Technology, Criminal, Administrative/Regulatory
Regulator fines Uber $53M, demands assault claims data
By Gina Kim
An administrative law judge asked Uber to provide data regarding claims arising out of incidents during its ride services. Cal...
Judges and Judiciary, Government
State AGs urge law to protect judges' private information
By Malcolm Maclachlan
The proposed law would mandate federal agencies protect judges’ personally identifiable information upon request, prohibit dat...
Labor/Employment, Government
Gig workers still on agenda as Legislature plots 2021
By Malcolm Maclachlan
Assembly Kevin Kiley, R-Rocklin, wrote a bill, AB25, to undo Dynamex Inc. v. Superior Court, the basis of the ABC worker class...
Government, Criminal
San Bernardino County public defender abruptly resigns
By Henrik Nilsson
C. Christopher Gardner, who was appointed by county supervisors as public defender in 2018, had become an outspoken supporter...
Intellectual Property, Civil Litigation
Peloton accused of patent infringement
By Gina Kim
Lawsuit accuses Peloton of infringing on protected patents that feature touch-screen instructor-led programs on indoor cycling...
Judges and Judiciary, Government
New state Senate Judiciary Committee chair is Santa Ana attorney
By Malcolm Maclachlan
Sen. Thomas J. Umberg, D-Santa Ana, will be among eight attorneys serving on the committee. All but two of the 11 Assembly Jud...
Entertainment & Sports, Antitrust & Trade Reg.
Mixed martial arts fighters win class certification in US court
By Gina Kim
Nevada judge tentatively grants class cert in UFC antitrust lawsuit
Labor/Employment, Corporate, Civil Litigation
Pinterest to pay $22.5M to former executive
By Jessica Mach
Partner David A. Lowe of Zieff & Lowe LLP filed the lawsuit in August alleging Pinterest fired chief operating officer Fr...
Law Practice, Law Office Management, Intellectual Property
Another IP litigator moves to Baker Botts from Sidley Austin
By Kamila Knaudt
Including new hire Theodore W. Chandler, the firm has added five lateral hires in California this year.
Government, Criminal
LA prosecutors say they fear punishment for talking to media
By Tyler Pialet
Los Angeles prosecutors have said they can’t talk to the press about policy matters without being reprimanded, that they get c...
Technology, Criminal, Civil Litigation, Antitrust & Trade Reg.
Private party Facebook antitrust lawsuits hint at outcomes for government cases
By Winston Cho
Facebook indicated in the litigation cited by federal and state officials in their complaints that it “anticipates raising sim...
Judges and Judiciary, Ethics/Professional Responsibility, Criminal
DA says judge recusing entire office sets ‘dangerous precedent’
By Blaise Scemama
San Luis Obispo County Superior Court Judge Matthew Guerrero disqualified District Attorney Dan Dow and his 40 deputies from p...
Legal Education
Westcliff University acquires Western State College of Law
By Kamila Knaudt
The school will now be called Western State College of Law at Westcliff University.
Government, Civil Litigation
Closed restaurant owner sues state, LA County for requiring fees
By Craig Anderson
Brian S. Kabateck of Kabateck LLP said in a statement the class action filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court is the first...
Real Estate/Development, Government, Civil Litigation
Santa Monica sued over ban on short-term leases
By Gina Kim
Plaintiffs' lawyers say the ordinance was enacted hastily and disrupts the city's rental housing market. The ordinance, passed...
Some deputies have refused to withdraw sentence enhancements, as directed by DA George Gascón, while others said they are writ...
Real Estate/Development
Shutdowns radically changed commercial lease negotiations
By Blaise Scemama
Commercial tenants are scrambling to keep their businesses afloat after the state, county and city governments ordered them to...
Judges and Judiciary, 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
Cotchett says he will co-chair group to suggest judges to Biden
By Craig Anderson
Prominent plaintiffs’ attorney Joseph Cotchett, who anticipates a number of remaining judicial vacancies when Joe Biden takes ...
Education Law, Civil Litigation, California Supreme Court
Attorney for LA special needs kids files writ with state high court
By Gina Kim
Milbank LLP partner Alex Romain said he went directly to the state high court because the issues presented in the case are of ...
Government, California Courts of Appeal
Juror master list can be disclosed, panel rules
By Malcolm Maclachlan
The Marin County district attorney’s office and the jury commissioner argued releasing the lists would endanger jurors’ privat...
Community News
Sonenshine Pro Bono Reception linked young lawyers with nonprofits
By Kamila Knaudt
Each firm was partnered with a non-profit to donate time and legal services on a project basis to celebrate the 25th anniversa...
Criminal
State prisons deny coercing inmates into waiving liability if they refuse transfers and die of COVID
By Gina Kim
High risk inmates who refused to move to safer quarters were asked to sign a form stating they understood the risks, stated a ...
The money sits in Xaviera Becerra’s Attorney General 2022 election account. If he’s confirmed as President-elect Joe Biden’s s...
Law Practice, Law Office Management
Forced remote work led to virtual firms’ hiring boom
By Kamila Knaudt
Instead of creating challenges, the pandemic has provided new opportunities, especially in terms of growth, for California’s v...
Technology, Labor/Employment, Civil Litigation
Viacom likely to get permanent halt to Netflix poaching
By Blaise Scemama
As the number of companies launching streaming services continue to rise, so has the demand for executives to run the operatio...
Technology, Civil Litigation
Judge tosses investor class action against Twitter over ‘puffery’
By Winston Cho
U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers found that Twitter executives made “vaguely optimistic statements” that should have...
Judges and Judiciary, Government
Sole practitioner, minority bar supporter named governor’s judicial appointments secretary
By Craig Anderson
The appointment of Luis Cespedes, 68, won praise from judges who have known him for years, several of whom said he’s had an ey...
Judges and Judiciary, Covid Court Ops
With tight budget, courts close courtrooms, cut staff, exhaust reserves
By Arin Mikailian
Judges without courtrooms are still working every day, helping in some counties with back office work, search warrants and fam...
Judges and Judiciary, California Supreme Court
Chief justice optimistic about next budget
By Malcolm Maclachlan
Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye is now 10 years into her 12-year term. She recently turned 61. She declined to say whethe...
Criminal, Covid Court Ops
Pandemic presents constitutional challenges in criminal cases
By Tyler Pialet
"We need the trials to keep happening. But having said that, we want the trials to happen in a more fair and complete way. And...