Litigation
Judge tentatively sides with San Diego water authority in suit
By Fiona Smith
A judge has tentatively sided with the San Diego County Water Authority in a battle in which it accuses the Metropolitan Water...
A body dedicated to reducing prison population could forge much-needed reform to California's system, legal academics say. ...
U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit
Kozinski blasts Google, orders company to take down anti-Muslim video
By John Roemer
Google Inc.'s refusal to honor an imperiled actress' pleas to take down an incendiary YouTube.com video drew harsh words Wedne...
U.S. District Judge Lawrence K. Karlton, who ruled in 1995 that California prison conditions violated the U.S. Constitution, i...
Personal Injury & Torts
Medical liens are on the rise among personal injury plaintiffs
By Omar Shamout
The California Supreme Court's three-year old decision in Howell v. Hamilton Meats has led many personal injury plaintiffs to ...
Perspective
Prisoner sex change latest flare in 'cruel and unusual' debate
By Ben Armisteadn
In recent decades, the high court has opined that inhumane prison conditions equal cruel and unusual punishment, and a slew of...
The bankruptcy court needs workable mechanisms to enforce the underlying spirit of the bankruptcy code. By Steven Gubner and M...
A roundup of recent real estate activity and the lawyers involved.
Government
Anti-hacking law needs further clarification, defense lawyers say
By Joshua Seboldn
Recent cases have led many defense attorneys to argue that the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act needs to better define hacking, wo...
Technology & Science
Eye in the sky: privacy invasions from above
By Katharine Malonen
Ultimately, we will need a new set of social norms to govern our use of drones, where they can fly, and how much privacy we ca...
"Shadowy," "invisible,' "secretive" and "unregulated" are all terms that have been used in recent years to describe the data b...
Companies' increasing reliance on the collection and use of data to stay competitive has demanded that attorneys keep pace on ...
U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit
9th Circuit conservatives cry foul in another habeas case
By John Roemer
The left-leaning majority at the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has the votes to reject en banc review of controversial pro...
Litigation
Federal claims against San Bernardino DA rejected in suicide case
By Katie Lucia
An unusual suit against District Attorney Michael Ramos and other county officials may play out in state court after the 9th U...
Government
Placeholder MICRA reform bill gets tepid response
By Paul Jones / Ben Adlin
Efforts by Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg may not avert an upcoming campaign fight over medical malpractice suit p...
Intellectual Property
Supreme Court to address legal fee awards in patent cases
By Kevin Leen
The justices will hear two petitions Wednesday asking the court to take direct action to discourage dubious patent lawsuits.
Government
While popular, do-not-track laws face uphill fight
By Paul Jones / Ben Adlin
Despite recent data breaches having intensifyed concerns over privacy, one of the data privacy movement's main goals - empower...
Government
Six charter cities challenge constitutionality of state wage law
By Laura Hautalan
The law would strip the cities of state funds if they don't comply with union-friendly wage rules.
Judges and Judiciary
Senate confirms two Northern District federal judges
By Hadley Robinsonn
Veteran antitrust litigator James Donato and San Mateo County Superior Court Judge Beth L. Freeman won approval after being no...
Labor/Employment
Trade secret and privacy concerns in BYOD programs
By Katharine Malonen
Programs that fail to take these issues into account can compromise proprietary information, increase tensions with employees,...
San Francisco mayor Ed Lee recently signed legislation expanding limits on use of criminal history in employment screenings. B...
Appellate Practice
How trial lawyers can file effective appellate briefs
By Ben Armisteadn
If your client wishes to appeal, consider hiring an appellate specialist. But if your client insists you write the brief, what...
Corporate
Silicon Valley legal team helps semiconductor companies hook up
By Joshua Seboldn
California attorneys at Weil, Gotshal & Manges advised RF Micro Devices Inc.'s board of directors on the company's planned...
California Supreme Court
'Social host' may be liable for drinking party death, state high court rules
By Emily Green
A party host planning to charge guests for alcohol may want to think twice about doing so, under a state Supreme Court decisio...
A roundup of recent merger and acquisition and financing activity and the lawyers involved.
Litigation
Government, defense attorney trade barbs in economic espionage trial
By Hadley Robinsonn
Walter Liew's attorney described the defendant and his former company as underdogs, fighting the battle of a Silicon Valley s...
In its early state, SB1429 declares only the intent of the Legislature "to bring interested parties together to develop a legi...
Litigation
Star litigator at helm of case that could reshape teacher tenure rules
By Chase Scheinbaum
Gibson Dunn partner Theodore J. Boutrous Jr., still glowing from the firm's successful challenge of California's ban on same-s...
Perspective
First big anti-SLAPP case of year examines public interest exemption
By Ben Armisteadn
A Court of Appeal has penned an instructive opinion on applying the public interest exemption to class action and representati...
Litigation
Conrad Murray's lawyer takes fight over jury issues to Supreme Court
By Chase Scheinbaum
Should the jurors who held Conrad Murray responsible for the death of pop superstar Michael Jackson have been sequestered and ...