California

  • September 16, 2025

    UC Groups Sue Trump Admin Alleging Free Speech Violations

    A coalition of faculty, staff and unions affiliated with the University of California system sued the Trump administration in federal court Tuesday, arguing the suspension of $584 million in research projects along with threats to terminate billions more violates the law and is an attempt to violate their free speech.

  • September 16, 2025

    9th Circ. Affirms Payment Plan For Poor Drug Dealer

    A Ninth Circuit panel has found that an Idaho federal court was within the law to require both an immediate payment and a payment plan over time for a fine and an assessment totaling $1,100 against an indigent drug dealer.

  • September 16, 2025

    Meta Loses Bid To Overturn Verdict In Flo Privacy Class Action

    A California federal judge has refused to disturb a jury verdict that found Meta Platforms Inc. liable for using an online tracking tool to unlawfully obtain sensitive health data that users entered into the Flo menstrual tracking app, finding that there was nothing to justify reversing this result.

  • September 16, 2025

    Roundup User Fights Uphill To Revive Cancer Suit At 9th Circ.

    A Ninth Circuit judge expressed doubts Tuesday that a lower court erred in tossing a personal-injury plaintiff's claims that Monsanto's Roundup likely caused his non-Hodgkin lymphoma, saying during a hearing the trial judge had a "great deal of discretion" to decide whether a general-causation expert's opinion was based on "junk science."

  • September 16, 2025

    Okla. Tribe Sues Social Platforms Over Youth Mental Health

    The Chickasaw Nation on Monday became the latest Native American tribe to lodge claims against social media giants in California federal court, alleging that the platforms harm their youth who are already at risk of mental health problems and suicidal ideation.

  • September 16, 2025

    Wells Fargo Brass Reach Settlement In 'Sham' Hiring Suit

    Wells Fargo investors and executives have told a California federal judge they've reached a settlement in a derivative suit claiming the bank's leadership failed to address the company's discriminatory lending and hiring practices.

  • September 16, 2025

    DOE Asks Judge To Pull Plug On States' Cost Cap Suit

    The U.S. Department of Energy has asked an Oregon federal judge to toss a New York-led lawsuit challenging a new policy that would cap certain overhead costs under energy assistance awards, arguing the change falls within its discretionary authorities.

  • September 16, 2025

    Biz Groups Ask 9th Circ. To Block Calif. Climate Rules

    A coalition of business groups asked the Ninth Circuit to halt two new California climate regulations requiring large companies to publicly disclose their greenhouse gas emissions and climate-related financial risks, while they appeal a lower court's refusal to preliminarily block the rules that they say violate their First Amendment rights.

  • September 16, 2025

    Avalara Investors' Claims Pass Muster After 9th Circ. Revival

    A Washington federal judge has allowed a proposed class action to proceed accusing tax software company Avalara Inc. of misleading investors ahead of an $8.4 billion deal to take the company private, but said the suit failed to adequately allege negligence by individual board members, giving investors one week to amend those claims.

  • September 16, 2025

    Doximity Says AI Startup Using Lawsuits To Thwart Rivals

    Telehealth platform Doximity has asked a Massachusetts federal judge to toss a trade secrets lawsuit brought by medical artificial intelligence company OpenEvidence, saying the startup is trying to "use the courts to stifle fair competition."

  • September 16, 2025

    Disney, WB, Universal Sue Chinese AI Firm Alleging IP Theft

    Companies affiliated with Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery and Universal teamed up Tuesday to sue Chinese artificial company MiniMax, alleging the company steals their intellectual property to produce "an endless supply of infringing images and videos" featuring popular characters like Spider-Man, Darth Vader and Superman.

  • September 16, 2025

    California AG Bonta Names New State Solicitor General

    California Attorney General Rob Bonta has promoted a veteran attorney in the state's Department of Justice to become the state's new solicitor general.

  • September 16, 2025

    Fed. Circ. Brushes Off Wig Grip Patent Case

    The Federal Circuit on Tuesday refused to revive a wig grip apparatus patent owner's suit accusing a California hair replacement service of infringement, agreeing with how the lower court interpreted a key patent phrase.

  • September 16, 2025

    Lowe's Skirts NC Class Actions Over Alleged False Discounts

    A North Carolina federal judge threw out two proposed consumer class actions alleging Lowe's tricks customers into thinking they're getting a good deal with falsely advertised discount prices on products, finding the alleged harm for potential class members is too speculative.

