California

  • October 31, 2024

    Valero To Pay 'Historic' $82M Fine For Bay Area Air Pollution

    Valero Refining Co. will pay a record $82 million penalty to settle claims that it failed to report cancer-causing emissions from its Northern California petroleum refinery for nearly two decades, state and Bay Area air pollution regulators announced Thursday, saying nearly all of the fine will fund local community projects.

  • October 31, 2024

    LA Hits Pepsi, Coca-Cola With Plastic Waste, Deception Suit

    Los Angeles County hit PepsiCo Inc. and The Coca-Cola Co. with a California state suit claiming the longtime soft drink rivals are spouting falsehoods about recycling's ability to address their single-use plastic waste and flooding the environment with growing amounts of harmful plastic despite pledges to reduce it.

  • October 31, 2024

    Fridge Owners Seek OK On Whirlpool Defect Suit Settlement

    A proposed class of refrigerator owners is asking a California federal court to give the go-ahead to a settlement to resolve claims that Whirlpool Corp. sold refrigerators with a defect that caused food to spoil or go moldy.

  • October 31, 2024

    Meta Users Fight Uphill For Cert., But Advertisers Have A Shot

    A California federal judge who was asked to certify two classes in litigation alleging that Facebook parent Meta Platforms monopolized the social media advertising market and misused users' data said Thursday that the users' damage theory wasn't "plausible," but appeared open to the advertisers' claim they suffered the same alleged injury.

  • October 31, 2024

    Nixon Peabody Lands Norton Rose Real Estate Pros In LA

    Nixon Peabody LLP took another step this week to strengthen its affordable housing and real estate practice on the West Coast and beyond, bringing on a pair of real estate attorneys from Norton Rose Fulbright with six years of experience working together.

  • October 31, 2024

    Web Designer Who Built IcomTech Ponzi Site Gets 8 Years

    A Manhattan federal judge on Thursday hit a California website designer with eight years in prison for his role in building online properties that made it look as if the $58 million IcomTech cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme was legitimate.

  • October 31, 2024

    6th Circ. Judge Frets Tech Updates May Stymie Class Actions

    Sixth Circuit judges closely questioned Thursday whether claims about faulty automatic braking systems in certain Nissan cars should proceed as a class action or if different software versions divide the class irreconcilably, prompting one judge to wonder about the case's implications for an age of ubiquitous software updates.

  • October 31, 2024

    Playboy Gets PE Investment After Rejecting Takeover Bid

    The owner of Playboy, PLBY Group Inc., on Thursday announced that it had secured a "significant" equity investment from privately held online entertainment company Byborg Enterprises SA.

  • October 31, 2024

    The 2024 Law360 Pulse Leaderboard

    Check out the Law360 Pulse Leaderboard to see which firms made the list of leaders in all-around excellence this year.

  • October 31, 2024

    Firms' Hiring Strategies Are Evolving In Fight For Top Spot

    Competition for top talent among elite law firms shows no signs of slowing down, even amid economic uncertainty, with financially strong firms deploying aggressive strategies to attract and retain skilled professionals to solidify their market position.

  • October 31, 2024

    Meta Says CFPB Mulling Enforcement Action Over Advertising

    Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, said Thursday that it is facing a potential Consumer Financial Protection Bureau enforcement action following an agency probe into financial-related advertising on its platform.

  • October 30, 2024

    'Vague' Witness Sinks Green Materials Co. Investor Suit

    A California federal judge dismissed an investor suit Tuesday filed against a maker of sustainable materials alleging it failed to disclose a change in direction in its manufacturing plans and a delay in building a new plant, saying the suit relies heavily on statements of a confidential witness that are "fatally vague."

  • October 30, 2024

    Calif. Panel Axes $10.6M Abex Asbestos Verdict

    A California appellate panel has thrown out a $10.6 million asbestos verdict against Pneumo Abex LLC and ordered a new trial, finding that the trial court erred in granting a directed verdict that rejected the now-bankrupt braking lining manufacturer's sophisticated user defense.

  • October 30, 2024

    9th Circ. Says Calif. City Can't Sue State Over Housing Laws

    The Ninth Circuit refused to revive the city of Huntington Beach, California's challenge to Golden State laws requiring it to build a certain number of housing units to keep up with population growth, writing in an order Wednesday that the city lacked standing to sue the state in federal court.

