California

February 12, 2025
'Harry Potter' Ride At Universal Is 'Dangerous,' Jury Told

A "Harry Potter" ride at Universal Studios Hollywood is "dangerous" for riders when they step off a moving floor, a forensic scientist told a California federal jury Wednesday considering claims that a grandmother was seriously injured in a preventable fall when exiting the popular attraction.
February 12, 2025
Sea Salt Co. Sued Over Lead And Arsenic Levels

A salt company was hit with a proposed class action Tuesday in California federal court over allegations that its salt contains arsenic and lead, asserting that there is no safe level of lead.
February 12, 2025
Cannabis Vape Cos. Accused Of Price-Fixing Scheme

A Chinese cannabis vape manufacturer and a slew of its U.S.-based distributors have been hit with a proposed class action alleging they maintained an unlawful anticompetitive arrangement that kept the price of marijuana vapes artificially high for close to a decade.
February 12, 2025
RI Judge Won't Pause Order To Unfreeze Funds Amid Appeal

A Rhode Island federal judge refused Wednesday to pause a court order blocking a freeze on funding for federal grants and programs while the Trump administration appeals the ruling to the First Circuit.
February 12, 2025
Western Digital Told To Pay $553M Sooner Rather Than Later

Hard drive manufacturer Western Digital now has less than seven days to put up over half a billion dollars to satisfy a patent judgment after a California federal judge said he "has concerns about potential corporate restructuring."
February 12, 2025
Nike Asks 9th Circ. To Claw Back Workplace Harassment Docs

A lawyer for Nike urged a Ninth Circuit panel on Wednesday to block an Oregon local newspaper from publishing workplace harassment questionnaires provided by plaintiffs' attorney in pay equity litigation against the athletic apparel giant.
February 12, 2025
Google Must Face Wiretapping Suit Over AI-Powered Assistant

A California federal judge has refused to toss a proposed class action accusing Google of using a "human-like" customer-service product powered by artificial intelligence to illegally eavesdrop on users' calls with Hulu, Verizon and others, finding the consumers adequately allege Google is a third party that can benefit from the data.
February 12, 2025
PE Exec Says USC Can't Escape $75M 'Varsity Blues' Suit

A private equity executive roped into the "Varsity Blues" college admissions case for his six-figure donation to the University of Southern California is asking a Los Angeles court to green-light his $75 million lawsuit alleging the school lied when it deemed his largesse improper.
February 12, 2025
Conn. Opposes Bankrupt Prospect Medical's 'Plunder'

Prospect Medical Holdings Inc. must be held accountable for harm that the hospital operator caused in Connecticut, but first, its three facilities in the state need to quickly transition to new ownership, the offices of the attorney general and the governor told a Dallas bankruptcy judge.
February 12, 2025
Treasury Chief Exempt From Block On DOGE's System Access

A New York federal judge clarified that an order blocking Elon Musk and members of his Department of Government Efficiency team from accessing U.S. Treasury Department payment systems does not apply to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
February 12, 2025
Joann To Close Over 500 US Stores In Second Ch. 11

Joann Inc., a fabrics and crafts retailer that reentered bankruptcy in January, asked a Delaware bankruptcy judge Wednesday for permission to close more than 500 underperforming stores throughout the country that the company said potential buyers of the business aren't interested in taking on.
February 12, 2025
Meta User Antitrust Suit Gets Nov. 17 Trial Date

A California federal judge has set a Nov. 17 trial date for accusations that Meta monopolized the social media advertising market weeks after he declined to certify a class of Facebook users that would have numbered in the millions.
February 12, 2025
'Remain In Mexico' Reboot Sparks Renewed Court Battle

A nonprofit immigration legal services provider revived its challenge to the Remain in Mexico program after President Donald Trump rebooted it, telling a California federal judge the program's reimplementation flouts U.S. asylum law and burdens the organization's First Amendment rights.
February 12, 2025
Munger Tolles Coaxes Corporate Pro Out Of Retirement