  • September 16, 2025

    Feds Oppose Sierra Club's Bid To Freeze $50M In Border Funds

    The Trump administration told a California federal court Monday that forcing it to honor a settlement agreement between the Sierra Club and the Biden administration to use $50 million in border security funds on environmental projects would place the government between two conflicting court orders.

  • September 16, 2025

    NY Cannabis License At Center Of Suit Against Fla. Broker

    The entrepreneurs who secured one of the earliest New York cannabis retail licenses as part of a legal settlement with the state allege in a new California state lawsuit that a Florida cannabis franchise broker frustrated their effort to sell a share of the venture.

  • September 16, 2025

    Media Co. Told Employees To Falsify Breaks, Worker Says

    A California media company pressured employees to falsely record breaks and fired those who complained about wage and hour violations or sought a raise, a former production coordinator claimed in a suit filed in state court.

  • September 16, 2025

    TikTok Accused Of Withholding Docs On Anorexic Influencer

    Personal injury plaintiffs have told a California magistrate judge presiding over discovery in multidistrict litigation that TikTok is refusing to hand over more information about the app's relationship with Eugenia Cooney, a TikTok influencer with anorexia and 2.8 million followers, according to a document unsealed on Monday.

  • September 16, 2025

    9th Circ. Tosses Appeal Of Automatic Stay In Bankruptcy Case

    The Ninth Circuit threw out an appeal of an Arizona bankruptcy court order that reinstated a stay of state court litigation between a mother and daughter, finding that a lower court erred in hearing the case.

  • September 16, 2025

    Mother Claims Aquaphor Healing Ointment Contains Allergen

    A California mother of two is suing Beiersdorf Inc. in federal court, alleging that its infant and children's healing ointments contain a common allergen despite being marketed as hypoallergenic.

  • September 15, 2025

    Google Consumers' Attys Seek $85M In Fees For $700M Deal

    Attorneys who helped consumers reach a still-pending $700 million antitrust deal with Google in 2023 have urged a California federal judge to grant them $85 million in attorney fees, saying the settlement, reached alongside state attorneys general, was an "exceptional" result obtained in the "face of substantial litigation uncertainty."

  • September 15, 2025

    Roblox Safety Failures Hurt Both Kids And Parents, Suit Says

    Roblox's alleged safety failures not only endanger children, it forces parents to either abandon money they already spent on the gaming platform's digital currency or spend additional money on safety tools to protect children who continue to use it, according to a proposed class action filed in California federal court.

  • September 15, 2025

    Social Media Apps Can't Toss Mental Health Suit In Mass Tort

    A California state judge denied a bid from Meta Platforms, Snap and TikTok on Monday to toss a suit from consolidated litigation alleging the companies harm users' mental health, saying a jury can decide if the plaintiff should have been put on notice about her alleged injuries from news articles.

  • September 15, 2025

    Bayer Urges 9th Circ. Not To Revive Tevra Flea, Tick Meds Suit

    Bayer is urging the Ninth Circuit not to grant a new trial over claims that it locked up the market for pet flea and tick treatment, saying the only evidence that rival Tevra showed a jury at trial was "highly dubious."

  • September 15, 2025

    California Judge Denies Smoke Shops' Bid To Halt Fresno Law

    The California city of Fresno can enforce its new restrictions on smoke shops, including limiting their number and banning them from selling flavored tobacco and cannabis products, a California federal judge has ruled, rejecting arguments for a preliminary injunction after determining that the controls are probably constitutional.

Expert Analysis

  • 9th Circ.'s Trade Secrets Ruling Is A Win For DTSA Plaintiffs

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    The Ninth Circuit's recent decision in Quintara v. Ruifeng shifts the balance in federal trade secret litigation toward a more flexible, discovery-driven process, meaning that plaintiffs may be more likely to pursue claims under the Defend Trade Secrets Act, and early motions to strike or dismiss will face steep odds, say attorneys at Cooley.

