GUEST COLUMNS
Thursday, October 2, 2025
California's Honest Pricing Law and the FTC's Junk Fees Rule are forcing businesses to show all-in prices, driving costly system changes and exposing them to lawsuits and consumer backlash.
Vietnamese American nail salon owners and manicurists are challenging California's AB 5 law, claiming it unfairly forces nail techs into employee status while sparing other beauty professionals.
Wednesday, October 1, 2025
The 9th Circuit's unpublished Moreland decision
reinforces that private CERCLA cost recovery hinges on strict compliance with
the National Contingency Plan (NCP), not on state agency labels.
Despite decades of settled law, the federal government is still fighting airport noise claims -- this time over Navy jet flights.
Tuesday, September 30, 2025
Assembly Bill 365, the Justin Kropp Safety Act, transforms the tragedy of journeyman lineman Justin Kropp's preventable death into a lasting legacy of worker protection by requiring AEDs, training, and emergency protocols at high-voltage worksites to save lives in the future.
Vexatious litigants pose unique challenges for public entities when acting as defendants, since existing California statutes focus primarily on abusive plaintiffs, leaving a gap in the law that forces municipalities and other plaintiffs to waste resources responding to frivolous motions and appeals -- a problem that may require legislative reform to address.
Friday, September 26, 2025
With geopolitical threats mounting, venture capital is pouring into dual-use tech startups as the U.S. defense sector finds new allies in Silicon Valley.
Thursday, September 25, 2025
Assembly Bill 288, recently passed by the California Legislature and awaiting Governor Newsom's signature, empowers the state labor board to enforce workers' and businesses' rights when the federal NLRB is defunct or inactive, ensuring fair resolution of labor disputes, protection of union rights, and stability for employers and employees alike.
Wednesday, September 24, 2025
The landmark New York Times v. OpenAI case, arising from alleged copyright violations by ChatGPT and CoPilot, is shaping the emerging legal landscape for artificial intelligence by raising questions about IP rights, data privacy, evidentiary privileges, and corporate liability that could define AI regulation for years to come.
With packaging making up over half of California's landfill waste, CalRecycle has launched a second attempt at rulemaking to implement the state's packaging EPR law, SB 54.
Tuesday, September 23, 2025
For a litigator, Yiddish brings not just color to the courtroom, but character--capturing the humor, heartache and humanity the law alone can't express.
The assassination of Charlie Kirk highlights the urgent need for comprehensive firearms licensing and regulation, alongside improved mental health care, as a practical path forward beyond partisan debates over assault weapons and mental illness.
Plaintiffs often discover that lawsuit settlements are taxed on the gross amount, including their lawyer's share. Here's how the tax code handles fee deductions and what exceptions apply.
Monday, September 22, 2025
Municipalities acquiring property for public projects often overlook a critical step--skipping a Phase I ESA can lead to liability, hidden contamination and missed chances for crucial funding.
Jimmy Kimmel's suspension from ABC over his controversial monologue about Charlie Kirk has sparked fierce debate, highlighting the tension between a private employer's contractual rights and the broader societal interest in protecting open political commentary and satire.
Homeowners who signed onto the Army Corps' "free" Los Angeles wildfire debris cleanup, whether unknowingly or with no alternative, assumed sweeping liability through a boilerplate indemnity clause making them financially responsible for any damages or lawsuits arising from the government's own cleanup work.
Friday, September 19, 2025
At the Peace Palace in The Hague, a towering black cat sculpture called The Witness watches over the courts and law library, blending legend and art: it recalls the heroic--but likely apocryphal--story of Ramskells, a cat said to have saved the justices from a 1924 fire, while also serving as a modern symbol of vigilance and observation over the world of international law.
Opportunity Zones are now permanent but with sharper rules and penalties. Joint ventures that don't rewrite their playbooks risk turning tax breaks into tax traps.
Thursday, September 18, 2025
Corporate campaigns targeting a few flashy or unscrupulous plaintiff lawyers are being used to discredit the civil justice system, fuel tort reform, and limit access to justice, making it crucial for the plaintiffs' bar to maintain accountability, credibility, and vigilance before it's too late.
