Ethics/Professional Responsibility
Circuit finds attorney acted with malice in sending news release
By Jessica Mach
Lisa Bloom’s firm issued a news release alleging casino magnate Steve Wynn sexually harassed and retaliated against one of her...
Judges and Judiciary
State’s charity supervision law unconstitutional, judge finds
By Malcolm Maclachlan
“What we think makes this case so significant is … the judge has just thrown out two of the primary enforcement mechanisms th...
Health Care & Hospital Law, Civil Litigation
US judge likely to let RICO claims against vaping makers proceed
By Winston Cho
U.S. District Judge William H. Orrick tentatively ruled that Altria must face allegations that it masterminded a criminal ente...
Environmental & Energy, Administrative/Regulatory
Special master report in LA water cases may answer major questions
By Blaise Scemama
Special master Edward Robbins of Hochman Salkin Toscher Perez PC told the court he has a voluminous report to issue next month...
Joshua Weinstein focuses family law disputants on the future.
Law Practice
Sole practitioners relied on each other, legal groups to survive 2020
By Kamila Knaudt
“I had so much support from the legal community whenever I had any kind of question, hardship or anything that was really worr...
State Bar & Bar Associations
Bar takes over $120,000 in client accounts of deceased attorney
By Malcolm Maclachlan
A Sacramento judge appointed a receiver to unwind the practice of the late immigration and civil practice attorney Alex Gortin...
The case centered on the definition of terms including “list price” and “was.” The plaintiffs argued the company used these wo...
Government, Civil Litigation
Homeless advocates sue to recall Sacramento mayor
By Malcolm Maclachlan
The complaint says there is a dispute over how long an elected city official must be in office before a recall campaign can be...
Criminal, California Supreme Court
Judges must consider means in setting bail, California Supreme Court rules
By Tyler Pialet
In the 29-page opinion, Supreme Court Justice Mariano Cuellar wrote that California’s current bail system, which conditions “f...
Technology, Law Practice, Ethics/Professional Responsibility
Rule update: Lawyers must maintain tech competency
By Henrik Nilsson
With the change to Rule 1.1 that went into effect Monday, addressing competency, lawyers now must “keep abreast of the changes...
Judges and Judiciary, Government
Newsom appoints 18 superior court judges
By Malcolm Maclachlan
More than half the new judges are Asian, Black or Latino. Three are in their 60s, six are in their 50s and one is under 40. Th...
Insurance, Civil Litigation
‘Respiratory droplets’ theory doesn’t save insurance loss case
By Winston Cho
“At this point I don’t see how you can fix this,” U.S. Magistrate Judge Laurel Beeler said. “This is a wonderful thing for the...
Each of the 702 plaintiffs will be entitled to an average of $1.2 million — about 12 times more than what thousands of other a...
Health Care & Hospital Law, Civil Litigation
Does state’s opioid deal cut off others ‘at the knees’?
By Blaise Scemama
“If they’re willing to talk to the California attorney general and the attorneys general of several states trying to reach glo...
Alameda County Assistant Public Defender Richard Foxall had filed a motion alleging at least seven prosecutors in the office h...
Entertainment & Sports, Civil Litigation
Judge tosses reporters’ suit against Hollywood Foreign Press Association
By Gina Kim
Exclusion from Hollywood Foreign Press Association did not result in antitrust violations, federal judge says.
Law Practice
Nonlawyer ownership of firms is gaining traction in several states
By Henrik Nilsson
The Utah Supreme Court made changes last year which resulted in a two-year regulatory sandbox that allows applicants to experi...
Intellectual Property, Civil Litigation
Eli Lilly wins patent dispute, loses $10M in fees
By Winston Cho
While she found Genentech's failure to notify her of a case that weakened its position troubling, U.S. District Judge Janis L...
Civil Litigation
11-year battle for $30M ends (for now) with $70M win
By Blaise Scemama
The case involved a $30 million loan the late Hong Kong billionaire Chen Din-Hwa made to his daughter through his investment c...
Technology, Labor/Employment
Tools for remote work may have nefarious applications
By Jessica Mach
“Even in a state like California, which is pretty regulatory and generally employee friendly, there are really very few regula...
U.S. Supreme Court, Constitutional Law, 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
Circuit says open gun carry can be outlawed
By Tyler Pialet
In a 7-4 decision by an en banc panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Judge Jay S. Bybee, writing for the majority, ...
The appointment followed a weekslong campaign by Asian American groups urging Newsom to choose an Asian American nominee. Bont...
Technology, Law Practice, Government
Bill to give public more court access moves forward
By Malcolm Maclachlan
AB716 adds “remote access” to the state’s definition of public access to the courts, bars courts using remote access to a part...
Law Office Management
Blank Rome launches Orange County office with privacy and security team
By Kamila Knaudt
The team formerly with Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders LLP includes: Sharon R. Klein, office chair and chair of the privacy,...
Civil Litigation
Nonprofits’ drop lawsuit to halt some LA County in-person hearings
By Blaise Scemama
“We dismissed the lawsuit because of the changed condition in the community’s spread of COVID-19 in LA County,” Public Counsel...
Criminal
LA County names special prosecutor for officer involved shootings
By Tyler Pialet
At the request of District Attorney George Gascon the board of supervisors appointed former federal prosecutor Lawrence S. Mid...
Civil Litigation
Caltech seeks summary judgment against researcher alleging misappropriation
By Gina Kim
Caltech and a researcher are in court in a qui tam action over alleged misappropriated research grants in a solar energy proje...
Insurance, Civil Litigation
Caesars sues insurers for $2B in COVID losses
By Blaise Scemama
Attorneys for Caesars filed the lawsuit Friday, claiming it gave COVID-19 sick pay to more than 15,000 employees and had more ...
Technology, Labor/Employment
Workplace tech embraced in COVID era likely to remain
By Jessica Mach
As workers across the nation continue to receive COVID-19 vaccinations and businesses continue to reopen, a new trend may be e...