Settlements in Alameda and LA demonstrate risks to public entities in falling-tree cases
By Douglas Saunders Sr.
Recent settlements in Los Angeles and Alameda counties show how notice of hazardous trees can drive liability for public entit...
Former Chapman law dean alleges removal was driven by sexual orientation
By Douglas Saunders Sr.
Paul Paton claims Chapman University ousted him as dean under the guise of scholarship-budget concerns after deciding to retre...
Judges and Judiciary
Federal prosecutor Christina Shay Sworn in as U.S. magistrate judge
By Douglas Saunders Sr.
Shay, who helped oversee major civil, criminal and national security matters for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Los Angeles, su...
Labor/Employment
Former xAI engineer alleges retaliation over AI safety warnings
By David Houston
Devin Kim claims he was fired after repeatedly warning company leaders that Grok posed discrimination and public safety risks,...
Judges and Judiciary, Ethics/Professional Responsibility
9th Circuit opens misconduct probe of Judge Ryan Nelson
By Craig Anderson
Chief Judge Mary H. Murguia initiated a judicial misconduct proceeding against 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Ryan D....
Torts/Personal Injury
Peter Grossman faces sharp questioning over family finances after fatal crash
By Devon Belcher
Plaintiffs have accused Peter Grossman of shifting assets to protect family wealth from potential judgments after the 2020 cra...
Environmental & Energy
State attorneys union tests CEQA in return-to-office fight
By Malcolm Maclachlan
Experts say the lawsuit over Gov. Gavin Newsom's four-day per week office mandate may clear early hurdles, but the remedy coul...
Court dismisses $800,000 overbilling cross-complaint against Dykema
By Douglas Saunders Sr.
Judge Gassia Apkarian found that SCSA Group and its co-founder knew or should have known of the alleged billing irregularities...
A federal judge ruled that Apple's iPhone touchscreens do not infringe a Neonode patent, finding the patent failed to adequate...
Class Action
Judge certifies class action accusing Ricoh of systematic printer-service overbilling
By Skyler Romero
Rejecting Ricoh's argument that determining liability would require individualized review of hundreds of thousands of contract...
A Los Angeles judge allowed Pasadena's contract claims against UCLA and SoFi Stadium entities to proceed, finding allegations ...
Criminal
Judge tosses murder charge against ex-LAPD officer in Venice Beach shooting
By Devon Belcher
A Los Angeles judge dismissed the murder indictment against former LAPD Officer Clifford Proctor, ruling that a former special...
Entertainment & Sports
Judge keeps fraud claims alive in suit over canceled Ryan Garcia exhibition
By Skyler Romero
A federal judge allowed fraud and misrepresentation claims to proceed against boxer Ryan Garcia and his company over a failed ...
Torts/Personal Injury
Jury awards $34.5M to injured tax attorney in roadway liability case
By David Houston
Chatsworth jury finds dangerous intersection contributed to crash, rejects Los Angeles' design immunity defense.
Real Estate/Development
Judge dismisses challenge to California's 'zombie mortgage' law
By Malcolm Maclachlan
Federal judge says Attorney General Rob Bonta cannot be sued over the law because his office does not enforce it.
Criminal
Re-elected Alameda DA focuses on victims, backlog and rebuilding
By Laurinda Keys
Alameda County District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson says her office must rebuild prosecutor training, restore victim trust, ...
Antitrust & Trade Reg.
Diversity Lab to dissolve after FTC antitrust probe, ending legal industry diversity efforts
By David Houston
The agency opened a formal inquiry earlier this year into Diversity Lab's Mansfield Certification program, which has been adop...
Torts/Personal Injury
Johnson & Johnson prevails in second talc bellwether trial
By Skyler Romero
A defense verdict in the second ovarian-cancer bellwether trial gives Johnson & Johnson a significant win in California's ...
Insurance
State Farm accused of restricting appraisal rights in California
By Skyler Romero
Proposed class action alleges State Farm unlawfully limited coverage and appraisal rights guaranteed under California insuranc...
Judges and Judiciary
8 incumbent judges beat challenges, 29 elected to open seats so far
By Laurinda Keys
Eight challenged judges appeared headed for re-election; at least 29 new judges won open seats, while several contests remaine...
Civil Procedure
Defense lawyer wants Quinn Emanuel to disclose who's paying the bills
By Daniel Schrager
Attorney representing defendants in a fraud suit involving Chinese investors asks a federal judge to order Quinn Emanuel to di...
Torts/Personal Injury
Jury hears punitive damages claims after $176M Grossman verdict
By Devon Belcher
A day after jurors awarded $176 million in wrongful death damages, attorneys began arguing whether Rebecca Grossman and Scott ...
Torts/Personal Injury
J&J talc bellwether heads to jury after clash over cancer evidence
By Skyler Romero
Jurors began deliberating in the second Los Angeles talc bellwether trial after plaintiffs accused Johnson & Johnson of co...
Constitutional Law
Supreme Court's voting rights decision tests reach of California's election law
By Douglas Saunders Sr.
City argues the Supreme Court's recent Callais decision requires dismissal of a challenge to Huntington Beach's at-large elect...
Former judge Bryan Foster blends jury insight and empathy to resolve disputes
Ethics/Professional Responsibility
State Bar targets DTLA Law Group leaders in expanding multistate practice case
By Laurinda Keys
The State Bar alleges the two co-founders and two other attorneys at Downtown LA Law Group LLP participated in a multistate pe...
Technology
Judge rejects bid to pierce Meta privilege claims in social media MDL
By Daniel Schrager
A federal magistrate judge ordered Meta to produce additional versions of a disputed slide deck but rejected state attorneys g...
Jurors weighing wrongful death claims against Rebecca Grossman and Scott Erickson sought guidance Wednesday on legal standards...
Alameda County's Ursula Jones Dickson and Santa Clara County's Jeff Rosen appeared headed toward decisive re-election wins, ba...
Early returns showed Los Angeles City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto trailing challengers Marissa Roy and John McKinney, with t...