  • October 30, 2024

    Dole Whip Buyer Says Labels Belie Artificial Ingredients

    Dole Food Co. falsely lauds its Dole Whip products as containing "no artificial ingredients," despite the sweet snacks containing manufactured citric acid and other artificial additives, according to a consumer's proposed class action filed Wednesday in California federal court.

  • October 30, 2024

    Judge Quizzes Attys As $1.5M Mascara TM Trial Wraps

    A California federal judge quizzed counsel during bench trial closings Wednesday in Benefit Cosmetics' $1.49 million lawsuit alleging e.l.f. Cosmetics' "Lash 'N Roll" mascara ripped off Benefit's blockbuster "Roller Lash" mascara, questioning why Benefit didn't conduct a consumer survey and asking whether it matters that Benefit inspired e.l.f.'s product.

  • October 30, 2024

    PayPal Says CFPB Is Probing Its Credit Product, Digital Wallets

    PayPal has disclosed that it received an investigative demand from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau over its PayPal Credit-branded product, as well as digital wallet payment options.

  • October 30, 2024

    Capital One Says It Disclosed Sale Of Consumer Account Data

    Capital One has urged a California federal judge to toss a proposed class action alleging that it surreptitiously disclosed the personal financial information of millions of consumers to Meta, Google, Microsoft and other third parties without consumers' consent, saying it "fully disclosed" to customers the bank's use of routine marketing and analytics software. 

  • October 30, 2024

    Realtor.com's Parent Can Amend Costar Claims, Judge Rules

    A federal judge has ruled that Realtor.com's parent company can amend two claims alleging its rival Costar unlawfully accessed its computers but that it would not be limited in its Computer Fraud and Abuse Act claim to arguing that it suffered "technological harms."

  • October 30, 2024

    LA Times Owner Faces Investor Suit Over Drug Co.'s Woes

    Officers and directors of biotechnology company ImmunityBio Inc., including L.A. Times owner Patrick Soon-Shiong, face a shareholder's derivative complaint alleging the company concealed issues affecting a path to regulatory approval for one of its key product candidates.

  • October 30, 2024

    Judge Finds Some Patent Claims Indefinite In Chip Fight

    A California federal judge has found that some of the claims in HD Silicon Solutions LLC patents it accused semiconductor company Microchip Technology Inc. of infringing are invalid, ruling they are not specific enough.

  • October 30, 2024

    Calif. Agency Targets Data Brokers Over Registry Mandate

    The California Privacy Protection Agency revealed Wednesday that it's cracking down on data brokers' compliance with the registration requirements of a groundbreaking consumer data deletion law, stressing that it won't hesitate to impose hefty fines on those that are falling short. 

  • October 30, 2024

    DOI Invests $46M In Klamath Basin Restoration

    The U.S. Department of the Interior on Wednesday unveiled nearly $46 million in investments from the bipartisan infrastructure law for ecosystem restoration activities in the drought-prone Klamath River Basin of Southern Oregon and Northern California. 

  • October 30, 2024

    Ex-Ford Models CEO Can't Arbitrate Sex Misconduct Suit

    A California appeals court won't let the former CEO of Ford Models send a woman's suit brought under a state sex trafficking law to arbitration, saying her allegations don't fall within the scope of the arbitration agreement she signed.

  • October 30, 2024

    Eyelash Biz Wants Albright To Triple $31M Patent Verdict

    A California company that sells do-it-yourself eyelash extension kits is asking U.S. District Judge Alan Albright to triple a nearly $31 million willful patent infringement verdict against a Chinese rival that "intentionally flooded the market with 632 models of infringing products."

Expert Analysis

  • Perspectives

    Pop Culture Docket: Justice Lebovits On Gilbert And Sullivan

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    Characters in the 19th century comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan break the rules of good lawyering by shamelessly throwing responsible critical thought to the wind, providing hilarious lessons for lawyers and judges on how to avoid a surfeit of traps and tribulations, say acting New York Supreme Court Justice Gerald Lebovits and law student Tara Scown.

  • California's AI Safety Bill Veto: The Path Forward

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    California Gov. Gavin Newsom's veto of a bill that sought to impose stringent regulations on advanced artificial intelligence model development has sparked a renewed debate on how best to balance innovation with safety in the rapidly evolving AI landscape, say Bobby Malhotra and Carson Swope at Winston & Strawn.

