Rebuilding LA:
The Daily Journal’s fire coverage portal
Judicial Profile
Judge Claudia Alvarez's life has been a balance of criminal prosecutions and politics
MCLE
Informal discovery conferences in California courts
The sunsetting of California's informal discovery confere...
By Stuart M. RiceTax triage for LA fire victims
Navigating the tax implications of insurance proceeds aft...
By Alex Z. Brown, Robert W. WoodWhose dollar, whose dream? Navigating third-party payor ethics
When representing a client while accepting payment from a...
By Andrew Browning, Farah Khaled
Today's News
Environmental & Energy, Constitutional Law
Judge tosses most of lawsuit against California's climate disclosure laws
By Devon Belcher
A federal judge has dismissed most of the U.S. Chamber of commerce's claims against California's climate disclosure laws, SB 253 and SB 261, but kept a First...
Civil Litigation
Judge orders LAX to release documents in worker death case
By Skyler Romero
A judge ordered release of all documents related to a deadly CO2 system malfunction at LAX, highlighting the public entity's obligations. The plaintiff's att...
Intellectual Property
Judge changes mind, upholds jury's $71.5M award to OMG Girlz in doll case
By Devon Belcher
A federal judge in Orange County reversed his tentative order, affirming a $71.5 million verdict for the OMG Girlz and T.I. against MGA Entertainment in a tr...
Civil Litigation
Fox seeks deposition of litigation funder in Smartmatic defamation case
By James Twomey
LinkedIn's founder may be the first litigation funder to be deposed before a trial he has funded. Fox Corp. has filed a discovery petition seeking details on...
Labor/Employment
Worker groups vie for role in pivotal farm labor case
By Malcolm Maclachlan
The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation and the United Farm Workers are seeking to intervene in a lawsuit challenging California's farm worker un...
Criminal, Consumer Law
LA city attorney charges Blueground, individuals with wildfire price gouging
By Antoine Abou-Diwan
LA city attorney targets Blueground US Inc. and two individuals, accusing them of price gouging after the wildfires, alleging price hikes over 50%. Legal act...
Columns
9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
2024's top 9th Circuit practice cases
By Benjamin G. Shatz , Benjamin E. Strauss
In 2024, key Ninth Circuit appellate procedure cases highlighted evolving issues in appealability, with notable developments i...
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Breaking barriers to civil rights access through alternative dispute resolution
By Devin C. Tucker
In a legal system where only 1% of Los Angeles cases will reach trial by 2025, alternative dispute resolution offers a powerfu...
Real Estate/Development
Newsom's ban on post-wildfire property deals sparks debate
By Mehdi Sinaki
Analyzing Gov. Newsom's Executive Order N-7-25: Protecting fire victims or overstepping boundaries?
Verdicts & Settlements
| Consumers Legal Remedies Act | Audrey Heredia, as successo... | $18,200,000 |
| Consumers Legal Remedies Act | Leanne Tan, individually an... | $5,500,000 |
| Wrongful Death | Sharon Vulich, Nicole Vulic... | $2,779,457 |
| Wage and Hour | Miguel Atencio, Francisco N... | $1,500,000 |
| Premises Liability | John Doe v. Roe Homeowner | $1,500,000 |
| Malpractice | Jane Doe v. Roe Medical Cen... | $1,500,000 |
| Wage and Hour | Armando Gastelum v. Premier... | $1,300,000 |
| Wage and Hour | Leydi Morales, individually... | $1,295,000 |
| Malpractice | Doe Husband as Successor-In... | $1,000,000 |
| Wage and Hour | Perrin Lee, individually, a... | $950,000 |
On the Move
Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP
Karl H. Berger was promoted to partner of Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP in Los Angeles. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.
Details
Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP has 174 attorneys in 10 offices including Los Angeles, Inland Empire, Marin County, Oakland, Orange County, Palm Desert, San Diego, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, and Ventura County, . Among the law firm’s key practice areas are Municipal Law, Labor & Employment, Litigation. Construction, Real Estate, Land Use and Businsess Law. The firm’s website is www.bwslaw.com
Featured Content
Eight key factors that make early mediation a valuable tool in civil cases
JAMS neutral reflects on her career, what inspires her and what brought her back to JAMS after 20 years on the bench
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Community News
Slideshow, Community News
OCBA held its Judges' Night and Annual Meeting
By Ricardo Pineda
Mei Tsang of Umberg/Zipser was sworn in as OCBA president, along with the 2025 board of directors.
Attorney Profiles
Robert W. Wood
Robert W. Wood provides tax advice and handles tax controversies nationwide. He also serves as an expert witness on tax issues in civil cases. He is best known for advising plaintiffs, de...
Estate Planning and Probate Directory
A comprehensive directory of estate planning and probate attorneys throughout California.
Podcasts
Labor/Employment
Ogletree Deakins shareholders Karen Tynan and Charles Thompson discuss how California employers can obtain workplace violence ...
Daily Appellate Report
Arbitration, Employment Law
Casey v. Superior Court (D.R. Horton Inc.)
The Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act preempts attempts under state law to compel arbitration of sexual harassment cases, and parties cannot contract a...
Civil Procedure
Wash v. Banda-Wash
Because a remittitur is not served on parties, defendant's motion for her attorney fees and costs was ineligible for statutory extension for service and the request deemed untimely.
Arbitration
Sanchez v. Superior Court (Consumer Defense Legal Group)
Arbitration agreement was unconscionable and therefore unenforceable because it involved oppressive terms; prohibitively high fees; and a language plaintiff did not speak.
Criminal Law and Procedure
People v. Townes
A threat of divine retribution to an indoctrinated victim was sufficient to support a finding of duress required for a forcible rape conviction.
Criminal Law and Procedure
People v. Ellis
Defendant's kidnapping conviction for pulling the victim from the sidewalk to the middle of the street required reversal because the asportation element was unmet.