California

  • December 10, 2024

    9th Circ Reverses Cert. In Widow's Allianz Life Insurance Suit

    A unanimous Ninth Circuit panel on Tuesday reversed a lower court decision granting class certification in a case claiming that Allianz LIfe Insurance didn't follow statutorily required notice provisions before denying life insurance claims, saying the lead plaintiff wasn't an adequate representative for the proposed class, among other concerns.

  • December 10, 2024

    SEC Says Ex-Rep Defrauded Investors With Short-Term Bets

    A former registered representative of broker-dealer Western International Securities Inc. has agreed to pay over $2.1 million to end U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission allegations he orchestrated a scheme to defraud retail clients by recommending costly investment strategies, and then covered up their "substantial" losses with phony financial statements.

  • December 10, 2024

    OneTaste Execs Want Sexually Explicit Evidence Out Of Trial

    Former OneTaste executives on Tuesday asked a New York federal judge to block prosecutors from showing jurors sexually explicit evidence at their upcoming forced labor conspiracy trial, saying the government is trying to put the sexual wellness company and "orgasmic meditation" on trial.

  • December 10, 2024

    Jay-Z Says PI Atty Buzbee Has History Of False Diddy Claims

    Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter's lawyers told a New York federal judge on Tuesday that the law firm of Tony Buzbee, a high-profile personal injury attorney suing the music mogul for allegedly raping a 13-year-old girl alongside Sean "Diddy" Combs, tried to pressure a different woman into leveling false sexual assault claims against Diddy.

  • December 10, 2024

    9th Circ. Upholds $850K Penalty In EPA Fine Suit

    The Ninth Circuit on Tuesday upheld a $850,000 penalty against Multistar Industries Inc. for Clean Water Act violations related to chemical storage, saying it agrees with the Environmental Protection Agency's view that the company was not exempt from the rules for storing hazardous materials.

  • December 10, 2024

    McGrath Kavinoky Denied Arbitration With 'Bullied' Clients

    A California judge on Tuesday denied McGrath Kavinoky LLP's bid to arbitrate allegations it "bullied" clients into accepting a share of $374 million in settlements for women who say they were sexually abused by a UCLA Health gynecologist, finding the situation "presents a problem" for the firm.

  • December 10, 2024

    Feds Propose Enviro Protections For Monarch Butterfly

    The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued a proposed rule on Tuesday that would list the monarch butterfly as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act and designate 4,395 acres of critical habitat in coastal California.

  • December 10, 2024

    9th Circ. Says Idaho Can't 'Veto' Federal Law In Abortion Row

    The Ninth Circuit seemed poised on Tuesday to turn away fresh arguments from Idaho officials claiming a state abortion ban does not conflict with a federal emergency stabilizing law, after the officials said the federal government can't impose conditions on private hospitals receiving Medicare funds.

  • December 10, 2024

    Great-Grandson Brings Nazi-Looted Art Case Back To Justices

    A California man who has been trying for nearly two decades to get a Spanish museum to return a painting that the Nazis stole from his great-grandmother is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene for a second time after the Ninth Circuit again denied his request.

  • December 10, 2024

    Ohio Justices Undo Paint-Maker's Lead Paint Coverage Win

    Insurers for Sherwin-Williams Co. don't have to cover the paint-maker's portion of a $305 million settlement to abate lead paint in California homes, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled Tuesday, finding the payment does not qualify as damages under its commercial general liability policies.

  • December 10, 2024

    Tekion Accuses CDK Of Blocking Rival Dealership Software

    Tekion Corp. accused CDK Global LLC of monopolizing the market for auto dealership management software by holding its customers' data "hostage" to prevent them from switching to competing platforms.

  • December 10, 2024

    Pa. Deputy AG, Calif. Judge Confirmed To Federal Bench

    The U.S. Senate on Tuesday confirmed Keli M. Neary, an executive deputy attorney general for the state of Pennsylvania, to serve as a federal judge for the Middle District of Pennsylvania and Judge Cynthia Valenzuela Dixon for the Central District of California.