  • A Look At Calif.'s New AI Law For Health Insurers

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    A newly enacted California law prohibits artificial intelligence tools from making medical necessity determinations for healthcare service plans or disability insurers, addressing core questions that have arisen around AI's role in coverage decisions, say attorneys at DLA Piper.

  • How 9th Circ. Ruling Expands Bankruptcy Trustees' Powers

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    The Ninth Circuit recently held in The Lovering Tubbs Trust v. Hoffman that a trustee can avoid intentionally fraudulent transfers, even if no creditor suffered harm as a result, materially strengthening bankruptcy trustees' powers, say Robert Klyman and Rod Kazempour at DLA Piper.

  • Earned Wage Access Laws Form A Prickly Policy Patchwork

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    Conflicting earned wage access laws across the country, including the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's recently issued rule, mean providers must adopt a proactive compliance approach and adjust business models where needed, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.

  • 'Minimum Contacts' Issues At Stake In High Court FSIA Case

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    In CC/Devas v. Antrix, the U.S. Supreme Court must decide whether a "minimum contacts" requirement should be implied in the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, with the potential to dramatically change the legislative landscape through the establishment of a new and significant barrier to U.S. suits against foreign states, say attorneys at WilmerHale.

  • 2nd Circ. American Girl Ruling Alters Test Purchase Norms

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    The Second Circuit's recent ruling in American Girl v. Zembrka overturns years of precedent that required completed test purchase shipments to establish jurisdiction in infringement cases, but litigators shouldn't abandon the strategy entirely, say Robert Wasnofski and Sara Gates at Dentons.

  • State Of The States' AI Legal Ethics Landscape

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    Over the past year, several state bar associations, as well as the American Bar Association, have released guidance on the ethical use of artificial intelligence in legal practice, all of which share overarching themes and some nuanced differences, say Eric Pacifici and Kevin Henderson at SMB Law Group.

  • Cos. Face Increasing Risk From Environmental Citizen Suits

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    Environmental citizen suits stepping in to fill the regulatory vacuum concerning consumer goods waste may soon become more common, and the evolving procedural landscape and changes to environmental law may contribute to companies' increased exposure, say J. Michael Showalter and Bradley Rochlen at ArentFox Schiff.

  • 8 Childhood Lessons That Can Help You Be A Better Attorney

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    A new school year is underway, marking a fitting time for attorneys to reflect on some fundamental life lessons from early childhood that offer a framework for problems that no legal textbook can solve, say Chris Gismondi and Chris Campbell at DLA Piper.

  • 2nd Circ. Provides NY Pathway For Fighting Foreign Infringers

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    A recent decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit provides a road map for expeditiously obtaining personal jurisdiction in New York against foreign trademark infringers based on a single purchase of counterfeit goods, meaning the Second Circuit could now be the preferred venue for combating foreign infringement, says Jeffrey Ratinoff at Spencer Fane.

  • How A Trump Win Might Affect The H-1B Program

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    A review of the Trump administration's attempted overhaul of the H-1B nonimmigrant visa program suggests policies Donald Trump might try to implement if he is reelected, and specific steps employers should consider to prepare for that possibility, says Eileen Lohmann at BAL.

  • Compliance Considerations For Calif. Child Labor Audit Law

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    California employers will need to conduct a fact-intensive analysis to determine whether a new state law that imposes transparency rules for child labor audits applies to their operations, and should look out for regulatory guidance that answers open questions about deadlines and penalties, says Sylvia St. Clair at Faegre Drinker.

  • Recent Securities Cases Highlight Risks In AI Disclosures

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    Increasing public disclosure about the use and risks of artificial intelligence, and related litigation asserting that such disclosures are false or misleading, suggest that issuers need to exercise great care with respect to how they describe the benefits of AI, say Richard Zelichov and Danny Tobey at DLA Piper.

  • Sublimit And Policy Interpretation Lessons From Amtrak Case

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    The recently settled dispute between Amtrak and its insurers over sublimit coverage illustrates that parties with unclear manuscript policies may wish to avoid litigation in favor of settlement — as the New York federal court declined to decide the case by applying prior term interpretations, says Laura Maletta at Chartwell Law.

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