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California

  • July 15, 2025

    FDIC Says Farella Braun Can't Get Fees In First Republic Suit

    The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. has asked a California federal court to toss a more than $50,000 legal fee claim tied to First Republic Bank's collapse, arguing that Farella Braun, the law firm behind the claim, failed to submit a valid written agreement or itemized invoices and its claim is legally insufficient.

  • July 15, 2025

    Consumers Say Apple's Bid To End App Store Case Will Fail

    A massive class of consumers accusing Apple of monopolizing the distribution of apps on its devices has told a California federal court the tech giant's planned summary judgment bid should be rejected because there's evidence showing harm to both users and developers.

  • July 15, 2025

    9th Circ. Backs Nature's Way Loss In Supplements TM Suit

    The Ninth Circuit on Tuesday upheld a lower court's finding that a Doctor's Best Inc. brand of supplements didn't infringe a trademark of competitor Nature's Way Products LLC because the Doctor's Best products were all sold outside the U.S.

  • July 15, 2025

    Insurers Prevail In $59M Mishandled Remains Row At 9th Circ.

    Two insurers for a provider of medical training have no duty to cover a $58.5 million civil judgment against a man found liable for mishandling donated bodily remains, the Ninth Circuit ruled Tuesday, though also allowing the underlying claimants to still pursue bad faith claims against the insurers.

  • July 15, 2025

    Calif. Homeowners Win Cert. In State Farm Underpayment Suit

    A California federal court certified a class of nearly 200,000 homeowners alleging State Farm systematically underpaid property insurance claims in violation of the state's insurance code, ruling Tuesday that the plaintiffs offered a feasible methodology for calculating damages classwide and demonstrated that class members are identifiable.

  • July 15, 2025

    9th Circ. Won't Revive SAG-AFTRA Vax Mandate Challenge

    The Ninth Circuit declined Tuesday to reinstate a suit claiming SAG-AFTRA shirked its duties to union members by greenlighting a COVID-19 vaccine mandate to get actors back to work during the pandemic, ruling their claims are either untimely or preempted by federal labor law.

  • July 15, 2025

    Feds Urge Calif. Judge To End Suit Over Border Patrol Sweep

    The U.S. government moved Tuesday to end a proposed class action alleging Border Patrol agents conducted race-based stops and warrantless arrests of people who appear to be farmworkers, arguing the government has required agents to evaluate flight risks and reasonable suspicion for stops, which renders the suit's claims moot.

  • July 15, 2025

    9th Circ. Rejects Sentencing Enhancement In Gun Case

    A Washington state federal court should not have applied a sentencing enhancement in the case of a man who handed a gun to someone who later used it to shoot an undercover federal agent, the Ninth Circuit said Monday, finding there wasn't proof his five-second hold on the weapon emboldened the shooter.

  • July 15, 2025

    X Says Laid-Off Twitter Worker Not Owed A Jury Trial

    X Corp. has urged a California federal judge against holding a jury trial on a former Twitter worker's claims the company and owner Elon Musk violated state and federal laws requiring advance warning of mass layoffs, arguing the statutes don't provide for more than a bench trial.

  • July 15, 2025

    Fizz Social Loses Bid To Block Instacart's 'Fizz' Drink App

    A California federal judge has denied social media platform Fizz Social Corp.'s bid for a preliminary injunction in its trademark infringement and anti-cybersquatting lawsuit accusing Instacart and Partiful of ripping off its "FIZZ" mark to launch a rival "Fizz" beverage-delivery app that targets the so-called Gen Z demographic.

  • July 15, 2025

    Tax Return Preparer Cops To Role In $25M Fraud Scheme

    A tax return preparer pled guilty in a California federal court for his role in a fraud scheme that involved submitting fake federal income tax returns to claim $25 million in refunds.

  • July 15, 2025

    5th Circ. Says Media Matters Can Challenge X Suit Venue

    The Fifth Circuit gave left-leaning watchdog Media Matters for America another shot at transferring a business disparagement lawsuit launched by X Corp. to California, saying Tuesday the Texas federal judge overseeing the case didn't do an adequate venue analysis.

  • July 15, 2025

    9th Circ. Upholds Axing Of IT Co.'s Microsoft Data Misuse Case

    The Ninth Circuit declined Tuesday to revive a cybersecurity supplier's case accusing Microsoft of misusing a proprietary database of login credentials recovered on the black market, concluding that the parties' contract did not impose limits on the tech giant's use of the data.

  • July 15, 2025

    Weedmaps, SPAC Officers Want Out Of Investor SEC Fine Suit

    Cannabis tech company Weedmaps Technology Inc. and leaders of a blank check company that it merged with have asked to be released from an investor's proposed class action alleging damages following the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's announcement that it fined Weedmaps $1.5 million for allegedly making misleading statements about its monthly active users.

  • July 15, 2025

    Workers Seek Class Status In United Pricing Scheme Suit

    A group of workers urged a California federal judge to award them class certification in their suit alleging United Behavioral Health and a billing contractor shorted them on coverage for out-of-network substance use disorder treatments, arguing they put forward new detail that clears class status requirements.

  • July 15, 2025

    High Court Term Yields Gains For Criminal Defendants

    The U.S. Supreme Court addressed several contentious issues this term, with the conservative majority prevailing in numerous high-profile cases. Yet, in a notable trend, the court also issued multiple rulings favorable to criminal defendants, including expanding prisoners' rights in civil lawsuits and reinforcing due process protections in capital cases.

  • July 15, 2025

    Anthropic Seeks 9th Circ. Fair Use Appeal Over Piracy Claims

    Anthropic PBC asked a California federal judge Tuesday to let the Ninth Circuit review his decision that making fair use of copyrighted books to train artificial intelligence technology did not absolve the company of potential liability for alleged piracy.

