Special Reports
Section 230 turns 30: View our full coverage
Judicial Profile
Judge Safaan Ahmed applies lessons from his parents to help families in crisis
ADR Profile
Retired Alameda judge Stephen Pulido brings family law focus to private ADR work
From The Archive
MCLE
California enacts law to speed contractor payment disputes on private projects
SB 440 offers broader, more protective change order remed...
By Daniel F. McLennonJudicial diversion fundamentals
Judicial diversion lets courts pause misdemeanor cases, s...
By Michelle M. Ahnn, Holly L. Hancock-GoodeYou can't cross examine a machine
Proposed federal evidence rule would require AI-Generated...
By Anita Taff-Rice
The Evening Docket
Five stories you should read before signing off.
Traffic delays can justify reopening in absentia orders, 9th Circuit rules
Uber liable in first sexual-assault MDL bellwether; jury awards $8.5M
AI-fabricated authority as per se reversible error
When arbitration agreements go too far: Lessons from Cook and Ramirez
ArentFox Schiff names new LA managing partner
Today's News
Torts/Personal Injury
Plaintiff seeks $144M as Uber denies liability for alleged assault
By Daniel Schrager
Closing arguments ended in the Phoenix bellwether trial, with the plaintiff's counsel urging a $144 million verdict against Uber for alleged rape, while the ...
Securities
Broker avoids contempt order in EquiAlt Ponzi enforcement case
By James Twomey
A Northern District judge declined to hold insurance broker John Marques in contempt after his lawyer said a serious medical condition prevented compliance w...
Immigration
Denaturalization push remains rare despite tough rhetoric
By Malcolm Maclachlan
Justice Department announcements of two new denaturalization petitions underscore how infrequently the government seeks to strip citizenship, immigration law...
Class Action
Hilton reaches $12M settlement with San Francisco banquet workers
By James Twomey
After 12 years of litigation, San Francisco Union Square Hilton agreed to a $12 million class settlement proposing to resolve claims it withheld mandatory b...
Judges and Judiciary
San Francisco judge in dispute with DA now faces election fight
By James Twomey
Former state attorney Anthony Tartaglio is running to unseat San Francisco Superior Court Judge Michelle Tong, citing public criticism of her record as judic...
Appellate Practice
Duane Morris taps appellate veteran Benjamin Shatz to lead West Coast practice
By Douglas Saunders Sr.
Benjamin G. Shatz, a California-certified appellate specialist with more than two decades at Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, bolsters a trial group that the f...
Columns
Section 230 and the litigation system it quietly built
By Shon Morgan
Section 230 remains a decisive litigation gatekeeper, but as platforms algorithmically shape and generate content, courts are ...
Defamation by chatbot: Why Section 230 doesn't protect the new tech
By Krista L. Baughman
For 30 years, Section 230 insulated platforms from liability, but generative AI is forcing courts to ask a new question: When ...
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Why de-escalation is the most effective tool in employment mediation
By Corey Hanrahan
Employment disputes rarely reach mediation in a neutral emotional state, which is why de-escalation is not merely helpful--it ...
Verdicts & Settlements
| Breach of Contract | Pilot Thomas Logistics LLC ... | $55,000,000 |
| Retaliation | Nancy Valla v. Dignity Heal... | $27,500,000 |
| Malpractice | Phuong Ho, Trinh Nguyen v. ... | $18,056,888 |
| Battery | Joseph Garza, individually,... | $11,000,000 |
| Discrimination | Ross Byer v. City of La Palma | $8,400,000 |
| Negligence | Tisha Hilario, individually... | $4,000,000 |
| Failure to Pay | Alex Charalambous and Brian... | $3,125,000 |
| Wage and Hour | Lary Martin James, individu... | $2,500,000 |
| Wage and Hour | Luis Manuel Villalpando, By... | $2,500,000 |
| Overtime/Regular Rate | Sandra Summers and Dariia F... | $2,345,000 |
On the Move
Spaulding McCullough & Tansil LLP
Thomas Del Monte was promoted to partner in Santa Rosa. The promotion was effective Jan. 1, 2026.
Details
Spaulding McCullough & Tansil LLP has 15 attorneys in 2 offices including 2. Among the law firm’s key practice areas are Business, Employment, Intellectual Property, Litigation, & Trusts and Estates. The firm’s website is www.smlaw.com
Featured Content
Where process, technology and human impact meet
Insights from experienced mediators on preparation, breaking impasses and guiding clients through multifaceted disputes
Complex mediation tactics from veteran mediators
Community News
Community News
Krishnan sworn in as U.S. magistrate judge for Northern District
By Ricardo Pineda
Ajay Krishnan joins the bench after a 20-year litigation career at Keker Van Nest & Peters, including 15 years as a partner.
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
Conservatorship
Conservatorship of A.B.
Where substantial evidence supported that conservatee--even on medication--lacked basic insight that he could not presently care for his basic needs without medication, renewal of conserv...
Securities
Construction Laborers Pension Trust of Greater St. Louis v. Funko Inc.
Funko's purportedly "forward-looking" statements about potential excess inventory risks were not entitled to PSLRA safe-harbor, where they implied that Funko was not already experiencing ...
Criminal Law and Procedure
U.S. v. Engstrom
Because defendant failed to provide a complete debrief to the government as required for safety-valve relief, district court erred in imposing a sentence below the statutory minimum.
Immigration
Montejo-Gonzalez v. Bondi
Applying categorical rule regarding traffic-caused lateness rather than considering the totality of the circumstances when deciding whether to reopen in-absentia removal order was an abus...
Civil Procedure
Higginson v. Kia Motors America
New trial was required where defendant's discovery misuse constituted an irregularity in the proceedings that prevented plaintiff from having a fair trial.