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California
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July 18, 2025
Social Media MDL Judge Could Bifurcate Bellwether Trials
A California federal judge presiding over multidistrict litigation by school districts and personal injury plaintiffs claiming social media is addictive said Friday she'll likely bifurcate bellwether trials into two phases, with the judge presiding over the second phase, if plaintiffs seek any relief "that may be injunctive in nature."
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July 18, 2025
Fed. Circ. Frees Medtronic From $125M Patent Judgment
The Federal Circuit on Friday overturned a more than $125 million judgment against Medtronic's CoreValve unit for infringing a Colibri Heart Valve LLC patent, saying changes made to the patent during examination mean that Medtronic should not have been found to infringe.
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July 18, 2025
Safeway Can't Arbitrate False Ad Wine Discount Suit
Safeway can't force customers to arbitrate their proposed false advertising class action alleging it markets bogus, limited-time offers of discounts on wine for its rewards members, after a California federal judge ruled that there's no evidence they agreed to arbitrate their disputes or had notice of Safeway's arbitration terms.Â
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July 18, 2025
Mattel Says Overseas Counterfeiters Ripping Off Uno Game
Barbie and Hot Wheels maker Mattel Inc. has filed counterfeiting claims in Illinois federal court against foreign retailers that the company says are selling knockoff versions of its popular Uno card game.
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July 18, 2025
Sony Judge Finds 'Glaring' Issues In PlayStation Deal, Motion
A California federal judge found "glaring shortcomings" in a $7.85 million deal Sony Interactive Entertainment struck to resolve antitrust claims over downloadable game card prices, saying that settlement credits are "generally disfavored," and the preliminary approval motion lacked information on what might have been won at trial.
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July 18, 2025
Franchisee Stole Biz Model, College Advising Co. Says
A college consulting company accused a former franchisee of doing business under false pretenses, poaching the company's proprietary methods and walking away to start a new venture, according to a complaint filed in North Carolina federal court.
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July 18, 2025
Cannabis Edibles Maker Accused Of Hiding Prop. 65 Warnings
A California resident is suing a Los Angeles cannabis-infused edibles maker, claiming its peel-back product labels deliberately hide the state-required Proposition 65 warning at the time of purchase, in the second private enforcement action filed by the plaintiff this year.
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July 18, 2025
Apple Says Tech Analyst, YouTuber Conspired To Leak IOS 26
A tech product analyst improperly accessed a former Apple employee's iPhone used for product development and conspired with a YouTuber to publicly leak details of the yet-to-be-released iOS 26 operating system, Apple Inc. said in a suit filed Thursday in San Francisco federal court.
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July 18, 2025
Judge Unsure Of Alternatives To Nationwide Birthright Ruling
A Massachusetts federal judge on Friday wrestled with how the government would implement any alternatives to a nationwide block on President Donald Trump's order limiting birthright citizenship and what type of decision would comply with recent high court precedent.
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July 18, 2025
Manaflex Loses Bid To Trim Competitor's Trade Secrets Suit
A California federal judge has refused to trim circuit technology company CelLink Corp.'s lawsuit alleging that former Tesla employees stole CelLink's trade secrets for the benefit of a competitor one of them founded.
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July 18, 2025
Top 5 Energy Decisions Of 2025: A Midyear Report
A game-changing U.S. Supreme Court ruling that could significantly narrow federal environmental reviews of energy projects punctuated a busy first half of 2025 for the industry in the courts. Here are several court decisions that stood out for energy attorneys in the first half of this year.
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July 18, 2025
Seven Months In, Race-Blind Charging Faces Test In Calif.
In January, California adopted race-blind charging as a statewide policy, after a law passed in 2022 went into effect. Now, seven months into the program's statewide rollout, race-blind charging is showing both promise and limitations.
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July 18, 2025
Snake Spotting Voids OK Of Sprawling Calif. Housing Plan
A federal judge has halted a 314-acre master-planned development in Chico, California, after finding federal officials wrongly concluded in 2020 that the endangered giant garter snake had not been observed on the site despite a sighting of the animal in the area a dozen years prior.