Munger Tolles & Olson LLP announced Wednesday that it has added a mergers and acquisitions specialist with 30 years of experience to its roster at its Los Angeles headquarters, in a role that will have him spearheading the expansion of the firm's corporate practice to meet clients' growing needs.
February 12, 2025
California Judge Chided For Entering Other Jurists' Chambers

A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge has been publicly admonished for entering other jurists' chambers after hours and without permission to access confidential files and computers, in what the state's Commission on Judicial Performance called a "serious breach of the expected trust shared among judicial colleagues."
February 12, 2025
Trump Picks Crypto Policy Advocate Quintenz To Lead CFTC

President Donald Trump has nominated Brian Quintenz, a former member of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission and current head of policy for venture capital firm a16z's crypto fund, to lead the derivatives market regulator.
February 11, 2025
Medtronic, Axonics Agree To End Bladder Control Patent Fight

A California federal judge on Tuesday agreed to permanently dismiss Medtronic's long-running dispute accusing Axonics of infringing its patents related to its bladder and bowel control device, three months after Medtronic sought a new trial in the case following a verdict where a federal jury found no infringement by Axonics.
February 11, 2025
Calif.'s Insurance Safety Net Gets $1B Infusion For Fire Claims

California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara has signed off on $1 billion in additional funding for California's FAIR Plan, the state's insurer of last resort, to ensure the plan can keep paying consumer claims to survivors of the Southern California wildfires, according to an order issued Tuesday.
February 11, 2025
Faulty 'Harry Potter' Ride Crushed Grandma's Spine, Jury Told

A woman known in her family as the "adventure grandma" was horribly injured at Universal Studios Hollywood on a "Harry Potter" ride, a California federal jury was told Tuesday during opening statements of a trial over allegations the ride's poor design and employee negligence resulted in her spine being crushed.
February 11, 2025
SoCal Edison Investors Sue Over LA Wildfire Mitigation Claims

The parent company of Southern California Edison was hit with a putative shareholder class action on Tuesday that alleges the public utility company misled investors about implementing the power company's wildfire-mitigation measures in the lead-up to the Eaton and Hurst fires that devastated an area north of Los Angeles.
February 11, 2025
Fitness Co.'s Brass Faces Derivative Suit Over Franchise Woes

Officers and directors of Pure Barre's parent company Xponential Fitness face shareholder derivative claims following the company's disclosure of a federal criminal investigation, regulatory scrutiny and investor ire over the alleged manipulation and harassment of its "financially crushed" franchisees.
February 11, 2025
Orion Telescope Partly Revives $4M Fraudulent Transfer Suit

A California appellate court on Monday partially revived Orion Telescope's suit accusing rival Celestron Acquisition of orchestrating a fraudulent $4.2 million transfer to help another company avoid paying a judgment owed to Orion, ruling that Orion indeed adequately alleged conspiracy or aiding and abetting a fraudulent transfer.
February 11, 2025
Ye Accused Of Bullying And Calling Himself Hitler In Suit

A former marketing specialist for Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, sued the "Heartless" rapper in California state court on Tuesday, accusing West of being a "bully" who openly called himself Hitler and threatened her using profanities on account of her being Jewish.
February 11, 2025
GOP Reps. Reintroduce Litigation Funding Disclosures Bill

Three House Republicans have reintroduced legislation that would require the disclosure of parties collecting payments in civil lawsuits, saying that transparency on so-called "third-party litigation funding" was crucial, especially in patent litigation.
February 11, 2025
Kids Can't Save Reworked EPA Climate Suit, Judge Rules

A California federal judge on Tuesday threw out, for good, children's amended allegations that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's climate policies violate their constitutional rights, ruling that they haven't shown that the alleged harms they've suffered in the midst of climate change can be traced to the policies.

