million false advertising trial win against the founder of Vital Pharmaceuticals Inc., the now-defunct company behind Bang Energy drinks.
April 02, 2025
Cal State Again Escapes Professor's Reimbursement Suit

California State University does not have to foot the bill for the computer a biology professor purchased at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, a state panel said, finding the state's Legislature intended for public entity employers to be exempt from laws mandating workers be reimbursed for business expenses.
April 02, 2025
Ex-Kirkland Atty To Drop Bias Suit, Appeal Atty Firing Ruling

A former Kirkland & Ellis LLP intellectual property associate is expected to drop her claims against the law firm and related defendants, while also appealing a ruling that precluded her from firing her attorney in the case, the parties told a California federal court Tuesday.
April 02, 2025
Former Calif. Legislator, Prosecutor Named US Atty In LA

Former California State Assemblyman Bilal A. "Bill" Essayli was sworn in Wednesday as the U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, after he was appointed by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi.
April 02, 2025
Cedars-Sinai To Pay $3M To End Retirement Plan Suit

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Inc. has agreed to pay $3 million to resolve a suit from current and former workers claiming the healthcare system loaded down its $2 billion retirement plan with high fees and poor-performing investment funds, according to a California federal court filing.
April 01, 2025
Trump Admin Layoffs 'Probably Broke Laws,' Judge Says

A Maryland federal judge ruled Tuesday that the Trump administration "probably broke the laws that regulate en masse terminations of government employees," ordering the federal government to reinstate thousands of probationary employees who were abruptly fired from their jobs in 19 states and the District of Columbia.
April 01, 2025
Streaming Service Can't Drop Privacy Suit Over Data Sharing

A California federal judge refused to cut federal and state video privacy claims from a putative class action accusing movie streaming provider Mubi of secretly tracking and sharing subscribers' video-viewing histories with third parties such as Meta, rejecting arguments that the plaintiffs lacked standing and adequate support for their allegations.
April 01, 2025
Bigelow Waved The Flag While Selling Foreign Tea, Jury Told

R.C. Bigelow Inc. falsely advertised its foreign-grown teas as "manufactured in the USA" in a deceitful effort to play on customers' patriotic sentiments, counsel for a certified class of Golden State tea buyers told jurors as a damages trial opened in California federal court Tuesday.
April 01, 2025
UC Regents Face Trimmed Suit Over Antisemitism At Berkeley

A California federal judge on Monday trimmed two Jewish advocacy organizations' lawsuit accusing UC Berkeley and its law school of tolerating antisemitism, allowing the suit to go forward on their claims the university was "deliberately indifferent" towards Jews on campus.
April 01, 2025
FDA Beats Challenge To Approval Of Elanco's Cattle Gas Drug

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has defeated an administrative challenge to its approval of Elanco Health's drug meant to reduce ammonia gas emissions from beef cattle and their waste, with a California federal judge ruling Tuesday that the agency reasonably evaluated its safety based on a wide array of studies.
April 01, 2025
Samsung Fails To Invalidate Headwater's Wireless Patent

Samsung failed Tuesday to persuade a federal magistrate judge in the Eastern District of Texas to invalidate a patent issued to Airgo Networks co-founder Greg Raleigh, who alleges Samsung Electronics America Inc.'s products infringe wireless communications patents developed by one of his later research outfits.
April 01, 2025
Judge Agrees To End HPE's Patent Case After Deal Talks

A California federal judge has put an end to Hewlett Packard Enterprise's patent infringement lawsuit against a group of companies, after the parties said they have reached a deal in principle to bring the case to a close.
April 01, 2025
Trump Admin Pushes Back At Sanctuary City Funding Suit

The Trump administration urged a California federal judge to deny cities and counties' attempt to block it from withholding funding to "sanctuary jurisdictions," saying their challenge is unripe for review because the federal government hasn't taken any actions against them.
April 01, 2025
Nordstrom Suit Over $6.7M Shirt Deal Restitched At 9th Circ.

A Ninth Circuit panel on Tuesday restored a garment maker's lawsuit accusing retailer Nordstrom of using baseless human rights concerns as a pretense to yank a $6.7 million menswear order, saying a U.S. Customs press release about a forced labor investigation wasn't enough to warrant the alleged cancellation.
April 01, 2025
Nelson Mullins-, Latham-Guided SmartStop Prices $810M IPO

SmartStop Self Storage REIT Inc., a real estate investment trust managing U.S. and Canadian properties, on Tuesday priced an $810 million initial public offering within its marketed range, represented by Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP and underwriters' counsel Latham & Watkins LLP.
April 01, 2025
Meta Can't Narrow Health Privacy Suit Scope, Consumers Say

Two consumers who claim that Meta secretly collected their health information data through an "invisible tracker" on third-party websites told a California federal judge Tuesday that the social media giant is improperly trying to narrow their proposed class action to cover just one third-party health website.
April 01, 2025
FCC Says Scammers Are Targeting Chinese Community

Chinese-Americans have been receiving calls from bad actors attempting to line their own pockets by posing as insurance company employees and government officials in order to get personal information or cash payments, the FCC is warning.

