GUEST COLUMNS
Tuesday, January 27, 2026
Canadian securities regulators have introduced sweeping reforms to strengthen capital markets amid U.S. trade tensions, expanding capital-raising limits, streamlining IPO requirements and broadening investor participation--creating conditions for continued growth in 2026.
As AI hype accelerates, a wave of "AI washing" securities lawsuits--alleging companies overstated or misrepresented their AI capabilities--highlights the need for careful, fact-based disclosures, forward-looking safe-harbor language and proactive risk management to mitigate litigation exposure.
Monday, January 26, 2026
Proposed federal evidence rule would require AI-Generated evidence to meet same standard as expert witnesses.
The California Supreme Court recognizes the public's right under the California Public Records Act to enforce proper public agency behavior.
Friday, January 23, 2026
In 2025, California courts and the Department of Insurance clarified that
"direct physical loss or damage" from fires and smoke--including invisible or
microscopic damage--can qualify for coverage under insurance policies, building
on the precedent set in Another Planet Entertainment v. Vigilant Insurance.
The fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis violated the
Fourth Amendment's ban on unreasonable seizures, yet federal doctrines like
qualified immunity and the fading Bivens remedy leave victims without
real redress.
Thursday, January 22, 2026
California has finally delivered broad tax relief for wildfire settlements--but new legal definitions and shifting requirements mean many victims must still tread carefully to secure their exclusions.
More than a year after the Eaton and Palisades fires, many families still cannot rebuild because insurers quietly shortchange total-loss claims by delaying, minimizing or withholding benefits they owe.
Wednesday, January 21, 2026
McConaughey is trademarking 'Alright, alright, alright'--and himself--to fight AI deepfakes before they fight him.
The Trump administration's most consequential norm-breaking act may be its sidelining of senior JAG officers and targeting of Senator Mark Kelly for restating the bedrock rule that service members must obey only lawful orders.
Tuesday, January 20, 2026
The start of a new year offers a timely reminder: maintaining perspective is essential for attorneys and firm leaders working to build meaningful, sustainable practices amid ongoing professional demands.
Long before today's trade wars, tariff disputes helped shape the legal definition of art--forcing courts to draw lines between culture and commerce.
Friday, January 16, 2026
For Iranians, U.S. foreign policy isn't just unpredictable--it's dangerous, as shifting statements and unclear signals from Washington can raise hopes, trigger crackdowns and leave people vulnerable.
While FEHA already provides for fee recovery, an offer to compromise remains a powerful, underutilized tool that can bolster plaintiffs' leverage, efficiency and positioning throughout litigation.
Thursday, January 15, 2026
SB 37 redefines "truthful and not misleading" for an era when AI, vendors and influencers often blur the line between real legal advice and digital impersonation.
Five 2025 appellate rulings that trusts and estates practitioners need to know, from reformation petitions and elder abuse liability to demurrer deadlines and will revocation requirements.
Wednesday, January 14, 2026
As multimillion-dollar payouts for police violence, infrastructure failures and civil rights violations surge, California's public liability funds are straining under risks their original designs never envisioned.
A series of antitrust defeats has left the NCAA unable to enforce its own eligibility rules, fueling a bidding war for top athletes that threatens to destroy non-revenue sports programs. Federal legislation may be the only way to preserve college athletics.
Tuesday, January 13, 2026
California's highest court will decide in Bring Back the Kern v. City of Bakersfield whether a statutory duty to protect fish under Fish & Game Code ยงย 5937 must be tied to the Constitution's "reasonable use" requirement before a violation can be found.
In Paglia & Associates Construction
v. Hamilton, a homeowner's critical Yelp reviews and blog posts about her
contractor led to a libel lawsuit. The 2nd District Court of Appeal ruled the
litigation privilege doesn't extend to public social media complaints--only to
communications made within official proceedings.
Monday, January 12, 2026
Federal contractors are supposed to give hiring preferences to veterans, but the Department of Labor lets them off the hook.
After years of attempts, California has amended the Elder Abuse and Dependent Adult Civil Protection Act to let judges lower the evidentiary bar in cases involving spoliation.
Friday, January 9, 2026
California's 2026 carryout bag law closes the thick plastic loophole but still relies on outdated material categories instead of lifecycle performance metrics to guide sustainable packaging policy.
The Trump administration is already deploying GenAI to second-guess physicians' determinations of medical necessity for seniors' treatments, shifting Medicare toward cost-driven care over clinician judgment.