  • December 10, 2024

    Split 9th Circ. Won't Revive Tesla Worker's Whistleblower Suit

    A split Ninth Circuit refused to revive a terminated Tesla worker's Sarbanes-Oxley whistleblower claim alleging he was retaliated against for reporting unlawful activity, ruling on Tuesday the worker is precluded from re-litigating in district court whether he engaged in protected activity, since an arbitrator already decided that he did not.

  • December 10, 2024

    Tribe Says Feds Cast Aside Calls For Consult On Ore. Casino

    A number of Indigenous communities, along with state and federal lawmakers are calling on the federal government to take a harder look at Oregon's first proposed off-reservation casino project before its final approval, saying requests for tribal consultation on the endeavor have been ignored for more than a decade.

  • December 10, 2024

    9th Circ. Judge Criticizes SF's 'Arbitrary' COVID Vax Mandate

    A Ninth Circuit panel doubted Tuesday whether a district judge followed the appellate panel's prior order requiring him to reconsider ex-San Francisco public employees' injunction bid in their civil rights case challenging the city's COVID-19 vaccination mandate, with one judge criticizing the city's since-expired worker vax mandate as "arbitrary."

  • December 10, 2024

    Movie Producer Asks 11th Circ. To Revive Defamation Claim

    A Hollywood movie producer urged the Eleventh Circuit on Tuesday to revive his defamation suit against The Hollywood Reporter over a story about a feud with another producer, but the appellate judges voiced skepticism about his argument that Florida law, and not California law, applies to the claim.

  • December 10, 2024

    9th Circ. OKs Dues Language In Allegiant Union Contract

    Allegiant Air and a Transport Workers Union local can keep their victory over a challenge to the dues provision of their collective bargaining agreement, the Ninth Circuit ruled Tuesday, upholding a California federal judge's ruling that the provision's language is legal under the Railway Labor Act.

  • December 10, 2024

    Mountain West Calls Trans Athlete Suit Moot After Tournament

    The Mountain West Conference wants the Tenth Circuit to end a bid to obtain a restraining order that would have prevented a San Jose State University transgender volleyball player from participating in a now-finished tournament, arguing the point is moot and the case should be tossed.

  • December 10, 2024

    $24.6B Kroger-Albertsons Merger Blocked By 2 Judges

    Kroger's planned $24.6 billion purchase of Albertsons suffered double whammy blows Tuesday, first from an Oregon federal judge who temporarily blocked the deal in a Federal Trade Commission challenge, and then from a Washington state judge who sided with the state's attorney general and issued a permanent, national block.

  • December 10, 2024

    Calif. Tribe Can't Vacate Card Check Award, Judge Says

    An arbitration award requiring UNITE HERE and a California tribe that owns a casino to follow a representation process with a card check procedure stands, a federal district court judge ruled, finding the arbitrator's decision was rational.

  • December 10, 2024

    NY Appealing Judge's Dismissal Of Plastic Pollution Suit

    New York Attorney General Letitia James is appealing a harshly worded ruling that dismissed her suit against PepsiCo Inc. and its Frito-Lay subsidiary over plastic pollution on the Buffalo River.

  • December 10, 2024

    Biden Threatens To Veto Bipartisan Effort To Add Judgeships

    The White House on Tuesday threatened to veto legislation that would increase the number of federal judgeships nationwide after the measure lost support among Democrats postelection.

  • December 09, 2024

    Calif. Floats Requiring Social Media Warning Labels

    California Attorney General Rob Bonta on Monday introduced a bill that would require a "black box warning" to be displayed on social media platforms to remind users of the risks of prolonged social media use, citing research linking children's and teens' use to health harms like depression.

  • December 09, 2024

    Akin Gump 'Totally Messed Up' With Texts, Vaxart Judge Says

    A California federal judge asked by Vaxart investors to impose sanctions over a hedge fund's deleted text messages in a case claiming Vaxart inflated its stock price with deceptive headlines about a COVID-19 vaccine said Monday that the fund's lawyers at Akin Gump "totally, totally messed up."

  • December 09, 2024

    Bill Aiding Not-So-Small Patent Applicants Advances

    A federal measure that would allow patent applicants to avoid financial penalties for incorrectly seeking reduced fees for small applicants has made its way to President Joe Biden's desk.

Expert Analysis

  • Class Actions At The Circuit Courts: November Lessons

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    In this month's review of class action appeals, Mitchell Engel at Shook Hardy discusses six federal court decisions that touch on Rule 23 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, and when individual inquiries are needed to prove economic loss.

