Intellectual Property
Taco Tuesdays for everyone! Restaurant abandons its trademark
By Douglas Saunders Sr.
“We’re lovers, not fighters,” the president of Taco John’s said in a statement meant to call a truce to litigation filed by ot...
Intellectual Property
Opponents call toymaker’s $6M fee request ‘gratuitous’
By Sunidhi Sridhar
Attorneys at Keller/Anderle LLP and Umberg Zipser LLP, who successfully defended MGA Entertainment at trial in May, are asking...
Civil Rights
State civil rights agency seeks $138,000 in sanctions from Activision
By Devon Belcher
State civil rights attorneys seek $138,386 in sanctions against Activision for continued discovery attempts after a judge rule...
Buchalter healthcare litigator was generous mentor and loyal friend
Criminal
In reversal, judge won’t stay defamation case for criminal probe
By Skyler Romero
Counsel for OneTaste Inc. repeatedly questioned the legal basis for the U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of New York to r...
9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Government
Local government workers can solicit campaign money from coworkers, 9th Circuit rules
By Craig Anderson
Two Santa Clara County deputy public defenders sued the state after they were warned against soliciting political contribution...
Civil Rights
Law firms could be hauled before Congress over race-based hiring, senator warns
By Devon Belcher
Sen. Tom Cotton wrote 51 law firms that their DEI initiatives might be illegal following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on ...
Government
Sacramento DA threatens to prosecute officials over encampments
By Malcolm Maclachlan
By failing to clear the public rights of way on the sidewalks, District Attorney Thien Ho warned, city officials could be pros...
President Joe Biden’s rule — which the plaintiffs want the judge to declare unlawful — prohibits asylum for people who travele...
Tax
‘Mansion tax’ opponents can’t fight in federal and state court, defense says
By Antoine Abou-Diwan
“Newcastle cannot now overcome claim and issue preclusion because it does not like how the state court is proceeding,” wrote I...
Judges and Judiciary
Judge refuses to dismiss copyright claim against Zazzle
By Sunidhi Sridhar
U.S. District Judge Beth L. Freeman said plaintiff Nicky Laatz plausibly alleged that she owns the copyright to the “Blooming ...
Environmental & Energy
AG warns cities they can’t zone their way out of housing laws
By Malcolm Maclachlan
“Some local jurisdictions enacted ‘urgency zoning ordinances’ aiming to restrict or impose additional requirements on projects...
Criminal
Testimony: Judge told prosecutors they were ‘too light’ on criminals
By Malcolm Maclachlan
“He told us there would no longer be any plea bargains,” former Lassen County Deputy District Attorney Shannon Carter said. “T...
Law Practice
Debevoise & Plimpton bolsters San Francisco office with 2 new partners
By Douglas Saunders Sr.
Josh Cohen came from Clarence Dyer & Cohen and Abraham Tabaie came from Skadden Arps.
Banking
Philanthropists say First Republic lost $7M in scholarship money
By Skyler Romero
“They were told by the manager at First Republic that First Republic was fine, it had no problems: ‘Don’t get excited, you’re ...
Civil Litigation
Alameda County jury returns $18.8M talc verdict against J&J
By Wisdom Howell
The Alameda County trial was allowed to proceed, despite a stay on litigation against the company due to pending bankruptcy p...
Criminal
Pre-arraignment bail to end for some offenses in LA County
By Antoine Abou-Diwan
Presiding Judge Samantha P. Jessner, announced in a remote news conference Tuesday afternoon that, starting Oct. 1, police off...
9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
Ruling in Oregon sets up clash at 9th Circuit over gun regulations
By Craig Anderson
“What we’re seeing in the 9th Circuit is a microcosm of what we’re seeing nationwide because the Supreme Court guidance is not...
9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
Verdict against Apple in Epic Games dispute stayed for appeal
By Jonathan Lo
Despite the three-judge panel granting that stay, 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Milan Smith wrote separately in a co...
Law Practice, Intellectual Property
Baker McKenzie adds former DLA cybersecurity lawyer in LA
By Douglas Saunders Sr.
“I look forward to partnering with a stellar group of professionals across the firm to further deepen and expand our offerings...
Criminal
City, crime victims plan to appeal judge’s no bail ruling
By Antoine Abou-Diwan
Crime Survivors Inc., has tried twice to intervene in the case, saying the city and county have made a weak defense of cash ba...
Appellate Practice
New ethics rules issued for Court of Appeal staff attorneys
By Devon Belcher
“The staff attorney also does not work on any appeal involving the subject matters at issue in the civil class actions” or cri...
9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
Circuit hears doctors’ challenge to COVID law
By Malcolm Maclachlan
The 9th Circuit heard consolidated challenges to AB 2098, which declares “the dissemination of misinformation or disinformatio...
Entertainment & Sports, Civil Litigation
Smokey Robinson to fight ex-manager’s commission claims
By Sunidhi Sridhar
The lawsuit was filed seven years ago, by the manager, who said Robinson owes 10% of all compensation the singer received sinc...
Labor/Employment
Arbitration clauses don’t bar PAGA claims, justices rule
By Craig Anderson
“In sum, where a plaintiff has filed a PAGA action comprised of individual and non-individual claims, an order compelling arbi...
Environmental & Energy
State settles lawsuit over approval of 17 oil wells
By Skyler Romero
“Halting these wells is the right thing to do, but they shouldn’t have been approved in the first place,” Elizabeth A. Jones, ...
The company, Mobile Auto Glass, said State Farm Insurance waited too long to enforce the settlement judgment and denied there ...
Litigation & Arbitration
Worker arbitration clauses do not prohibit PAGA claims, state Supreme Court rules
By Craig Anderson
"An order compelling arbitration of individual claims does not strip the plaintiff of standing to litigate non-individual clai...
Civil Litigation
Charter school says LA district not peacefully sharing space
By Skyler Romero
The lawsuit does not ask the court to resolve the underlying co-location dispute at the heart of the case, the complaint said,...
Law Practice
Lewis Brisbois rebuilds its L&E practice following May departures
By Douglas Saunders Sr.
National Managing Partner Greg Katz said the firm has been in a constant state of growth for 44 years.