Expert Analysis

Series

Exercising On My Peloton Bike Makes Me A Better Lawyer

While I originally came to the Peloton bike for exercise, one cycling instructor’s teachings have come to serve as a road map for practicing law thoughtfully and mindfully, which has opened opportunities for growth and change in my career, says Andrea Kirshenbaum at Littler.
5 Drug And Device Developments That Shaped 2024

The last year saw significant legal developments affecting drug and device manufacturers, with landmark decisions and regulatory changes that require vigilance and agility from the industry, say attorneys at Faegre Drinker.
Takeaways From SEC's Mixed Results In '24 Crypto Litigation

Though the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's new leadership seems likely to create a more favorable cryptocurrency regulatory environment, it must also confront the consequences of, and lingering questions raised by, the SEC's 2024 policy of investigating and charging cryptocurrency trading platforms for operating unregistered exchanges, say attorneys at Dechert.
Lessons From United's Axed Win In Firing Over Online Pics

In Wawrzenski v. United Airlines, a California state appeals court revived a flight attendant’s suit over her termination for linking photos of herself in uniform to her OnlyFans account, providing a cautionary tale for employers navigating the complexities of workplace policy enforcement in the digital age, say attorneys at ArentFox Schiff.
Mich. Ruling Offers View On 'Occurrence' Coverage Definition

As demonstrated by a Michigan state court in its recent decision finding per-wound insurance coverage for a school shooting, the amount of coverage available under occurrence-based policies often depends on how courts interpret "occurrence," say attorneys at Hunton.
Exploring Venue Strategy For Trump-Era Regulatory Litigation

Litigation will likely play a prominent role in shaping policy outcomes during the second Trump administration, and stakeholders have several tools at their disposal to steer regulatory litigation toward more favorable venues, say attorneys at Covington.
What 2024's Noncompete Turmoil Means For Banks In 2025

A look back at the most significant legal challenges to the enforceability of various restrictive covenants like noncompete and nonsolicitation agreements in 2024 can help financial institutions address the use of these critical tools this year, say attorneys at Maynard Nexsen.
How The UPC, ITC Complement Each Other In Patent Law

Attorneys at Ropes & Gray discuss the similarities and differences between the Unified Patent Court and the International Trade Commission, as well as recent matters litigated in both venues and why parties choose to file at these forums.
Lessons Learned From 2024's Top FMLA Decisions

Last year's major litigation related to the Family and Medical Leave Act underscores why it is critical for employers to understand the basics of when leave and accommodations are required, say attorneys at Dechert.
A Guide To Significant 2024 Data Broker Legal Developments

2024 saw notable developments in U.S. data broker regulation and enforcement, and this momentum will likely carry into 2025, despite hypothetical efforts to the contrary under the new administration, say attorneys at Frankfurt Kurnit.
Series

Playing Esports Makes Me A Better Lawyer

Competing in a global esports tournament at Wimbledon last year not only fulfilled my childhood dream, but also sharpened skills that are essential to my day job, including strategic thinking, confidence and networking, says AJ Schuyler at Jackson Lewis.
How Changes In State Gift Card Laws May Affect Cos. In 2025

2024 state legislative movements around the escheatment of unused gift card balances and consumer fraud protections should prompt issuers to consider whether changes in company domicile or blanket cash-back policies are needed in the new year, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.
Retailers Must Adapt As Courts Shift On False Price Claims

The increasing frequency with which courts are denying motions to dismiss false reference price claims signals that these lawsuits are not going away anytime soon, so retailers must be prepared for a more complex and prolonged defense process, say attorneys at Akerman.
Health Tech Regulatory Trends To Watch In 2025

With an upcoming change in administration and the release of some long-awaited rules, the healthcare industry should prepare for shifting trends, including a growing focus on health data and interest in technology-enabled delivery of healthcare, say attorneys at Orrick.
An Associate's Guide To Career Development In 2025

As the new year begins, associates at all levels should consider establishing career metrics, fostering key relationships and employing other specific strategies to help move through the complexities of the legal profession with confidence and emerge as trailblazers, say EJ Stern and Amanda George at Fractional Law Firm.