Thursday, January 8, 2026
Britain's control of Iran's oil industry in the 20th century was technically successful but politically catastrophic. The lessons from that failure offer crucial insights for anyone considering U.S. engagement in Venezuela's oil sector today.
The IRS's new Trump Accounts could reshape early-life investing, offering families a flexible, long-term savings tool that blends retirement-style benefits with child-focused incentives.
Wednesday, January 7, 2026
California's bail system crisis isn't the result of recent reforms--it stems from courts refusing to follow constitutional requirements that have existed since 1849.
Netflix's $72 billion bid for Warner Bros. Discovery tests the limits of antitrust enforcement in the streaming era--and reveals how media giants are adapting to regulatory scrutiny.
Tuesday, January 6, 2026
At the intersection of Saticoy Street and Topanga Canyon Boulevard in Canoga Park, a newly rebuilt crosswalk tells a troubling story about how well-intentioned compliance initiatives can quietly make streets less safe.
By declining review in Kennedy
Commission, the California Supreme Court let stand a ruling that sharpens a
pivotal question: how far, and how fast, can the state compel charter city
housing compliance?
Monday, January 5, 2026
Friday, January 2, 2026
Alford and Pena expose a
split over emergency takings: One court says the Fifth Amendment always
requires compensation, the other leans on history, leaving the Supreme Court to
resolve the clash.
As states wage an escalating redistricting arms race, the only way to stop politicians from handpicking their voters is a national ban on partisan gerrymandering that puts independent mapmakers -- not self-interested lawmakers--in charge.
Wednesday, December 31, 2025
Witnesses tell your client's story but mishandling them can write them out of your case entirely. From who you can contact to what documents you can accept, here's what California lawyers need to know about witness communication ethics.
Enlarging the House by 150 members and the Senate by 21 could make Congress more representative, reduce district distortion and restore closer connections between lawmakers and constituents.
Tuesday, December 30, 2025
Understanding the neutral's perspective can help practitioners achieve better outcomes.
Constructive receipt determines when income is considered taxable, focusing on whether you have an unrestricted right to payment, even if you don't actually receive it.
Monday, December 29, 2025
To counterbalance a federal judiciary dominated by former executive branch lawyers who defer to presidential power, the Senate should require that for every judge nominated with senior executive experience, another must have substantive legislative branch experience.
Combat veterans carry invisible battlefields of trauma; while the justice system once punished their symptoms, veteran treatment courts now prioritize healing, restore dignity, reduce recidivism and offer paths to redemption.
Darren Walker, the president of the Ford Foundation, at the Ford Foundation headquarters in New York, July 17, 2024. (Nate Langston Palmer/The New York Times)
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NEWS
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General News
Tuesday, January 27, 2026 |
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| Google and Epic urged a federal judge to modify an Android app store injunction, but the FTC and Microsoft warned proposed changes could undermine competition and preserve Google's market power. | |
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General News
Tuesday, January 27, 2026 |
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| A Democratic lawmaker is pushing a proposal to speed up $10 billion in funding for climate programs more than a year after voters approved Proposition 4, the state's biggest investment yet to combat climate change. | |
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General News
Tuesday, January 27, 2026 |
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| A California Court of Appeal revived claims by more than 100 renters, holding tenants may sue landlords for background-check disclosure violations under state law even without proving they suffered actual harm. | |
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General News
Tuesday, January 27, 2026 |
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| Corporate bankruptcies have hit their highest level in 15 years, and while attorneys do not see the large-scale filings that occurred during the Great Recession, they are expecting another increase in 2026. | |
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General News
Monday, January 26, 2026 |
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| Ian Rambarran assumes operational leadership of the San Diego-based law firm as founder John Klinedinst focuses on strategy and growth. | |
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General News
Monday, January 26, 2026 |
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| California faces a half-dozen existential issues that threaten the state's future economic and social wellbeing, and they have persistently defied attempts to resolve them over the last 25 years. | |
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General News
Monday, January 26, 2026 |
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| A Los Angeles judge questioned whether Pasadena's anticipatory breach claims against UCLA fit the Rose Bowl agreement's narrow arbitration clause, taking under submission whether the dispute belongs in court or arbitration. | |
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General News
Friday, January 23, 2026 |
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| Bradfield Biggers, who is heading the LA office, advises creators, investors and companies across entertainment, technology and finance, with a practice focused on cross-border music catalog acquisitions, film and television financing, interactive media transactions and corporate governance. | |
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General News
Friday, January 23, 2026 |
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| Google urged Judge Richard Seeborg to decertify a privacy class after a $425 million verdict, arguing the lead plaintiff's testimony undermines the claim that users uniformly found the data collection highly offensive, the applicable legal standard. | |
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General News
Friday, January 23, 2026 |
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| A surge of anti-government protests swept Iran this month, leading to civilian casualties and prompting President Donald Trump to hint that he was considering military intervention. Somehow, it was also a betting opportunity. | |
