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Rebuilding LA

All of the case updates and legal analyses regarding the devastating LA wildfires in one place, updated on a regular basis.

LA Fires, Class Action

News

1st class action targets SoCal Edison over Eaton Fire

Feb. 21, 2025
By Antoine Abou-Diwan

DiCello Levitt LLP filed a class action against Southern California Edison, alleging negligence in the Eaton Canyon wildfires,...


LA Fires, Civil Litigation

News

Calabasas sues LA County over wildfire waste plan

Feb. 21, 2025
By Skyler Romero

Calabasas sues LA County, claiming its landfill can't handle wildfire debris that might be hazardous, citing state law violati...



In this episode, learn why insurance companies' seemingly generous upfront payments might actually work against homeowners, an...



Think your fire insurance will fully cover rebuilding your home? Leading California insurance litigator Michael Bidart reveals...




LA Fires

Los Angeles hires Munger Tolles & Olson LLP to defend against lawsuits from the Palisades fire, with potential damages in ...


LA Fires, Civil Litigation

News

Court seeks middle ground in Edison wildfire dispute

Feb. 19, 2025
By Antoine Abou-Diwan

A judge overseeing litigation about the Eaton Canyon wildfire urged parties to agree on evidence preservation without disrupti...



Real Estate/Development, LA Fires, Contracts

Perspective

LA wildfire reconstruction: Critical contract strategies to minimize costly delays

Feb. 13, 2025
By Robert G. Campbell , Jason M. Adams

With billions in wildfire damage and the 2028 Olympics looming, LA's construction industry faces a high-stakes race against ...


Securities, LA Fires

At the heart of the complaint, filed Tuesday, is a statement the plaintiffs claim the company made about SCE's use of a wildfi...



Real Estate/Development, LA Fires

Perspective

Altadena faces unique challenges in property valuation after Eaton Fire

Feb. 12, 2025
By Zachary D. Schorr

The Eaton Fire has devastated Altadena, challenging how to value property in a historically Black community with deep cultural...


LA Fires, Environmental & Energy

The EPA has given itself a 30-day deadline to clean up toxic waste from recent Los Angeles County wildfires, but objections ha...



LA Fires, Insurance

A recent California Court of Appeal ruling in Gharibian v. Wawanesa narrows the definition of "direct physical loss," p...


LA Fires, Civil Litigation

News

Attorneys push back on Edison's Eaton fire claims

Feb. 10, 2025
By Skyler Romero

Lawyers representing Altadena residents challenge Southern California Edison's claims of evidence that throws into doubt sugge...



LA Fires, Civil Litigation

Dozens of lawsuits have been filed against Southern California Edison over its suspected role in the Eaton Canyon wildfire tha...


Real Estate/Development, LA Fires

The tension between state emergency powers and local coastal protections leaves cities struggling to determine which rebuildin...



Real Estate/Development, LA Fires

Perspective

Newsom's ban on post-wildfire property deals sparks debate

Feb. 4, 2025
By Mehdi Sinaki

Analyzing Gov. Newsom's Executive Order N-7-25: Protecting fire victims or overstepping boundaries?


Mediators and four major provider organizations have united to waive their fees for pro bono services, in an effort to assist ...



LA Fires, Civil Litigation

News

Can civility rule help attorneys' whose houses burned?

Jan. 31, 2025
By Antoine Abou-Diwan

Attorneys who have lost their homes in the L.A. County fires have no specific latitude for lapses in representing their client...


LA Fires

District Attorneys from four Southern California counties are calling on Gov. Gavin Newsom to extend emergency price gouging p...



Real Estate/Development, LA Fires, Consumer Protection Law

Perspective

Wildfire housing crisis tests California price-gouging law

Jan. 30, 2025
By Jeremy S. Smith , Daniel M. Rubin

In the wake of the Los Angeles fires, California's price-gouging protections are making property owners think twice about offe...


LA Fires

Wisner Baum's clients have joined the dozens of lawsuits filed against Southern California Edison now that there is more evide...



Torts/Personal Injury, LA Fires, Environmental & Energy

A Los Angeles judge has ordered Southern California Edison to refrain from reenergizing power lines in the area where the Eato...


LA Fires, Insurance

Just as the DOI's Sustainable Insurance Strategy launches, unprecedented wildfire losses threaten to trigger FAIR Plan assessm...



LA Fires, Government, Environmental & Energy, Administrative/Regulatory

Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order Monday directing the California Coastal Commission to suspend permitting requireme...


Real Estate/Development, LA Fires

Los Angeles wildfires have destroyed thousands of homes, giving residents the option to rebuild or relocate using insurance fu...



LA Fires, Civil Litigation

Lawsuits stemming from the Pacific Palisades Fire claim the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power's decision to drain the ...


Tax, LA Fires

Perspective

Tax triage for LA fire victims

MCLE
Jan. 24, 2025
By Robert W. Wood , Alex Z. Brown

Navigating the tax implications of insurance proceeds after a wildfire can be complex, but there are mechanisms in place--like...



LA Fires, Insurance

Perspective

Insurance survival guide for modern disasters

Jan. 24, 2025
By Selwyn D. Whitehead

Unpacking the essentials of insurance, highlighting its critical role in mitigating risks and financial uncertainty amid the i...


LA Fires, Judges and Judiciary, Ethics/Professional Responsibility

Perspective

How do judicial ethics gift rules impact disaster relief for judges?

