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
MCLE
Why litigation leaves everyone wrecked and the role of mediators after ABA Opinion 518
ABA Formal Opinion 518 reshapes but does not eliminate th...
By Leonid M. ZilbermanCalifornia 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-Goode
The Evening Docket
Five stories you should read before signing off.
LA jury awards $8.8M for odor that blanketed city after fire
$5M malpractice suit dismissed for filing in wrong venue, attorney seeks fees
Vehicle technology and accident investigation: What personal injury attorneys must know
Rewriting the FAIR Plan: How AB 1680 could transform coverage and risk
Huntington Beach voting rights trial opens; Latino representation at stake
Today's News
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...
Technology
The law that built the internet and continues to test the courts
By David Houston
Saturday marks 30 years since President Clinton signed the Communications Decency Act, creating Section 230's immunity shield for online platforms. Courts ar...
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...
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...
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...
Civil Litigation
$5M malpractice suit dismissed for filing in wrong venue, attorney seeks fees
By James Twomey
A $5 million malpractice suit was dismissed for improper venue, as San Mateo County attorney seeks fees and accuses a former client of unpaid bills and abusi...
Columns
California's proposed billionaire wealth tax: Potential legal and practical obstacles
By Rami Mitri Khoury, A. Lavar Taylor
A proposed California ballot initiative imposing a one-time 5% excise tax on billionaires' net worth has gained traction amid ...
Vehicle technology and accident investigation: What personal injury attorneys must know
By Andrew P. McDevitt
Advanced vehicle technology and data are reshaping accident investigations, forcing personal injury attorneys to track system ...
Tunnel of litigation: 7 gates of cultural divorce
By Abbas Hadjian
For immigrant families, divorce is not just the end of a marriage but a confrontation between two systems of value--where atto...
Verdicts & Settlements
| In re: Durable Power of Att... | $47,000,000 | |
| Auto v. Truck | John Doe v. Roe Driver | $30,305,000 |
| Wage and Hour | Lisa Lundsgaard, individual... | $9,900,000 |
| Malpractice | Jane Doe, a minor v. Roe Ho... | $8,000,000 |
| Excessive Force | Slade Douglas III v. City o... | $6,789,000 |
| Elder Abuse | Tommy O. Johnson, by and th... | $5,845,000 |
| Auto v. Auto | Daniel Chavez v. Simon Jiho... | $5,729,080 |
| Race Discrimination | Vernon Goodwin, Mary Mathis... | $5,700,000 |
| Auto v. Pedestrian | Lillian Barlie v. Rosemarie... | $5,175,000 |
| Excessive Force | Devonte Stephenson, et al. ... | $5,000,000 |
On the Move
Donahue Fitzgerald LLP
Mark Epstein joined Donahue Fitzgerald LLP as a partner in Oakland. The move was Feb. 3, 2026.
Details
Donahue Fitzgerald LLP has 50 attorneys in Oakland. Among the law firm’s key practice areas are business and corporate law, employment, intellectual property, real estate and construction, and tax. The firm’s website is https://donahue.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
Evidence
Esparza v. Superior Court (People)
Under Evidence Code section 701, trial courts may not presume a witness is incompetent to testify based solely on a prior Lanterman-Petris-Short Act grave-disability finding.
Consumer Law
Bartholomew v. Parking Concepts, Inc.
Collection and use of license plate information without publishing statutorily required privacy policy regarding such collection and use constituted harm sufficient to sue under the statute.
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.