Judicial Profile
For Judge Brad Weinreb, keeping court moving is a daily balancing act
MCLE
CIPA meets the modern web: California's data-tracking disputes and the path forward
As courts weigh whether routine website tracking violates...
By David S. Cunningham IIIProposed SB 690 eliminates pen register CIPA claims but leaves website privacy litigation intact
SB 690 could wipe out most pending pen register claims an...
By Logan LeonardNew laws protecting children from social media and AI need enforcement to be effective
California's new child-safety laws create new avenues for...
By Zachary N. Zaharoff
Special Coverage
Securities
Jury awards Nektar $90M in Rezpeg dispute with Eli Lilly
By Daniel Schrager
Jurors found Lilly breached the implied covenant of good faith in its agreement to develop the autoimmune drug, but rejected ...
Today's News
Judges and Judiciary
Supreme Court names McGill presiding judge of State Bar Court
By Douglas Saunders Sr.
W. Kearse McGill will succeed retiring Presiding Judge Richard Honn, while Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Samantha Jessner will chair a reconstitute...
Torts/Personal Injury
LA jury awards $11M to children of man fatally shot by LAPD
By Douglas Saunders Sr.
Jurors found two officers used unnecessary deadly force in the 2024 shooting of Wilver Blanco Mendoza, but a 40% fault finding against Blanco leaves the fina...
Business Law
Jury finds company owns $13M profit rights to 'Ali,' 'Gangs of New York,' 'Traffic'
By Douglas Saunders Sr.
A Los Angeles jury unanimously found Library Rights Company validly acquired profit-participation rights in three major films, setting up a second trial over...
Judges and Judiciary
Election 2026: Longest-serving 1st District justice seeks new 12-year term
By Laurinda Keys
Justice Mark B. Simons, the 1st District's longest-serving member, seeks a new 12-year term after recent rulings show his focus on statutory text cutting acr...
U.S. District Judge Josephine L. Staton questioned whether homeowners claiming their fire-damaged house is a constructive total loss sued before the insurer ...
Judges and Judiciary
Election 2026: Wiley brings writer's approach to work on appellate bench
By Laurinda Keys
Justice John Shepard Wiley Jr.'s appellate opinions reflect his emphasis on clear judicial writing, practical consequences and the development of law as he f...
Columns
Judges and Judiciary
Before cutting superior court staff, end the fee discounts
By Raphael Metzger
The author argues that Los Angeles Superior Court could address its $9.1 million budget shortfall by eliminating complex-case ...
Real Estate/Development
Measure ULA survives, but reform isn't over: Part one
By Mhare Mouradian, Dana Treister
With Measure ULA still in effect, real estate and construction industry stakeholders should continue planning for its impact w...
Law Practice
What plaintiff lawyers can learn from the defense side
By Anderson Franco
Effective plaintiff advocacy requires more than fighting hard--it means understanding opposing counsel's perspective, present...
Verdicts & Settlements
| Wrongful Death | Alexandra Rasey-Smith, Gord... | $5,800,000 |
| Wage and Hour | Paul Williams, on behalf of... | $5,200,000 |
| Malpractice | John Doe v. Roe Hospital | $4,700,000 |
| Wage and Hour | Eliza Serrano, individually... | $4,100,000 |
| Premises Liability | Jane Doe v. Roe Restaurant ... | $3,250,000 |
| Wage and Hour | Daniel Kelley, on behalf of... | $2,360,000 |
| Breach of Contract | Isabel Arteaga v. Calcrete ... | $2,000,000 |
| Intentional Misrepresentation | Tiffany Young v. Brian Rich... | $2,000,000 |
| Wage and Hour | Stephanie Jones, an individ... | $1,900,000 |
| Premises Liability | John Doe v. Roe Builders | $1,550,000 |
On the Move
Cozen O'Connor
Theresa Nolan joined Cozen O'Connor as a member in Los Angeles. The move was Sept. 21, 2026.
Details
Cozen O'Connor has 1000 attorneys in 34 offices including 3. Among the law firm’s key practice areas are litigation, corporate and regulatory law, government relations, insurance, and labor and employment. The firm’s website is https://www.cozen.com/
Featured Content
Insurance defense attorneys have long been on the front lines for their clients. Now they're facing a new threat: the carriers...
Alternative Dispute Resolution
JAMS neutrals examine how evolving PAGA reforms, shifting case law and data-driven claims are reshaping mediation strategies i...