Expert Analysis

Lessons From United's Axed Win In Firing Over Online Pics

In Wawrzenski v. United Airlines, a California state appeals court revived a flight attendant’s suit over her termination for linking photos of herself in uniform to her OnlyFans account, providing a cautionary tale for employers navigating the complexities of workplace policy enforcement in the digital age, say attorneys at ArentFox Schiff.
Mich. Ruling Offers View On 'Occurrence' Coverage Definition

As demonstrated by a Michigan state court in its recent decision finding per-wound insurance coverage for a school shooting, the amount of coverage available under occurrence-based policies often depends on how courts interpret "occurrence," say attorneys at Hunton.
Exploring Venue Strategy For Trump-Era Regulatory Litigation

Litigation will likely play a prominent role in shaping policy outcomes during the second Trump administration, and stakeholders have several tools at their disposal to steer regulatory litigation toward more favorable venues, say attorneys at Covington.
What 2024's Noncompete Turmoil Means For Banks In 2025

A look back at the most significant legal challenges to the enforceability of various restrictive covenants like noncompete and nonsolicitation agreements in 2024 can help financial institutions address the use of these critical tools this year, say attorneys at Maynard Nexsen.
How The UPC, ITC Complement Each Other In Patent Law

Attorneys at Ropes & Gray discuss the similarities and differences between the Unified Patent Court and the International Trade Commission, as well as recent matters litigated in both venues and why parties choose to file at these forums.
Lessons Learned From 2024's Top FMLA Decisions

Last year's major litigation related to the Family and Medical Leave Act underscores why it is critical for employers to understand the basics of when leave and accommodations are required, say attorneys at Dechert.
A Guide To Significant 2024 Data Broker Legal Developments

2024 saw notable developments in U.S. data broker regulation and enforcement, and this momentum will likely carry into 2025, despite hypothetical efforts to the contrary under the new administration, say attorneys at Frankfurt Kurnit.
Series

Playing Esports Makes Me A Better Lawyer

Competing in a global esports tournament at Wimbledon last year not only fulfilled my childhood dream, but also sharpened skills that are essential to my day job, including strategic thinking, confidence and networking, says AJ Schuyler at Jackson Lewis.
How Changes In State Gift Card Laws May Affect Cos. In 2025

2024 state legislative movements around the escheatment of unused gift card balances and consumer fraud protections should prompt issuers to consider whether changes in company domicile or blanket cash-back policies are needed in the new year, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.
Retailers Must Adapt As Courts Shift On False Price Claims

The increasing frequency with which courts are denying motions to dismiss false reference price claims signals that these lawsuits are not going away anytime soon, so retailers must be prepared for a more complex and prolonged defense process, say attorneys at Akerman.
Health Tech Regulatory Trends To Watch In 2025

With an upcoming change in administration and the release of some long-awaited rules, the healthcare industry should prepare for shifting trends, including a growing focus on health data and interest in technology-enabled delivery of healthcare, say attorneys at Orrick.
An Associate's Guide To Career Development In 2025

As the new year begins, associates at all levels should consider establishing career metrics, fostering key relationships and employing other specific strategies to help move through the complexities of the legal profession with confidence and emerge as trailblazers, say EJ Stern and Amanda George at Fractional Law Firm.
The Justices' Securities Rulings, Dismissals That Defined '24

The U.S. Supreme Court's 2024 securities rulings led to increased success for defendants' price impact arguments, but the justices' decisions not to weigh in on important issues relating to the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act's pleading requirements may be just as significant, say attorneys at Skadden.
Series

Fixing Up Cars Makes Me A Better Lawyer

From problem-solving to patience and adaptability to organization, the skills developed working under the hood of a car directly translate to being a more effective lawyer, says Christopher Mdeway at Kaufman Dolowich.
2024 Has Been A Momentous Year For ESG

Significant developments in the environmental, social and governance landscape this year include new legislation, evolving global frameworks, continued litigation and enforcement actions, and a U.S. Supreme Court decision that has already affected how lower courts have viewed some ESG challenges, say attorneys at Katten.