Jan. 22, 2025
By Laura W. Halgren

Canon 4D limits financial aid for judges during the LA fires, allowing assistance from disaster relief, personal relationships...



LA Fires, Civil Litigation

News

1st wrongful death suits filed against Edison for Eaton Fire

Jan. 21, 2025
By Antoine Abou-Diwan

The lawsuits claim negligence - wrongful death and survival action; and violation of Public Utilities Code Sec. 2106. Both sa...


LA Fires, Civil Litigation

News

Visuals of fire are bedrock of lawsuits, attorneys say

Jan. 17, 2025
By Antoine Abou-Diwan

Attorneys expect photos and video of Eaton Canyon fire to be strong evidence in their claims that Southern California Edison i...



LA Fires, Ethics/Professional Responsibility

Perspective

Amid the ashes, lawyers must resist the temptation to chase ambulances

Jan. 17, 2025
By Elana R. Levine

In the wake of the LA disaster, unscrupulous law firms are exploiting vulnerable fire victims with false promises of guarantee...


LA Fires, Insurance

Perspective

Trial by fire: Testing California's new insurance protections

Jan. 17, 2025
By Stacy Monahan Tucker

The Los Angeles wildfires mark the first large-scale test of recently enacted California insurance regulations designed to pro...



LA Fires, Criminal

In response to devastating wildfires across Los Angeles and Ventura counties, law enforcement officials have unveiled two crit...


LA Fires, Ethics/Professional Responsibility, Civil Litigation

Perspective

Lawyers and disaster victims: Striking a balance between help and hype

Jan. 16, 2025
By Shant A. Karnikian

In the aftermath of recent fires, disaster victims face a flood of lawyer advertisements and events, highlighting both the vit...



LA Fires, Environmental & Energy

Modeled on the federal hazardous waste cleanup law, the proposal seeks to make fossil fuel companies pay for climate damages, ...


Tax, LA Fires

Perspective

Tax relief approved for LA County wildfire victims

Jan. 15, 2025
By Phil Jelsma

The IRS and California FTB have extended tax deadlines and Section 1031 exchange periods to October 15, 2025, providing relief...



LA Fires, Criminal, Alternative Dispute Resolution

Aerial firefighting, combining air tankers, helicopters, and tactical aircraft, is a critical yet dangerous endeavor often dis...


LA Fires, Government, Environmental & Energy

News

Legal experts question Newsom's fire rebuilding fast-track

Jan. 14, 2025
By Craig Anderson

Gov. Gavin Newsom's executive order to streamline rebuilding in fire-damaged areas waives key environmental regulations, but l...



LA Fires, Insurance

In the wake of the Southern California wildfires, property owners filing insurance claims should know California laws offer ex...


LA Fires, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Administrative/Regulatory

Perspective

Los Angeles and the Great London Fire Court

Jan. 10, 2025
By Howard B. Miller

In response to the legal complexities hindering rebuilding after disasters like the Great Fire of London, which was resolved q...



The blazes come after years of reform efforts meant to lessen fire damage and prop up the state's insurance markets.


Land Use, LA Fires, Government, Administrative/Regulatory

Perspective

From ashes to action: Planning for a fire-resilient future

Jan. 9, 2025
By Michael Patrick Durkee

California's wildfires highlight the need for proactive land use planning to mitigate wildfire risks through safety elements i...



List of Southern California fire cases

Litigation regarding the Palisades Fire:

Grigsby et al. v. City of Los Angeles

Kohanim v. Los Angeles Department of Water and Power et al.

Gonzalez v. Los Angeles Department of Water and Power

Pratt et al. v. City of Los Angeles et al.

Litigation regarding the Eaton Fire:

Cisneros et al. v. Southern California Edison Company et al.

Wallen et al. v. Southern California Edison Company

Von Lutzow et al. v. Southern California Edison

Bell et al. v. Southern California Edison Company et al.

Kreiner et al. v. Southern California Edison Company et al.

Iglesias v. Southern California Edison Company et al.

Gursey v. Southern California Edison Company

Myles v. Southern California Edison Company et al.

Majesty, et al. v. Southern California Edison

Cathirell v. Southern California Edison Company

Mahone v. Southern California Edison

Alden v. Southern California Edison

Kelley et al. v. Southern California Edison

Beer et al. v. Southern California Edison Company et al.

Quintero v. Southern California Edison Company

Housep v. Southern California Edison

Mehtemetian v. Southern California Edison

Wells v. Southern California Edison

Artine v. Southern California Edison

Ellis v. Southern California Edison

Wingate v. Southern California Edison

Campos v. Southern California Edison

Bussey-Threats v. Southern California Edison

Carr v. Southern California Edison et al.

Conrad et al. v. Southern California Edison et al.

Funes v. Southern California Edison et al.

Nickerson v. Edison International et al.

Powell et al. v. Southern California Edison Company et al.

Ray et al. v. Southern California Edison Company et al.

Suria et al. v. Southern California Edison Company et al.

Figueroa et al. v. Southern California Edison et al.

Begley et al. v. Southern California Edison Company et al.

Seetal v. Southern California Edison Company et al.

Scott Jr. v. Southern California Edison Company et al.

Whelan et al. v. Southern California Edison et al.

Hernandez Rodriguez v. Southern California Edison

Wormley v. South California Edison

Baron v. Southern California Edison

Aparicio v. Southern California Edison

McCarthy v. Southern California Edison

Alwan v. Southern California Edison