Community News
Signature Resolution mediators: (Ret.) Judge Zaven V. Sinanian and (Ret.) Judge John M. Pacheco
2nd District Court of Appeals Justice Helen I. Bendix and U.S. District Judge John A. Kronstadt
WLALA 2026 honorees: Catherine E. Lhamon of UC Berkeley School of Law, (Ret.) Magistrate Judge Suzanne H. Segal of Signature Resolution and Genie E. Harrison of Genie Harrison Law Firm APC
WLALA 2026-27 First Vice President Leana S. Taing of Office of the County Counsel, President Jennie Wang VonCannon of Crowell & Moring LLP, Communications Officer Joanna Curtis of Signature Resolution and President-Elect Brigit Greeson Alvarez of Office of County Counsel
Signature Resolution mediators: (Ret.) Judge Abraham Khan and (Ret.) Judge Patricia Garcia
Dario Higuchi, founding partner and CEO of Signature Resolution and James T. Ryan of Annigian Ryan LLP
Signature Resolution mediators: (Ret.) Judge Daniel J. Buckley and (Ret.) Magistrate Judge Suzanne H. Segal
Signature Resolution mediators: (Ret.) Judges Maria A. Audero and Ana Maria Luna, and Fatemeh S. Mashouf
Signature Resolution's Talent Management – Recruitment & Business Development Associate Katelyn Cummings, Executive Assistant to the CEO Izabella LeCapitan and Mediator Michèle M. Bissada
(Ret.) Judge Stephanie M. Bowick of Signature Resolution and California Court of Appeal Justice John Segal
Signature Resolution mediators and arbitrators: David M. Samuels and Greg D. Derin
Genie Harrison Law Firm APC's Mia Munro and Jennifer Ostertag
Bruce Orman of Crowell & Moring LLP, Robert G. Garrett of Atkinson Andelson Loya Ruud & Romo, Eric VonCannon and Annie Wang of Crowell & Moring LLP
Veritext Legal Solutions' Account Executive Rachael Horwith and Director of Business Development Kristy Villa
Signature Resolution's Mediators Anne M. Lawlor Goyette and (Ret.) Judge Susan Greenberg, Business Development & Client Services Manager Ann Murray and Mediator (Ret.) Judge Wendy L. Wilcox
2026-27 WLALA Executive Committee: Kimberly S. Kamkar of Nossaman LLP, Leana S. Taing of Office of the County Counsel, Joanna Curtis of Signature Resolution, Jennie Wang VonCannon of Crowell & Moring LLP, Deputy Alternate Public Defender Vicky Ourflian and Brigit Greeson Alvarez of Office of the County Counsel
WLALA's Communications Officer Joanna Curtis of Signature Resolution, Superior Court Judge Allison L. Westfahl Kong and Neda Saghafi of Panish Shea Ravipudi LLP
Jeff S. Westerman of Ahdoot & Wolfson PC, U.S. District Court Judicial Extern Yanqing Lei, Deputy City Attorney Merete E. Rietveld and Superior Court Judge Erin I. Reed
Superior Court Judges Kristen A. Williams and Erin I. Reed, and Deputy Attorney General Cristina M. Matsushima
WLALA Foundation Member At Large Susan L. Steinhauser and Superior Court Judge Laura A. Siegle
Daniel Vigil of Dominium Law APC and Spencer Y. Kook of Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP
Rezwan Senobarian of Greenberg Traurig LLP and Dawn L. Haghighi of PCV Murcor Inc.
ARC Alternate Resolution Centers' Business Development Manager Lisa Payne and Jessica Stock, Founder and Managing Director of Stock ADR Consulting
Beverly Hills Bar Association President Nadira T. Imam of Law Offices of Lawrence H. Jacobson and WLALA "Trailblazer Award" honoree Genie E. Harrison of Genie Harrison Law Firm APC
Yoka Smith LLP's Courtney R. Arbucci, Alice C. Smith, Rachel E. Lustig, Rachel E. Lustig, Moji Lustig, Robert E. Anich and Kimberly A. Byrge
Polsinelli's Office Administrator Jennifer Ortez and Jennifer L. Prieto, McDermott Will & Schulte's Cathy Ren and Matthew T. Lin of Polsinelli
WLALA "Trailblazer Award" honoree Genie E. Harrison of Genie Harrison Law Firm APC, Jamie E. Wright of Los Angeles and Maryann P. Ghallager of MPGallagher Law
Joseph T. McNally of McNicholas & McNicholas LLP, Superior Court Judge Allison L. Westfahl Kong, FTI Consulting Inc.’s Senior Managing Director Tracy Wilkinson and Superior Court Judge Cathy J. Ostiller
Allison M. Schulman of Law Offices of Allison M. Schulman APC, Ji-In L. Houck of The Houck Firm, Lorena N. Vazquez of Vazquez Law APC, Harriett Buhai Center for Family Law's Karen J. Suri and Hannah Santos, and Paulina K. Belovarski of Belovarski Law
Sylvia L. Johnson of Child Support Services Department and (Ret.) Judge Holly J. Fujie of ADR Services Inc.