  • NY Bill Would Complicate Labor Law Amid NLRB Uncertainty

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    The New York Legislature passed a bill that, if enacted, would grant state agencies the power to enforce federal labor law, potentially causing significant challenges for employers as they could be subject to both state and federal regulators depending on the National Labor Relations Board's operational status, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Associates Can Earn Credibility By Investing In Relationships

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    As the class of 2025 prepares to join law firms this fall, new associates must adapt to office dynamics and establish credible reputations — which require quiet, consistent relationship-building skills as much as legal acumen, says Kyle Forges at Bast Amron.

  • A Look At New Calif. Cybersecurity, Risk Assessment Rules

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    The California Privacy Protection Agency Board recently finalized regulations related to automated decision-making technology, cybersecurity audits and risk assessments that establish additional requirements on businesses operating in California, and although these new rules are less onerous than some of the draft rules, compliance may still require substantial planning and updates, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Calif. Arbitration Fee Ruling Gives Employers Slight Leeway

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    The California Supreme Court's decision in Hohenshelt v. Superior Court of Los Angeles County offers a narrow lifeline that protects employers from losing arbitration rights over inadvertent fee payment delays, but auditing arbitration agreements and implementing payment tracking protocols can ensure that deadlines are always met, say attorneys at Buchalter.

  • Lessons From 7th Circ.'s Deleted Chat Sanctions Ruling

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    The Seventh Circuit’s recent decision in Pable v. Chicago Transit Authority, affirming the dismissal of an ex-employee’s retaliation claims, highlights the importance of properly handling the preservation of ephemeral messages and clarifies key sanctions issues, says Philip Favro at Favro Law.

  • Opinion

    Aviation Watch: Liability Lessons From 737 Max Blowout

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    The National Transportation Safety Board's recently released report on the 2024 door plug blowout on board a Boeing 737 Max airliner helps illuminate how a company's strategic mistakes can lead to flawed decision-making and supply chain oversight failures, ultimately increasing regulatory and legal exposure, says Alan Hoffman, a retired attorney and aviation expert.

  • Breaking Down The Proposed Hemp Bill

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    A proposed bill in the U.S. House of Representatives, recently approved by the House Appropriations Committee, contains a rider that would significantly change the definition of hemp and dramatically reshape the current hemp-derived product market, say attorneys at King & Spalding.

  • Opinion

    Sometimes Int'l Competition Should Trump Antitrust Concerns

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    The U.S. Justice Department's approval of HPE's $14 billion acquisition of Juniper Networks shows that a merger that significantly enhances innovation and competitiveness may serve consumer and national interests despite marginally increasing industry concentration, says John Reeves at Reeves Law.

  • Series

    Quilting Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Turning intricate patterns of fabric and thread into quilts has taught me that craftsmanship, creative problem-solving and dedication to incremental progress are essential to creating something lasting that will help another person — just like in law, says Veronica McMillan at Kramon & Graham.

  • Lessons Learned 3 Years After First CCPA Enforcement Action

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    Three years after the first public enforcement action under the California Consumer Privacy Act, Attorney General Rob Bonta has pursued a steady stream of enforcement actions across industries, providing a clearer picture of how the law is being interpreted and enforced, says Tatum Andres at Kilpatrick.

  • Utility Agency Suits May Rise As Calif. Justices Nix Deference

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    A recent California Supreme Court ruling rejecting the uniquely deferential standard of review accorded to California Public Utilities Commission decisions interpreting the Public Utilities Code will incentivize more litigation against the agency, as long as litigants can show their challenges meet certain requirements, says Thaila Sundaresan at Davis Wright.

  • What 2 Profs Noticed As Transactional Law Students Used AI

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    After a semester using generative artificial intelligence tools with students in an entrepreneurship law clinic, we came away with numerous observations about the opportunities and challenges such tools present to new transactional lawyers, say professors at Cornell Law School.

  • Despite SEC Reset, Private Crypto Securities Cases Continue

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    While the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission under the Trump administration has charted a new approach to crypto regulation, the industry still lacks comprehensive rules of the road, meaning private plaintiffs continue to pursue litigation, and application of securities laws to crypto-assets will be determined by the courts, say attorneys at Skadden.

  • Rebuttal

    BigLaw Settlements Should Not Spur Ethics Deregulation

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    A recent Law360 op-ed argued that loosening law firm funding restrictions would make BigLaw firms less inclined to settle with the Trump administration, but deregulating legal financing ethics may well prove to be not merely ineffective, but counterproductive, says Laurel Kilgour at the American Economic Liberties Project.

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