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General News
Thursday, January 22, 2026 |
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| Uber asked a magistrate judge to sanction a plaintiffs' lawyer for allegedly misusing confidential MDL discovery, prompting skepticism, sharp questioning, and warnings that sanctions remain possible after related injury lawsuits. | |
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General News
Thursday, January 22, 2026 |
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| Major technology companies are using a creative legal method to add AI company founders and talented engineers without buying the startups. | |
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General News
Thursday, January 22, 2026 |
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| Google this month began rolling out a suite of new tools relying on generative AI, the technology driving chatbots, to help users manage their bloated inboxes and speed up the process of writing email. | |
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General News
Wednesday, January 21, 2026 |
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| Millions of borrowers who are in default on their student loans got a reprieve Friday: The government said it would delay aggressive efforts to collect on the debt, including seizing funds from paychecks and income tax refunds. | |
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General News
Wednesday, January 21, 2026 |
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| A San Francisco developer and its former law firm are locked in a complex legal battle involving lawsuits in two counties, sanctions motions, and claims of malpractice, breach of fiduciary duty, and unfair competition. Visiting Judge Harold Kahn recently denied motions to quash and for sanctions, keeping the San Francisco case alive. | |
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General News
Wednesday, January 21, 2026 |
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| Jacob Payne was confined for over a decade as a sexually violent predator, but federal court says he cannot relitigate arguments already addressed in state court, despite a jury ultimately releasing him. | |
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General News
Tuesday, January 20, 2026 |
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| Gov. Gavin Newsom's budget proposal includes no money for a fund formed last year to boost the state's local newsrooms, casting doubt on whether a heralded effort to help California journalists will amount to anything and how serious Newsom is about supporting the struggling industry. | |
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General News
Tuesday, January 20, 2026 |
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| A Los Angeles County jury began a damages-only trial Thursday as cannabis businesses allege the 2017 Thomas Fire and subsequent debris flows destroyed their greenhouses and forced them to shut down. | |
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General News
Tuesday, January 20, 2026 |
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| Judge Eumi K. Lee criticized both sides for missing multiple deadlines, including Tesla's months-late answer to an amended complaint, and set a January deadline for the parties to explain why sanctions shouldn't apply. | |
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General News
Tuesday, January 20, 2026 |
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| While delivering his final State of the State address and proposing his final state budget last week, Gov. Gavin Newsom clearly sought to neutralize an issue that has haunted his political career for more than two decades and could torpedo his hopes of becoming president: homelessness. | |
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General News
Tuesday, January 20, 2026 |
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| In the first case of its kind to reach the Supreme Court, justices directed the 3rd District Court of Appeal to reconsider sanctions over a brief containing fabricated citations in a criminal case. | |
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General News
Friday, January 16, 2026 |
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| When the broader housing market feels unpredictable, homeowners may look to refresh their current home instead of relocating. | |
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General News
Friday, January 16, 2026 |
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| A geochemist testifying for Prologis in a lawsuit over a 2021 "rotten egg" odor in Carson told jurors the smell came from disturbed channel sediments--not a warehouse fire. Plaintiffs challenged his conclusions and compensation during cross-examination. | |
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General News
Friday, January 16, 2026 |
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| The petition seeks to compel Wolfire Games to comply with an arbitrator-issued subpoena, testing statutory changes that expanded arbitrators' authority to obtain third-party discovery. | |
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General News
Thursday, January 15, 2026 |
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| Plaintiffs claim significant economic losses, while Edison contests the extent and recoverability of the damages. | |
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General News
Thursday, January 15, 2026 |
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| China is rolling out fleets of autonomous delivery trucks, experimenting with flying cars and installing parking lot robots that can swap out your EV's dying battery in just minutes. | |
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General News
Thursday, January 15, 2026 |
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| CoStar Group alleges Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP created an impermissible conflict by representing competitor CREXi while simultaneously representing CoStar in another case. CoStar's motion seeks to disqualify the firm from the Central District litigation. | |
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General News
Wednesday, January 14, 2026 |
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| Plaintiffs' attorneys are seeking court approval of a $100 million settlement resolving securities claims that PG&E misled investors about its wildfire safety practices, following a sharp stock decline tied to major California fires. | |
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General News
