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Tuesday, December 5, 2023

Five key moments from the Newsom-DeSantis debate

Monday, December 4, 2023

The private sector is failing to address California's housing crisis. Social housing shows promise

Public want lawmakers to safeguard elections from A.I.

How San Diego hacked state housing law to build ADU 'apartment buildings'

CSU faculty rejects 12% salary increase, plans strike

Will ocean waves be California's new source of clean energy?

Friday, November 17, 2023

Why LA County's talc litigation misses the mark

LA County's talc litigation represents a colossal waste of taxpayer-funded time as public lawyers collaborate with private plaintiffs' attorneys, employing outrageous tactics that, in all likelihood, will not succeed for most.

First Amendment triumphs over Prop 65 warnings

Developments on California Proposition 65: First Amendment, short-form warnings, and food products.

Thursday, November 16, 2023

California wants to rollback environmental rules for cannabis. That won't help ailing growers

No place is safe: New national report on climate change details sweeping effects

Friday, November 10, 2023

Five ways AI will change the workplace of the future

Employers may see the trade-off as an opportunity to trim budgets by eliminating jobs that can be done faster and cheaper by AI. But they must understand the legal and HR implications of job automation, including potential job displacement and the need for upskilling or reskilling programs. Employers – whether construction, legal, hospitality, education, or any other industry or profession – must start making changes now.

Supreme Court examines civil asset forfeiture and due process in Culley.

Practitioners should keep an eye on the case because it has the potential to make it easier for so-called "innocent owners" to recover property that is seized by the government.

Thursday, November 9, 2023

California's unemployment insurance system is so poorly funded it pays 2004 wages

Now that the Legislature has mostly gone home and the governor has signed or vetoed all the bills, it's time for them to reflect on the most pressing problems to address in 2024. Fixing California's dysfunctional unemployment insurance system should be a top priority.

FTC tries again to halt Microsoft's acquisition of Activision

Plaintiffs may have to refile suet over Chevy Bolt batteries

Rob Bonta praised fentanyl murder case but ducked California legislation on deadly drug

California's Central Coast residents work to stop — or at least slow down — offshore wind

NEWS

General News Wednesday, December 6, 2023
Bar's conspiracy accusation has 'Orwellian cast' Eastman's closing brief says "His misconduct, committed in the course and scope of his representation of former President Trump, shocked the conscience of the nation, and is of such exceptional gravity that only disbarment will suffice," State Bar prosecutor Duncan C. Carling wrote.

General News Wednesday, December 6, 2023
LA County suit accused Citigroup of bias against Armenian Americans The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in November forced Citigroup to pay nearly $26 million in fines and "consumer redress" for intentionally discriminating against credit card applicants who the bank believed were Armenian Americans.

General News Tuesday, December 5, 2023
FTC tries again to halt Microsoft's acquisition of Activision FTC Chair Lina M. Khan, an appointee of President Joe Biden, has a mixed record in blocking mergers but has vowed to keep trying to block corporate acquisitions she believes are not in the public interest.

General News Tuesday, December 5, 2023
New Assembly Judiciary chair commits to funding courts Assemblyman Ash Kalra was a deputy public defender in Santa Clara County for 11 years.

General News Tuesday, December 5, 2023
Buchalter acquires Trainor Fairbrook Trainor Fairbrook in Sacramento practiced real estate law, business litigation and trusts and estates.

General News Tuesday, December 5, 2023
Attorney says cryptocurrency lender withheld $2.5M loan According to Michael L. Gabriel, representing himself in a putative class action, Blockas.com demanded that he pay a $5,000 "tax clearance fee" to exchange his loan from Bitcoin to U.S. dollars.

General News Monday, December 4, 2023
High court to hear arguments on tax control ballot measure Gov. Gavin Newsom, the Legislature and former Democratic Party Chair John Burton petitioned the court in September to take the initiative off the ballot.

General News Monday, December 4, 2023
Plaintiff wins sanctions duel over motion to compel "The judge sanctioned us for not giving a detailed enough explanation as to why we disputed whether the plaintiff was injured," said defense attorney Lance D. Orloff of Grant Genovese & Baratta LLP.