  • Philly's Algorithmic Rent Ban Furthers Antitrust Policy Trends

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    A Philadelphia bill banning the use of algorithmic software to set rent prices and manage occupancy rates is indicative of growing scrutiny of this technology, and reflects broader policy trends of adapting traditional antitrust principles to respond to new technology, say attorneys at Ballard Spahr.

  • A Look At 2024 NIL Rights And Economies In College Sports

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    Permutations in the arena of name, image and likeness affecting collegiate athletics have continued unabated this year, and practitioners and industry representatives should anticipate significant activity at schools and continuing legal changes at the state level, say attorneys at Pillsbury.

  • Notable Q3 Updates In Insurance Class Actions

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    Total loss valuation cases and labor depreciation cases dominated the past quarter of insurance class actions, with courts continuing to reject challenges to condition adjustments in the former, and a pro-insured trend persisting in the latter, say attorneys at BakerHostetler.

  • Promoting Diversity In The Selection Of ADR Neutrals

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Choosing neutrals from diverse backgrounds is an important step in promoting inclusion in the legal profession, and it can enhance the legitimacy and public perception of alternative dispute resolution proceedings, say attorneys at Lowenstein Sandler.

  • Series

    Playing Ultimate Makes Us Better Lawyers

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    In addition to being fun, ultimate Frisbee has improved our legal careers by emphasizing the importance of professionalism, teamwork, perseverance, enthusiasm and vulnerability, say Arunabha Bhoumik and Adam Bernstein at Regeneron. 

  • Considering Chevron's End Through A State Tax Lens

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    States took the lead in encouraging Chevron's demise, turning away from Chevron-type deference in state tax administration ahead of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Loper Bright decision, a trend likely to accelerate as courts take a more active role in interpreting tax laws, say attorneys at Eversheds Sutherland.

  • E-Discovery Quarterly: Recent Rulings On Metadata

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    Several recent rulings reflect the competing considerations that arise when parties dispute the form of production for electronically stored information, underscoring that counsel must carefully consider how to produce and request reasonably usable data, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Comparing Antitrust Outlooks Amid Google Remedy Review

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    As the U.S. Justice Department mulls potential structural remedies after winning its recent case against Google, increased global scrutiny of Big Tech leaves ex post and ex ante antitrust approaches ripe for evaluation, say Nishant Chadha at the Indian School of Business and Manisha Goel at Pomona College.

  • What FTC's 'Bitcoin ATM' Report Tells Us About Crypto Scams

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    The Federal Trade Commission's recent insights into bitcoin ATM scams highlight the technical evolution of fraudsters, the application of old scams to new technology, and the persistent financial impact on victims, say attorneys at DLA Piper.

  • Striking A Balance Between AI Use And Attorney Well-Being

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    As the legal industry increasingly adopts generative artificial intelligence tools to boost efficiency, leaders must note the hidden costs of increased productivity, and work to protect attorneys’ well-being while unlocking AI’s full potential, says Ed Sohn at Factor.

  • A Novel Expansion Of Alien Tort Statute In 9th Circ.

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    The Ninth Circuit's Doe v. Cisco rehearing denial allows a new invocation of the Alien Tort Statute to proceed, which could capture the U.S. Supreme Court's attention, and has potentially dramatic consequences for U.S. companies doing business with foreign governments, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

  • Empathy In Mediation Offers A Soft Landing For Disputes

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    Experiencing a crash-landing on a recent flight underscored to me how much difference empathy makes in times of crisis or stress, including during mediation, says Eydith Kaufman at Alternative Resolution Centers.

  • A Look At The Increased Scrutiny Of Cash Sweep Programs

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    Financial industry regulators have increasingly probed the adequacy of so-called cash sweep disclosures and policies, underscoring the heightened risk faced by investment advisers and broker-dealers, as well as the importance of adequately disclosing material conflicts of interest, say attorneys at Dechert.

  • Series

    Being An Artist Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My work as an artist has highlighted how using creativity and precision together — qualities that are equally essential in both art and law — not only improves outcomes, but also leads to more innovative and thoughtful work, says Sarah La Pearl at Segal McCambridge.

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