State Bar & Bar Associations
State Bar fee increase likely, legislator says
By Erin Lee
State Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson, D-Santa Barbara, said she expects a State Bar fee increase to pass the Legislature, following ...
Civil Litigation, Corporate, Antitrust & Trade Reg.
Judge awards $10.5 million in attorney fees for Experian data breach class action
By Meghann Cuniff
The award accompanies a multi-faceted settlement valued at more than $170 million.
Labor/Employment, Ethics/Professional Responsibility
Attorney back to work after 2-month suspension remains on probation
By Justin Kloczko
A veteran San Fernando Valley attorney was allowed to resume legal practice this month following a two-month suspension for mi...
Labor/Employment
Labor Board writes Uber drivers are contractors under federal law
By Andy Serbe
Uber drivers are not employees under federal law, the National Labor Relations Board general counsel’s office wrote in an advi...
At hearing on diversity, lawyers push for lowering the bar exam score
By Malcolm Maclachlan
During a hearing on how to increase diversity in the legal profession in California, one idea came up over and over: lowering ...
U.S. Supreme Court, Constitutional Law
Dissenting justice warns that high court majority is targeting precedents
By Malcolm Maclachlan
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled the state of California cannot be sued in a Nevada court against its will.
An Alameda County jury's $2.055 billion verdict Monday against Bayer AG-owned Monsanto, the largest award yet, is another majo...
Kaiser Permanente legal team member Katherine Robinson Saral is transitioning to the organization's advising group as chief le...
Securities, Civil Litigation, Government
SEC to pursue insider trading case despite DOJ dismissal
By Meghann Cuniff
An attorney representing the defendant said Monday he’ll bring a summary judgment motion that cites the dueling positions.
Labor/Employment, Government
California sues US over new union dues rules
By Andy Serbe
California has sued the Trump administration over a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services rule change that disallows stat...
U.S. Supreme Court, Antitrust & Trade Reg.
Kavanaugh joins liberal bloc to side with consumers in Apple iPhone antitrust case
By Nicolas Sonnenburg
Apple Inc. will have to face antitrust claims over its mobile application store, a divided U.S. Supreme Court has ruled, setti...
Criminal
Software financial chief sentenced to 5 years for fraud in $11B deal
By Gina Kim
The former chief financial officer of Autonomy Corporation PLC was sentenced to 60 months in prison after being convicted of c...
Civil Litigation
SoCal Edison seeks to disqualify Quinn Emanuel as plaintiffs’ counsel in fire suits
By Gina Kim
SoCal Edison’s lawyers are seeking to disqualify longtime utility giant defenders Quinn Emanuel from representing plaintiffs i...
Civil Litigation, Labor/Employment
Tesla to pay portion of $13M personal injury settlement
By Justin Kloczko
Tesla Inc. has avoided its first personal injury trial by agreeing to pay a portion of a $13 million settlement to a janitor w...
Entertainment & Sports, Administrative/Regulatory
Bill against children’s video gambling threatens industry
By Steven Crighton
A bill to protect children from predatory gambling in video games -- and to safeguard credit cards from kids -- could crush th...
Immigration, Criminal
Immigration outpaced all other offenses in federal courts in 2018
By Paula Lehman-Ewing
A recent study by the U.S. Sentencing Commission found immigration crimes accounted for 34.4% of all sentencing cases in 2018,...
Civil Litigation
Elon Musk must stand trial for calling diver ‘pedo guy’
By Steven Crighton
Calling a marine who helped rescue a team of trapped Thai cave divers in 2018 “pedo guy” isn’t the kind of harmless insult Elo...
Civil Litigation, Government
Judge grills SEC lawyer about why Volkswagen lawsuit was filed so late
By Winston Cho
The federal judge who oversaw the multibillion dollar settlement of claims against Volkswagen AG for emissions cheating appear...
Civil Litigation, Government
Defense wins despite client pleading the Fifth 100 times
By Blaise Scemama
A business owner who invoked the Fifth Amendment over 100 times in a trial accusing him of violating the federal False Claims ...
Government, Antitrust & Trade Reg.
Government agencies have divergent views in Qualcomm case
By Justin Kloczko
The Federal Trade Commission is at odds with a U.S. Department of Justice concern that the remedy in the Qualcomm antitrust ca...
An attorney with the Stanislaus County Department of Child Support Services has been arrested in for soliciting a child online.
Immigration, 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
Proposition 64’s reclassification of marijuana offense can’t save resident from removal, 9th Circuit rules
By Nicolas Sonnenburg
A lawful permanent resident who has lived in the United States since 1972 must be sent back to Mexico, the 9th U.S. Circuit Co...
Judges and Judiciary, Alternative Dispute Resolution
Sonoma County judge to retire and become arbitrator, mediator
By Malcolm Maclachlan
Sonoma County Superior Court Judge Robert S. Boyd will retire next month.
Real Estate/Development, Civil Litigation
Small tech company sues Wells Fargo in real estate sale dispute
By Carter Stoddard
A small tech company filed a $98 million suit against Wells Fargo Bank N.A., claiming it was unfairly cut out of a 2016 real e...
Law Practice
Darden withdraws as counsel of record for Nipsey Hussle’s alleged killer
By Gina Kim
Christopher Darden, made famous by the O.J. Simpson trial, withdrew Friday as counsel of record for Nipsey Hussle’s alleged ki...
Labor/Employment, Judges and Judiciary, Government
Retired judges sue over limits for temporary assignments
By Malcolm Maclachlan
A trio of retired judges has sued the Judicial Council over new rules that effectively expel them from the Assigned Judges Pro...
Judges and Judiciary, Government
Newsom budget would add 25 judges across the state
By Glenn Jeffers
Gov. Gavin Newsom boosted funding to the state's judicial branch and allocated funds for 25 new judgeships in his revised 2019...
Government, Environmental & Energy
Coastal Commission hits developer with fine for tearing down motels
By Gina Kim
The California Coastal Commission levies record $15.5M in fees against a Santa Monica hotel developer for building a luxury ho...
Bankruptcy
Judge skeptical of allowing ratepayer group to play a role in PG&E’s bankruptcy
By Winston Cho
A consumer advocacy organization told a bankruptcy judge Thursday that California ratepayers should be appointed as an officia...
Civil Litigation, Government
Unusual False Claims Act trial wraps up with insults
By Blaise Scemama
A defense attorney in a False Claims Act case called the plaintiff and relator who accused his client of defrauding the U.S. g...