Without renewed federal action, nearly 90% of Covered California enrollees could see average premium hikes of 66% -- threatening coverage for millions and risking a sharp rise in the uninsured.
Wednesday, September 17, 2025
Early this summer, I ran an experiment in which I gave ChatGPT-4 and ChatGPT-5 only the oral argument transcripts from the court's last 25 cases and asked them to predict the outcome and the vote. Here were the results.
President Trump's latest travel ban halts visas from 19 countries and curtails them for 32 more, upending business operations and making it harder for U.S. employers to retain global talent.
Tuesday, September 16, 2025
As AI transforms the way businesses operate, the insurance industry faces a pivotal question: Will existing policies respond to AI-driven losses, or will entirely new coverages be required?
SB 940 expands arbitration discovery rights by granting parties nearly the same discovery tools available in trial court proceedings, repealing CCP §1283.1, amending §1283.05, and empowering arbitrators to regulate and enforce discovery except in limited civil cases.
Monday, September 15, 2025
If law firms can't serve clients in Spanish, they're not just losing business -- they're denying nearly half the city equitable access to justice.
Lists bring order to legal analysis, especially in trade dress law -- but too many can cause judges and lawyers to miss the forest for the trees.
Friday, September 12, 2025
In Stronghold Engineering v. City of Monterey
(2023), the California Court of Appeal held that a contractor's initial lawsuit
seeking only declaratory relief regarding a City contract did not require
prefiling a Government Claims Act claim and that subsequent claims for monetary
damages could be added after proper notice without being barred.
SB 53 underscores that while AI can support doctors, it cannot replace the human presence, judgment and empathy at the core of medical care.
Thursday, September 11, 2025
Uber is weaponizing federal RICO lawsuits against personal injury attorneys and medical providers in multiple states, a corporate intimidation tactic that threatens access to justice for accident victims nationwide.
Taylor Swift's fight to reclaim her master recordings has not only secured ownership of her own music but sparked a legal and industry-wide shift, empowering artists to understand and assert their rights over their work.
Wednesday, September 10, 2025
Entertainment mogul David Geffen has filed for divorce from David Armstrong after less than two years of marriage, and despite headlines highlighting his billionaire status, California family law and the short duration of the marriage suggest Armstrong's potential recovery--including spousal support and Marvin-type claims--may be limited.
The 9th Circuit will hear oral argument in Epic
Games v. Apple, a case that could clarify whether corporate communications
involving both legal and business considerations qualify for attorney-client privilege
when legal advice is one of several primary purposes.
Tuesday, September 9, 2025
Mediation in landlord-tenant disputes is an underused but growing tool that offers attorneys and clients faster, more affordable, and more empathetic resolutions than litigation.
California's booming data centers face a climate-driven "cooling dilemma," as rising heat, water scarcity, wildfires and strained power grids threaten operations, prompting urgent innovation, regulatory scrutiny and equity debates over who bears the environmental costs.
Monday, September 8, 2025
Calling high-speed chases "fun," federal officials have embraced a perilous pursuit policy that prizes the thrill of the chase over sober judgement and public safety.
President Trump's sweeping claim of unilateral impoundment authority--already tested in Congress, the courts, and recent emergency stays--sets up a constitutional showdown with the Supreme Court over whether the executive can override Congress's "power of the purse."
Friday, September 5, 2025
Despite decades of government assurances that he was a U.S. citizen, Roberto Moncada was stripped of that status -- exposing how bureaucratic error and courts' retreat from equity can leave justice undone.
California Supreme Court's Hohenshelt
v. Superior Court ruling upholds arbitration fee deadlines while allowing
equitable contract defenses, balancing employees' right to prompt arbitration
with relief for inadvertent employer nonpayment -- but leaves open questions
about how courts will apply those defenses in practice.
Thursday, September 4, 2025
Trump's executive orders targeting "cashless bail" could threaten to withhold federal funds from states like California, even though the state's pretrial system already requires individualized bail hearings and does not operate a substantially cashless framework.
Failing to promptly remit withheld payroll taxes is one of the most dangerous mistakes a business can make -- triggering personal liability for "responsible persons," severe IRS penalties and aggressive collection actions that can even shut the company down.