Deputy Alternate Public Defender James Pinchakand Arpa K. Abrahamian of California Department of Social Services
Genie Harrison Law Firm APC's Intake Specialist Lydia Baez and Director of Marketing James Lizardi; Alicia "Ace" Easter, Founder of Ace Yoga
(Ret.) Judge Kimberly B. Guillemet of ARC Alternative Resolution Centers and James Lizardi, Genie Harrison Law Firm APC's Director of Marketing
Kibler Fowler & Cave LLP's Dominique M. Caamano and Anna Hunanyan
Laurie DeYoung of ADR Services Inc., Emma Wright of Crowell & Moring LLP (London), (Ret.) Judge Kimberly B. Guillemet of ARC Alternative Resolution Centers and Joana Forster of Crowell & Moring LLP
Signature Resolution mediators: (Ret.) Judge Patricia Garcia, Price K. Kent and (Ret.) Judge Ana Maria Luna
Seth Chavez, Executive Director of San Fernando Valley Bar Association; Ata Farhadi of Canoga Park and Christina Ahn, Senior Director of Lateral Link
Seth Chavez, Executive Director of San Fernando Valley Bar Association; Riley Ersoff Rodas LLP's Catalina Rodas and Maria E. Hall of Maria Hall Law APC
Yvonne R. Carrick of Los Angeles, WLALA "Distinguished Service Award" honoree Catherine E. Lhamon of UC Berkeley School of Law, Nicole N. Meyers of Principle Employment Law APC and Kelly J. Cooksey of Loeb & Loeb LLP
Chief U.S. District Judge Dolly M. Gee of the Central District of California swearing in WLALA Officers, Board of Directors, Board of Governors and WLALA Foundation Board of Governors 2026-27
Superior Court Judge Christine J. Gonong, Chief U.S. District Judge Dolly M. Gee of the Central District of California, WLALA First Vice President Leana S. Taing of Office of the County Counsel and Superior Court Judge Janet E. Hong
WLALA President-elect Brigit Greeson Alvarez of the Office of the County Counsel presenting the WLALA "Distinguished Service Award" to Catherine E. Lhamon of UC Berkeley School of Law
WLALA "Trailblazer Award" honoree Genie E. Harrison (center) with Genie Harrison Law Firm APC's Intake Specialist Lydia Baez and partners Jennifer Ostertag, Andrea L. Fields and Mia Munro
(Ret.) Magistrate Judge Suzanne H. Segal receiving the "WLALA Advancement of Women Award" with Joanna Curtis, also WLALA's Communications Officer, on behalf of Signature Resolution
Alisha C. Burgin of Ashurst Perkins Coie Group and WLALA First Vice President Leana S. Taing of Office of the County Counsel
Monica Minden of Santa Monica Symphony Association, Beth S. Bergman of Bergman and Allderdice, 2nd District Court of Appeals Justice Helen I. Bendix and Cindy J. Hickox of Stalwart Law Group
Stephanie M. Cook of Best Best & Krieger LLP and Megan Qiyu Wang of Norton Rose Fulbright
Crowell & Moring's Jennie Wang VonCannon, Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles' first Taiwanese American president, was installed Friday as the organization honored women in the legal profession and speakers stressed mentorship, opportunity and protecting the rule of law.
Daily Appellate Report
Civil Procedure
Childs v. San Diego Family Housing, LLC
Entities contracted to independently operate and manage rental properties located on a military base by the United States Navy were not acting under a federal officer for the purposes of ...
Torts, Government
Tansavatdi v. City of Rancho Palos Verdes
When a public entity warns of a dangerous condition but is sued for providing an inadequate warning rather than failing to warn, design immunity may apply.
Criminal Law and Procedure
People v. Cortez
Because defendant was not sentenced to life without the possibility of parole (LWOP) or its functional equivalent, Penal Code section 1170(d) did not apply to him.
Criminal Law and Procedure
People v. Madruga
Animal cruelty exception for right to kill animals for food did not apply to animals that were the property of another who had not consented to the killing.
Immigration
Perez-Garcia v. Blanche
The Board of Immigration Appeals' failure to consider petitioner's bond payment receipt was legal error requiring remand, not unreviewable factual error.