Ethics/Professional Responsibility
Man who helped bilk homeowners with phony law firm scheme sentenced to 8 years
By Meghann M. Cuniff
An Orange County man who helped a now-former lawyer scam thousands of struggling homeowners out of $9 million will spend about...
California Supreme Court
High court clarifies rule to appeal denial of jury trial
By Kevin Lee
The state Supreme Court clarified Monday that plaintiffs can directly petition an appellate court to overturn a superior court...
Personal Injury & Torts
Jury awards $454 million in medical gown class action
By Meghann M. Cuniff
The verdict includes $450 million in punitive damages that defense counsel plans to challenge.
Large Firms
Boies Schiller absorbs Caldwell Leslie; next question: successors
By America Hernandez.
Christopher G. Caldwell and David Boies have each led their respective firms as rainmaker founders.
Immigration
Trump to nominate former diplomat, policy expert to head immigration services
By Chase DiFeliciantonio
Prospective nominee Lee Francis Cissna is a director of immigration policy in the Office of Policy of the U.S. Department of H...
Education
Panel opens school districts to reclamation district fees
By Malcolm Maclachlan
In a decision that could have implications for public landowners across the state, the 3rd District Court of Appeal has revers...
Deputy District Attorney Melissa McKowan was previously disciplined for dishonesty in handling of a molestation case
The Mars colonization company is girded for battle with defense lawyer Lynne C. Hermle and a refusal to have Elon Musk deposed.
A roundup of recent transactions and the lawyers involved.
California Supreme Court
Law firms weigh in on unfinished business case Here
By Kevin Lee
Thirty-two major law firms have told the state Supreme Court that the Heller Ehrman LLP estate cannot collect revenues from un...
Perspective
Gorsuch nomination did not violate the 'advice and consent' requirement
By Riley Guerin
"Is Trump's nomination of Neil Gorsuch unconstitutional?" Craig Horowitz posed the question in a recent column. By Larry DeSha...
Environmental
Edison enters settlement talks regarding San Onofre nuclear waste
By Meghann M. Cuniff
The announcement on Friday moots a hearing scheduled this week in which San Diego County Superior Court Judge Judith F. Hayes ...
Environmental
Utilities attorneys say recent cap-and-trade decision reduces much uncertainty
By James Getz
Attorneys representing utilities and other greenhouse gas-emitting businesses say the recent court decision upholding Californ...
Attorney moves and promotions and new firms from around the state.
State Bar & Bar Associations
Dues bill would fund State Bar for two years
By Lyle Moran
Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson's legislation also calls for splitting of the bar's sections into a private nonprofit.
Defense attorney Ronald Richards argued that his client, Anthony Pisarski, would never have been prosecuted under California's...
In small-town Placer County, John Paulsen gets noticed by family law litigants and music fans.
Attorneys credit Judge Timothy Staffel for keeping things moving without cutting corners.
ADR PROFILE JUDGE GRETCHEN TAYLOR (ARC) ...
California Supreme Court
New passing score could be used for July 2017 bar exam
By Lyle Moran
State Bar officials said that whether the state Supreme Court recommends a new cut score won't be known until after the test. ...
Firm Watch
King & Spalding adds former assistant U.S. attorney in LA office
By Eli Wolfe
The law firm King & Spalding has hired a former assistant U.S. attorney to join its burgeoning Los Angeles litigation grou...
California Supreme Court
State high court clarifies prevailing party attorney fee rules
By Malcolm Maclachlan
The state Supreme Court ruled Thursday that a litigant cannot collect attorney fees while a similar contract dispute continues...
Attorneys for the plaintiff claim the trial court judge took an overly narrow approach. ...
Litigation
Twitter sues Department of Homeland Security to protect anonymous users
By Joshua Seboldn
Twitter Inc. sued the Department of Homeland Security on Thursday, claiming the agency attempted to force the tech company to ...
Government
State Senate committee approves bill to overhaul state bail system
By L.J. Williamson
The state Senate Public Safety Committee this week passed legislation to overhaul California's bail system, bringing the bill ...
Criminal
Recently disbarred attorney pleads not guilty to threatening pedestrians with pellet rifle
By Shane Nelson
A former attorney pleaded not guilty this week to charges of threatening pedestrians with a pellet rifle from his Hollywood ap...
Labor/Employment
$110M rest break settlement approved, but nearly derailed by fee-splitting disagreements
By America Hernandez.
The agreement brought to a close more than a decade of litigation, including a pro-worker win at the state Supreme Court in De...
California Supreme Court
State Supreme Court declines Citibank credit card consumer contract
By Matthew Blake
The state Supreme Court gave plaintiffs' lawyers a win Thursday, invalidating part of a credit card company's consumer arbitra...
Insurance
Plaintiffs can pursue class actions against Travelers, Farmers for Sand Fire
By Paula Lehman Ewing
A Los Angeles Superior Court judge has ruled two class action s may proceed against insurers over a wildfire smoke sublimit cl...
California Courts of Appeal
Current, retired state judges are owed $36 million, appellate court rules
By Kevin Lee
California's active and retired judges are owed $36 million in overdue salary and benefits, a state appeal court ruled Wednesd...