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July 18, 2025
9th Circ. Turns Away Wells Fargo's 'Sham' Hiring Appeal
The Ninth Circuit has said it will not hear Wells Fargo's appeal of an investor lawsuit accusing the company of conducting "sham" job interviews to meet a diversity quota, allowing thousands of shareholders to move forward with their claims as a class.
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July 18, 2025
Venture-Backed Medical Tech Biz Heartflow Plans $100M IPO
Private equity and venture-backed medical technology company Heartflow has unveiled plans to raise up to $100 million in its initial public offering, with law firm O'Melveny & Myers LLP advising the company and Cooley LLP advising the underwriters.
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July 18, 2025
Calif. Pot Workers Sue Farm For $1.25M Over Wage Theft
A group of cannabis trimmers who are citizens of Colombia, Argentina and Spain have sued cultivator Honeydew Farms LLC and its owners in federal court on Thursday, alleging they were not paid the wages promised because the owners believe the foreign-born workers would not be protected by state or federal law.
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July 17, 2025
21 States Fight ACA Rule They Say Guts Health Coverage
A 21-state coalition led by the attorneys general of California, Massachusetts and New Jersey sued the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on Thursday, challenging a new Trump administration rule they say unlawfully undermines access to healthcare under the Affordable Care Act.
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July 17, 2025
Facebook Whistleblower Calls Meta Discovery A Smear Job
Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen on Thursday urged a California federal magistrate judge to limit Meta's discovery in multidistrict litigation over claims that social media is addictive and harmful to children's mental health, saying many of their requests are irrelevant and merely seek to smear her name.
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July 17, 2025
LA Ex-Judge Admonished For 'Discourteous,' 'Demeaning' Talk
California's Commission on Judicial Performance has publicly admonished a retired Los Angeles state judge for a pattern of "discourteous, undignified and impatient" behavior that also involved "demeaning" remarks toward women, findings that the judge said don't reflect "the full complexity of the circumstances."
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July 17, 2025
Calif. Tribe Renews $700M Casino Suit With Lobbying Claim
A D.C. federal judge will let a California tribe amend its suit against the U.S. Department of the Interior for axing its eligibility to run a proposed $700 million casino on new claims that a competing tribe successfully orchestrated a politically influential lobbying campaign.
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July 17, 2025
9th Circ. Panel Appears Split On Trump Order Curbing Unions
A three-judge Ninth Circuit panel appeared divided Thursday on a lower court's ruling that halted enforcement of President Donald Trump's executive order axing labor contracts covering agencies that have "national security" aims, with one judge expressing concern over the order's implications while two questioned if they can second-guess the president's determination.
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July 17, 2025
Tesla Driver In Fatal Crash Regularly Ignored Autopilot Alerts
The Tesla driver who killed a woman in a crash in Florida Keys had regularly ignored warnings from the autopilot software to engage with the vehicle and would stop the car to reset the autopilot rather than drive without, a vehicle accident reconstruction expert told jurors Thursday.
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July 17, 2025
Judge Won't Grant Fees In Temporary Protected Status Suit
A California federal judge rejected a bid by immigrant rights advocates for $3.6 million in attorney fees, saying their preliminary injunction blocking temporary protected status terminations during Trump's first term did not make them the prevailing party because the case ended without a final judgment.
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July 17, 2025
'Yellowjackets' Makers Get $108K In Fees In Copyright Suit
Showtime, Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. and the makers of the TV show "Yellowjackets" won $108,000 in attorney fees after earlier this year defeating a copyright suit alleging the program ripped off the 2015 film "Eden."
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July 17, 2025
Hitachi Seeks FCC OK For Bay Area Rail Control System
Hitachi Rail is contracted to update the digital train control system in the Bay Area, but it says that in order to do so it needs the FCC's permission to operate in a slice of spectrum that it normally would not be allowed to. Now the agency is asking how people feel about the request.
Expert Analysis
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Synopsys-Ansys Merger Augurs FTC's Return To Remedies
The Federal Trade Commission's recent approval of $35 billion merger between Synopsys and Ansys, subject to the divestiture of certain assets, signals a renewed preference for settlements over litigation, if the former can preserve competition and a robust structural remedy is available, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.
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Justices Widen Gap Between Federal, Calif. Enviro Reviews
While the U.S. Supreme Court's recent opinion in Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County, Colorado, narrowed the scope of National Environmental Policy Act reviews, it may have broadened the gulf between reviews conducted under NEPA and those under the California Environmental Quality Act, say attorneys at Hanson Bridgett.