Wednesday, January 14, 2026 |
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| AB 1554 would pave the way for sweeping changes to how wildfire losses are paid, based on a state report due this spring. | |
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General News
Wednesday, January 14, 2026 |
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| Most Americans say they have a financial resolution for 2026, according to a survey from the investment firm Vanguard, even though about three-quarters conceded that they fell short of their saving and spending goals last year. | |
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General News
Tuesday, January 13, 2026 |
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| Carson-area residents urged a Los Angeles judge to deny Prologis' nonsuit motion, arguing trial evidence shows the warehouse owner's conduct substantially contributed to a fire and months-long rotten egg odor. | |
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General News
Tuesday, January 13, 2026 |
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| Two years ago, Internal Revenue Service officials announced an ambitious plan to fix a gaping hole in federal tax law enforcement. | |
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General News
Tuesday, January 13, 2026 |
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| The 9th Circuit rejected a federal attorney's race discrimination claim but revived his retaliation claim, ruling a district judge in San Diego wrongly discounted evidence linking his nonselection to prior EEOC activity. | |
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General News
Monday, January 12, 2026 |
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| A subset of autonomous car users recognized that taxis devoid of strangers could offer an even more revolutionary service: chauffeuring teens and tweens in place of their harried parents. | |
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General News
Monday, January 12, 2026 |
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| A California appeals court ruled Amazon Flex last-mile drivers are transportation workers under federal law, exempting them from mandatory arbitration and strengthening wage law protections for gig delivery drivers statewide. | |
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General News
Friday, January 9, 2026 |
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| A federal judge ordered Los Angeles to pay $1.8 million in attorney fees, faulting the city for failing to provide accurate homelessness data and comply with a landmark settlement agreement. | |
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General News
Friday, January 9, 2026 |
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| Federal prosecutors say Orange County Superior Court Judge Israel Claustro defrauded California's workers' compensation system by secretly operating a medical group and using a previously convicted physician to generate fraudulent claims. | |
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General News
Friday, January 9, 2026 |
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| It's been one year since the fires. California has raised wages for incarcerated firefighters and made the Growlersburg Fire Camp program permanent. | |
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General News
Monday, January 26, 2026 |
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| On Friday, Darren Walker, 66, was named president and CEO of Anonymous Content. | |
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General News
Friday, January 23, 2026 |
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| After Snap settles one teen's case on the eve of first bellwether trial, Los Angeles judge imposes juror anonymity and evidentiary limits shaping upcoming social media addiction litigation. | |
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General News
Thursday, January 22, 2026 |
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| Edison faces pushback after filing cross-claims in Eaton Fire litigation, with plaintiffs' lawyers calling it a delay tactic while the utility says adding public agencies is standard to apportion fault. | |
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General News
Wednesday, January 21, 2026 |
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| U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers denied OpenAI's motion for summary judgment in Elon Musk's lawsuit, clearing the way for a trial in late April over allegations he was misled about the company's nonprofit status. | |
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General News
Friday, January 16, 2026 |
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| The state told a divided 9th Circuit panel that its Age-Appropriate Design Code Act is a business regulation aimed at protecting children, not a content-based restriction triggering heightened First Amendment scrutiny. | |
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General News
Thursday, January 15, 2026 |
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| The hearing follows months of dispute over overburdened attorneys in the San Francisco Public Defender's Office and the declaration of "unavailable" days. | |
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General News
Wednesday, January 14, 2026 |
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| A court-appointed monitor testified that Los Angeles failed to provide complete, verifiable data required under a federal homelessness settlement, as city officials defended their reporting methods during heated contempt hearings. | |
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General News
Tuesday, January 13, 2026 |
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| After more than 25 years at Hutton Center, Callahan & Blaine has relocated to a 45,000-square-foot, custom-built headquarters at Newport Gateway. Firm leader Edward Susolik says the move reflects growth, confidence in the market and a long-term commitment to Orange County. | |
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General News
Monday, January 12, 2026 |
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| A Los Angeles judge said she will limit discovery into Southern California Edison's rate base and executive compensation, questioning its relevance to Eaton Fire claims while allowing targeted production tied to transmission assets. | |
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General News
Friday, January 9, 2026 |
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| The deal brings nine attorneys and nine support staff to Manning Kass and establishes a permanent Riverside office | |