Wednesday, September 3, 2025
California's Senate Bill 825 would expand the DFPI's enforcement authority over state-licensed financial institutions by eliminating exemptions under the Consumer Financial Protection Law, creating broader oversight of "unfair, deceptive, or abusive" practices and increasing compliance risks amid unsettled legal standards.
Eviction is never just about housing -- it dismantles kitchens, neighborhoods, and stability itself, cascading into hunger, homelessness and fractured communities.
Shutterstock
Albertson’s store in Goleta.
Albertson’s store in Goleta.
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NEWS
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General News
Thursday, October 2, 2025 |
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| Employers across California continue to grapple with how best to balance workplace safety, employee rights, and compliance with ever-changing drug and alcohol regulations | |
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General News
Thursday, October 2, 2025 |
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| A judge upheld Long Beach's interpretation of its airport noise ordinance, finding taxi-back maneuvers are not covered, but gave petitioners 30 days to amend their claims of enforcement failure. | |
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General News
Thursday, October 2, 2025 |
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| A judge denied sanctions in four ADA lawsuits against Long Beach businesses, ruling the defense failed to properly serve notice and didn't meet the legal burden to justify penalties. | |
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General News
Wednesday, October 1, 2025 |
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| Researchers have left their work at Meta, OpenAI, Google DeepMind and other big AI projects in recent weeks to join a new Silicon Valley startup, Periodic Labs. | |
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General News
Wednesday, October 1, 2025 |
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| Expect to pay more for health coverage next year -- possibly a lot more -- whether you get your health insurance from an employer or on a health care exchange. | |
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General News
Wednesday, October 1, 2025 |
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| A Los Angeles judge tentatively approved Bank of America's $4.4 million settlement resolving wage-and-hour claims, representing 19.3% of the class's estimated $22 million in damages, with minimal objections. | |
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General News
Tuesday, September 30, 2025 |
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| Gavin Newsom jetted off to New York last week to portray himself as the alternative to Donald Trump on climate policy. | |
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General News
Tuesday, September 30, 2025 |
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| In an era when legal associations are shrinking, Los Angeles attorney Randall A. Miller is stepping into a leadership role with one that's thriving -- and entirely self-funded. As the new chair of the ABA's Standing Committee on Professional Liability, Miller brings decades of expertise in legal malpractice to a group that's staying relevant by tackling some of the profession's biggest challenges. | |
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General News
Tuesday, September 30, 2025 |
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| An appellate panel rejected Bank of America's bid to appeal a San Diego district judge's certification of a class in a consumer class action alleging it failed to safeguard unemployment benefits stolen from over 100,000 Californians during the pandemic. | |
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General News
Monday, September 29, 2025 |
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| A Los Angeles judge allowed a class action against TikTok to proceed, ruling its terms of service may unlawfully restrict consumer speech, rejecting defenses under federal law and the Yelp Law. | |
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General News
Friday, September 26, 2025 |
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| Attorneys criticized Southern California Edison's draft compensation plan for Eaton Fire victims, calling it unfair, self-serving, and inadequate, particularly regarding emotional distress and property damage payouts. | |
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General News
Thursday, September 25, 2025 |
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| A dramatic change in how inter partes reviews are handled under interim U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Director Coke Morgan Stewart has drawn sharp criticism from law professors and technology companies, setting up a high stakes battle at the Federal Circuit. | |
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General News
Thursday, September 25, 2025 |
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| Triumph Foods sued to overturn California's Proposition 12, arguing the animal-confinement law violates federal meat regulations and the Constitution by burdening out-of-state pork producers and disrupting the national pork supply chain. | |
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General News
Thursday, September 25, 2025 |
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| Law firms are facing intense competition, prompting them to explore alternatives to traditional debt. | |
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General News
Wednesday, September 24, 2025 |
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| U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd denied Grimmway's bids to toss the case and to deny class certification, allowing the California Civil Rights Department's disability claims to move forward while narrowing some theories. | |
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General News
Wednesday, September 24, 2025 |
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| A former Orange County prosecutor alleges unwanted advances from a unit head; District Attorney Todd Spitzer's office says the manager was quickly placed on leave and later resigned. | |
