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Special Reports

New Laws 2026

Jan. 2, 2026

Judicial Profile

Judge Esther Ro followed her heart to a Superior Court seat

Esther Kyungmin Ro
Los Angeles County Superior Court

Firm Profile

Brothers in Law

Mendez & Sanchez

2026-01-02

MCLE

Court of Appeal restores sanity to workers' comp treatment authorizations

Dec. 19, 2025

A new Second District Court of Appeal decision dismantles...

By Brent Daub, Glenn Olsen

AI defamation suits test anti-SLAPP shields and speaker rights

Dec. 12, 2025

As AI-driven defamation suits emerge, courts must not onl...

By Lan P. Vu

SEC at the door? Mind your ethics - and your client

Dec. 10, 2025

When the SEC comes knocking, corporate counsel must call ...

By Alanna G. Clair, Shari L. Klevens


Today's News

Intellectual Property


A steep drop in PTAB institutions under revised PTO procedures has raised questions about the future of inter partes review and revived practices common befo...


Government attempts to break up large Silicon Valley tech giants Meta Platforms Inc. and Alphabet Inc.-owned Google LLC hit significant hurdles this year, as...


Judges and Judiciary


Judicial transitions in California in 2025

Dec. 31, 2025
By Laurinda Keys

Here is a list of state and federal judges, justices and commissioners in California who were appointed, retired, resigned or died during the past year.


Legal analysts warn the initiative could face challenges under U.S. and California Constitutions.


California Supreme Court


Gov. Gavin Newsom's choice to replace retiring Justice Martin J. Jenkins could determine whether the California Supreme Court maintains its resistance to cha...


LA Fires


Eaton and Palisades wildfire lawsuits involve tens of thousands of plaintiffs, novel immunity defenses, utility liability disputes, and unprecedented strain ...


Columns

Legal History / Judicial History, Judges and Judiciary

It happened

Jan. 5, 2026
By Arthur Gilbert

Retired but not retreating, I reflect on titles, time, and a judicial legacy that--like the law itself--sometimes loops back c...


Torts/Personal Injury, LA Fires, Civil Procedure

In California, recovery for wildfire-related harm requires both proof of standing and a causal link to the defendant's conduct.


Real Estate/Development, Land Use

By declining review in Kennedy Commission, the California Supreme Court let stand a ruling that sharpens a pivotal qu...



Verdicts & Settlements

Dangerous Condition of Public Property Theodore Pitts, minor daugh... $24,245,911
Wrongful Termination DaRon Benson v. Service Cor... $13,655,263
Auto v. Motorcycle John Doe v. Roe Corporation... $4,725,000
Defamation Douglas J. Roger v. County ... $4,500,000
Unfair Business Practices People of the City and Coun... $3,000,000
Excessive Force Jane Doe v. City of Claremo... $3,000,000
Sexual Harassment Alexandria Smith v. County ... $1,906,016
Dangerous Condition of Public Property Patricia Hines, individuall... $1,850,000
Hostile Work Environment Andrea Marsh v. City of Los... $1,500,000
Dangerous Condition of Public Property Robert Diaz Garcia, a minor... $1,500,000

On the Move

Haight Brown & Bonesteel LLP

Jan. 2, 2026


Kristian Moriarty was promoted to partner of Haight Brown & Bonesteel LLP in Irvine. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2026.

Moriarty also serves as the leading partner in the Irvine office. He has been with the firm since 2013 and is a litigator in the firm's risk management & insurance law, transportation and product liability practice groups. In addition to his litigation practice, Moriarty will lead the development and implementation of a firmwide onboarding and training program aimed at enhancing attorney performance and long-term retention.


Jennifer Estrada was promoted to partner of Haight Brown & Bonesteel LLP in Los Angeles. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2026.

Estrada has been with the firm since March 2022 and is a member of the firm's transportation law, product liability and general liability practice groups. She focuses her practice on defending cases related to product liability, general liability and catastrophic personal injury matters. Since joining the firm, Jennifer has emerged as a highly sought after mentor and role model. She will play a key role in developing and implementing a more formalized mentoring and training program.


Thomas Brown was promoted to partner of Haight Brown & Bonesteel LLP in Irvine. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2026.

Brown has been with the firm since August 2016 and leads the workers' compensation practice group. He focuses his practice exclusively on workers' compensation defense, representing insurance companies, self-insured employers, third-party administrators, K-12 school districts and community college districts in all phases of litigation from discovery through appeal.


Jeffrey Schmid was promoted to partner of Haight Brown & Bonesteel LLP in San Diego.

Schmid has been with the firm since February 2021 and is a member of the firm's general liability, product liability, and transportation law practice groups. His practice focuses on defending clients in construction defect, premises liability, motor vehicle negligence, wrongful death and transportation and trucking matters.


Derek Lawson was promoted to partner of Haight Brown & Bonesteel LLP in Los Angeles. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2026.

Lawson has been with the firm since November 2021 and is a member of the firm's transportation law, fire litigation, general liability, and construction law practice groups. His practice centers on cases involving complex liability issues, representing clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to small business and individuals.


Sean Paden was promoted to partner of Haight Brown & Bonesteel LLP in Irvine. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2026.

Paden has been with the firm since January 2022 and is a member of the firm's construction law and general liability practice groups. He focuses his practice on cases involving mechanics lien foreclosures, real property disputes for commercial and residential landlords and resolving subrogation claims.


Details

Haight Brown & Bonesteel LLP has 47 attorneys in 5 offices including Los Angeles, Walnut Creek, Sacramento, Irvine, San Diego . Among the law firm’s key practice areas are Transportation law, Construction law, Product Liability, Workers' Compensation, Fire Litigation . The firm’s website is https://www.hbblaw.com/

Featured Content


Community News

Los Angeles Superior Court launched Court Commons, a mobile exhibition offering legal education, resources for self-represente...



Podcasts

Davis Wright Tremaine's Vid Prabhakaran joins In the Counsel's Chair to break down three of the biggest challenges facing the ...


Daily Appellate Report

Civil Procedure

SoCal Lien Solutions, LLC v. BDB Properties

Corporations Code section 1702 service on the Secretary of State is complete ten days after delivery, even if the Secretary has not yet forwarded the service documents to defendant.


Fees and Costs

Honchariw v. PMF CA REIT

Neither self-represented attorney nor his non-attorney spouse could not recover attorney fees in litigation involving community property interests.


Anti-SLAPP

Doe v. California Assn. of Directors of Activities

Motivational speaker's tort claims should have been stricken under the anti-SLAPP statute because he failed to show that he could overcome the common interest privilege.


Copyright

Yonay v. Paramount Pictures Corp.

District court properly granted summary judgment for Paramount in copyright action brought by writer of the 1983 magazine article "Top Guns."


Constitutional Law

U.S. v. Vazquez-Ramirez

Prohibition against firearm possession by noncitizens illegally present in the United States did not violate Second Amendment's right to bear arms.