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In 2nd Place, Va. 'Rocket Docket' Remains Old Reliable
The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia was again one of the fastest civil trial courts in the nation last year, and an interview with the court’s newest judge provides insights into why it continues to soar, says Robert Tata at Hunton.
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CIPA May Not Be Necessary To Protect Ad Tech Plaintiffs
A California bill designed to protect businesses from advertising technology claims under the California Invasion of Privacy Act by amending the act retroactively has been highly contested by various consumer advocacy groups, but other existing law may sufficiently protect any plaintiff who suffers actual harm from such tech, says Justin Donoho at Duane Morris.
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Foreign Sovereign Entities Should Heed 9th Circ. IP Ruling
After the Ninth Circuit recently held that four Chinese state-controlled companies were not immune from criminal indictment for alleged economic espionage, foreign sovereign-controlled entities should assess whether their operations and affiliation with their parent states qualify for sovereign immunity under the common law, say attorneys at Cleary.
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Proposed State AI Rule Ban Could Alter Employer Compliance
A proposal in the congressional budget bill that would ban state and local enforcement of laws and regulations governing artificial intelligence may offer near-term clarity by freezing conflicting rules, but long-term planning would remain difficult for employers seeking safe, lawful AI deployment strategies, say attorneys at Fisher Phillips.
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How Attorneys Can Become Change Agents For Racial Equity
As the administration targets diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and law firms consider pulling back from their programs, lawyers who care about racial equity and justice can employ four strategies to create microspaces of justice, which can then be parlayed into drivers of transformational change, says Susan Sturm at Columbia Law School.
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Opinion
9th Circ. Shopify Decision Gets Personal Jurisdiction Wrong
The Ninth Circuit's recent opinion in Briskin v. Shopify, rejecting the differential targeting requirement for personal jurisdiction, not only deviates from long-standing jurisprudence, but it also significantly expands the reach of internet-based claims under California law, says Matthew Pearson at Womble Bond.
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What Employers Can Learn From 'Your Friends & Neighbors'
The new drama series "Your Friends and Neighbors," follows a hedge fund firm manager who is terminated after an alleged affair with an employee in another department, and his employment struggles can teach us a few lessons about workplace policies, for cause termination and nonsolicitation clauses, says Anita Levian at Levian Law.
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Robinson-Patman Enforcement May Fizzle Out After PepsiCo
After securing an early Robinson-Patman Act victory against the largest wine and spirits distributor in the U.S., the Federal Trade commission's voluntary dismissal of its own enforcement action against PepsiCo throws into doubt the future of the federal statute that prohibits price discrimination and other anticompetitive practices, say attorneys at V&E.
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Series
Running Marathons Makes Me A Better Lawyer
After almost five years of running marathons, I’ve learned that both the race itself and the training process sharpen skills that directly translate to the practice of law, including discipline, dedication, endurance, problem-solving and mental toughness, says Lauren Meadows at Swift Currie.
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Calif. Air Board Offers Early Hints On Climate Reporting
As initial reporting deadlines for California's new climate reporting laws approach, guidance provided by the California Air Resources Board in a virtual public workshop sheds some light on rulemaking to come, and how to prepare for compliance during this period of uncertainty, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.
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Tips To Avoid Consumer Tracking Tech Class Actions
Recent class actions alleging Trade Desk illegally tracked millions of consumers through its advertising platform highlight growing data privacy compliance concerns over digital tracking practices, but there are disclosure best practices businesses can take to reduce litigation risk, says David Wheeler at Neal Gerber.
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Series
Law School's Missed Lessons: Supporting A Trial Team
While students often practice as lead trial attorneys in law school, such an opportunity likely won’t arise until a few years into practice, so junior associates should focus on honing skills that are essential to supporting a trial team, including organization, adaptability and humility, says Lucy Zelina at Tucker Ellis.
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A Look At Employer Wins In Title VII Suits Over DEI Training
Despite increased attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, courts across the country have favored employers in cases opposing diversity training, challenging the idea that all workplace inclusion efforts violate the law and highlighting the importance of employers precisely recognizing the legal guardrails, say attorneys at Perkins Coie.