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General News
Wednesday, September 24, 2025 |
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| Attorneys for authors and publishers filed new responses this week seeking to satisfy Senior U.S. District Judge William Alsup's concerns about their proposed $1.5 billion settlement with AI company Anthropic. | |
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General News
Tuesday, September 23, 2025 |
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| Cardrooms alleged state gambling regulators collected inflated fees for years; Judge Lauri A. Damrell signed off on a $43.3 million settlement covering 2005 to 2020. | |
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General News
Tuesday, September 23, 2025 |
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| Twelve insurers were dismissed from lawsuits over wildfire smoke claims, leaving California FAIR Plan as the sole defendant as plaintiffs prioritize swift deposition of an elderly claimant to advance the case. | |
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General News
Tuesday, September 23, 2025 |
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| The judges expressed frustration that parties allowed faulty instructions in Comet Technologies' case against XP Power, raising doubts about whether the Northern District of California's jury award can stand. | |
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General News
Tuesday, September 23, 2025 |
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If the planet continues to warm at its current rate, exposure to wildfire smoke will kill an estimated 70,000 Americans each year by 2050, according to new research. |
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General News
Tuesday, September 23, 2025 |
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| Southern California Edison is launching a voluntary claims program for Eaton Fire victims, offering fast compensation without requiring legal representation. | |
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General News
Tuesday, September 23, 2025 |
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| Housing nonprofits sued Los Angeles, alleging City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto and Councilmember Traci Park unlawfully obstructed a Venice affordable housing project approved under the city's Comprehensive Homeless Strategy. | |
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General News
Tuesday, September 23, 2025 |
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| Scholars say the state can bind local police but likely can't enforce the new mask rule against federal agents; other student- and health-privacy bills seen on firmer ground. | |
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General News
Tuesday, September 23, 2025 |
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| A federal judge tentatively ruled a fourth jury trial is needed to decide punitive damages in the trade dress infringement battle between MGA Entertainment and the OMG Girlz, citing the Seventh Amendment. | |
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General News
Monday, September 22, 2025 |
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| After a year of legal wrangling and a week into trial, the City of Los Angeles has agreed to an $18 million settlement with two elderly brothers severely injured in a crash involving an LAPD officer. | |
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General News
Friday, September 19, 2025 |
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| To ensure you're maximizing your benefits, it's important to understand the different terms and acronyms you are likely to encounter as you review your health insurance options. | |
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General News
Friday, September 19, 2025 |
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| A former Orange County judge has been sentenced to prison following his conviction for the murder of his wife. | |
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General News
Friday, September 19, 2025 |
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| Investors accuse Edison International of misleading them about wildfire safety measures, linking stock losses to alleged failures in power shutoff protocols and system upgrades after California wildfires. | |
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General News
Thursday, September 18, 2025 |
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| Emily Moncur alleges gross negligence by the County of Orange and OC Animal Care after a shelter dog attacked her, leaving at least 18 bite wounds and forcing her to drag the animal through the facility while still latched onto her arm. | |
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General News
Thursday, September 18, 2025 |
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| A Los Angeles jury awarded $115 million to Gucci heiress Alexandra Zarini, finding her stepfather liable for sexual abuse and emotional distress in a case spanning decades of alleged family cover-ups. | |
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General News
Thursday, September 18, 2025 |
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| California has long prided itself as an environmental trailblazer. It was the first state to set its own vehicle emission rules and the first to outlaw plastic shopping bags. | |
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General News
Wednesday, September 17, 2025 |
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| Reports of aggressive client recruitment after California and Hawaii wildfires have also prompted new ethics scrutiny in California. | |
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General News
Wednesday, September 17, 2025 |
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| Ford Motor Co.'s $100 million racketeering suit against Knight Law Group and other lemon law firms intensified over the weekend, as defendants filed motions to dismiss and strike, arguing the amended complaint relies on vague allegations, expired claims, and inadmissible accounts of private communications. | |
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General News