General News Monday, December 4, 2023
8 banks must produce documents in state's suit over high fees "Defendants failed to set the rates at the lowest possible interest rates, as their agreements with California required," stated the state's complaint, signed by Todd M. Schneider of Schneider Wallace Cottrell Konecky LLP.

General News Monday, November 27, 2023
Water Authority ends attempt to stop members from seeking cheaper rates San Diego County held a special election on Nov. 7 and the ballot included a measure to change Fallbrook and Rainbow's water provider. The measure passed with overwhelming support in both districts. But opponents say that the move by some for cheaper water means higher costs for others.

General News Monday, November 27, 2023
Mayer Brown secures appellate OK of $69M award over unpaid loan The panel also approved $21 million in fees for the long running case involving a $30 million loan a Hong Kong billionaire had made to his daughter.

General News Monday, November 27, 2023
Circuit panel reverses judge's order in debt collector dispute U.S. District Judge David O. Carter concluded that the tenants' federal suit constituted an improper appeal of a state court judgment and thus was barred by Rooker-Feldman. But the circuit panel disagreed.

General News Friday, November 24, 2023
Supreme Court won't hear challenge to sober living homes The court's rejection of the city's writ of certiorari does not mean the city will lose its underlying lawsuit against the operators, but the case will have to go to trial.

General News Friday, November 24, 2023
Child porn claim against Pornhub gets class status "It's taken tremendous courage and strength for Jane Doe to bring this case and we are very proud to represent her and the certified class," Susman Godfrey LLP partner Krysta Kauble Pachman said.

General News Friday, November 24, 2023
LA judge to decide on expansion of biofuel refinery The case concerns a crude oil refinery in Paramount that began converting to biofuel operations in 2011. AltAir Paramount, the owners of the site and a real party in interest in the case, modified the site to process biofuels, with all crude oil operations ceasing in 2017.

General News Wednesday, November 22, 2023
GM manager guilty of soliciting $5M bribe for car parts contract In October 2015, the defendant asked South Korean company Wookyung MIT for $5 million in cash for a contract that was supposed to be awarded through a competitive bidding process, the U.S. Department of Justice said.

General News Wednesday, November 22, 2023
New litigation boutique is a dream realized The founders of Frost LLP said the idea of building a firm began decades ago in law school.

General News Wednesday, November 22, 2023
'Ghost kitchens' didn't work, Black Angus says in lawsuit According to the lawsuit, the defendants approached Black Angus with a pitch to use its restaurants as ghost kitchens — an arrangement where a restaurant's kitchen processes to-go orders for a separate brand.

General News Tuesday, November 21, 2023
Macy's attorney tells panel Adolph violated US law The argument by Felix Shafir of Horvitz & Levy LLP targeted what he said was an incorrect interpretation of a 2022 U.S. Supreme Court decision, Viking River Cruises Inc. v. Moriana.

General News Tuesday, November 21, 2023
Challenge Accepted Newell Law Firm attorneys say early careers outside the legal profession give them an edge.

General News Tuesday, November 21, 2023
Insurance companies sue over Mono County fire The matter is related to multiple coordinated lawsuits against Liberty Utilities, many of which were filed in Mono County. Los Angeles Judge Kenneth R. Freeman is presiding over the coordinated proceedings.

General News Monday, November 20, 2023
US agrees to review offshore oil platforms The Center for Biological Diversity claimed the government has allowed four-decade-old development plans to proceed in an area of the ocean off Huntington Beach.

General News Monday, November 20, 2023
Honest Risk Broker Neutral Robert Mann says he's not paid to just say what people want to hear

General News Monday, November 20, 2023
Last Girardi Keese law firm creditor settles for $1.2M "That will free up money for professional fees and for the estate to continue to function. It won't have to reserve such a large amount," said attorney Ronald N. Richards of Beverly Hills, who represents trustee Elissa D. Miller.

General News Friday, November 17, 2023
Edison can't pursue liability for Thomas fire from public entities Edison sought to share $680 million in liability with Santa Barbara County and four other public entities for the mudslide that occurred in the mountains north of Montecito that were burned by the Thomas fire.

General News Friday, November 17, 2023
Latham wins on appeal for defense on rare holder claim The plaintiffs' "claims have been soundly rejected as meritless multiple times over the past decade, and we are pleased to have our jury trial victory affirmed on appeal," said Michele D. Johnson of Latham & Watkins.