  • July 15, 2025

    Frito-Lay Settles Flamin' Hot Cheetos Defamation Suit

    Frito-Lay Inc. and a former employee have reached a settlement Monday in his suit claiming he invented Flamin' Hot Cheetos and had his livelihood destroyed when the company disavowed his story, according to a Monday filing in California federal court.

  • July 15, 2025

    State Farm 'Maliciously' Denied Property Coverage, Court Told

    A California property owner accused State Farm of "maliciously" denying its property insurance claim in a lawsuit removed to federal court, further alleging that the insurer intentionally ignored evidence of the extent of the property damage.

  • July 15, 2025

    50 Cent Can't Stop Release Of Horror Film, Calif. Judge Rules

    50 Cent cannot block the release of Hollywood producer Ryan Kavanaugh's horror film that allegedly uses his name and likeness without a final contract in place, after a California federal judge decided there was evidence suggesting the rapper assented to the parties' agreed-upon terms to do so.

  • July 15, 2025

    Morgan Lewis Atty Killed In Hit-And-Run Had 'Joy For Life'

    A Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP first-year litigation associate who was killed last week in a hit-and-run bicycle crash in West Hollywood, California, had a "joy for life" and a deep passion for the law, friends and former colleagues said.

  • July 15, 2025

    Keesal Young Accuses Stradley Ronon Of Unfair Poaching

    Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young has been hit with allegations from California firm Keesal Young & Logan that it unfairly poached both shareholders and associates from the firm, allegedly conspiring with the departing attorneys to violate their agreements with the firm and costing Keesal Young $2.5 million in annual profits.

  • July 15, 2025

    Holland & Knight Adds LGBTQ-Led Startup Pro To VC Team

    Holland & Knight LLP has added a director of client development with over a decade of experience in venture capital, startup investing and business development for its emerging companies and venture capital practice.

  • July 15, 2025

    Calif. Legislature OKs Retroactive Solar Property Exclusion

    California would allow the purchaser of a new property a three-year window to apply for a property tax exclusion for solar energy systems under a bill passed by the state Senate and sent to Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom for approval.

  • July 15, 2025

    Law Curbing Arbitration Keeps AutoNation Bias Suit In Court

    AutoNation Inc. can't arbitrate a former sales associate's lawsuit claiming supervisors treated her differently because she's an older Black woman and made sexual comments in the workplace, a California state appeals court ruled, saying her case is shielded by a federal law prohibiting mandatory arbitration of sex harassment cases.

Expert Analysis

  • Robinson-Patman Enforcement May Fizzle Out After PepsiCo

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    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.

  • Series

    Running Marathons Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    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.

  • Calif. Air Board Offers Early Hints On Climate Reporting

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    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.

  • Tips To Avoid Consumer Tracking Tech Class Actions

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    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.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Supporting A Trial Team

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    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.

  • A Look At Employer Wins In Title VII Suits Over DEI Training

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    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.

  • 7 D&O Coverage Areas To Assess As DOJ Targets DEI

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    Companies that receive federal funds or have the remnants of a diversity, equity and inclusion program should review their directors and officers liability insurance policies ahead of a major shift in how the U.S. Department of Justice enforces the False Claims Act, says Bill Wagner at Taft.

  • Lessons From FTC Action On Dark Patterns In User Interfaces

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    The Federal Trade Commission's recent complaint against Uber for its billing and cancellation practices comes amid other actions addressing consumer confusion and deception, so it is paramount to deploy tools that assess customers' cognitive states of mind to separate lawful marketing from misconduct, says Ceren Canal Aruoba at Berkeley Research Group.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From US Attorney To BigLaw

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    When I transitioned to private practice after government service — most recently as the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia — I learned there are more similarities between the two jobs than many realize, with both disciplines requiring resourcefulness, zealous advocacy and foresight, says Zach Terwilliger at V&E.

  • Rebuttal

    Forced Litigation Funding Disclosure Threatens Patent Rights

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    A recent Law360 guest article argued that courts should adopt stronger disclosure requirements for third-party litigation funding, but rather than enabling fairness or transparency, such measures would only undermine patent holders' access to capital and weaken their ability to assert valid patent rights, says Anup Misra at Curiam Capital.

  • The Ins And Outs Of Consensual Judicial References

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    As parties consider the possibility of judicial reference to resolve complex disputes, it is critical to understand how the process works, why it's gaining traction, and why carefully crafted agreements make all the difference, say attorneys at Pillsbury.

  • How Focus On Menopause Care Is Fueling Innovation, Access

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    Recent legislative developments concerning the growing field of menopause care are creating opportunities for increased investment and innovation in the space as they increase access to education and coverage, say attorneys at Kirkland.

  • Calif. Digital Assets Proposal Provides Only Partial Clarity

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    Recently proposed regulations under California's Digital Financial Assets Law answer some important questions about the new regime, particularly regarding its interaction with the state's money transmission law, but many key compliance questions remain, say attorneys at Stinson.

  • Opinion

    The BigLaw Settlements Are About Risk, Not Profit

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    The nine Am Law 100 firms that settled with the Trump administration likely did so because of the personal risk faced by equity partners in today's billion‑dollar national practices, enabled by an ethics rule primed for modernization, says Adam Forest at Scale.

  • What Gene Findings Mean For Asbestos Mesothelioma Claims

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    Recent advances in genetic research have provided substantial evidence that significant numbers of malignant mesothelioma cases may be caused by inherited mutations rather than asbestos exposure — a finding that could fundamentally change how defendants approach personal injury litigation over mesothelioma, say David Schwartz at Lumanity and Kirk Hartley at LSP Group.

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