Wednesday, September 17, 2025 |
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| Environmental hygienists say homes in the fire zone that escaped total loss are nevertheless embedded with toxic residue. | |
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General News
Tuesday, September 16, 2025 |
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| A federal judge streamlined Alcon Entertainment's copyright lawsuit against Elon Musk, Tesla and Warner Bros., dismissing some claims but allowing core infringement allegations to proceed, while warning against overly long, confusing pleadings. | |
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General News
Tuesday, September 16, 2025 |
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| States are seeing an increase in debt collection lawsuits, which can lead to drastic financial consequences for consumers. | |
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General News
Tuesday, September 16, 2025 |
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| In a setback for Huntington Beach's yearslong battle against state housing laws, an appellate panel vacated a lower court ruling and told a San Diego County judge to issue a new order imposing strict compliance deadlines. | |
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General News
Monday, September 15, 2025 |
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| It has been 37 days since Ellison, 42, took over Paramount Global as part of an $8 billion merger that combined his company, Skydance Media, with a beaten-up collection of old-media assets -- MTV, the Paramount movie studio, CBS -- and two streaming services. | |
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General News
Monday, September 15, 2025 |
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| OpenAI said Thursday that it was giving an equity stake worth at least $100 billion to the nonprofit that controls the organization and has reached a tentative deal to settle financial issues with its partner Microsoft. | |
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General News
Monday, September 15, 2025 |
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| Judge Doreen Boxer denied comics creator Frank Miller's summary judgment bid, allowing producer Stephen L'Heureux to take his good faith claim over the "Hard Boiled" adaptation rights dispute to a jury. | |
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General News
Thursday, October 2, 2025 |
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| The Trump administration announced on Tuesday that it planned to relax a Biden-era rule that requires grocery stores, air-conditioning companies, semiconductor plants and others to sharply and rapidly reduce some powerful greenhouse gases used in cooling equipment. | |
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General News
Wednesday, October 1, 2025 |
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| A federal judge reviewed a proposed $62.1 million Hyundai-Kia settlement resolving claims over defective airbags, with objections over fees and injury rights addressed; final approval still pending. | |
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General News
Tuesday, September 30, 2025 |
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| Legal and sports experts discussed the financial and structural challenges facing college programs under the landmark House settlement at Thursday's Association of Business Trial Lawyers panel in Los Angeles. | |
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General News
Monday, September 29, 2025 |
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| A Los Angeles judge denied Google's request to dismiss a class action alleging YouTube misled users by labeling digital rentals as "purchases," allowing consumer deception claims to proceed under California law. | |
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General News
Monday, September 22, 2025 |
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| A judge ruled an attorney's email directing clients to destroy evidence in a Beverly Hills mansion case isn't protected by privilege due to fraud, allowing the plaintiffs to use it at trial. | |
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General News
Friday, September 19, 2025 |
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| Gov. Gavin Newsom has raised roughly $70 million in less than two months for the California ballot measure to redraw the state's congressional lines, with the family of prominent Democratic financier George Soros recently kicking in $10 million, according to two people with direct knowledge of the fundraising. | |
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General News
Thursday, September 18, 2025 |
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| A Los Angeles judge has vacated a $100,000 damages award against attorney Mark Geragos, leaving youth basketball coach Gary Franklin with nothing in his suit alleging Geragos conspired with Michael Avenatti to derail a Nike sponsorship deal. | |
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General News
Wednesday, September 17, 2025 |
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| Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Samantha P. Jessner has authorized plaintiffs in the Palisades Fire litigation to file a master complaint on behalf of 10,000 residents and business owners, a ruling that adds new defendants, overturns her predecessor's order for a narrower lead complaint, and alters defense strategy for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. | |
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General News
Tuesday, September 16, 2025 |
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| LA's proposed gondola to Dodger Stadium is halted after a court ordered renewed environmental review, making completion before the 2028 Olympics unlikely due to delays, permitting and required approvals. | |
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General News
Monday, September 15, 2025 |
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| Attorneys for an AFL-CIO ex-bookkeeper urged dismissal of a lawsuit over his secret recording of Los Angeles City Council members making racist comments, arguing anti-SLAPP protections apply. | |