Obituaries
Associate who died in warehouse fire remembered for brilliance, good humor
By Phil Johnson
Durie Tangri associate Nicholas Walrath, 31, died Friday in the Ghost Ship warehouse fire in Oakland, according to the firm. ...
State Bar & Bar Associations
State Bar panel debates potential loss of agency's practice groups
By Lyle Moran
Board members wondered why the sections would want to remain a governmental entity rather than a private, nonprofit. ...
The Board of State and Community Corrections has begun soliciting proposals for how to spend the $35.6 million it has been all...
U.S. Supreme Court
High court raises new questions in Apple-Samsung design patent case
By Kevin Lee
The U.S. Supreme Court has restricted opportunities for design patent holders to win massive damages in the latest spinoff of ...
Sen. Robert Hertzberg, D-Van Nuys, and Assembly member Rob Bonta, D-Oakland, introduced identical bills Monday in both legisla...
Labor/Employment
Appellate judges wearily wrestle with Class Action Fairness Act
By Matthew Blake
Two seasoned employment litigators were at times sheepish Monday as a federal appellate panel quizzically examined a dispute r...
California Supreme Court
Cellphone search violated Constitution, state high court rules
By Kevin Lee
Torrance police officers unjustifiably violated the Fourth Amendment when they searched a defendant's cell phone without a war...
Government
Attorney general nominee already clearing the 2018 field
By Malcolm Maclachlan
U.S. Rep. Xavier Becerra, D-Los Angeles, won't even be nominated until current Attorney General Kamala D. Harris is sworn in f...
General Counsel Human Longevity Inc. (San Diego) ...
Mendocino County Judge Jeanine Nadel, a former actress, doesn't like to waste time in court.
Government
Law Review Commission hears opposing views on rolling back mediation confidentiality
By Justin Kloczko
The Law Revision Commission heard opposition from judges and mediators last week as it continued to look into the issue of tak...
Discipline
Bar recommends disbarment of attorney allegedly involved in loan modification scam
By Lyle Moran
Chance Edward Gordon is alleged to have partnered with a non-lawyer to create an illegal loan modification operation. ...
The dean called the school's 51 percent first-time passage rate horrific and criticized the State Bar. ...
The litigation boutique Hueston Hennigan LLP has hired away a long-term partner from the Washington, D.C. firm Williams & ...
Entertainment & Sports
Judge tentatively narrows infringement claims against Cox
By Steven Crighton
Defendants argued that the plaintiff had improperly bolstered its copyright claims. ...
Government
Alameda County court cancels part of its contract with services provider
By Phil Johnson
Alameda County Superior Court appears to be headed to litigation with Tyler Technologies Inc. after canceling part of its cont...
A roundup of recent transactions and the California lawyers involved.
Litigation
Judge dismisses $12B lawsuit, awards defendant $6M in attorney fees
By Justin Kloczko
A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge dismissed a real estate breach of contract suit on the grounds that the plaintiff fa...
California Courts of Appeal
Appellate court revives gun groups' challenge to state weapons law
By Kevin Lee
Firearm trade groups can challenge a state statute that restricts which semiautomatic handguns can be sold in the state, the 5...
Criminal
Warrants to draw blood may increase with marijuana legalization
By L.J. Williamson
Since the Supreme Court decided Birchfield, there has been an uptick in requests for search warrants to draw blood in DUI inve...
Legal experts have cautious optimism for strong public and private markets in 2017. ...
Criminal
Man who planned to kill five U.S. officials sentenced to 20 years
By Meghann M. Cuniff
A man convicted of a plotting to kill FBI agents, federal prosecutors and U.S. District Judge Andrew J. Guilford in a scheme i...
Litigation
O'Reilly Auto Parts settles environmental suit for $10 million
By Renee Flannery
An Alameda Superior Court judge ordered O'Reilly Auto Enterprises LLC pay a $10 million settlement on November 30 in a civil p...
State legal employment experienced a modest bounce in the most recent jobs report, adding 600 jobs in October and ending a two...
State Bar & Bar Associations
State Bar board approves reversal of $1.6M transfer
By Lyle Moran
The board also recently adopted a policy that will prohibit the agency from pledging attorneys' dues revenue as collateral for...
Attorney moves and promotions and new firms from around the state.
Admiralty/Maritime
Consolidations in shipping industry threaten maritime legal work
By Eli Wolfe
Hard times in the shipping industry may diminish work for legal practices that rely on maritime matters. But maritime attorney...
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Longtime judge and reader of people moves to mediation
By Malcolm Maclachlan
Frank C. Damrell Jr. oversaw high profile cases during 14 years as a federal judge, met three presidents, and was also Gov. Je...
Firm Profile
Landlord-tenant expert builds thriving 11-attorney practice
By Joshua Seboldn
Steven Adair MacDonald has built his real estate and landlord-tenant legal disputes practice from a one-man show to an 11-atto...
Corporate
Data indicate GC pay is outpacing CEO compensation gains
By Paula Lehman Ewing
The rate of increase in GCs' salaries is outpacing the rise in CEO salaries, according to a report. ...