Environmental & Energy
PG&E must consider vegetation clearing when deciding on power shutoffs
By Winston Cho
Looking to rein in the company for failing to comply with state law and meet safety goals, U.S. District Judge William Alsup s...
Health Care & Hospital Law, Constitutional Law
Legal experts wonder if Jacobson v. Massachusetts be revisited
By Gina Kim
In November the high court blocked New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's cap on capacity for indoor worship services. Experts say that ...
Appellate justice was a champion of equality in the legal profession.
Land Use, Government, California Courts of Appeal
Rare $10.3M win for city against state over redevelopment funds
By Malcolm Maclachlan
Many cities, redevelopment successor agencies or other organizations have sued the California Department of Finance on similar...
Giant of plaintiffs bar was ‘always on’
Government, Civil Litigation
LA deputy DAs get hearing to argue legality of Gascón's orders
By Blaise Scemama
The prosecutors have said they have been forced to choose between disobeying the law and their moral conscience or disobeying ...
Law Practice, Bankruptcy
Nine firms seek Girardi bankruptcy petition updates
By Jessica Mach
At least three of the attorneys' firms are involved in litigation against Girardi and his firm, Giradi Keese: DLA Piper LLP, H...
Government, Criminal, Civil Litigation
LA prosecutors sue DA Gascón over orders
By Malcolm Maclachlan
“Respondent George Gascón, within weeks of his investiture as Los Angeles County’s District Attorney, has issued Special Direc...
Judges and Judiciary
Former leader of San Francisco court to retire this week
By Arin Mikailian
During his two years as presiding judge, John K. Stewart expanded the collaborative courts, re-installed judge-sponsored media...
Law Practice, Judges and Judiciary, Covid Court Ops
Quick use of technology, hard work helped counties through the pandemic
By Blaise Scemama
Courts that have maintained relatively low case backlogs point to their quick adoption of remote hearing technology, summoning...
Inland Counties Legal Services Inc. shelled out $100,000 on new technology, according to Tessie D. Cross, deputy director of o...
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Confidentiality in mediation may not be enforceable, says neutral
By Kamila Knaudt
Jeff Kichaven of Jeff Kichaven Commercial Mediation argues that the promise of confidentiality can only be kept or not kept by...
Civil Litigation
Kobe Bryant’s widow can sue Los Angeles sheriff over crash photos
By Gina Kim
Federal judge keeps Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department as defendant in privacy invasion lawsuit filed by widow of NBA legend, bu...
Health Care & Hospital Law, Civil Litigation
Judge blocks nationwide US policy to lower drug prices
By Winston Cho
Rejecting claims that there’s an urgent need to slash drug costs amid the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabri...
Law Practice
Lawyers advising California’s wineries navigate a pandemic and wildfires
By Henrik Nilsson
First, the pandemic hit. Then came the wildfires. For lawyers advising clients in the wine industry, this year has meant navig...
Law Practice, Labor/Employment
WilmerHale pro bono team wins for United Farmworkers
By Kamila Knaudt
The injunction against the Department of Labor’s plan to change the way it calculates wage rates a second victory for United F...
Criminal, California Supreme Court
Minor trafficking conviction in police sting upheld
By Winston Cho
The California high court justices found that a defendant can be convicted of attempting to traffic a minor even though the vi...
Civil Litigation
Anti-abortionists object to $13.6M attorney fees for Planned Parenthood
By Winston Cho
Despite the Center for Medical Progress objecting that the fees are overly extravagant and unsubstantiated, U.S. District Judg...
Technology, Civil Litigation, Antitrust & Trade Reg.
Online publishers sue Google over digital ads
By Gina Kim
Three class actions were filed in federal courts in San Jose and San Francisco in the midst of heightened scrutiny over Google...
Law Practice, Bankruptcy
Jan 5 hearing set on naming trustee for Girardi assets
By Jessica Mach
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Barry Russell set the Jan. 5 hearing date on Christmas Eve, the same day attorney Andrew Goodman of Good...
Insurance
O’Melveny lawyer is a leader in business interruption litigation
By Blaise Scemama
O’Melveny’s Richard Goetz is prepared to act when luck strikes
Do utilities have less incentive to spend money on wildfire prevention now that they have a $21.5B safety net to offset future...
Labor/Employment
Pandemic has lent momentum to push for more worker leverage, lawyers say
By Jessica Mach
Many of these strategies have been years in the making, forged in response to more recent obstacles to unionizing introduced b...
Technology, Intellectual Property, Civil Litigation
Pillsbury client says rival stole data to copy aneurysm treatment
By Gina Kim
The lawsuit was filed Tuesday against Irvine-based Balt USA LLC by plaintiffs' counsel at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP....
Criminal
High court denies appeal from woman facing murder trial after son born dead
By Malcolm Maclachlan
On Wednesday, the court posted a notice on its website that her "petition for review is denied without prejudice."
Thomas Stipanowich works at different levels to find ways of moving settlements forward.
Intellectual Property, Entertainment & Sports
Music modernization act gets new year update
The legislation was aimed at creating a blanket license for interactive streaming services and establishing a mechanical licen...
Retired 3rd District Court of Appeal Justice Richard M. Sims III, known for expressing his convictions and his enjoyment of a ...
Torts/Personal Injury, California Courts of Appeal
Parents who saw child abused on video have bystander distress claim
By Malcolm Maclachlan
The couple said they watched by cell phone from another location as a nurse repeatedly hit their 2-year-old son.
State Bar & Bar Associations
State Bar predicts $20M lawyers’ trust fund shortfall
By Henrik Nilsson
Last year, Interest on Lawyers' Trust Accounts, known as IOLTA, contributed $55.6 million in legal services funding for 2020, ...