Judges and Judiciary
Leading architect of state’s complex litigation courts set to retire
By Philip Johnsonn
San Francisco County Superior Court Judge Richard A. Kramer, known for his role in building the court's complex litigation uni...
In a surprise move, U.S. Attorney Melinda L. Haag announced Wednesday she will resign after five years on the job. ...
A roundup of recent transactions across the state and the lawyers involved.
Burford Capital LLC has partnered with corporate restructuring firm Chilmark Partners LLC to launch a new $100 million joint v...
The courthouse at 300 E. Walnut street in Pasadena will resume many of its usual functions on Wednesday after a fire forced ci...
The first successful case against Zimmer Inc. showed how the company touted the track record of its European implant without d...
Law Practice
Sidley continues lateral hiring spree with two new partners
By Joshua Seboldn
Sidley Austin LLP is in the process of poaching two prominent partners from Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP in Los Angeles...
For the second time, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has asked the state Supreme Court for clarification on what the term "ti...
Circuit Judge ...
Despite a gradual shift towards a more holistic approach in fighting crime, public defender's offices state-wide remain underf...
Administrative/Regulatory
SF Municipal Transportation Agency to pay $1.35M for mishandling hazardous substances in underground tanks
By Fiona Smith
The action comes a decade after the federal government fined the transit agency over a leaky tank that spilled 39,000 gallons ...
Judges are sometimes ill-equipped to make judgments as to the racial/ethnic make-up of the jurors on a panel. By Katherine Mad...
The president has an initiative that reinvigorates executive clemency power and promises to ameliorate excessively harsh sente...
With several new bills pending in the state Legislature, California is once again trying to rein in predatory disability acces...
A fire Monday at the Pasadena courthouse is the latest emergency in a string of floods, elevator entrapments and plumbing disa...
Labor/Employment
Nursing home inspector alleges retaliation by county health department
By Matthew Blaken
The plaintiff claims the county made her perform work that was against the law in order to reduce their backlog of nursing hom...
Mergers & Acquisitions
Sullivan, Latham advise in Teva's $40.5 billion buyout offer of Activis
By Banks Albachn
Consolidation volume in the pharmaceutical market broke financial records Monday after Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries Ltd. an...
California Supreme Court
State high court changes rules that affect wills
By John Roemer
Where there's a will, there's a new way for potential beneficiaries to contest it, the state Supreme Court ruled on Monday. Th...
Litigation
BP kicks off its defense in bellwether trial against franchisees' claims
By Andy Serbe
Defending claims from four franchise gas station owners who say they're being overcharged for Arco gasoline, supplier BP West ...
San Mateo County Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Hill aspired to be on the bench from an early age.
Aspiriant LLC Los Angeles ...
A roundup of recent transactions across the state and the lawyers involved.
A new lawsuit against several California school districts asks not whether stadardized test scores must be factored into teach...
State Bar & Bar Associations
In close vote, longtime State Bar activist elected as the organization's president
By Don De Benedictis
Promising to improve efficiency and transparency, David J. Pasternak, a receivership lawyer and longtime bar activist, was ele...
Labor/Employment
AutoZone case ends, but State Bar sanctions still in play
By Matthew Blaken
A magistrate judge granted a motion to dismiss all claims in the record-setting pregnancy discrimination suit, and referred at...
Ethics/Professional Responsibility
Attorney sentenced to 30 months in prison for two separate fraud schemes
By Deirdre Newmann
Two federal judges last week sentenced attorney Gino Paul Pietro to a total of 30 months in prison for two separate fraud sche...
The Intel Corp. subsidiary has won a defense jury verdict in a $13 million patent case brought by a Colorado-based holding com...
Patent litigation attorney Sonal N. Mehta left Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP for Durie Tangri LLP on Friday. ...
California Courts of Appeal
Juvenile offenders should have felony sentences reduced under new law, court rules
By John Roemer
Nonviolent juvenile offenders get the same benefits as adults from last year's Proposition 47, a state appellate panel ruled o...
The take away from the criminal case against former managers of Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP - the once global, now failed mega law...