GUEST COLUMNS
Monday, September 15, 2025
If law firms can't serve clients in Spanish, they're not just losing business -- they're denying nearly half the city equitable access to justice.
Lists bring order to legal analysis, especially in trade dress law -- but too many can cause judges and lawyers to miss the forest for the trees.
Friday, September 12, 2025
In Stronghold Engineering v. City of Monterey
(2023), the California Court of Appeal held that a contractor's initial lawsuit
seeking only declaratory relief regarding a City contract did not require
prefiling a Government Claims Act claim and that subsequent claims for monetary
damages could be added after proper notice without being barred.
SB 53 underscores that while AI can support doctors, it cannot replace the human presence, judgment and empathy at the core of medical care.
Wednesday, September 10, 2025
Entertainment mogul David Geffen has filed for divorce from David Armstrong after less than two years of marriage, and despite headlines highlighting his billionaire status, California family law and the short duration of the marriage suggest Armstrong's potential recovery--including spousal support and Marvin-type claims--may be limited.
The 9th Circuit will hear oral argument in Epic
Games v. Apple, a case that could clarify whether corporate communications
involving both legal and business considerations qualify for attorney-client privilege
when legal advice is one of several primary purposes.
Monday, September 8, 2025
Calling high-speed chases "fun," federal officials have embraced a perilous pursuit policy that prizes the thrill of the chase over sober judgement and public safety.
President Trump's sweeping claim of unilateral impoundment authority--already tested in Congress, the courts, and recent emergency stays--sets up a constitutional showdown with the Supreme Court over whether the executive can override Congress's "power of the purse."
Friday, September 5, 2025
Despite decades of government assurances that he was a U.S. citizen, Roberto Moncada was stripped of that status -- exposing how bureaucratic error and courts' retreat from equity can leave justice undone.
California Supreme Court's Hohenshelt
v. Superior Court ruling upholds arbitration fee deadlines while allowing
equitable contract defenses, balancing employees' right to prompt arbitration
with relief for inadvertent employer nonpayment -- but leaves open questions
about how courts will apply those defenses in practice.
Wednesday, September 3, 2025
California's Senate Bill 825 would expand the DFPI's enforcement authority over state-licensed financial institutions by eliminating exemptions under the Consumer Financial Protection Law, creating broader oversight of "unfair, deceptive, or abusive" practices and increasing compliance risks amid unsettled legal standards.
Eviction is never just about housing -- it dismantles kitchens, neighborhoods, and stability itself, cascading into hunger, homelessness and fractured communities.
Friday, August 29, 2025
Four big truck makers are suing California over its zero-emission rules, saying they're stuck between state mandates and federal rollbacks. The case could reshape how far states can go on climate policy and whether side deals like California's Clean Truck Partnership hold up in court.
Are legal conferences worth the investment or just an expensive distraction? This month's column breaks down the real ROI of attending legal events, offering practical strategies to turn every name badge and cocktail hour into a business development opportunity. Don't just show up, show up with a plan.
Wednesday, August 27, 2025
New Jersey's layered PFAS settlement secures long-term funding for cleanup and remediation, offering a potential blueprint for California as it navigates its ongoing "forever chemicals" litigation.
Directing settlement payments to charity can reduce a plaintiff's taxable income in some cases, but IRS rules, legal fees, and limits on charitable deductions often make the tax implications complex and require careful planning before signing an agreement.
Monday, August 25, 2025
Rising launch activity at Vandenberg Space Force Base has sparked legal disputes between SpaceX and the California Coastal Commission over whether state permits apply to federally controlled launch sites, highlighting tensions between state oversight, federal authority, and the need to maintain seamless access to orbit for U.S. national security and commercial interests.
Sharing sensitive info with AI like ChatGPT isn't privileged -- lawyers and clients risk discovery and breaching confidentiality under California law.
Friday, August 22, 2025
Small business owners who fall victim to unauthorized withdrawals have just 24 hours to fight back under the National Automated Clearing House Association's rules -- far less protection than consumers.
Artificial intelligence is increasingly reshaping employees' duties and workflows across industries, creating efficiency gains but also raising novel wage-and-hour risks, particularly the potential loss of exempt classification when AI reduces or replaces tasks that justify exempt status.
Wednesday, August 20, 2025
The California State Bar's 2024 Justice Gap Study reveals a worsening crisis in civil legal access, with 70% of households facing problems but receiving help for only 15%, highlighting the urgent need to expand legal aid, pro bono work, and innovative non-attorney support to protect vulnerable Californians from life-altering harm.
As labor shortages persist across the U.S. construction industry, a parallel crisis is unfolding -- one grounded in heightened legal exposure and regulatory scrutiny. Here are some of the key risks contractors now face and the contractual tools they're using to protect themselves.
San Diego County Superior Court Judge Katherine A. Bacal
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NEWS
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General News
Monday, September 15, 2025 |
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| It has been 37 days since Ellison, 42, took over Paramount Global as part of an $8 billion merger that combined his company, Skydance Media, with a beaten-up collection of old-media assets -- MTV, the Paramount movie studio, CBS -- and two streaming services. | |
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General News
Monday, September 15, 2025 |
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| OpenAI said Thursday that it was giving an equity stake worth at least $100 billion to the nonprofit that controls the organization and has reached a tentative deal to settle financial issues with its partner Microsoft. | |
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General News
Monday, September 15, 2025 |
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| Attorneys for an AFL-CIO ex-bookkeeper urged dismissal of a lawsuit over his secret recording of Los Angeles City Council members making racist comments, arguing anti-SLAPP protections apply. | |
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General News
Friday, September 12, 2025 |
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| Across the world, cities have struggled to figure out how to provide more affordable housing to people in need. | |
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General News
Friday, September 12, 2025 |
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| Radius Telematics seeks an injunction against former executives accused of launching Waypoint, a copycat business allegedly built with stolen trade secrets, assets, and insider help, while still employed at Radius. | |
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General News
Friday, September 12, 2025 |
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| A putative class action alleges Allstate unlawfully deducted storage and towing fees from total loss settlements, with plaintiffs' counsel claiming the practice is systemic and violates California insurance contracts and consumer protections. | |
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General News
Friday, September 12, 2025 |
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| In a high-stakes 9th Circuit case, attorney Gary Lincenberg and UC Berkeley Dean Erwin Chemerinsky drafted a brief for Democratic senators arguing that Trump's Los Angeles National Guard deployment trampled constitutional safeguards. | |
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General News
Wednesday, September 10, 2025 |
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| Justice Brett Kavanaugh said ethnicity can be a relevant factor in assessing reasonable suspicion, while Justice Sonia Sotomayor, in dissent, warned the decision enables unconstitutional seizures of Latino residents and creates second-class citizenship. | |
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General News
Wednesday, September 10, 2025 |
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| Attorneys say the city's plight mirrors that of Catholic dioceses hit by AB 218 lawsuits--though without the same level of bankruptcy filings. | |
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General News
Wednesday, September 10, 2025 |
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| Los Angeles opposes $1.8 million in legal fees sought by advocacy groups after a federal judge found the city failed to meet obligations in a homelessness settlement agreement. Meanwhile the city is seeking to increase the budget to pay its outside counsel in the case. | |
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General News
Wednesday, September 10, 2025 |
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| Many of the world's biggest tech companies believe that a radical shift is underway, and that it could one day make the smartphone, as we know it, passe. | |
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General News
Monday, September 8, 2025 |
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| Joseph Berkowitz claims Munchkin fostered a "toxic" culture targeting working mothers; the company counters he was "terminated for cause" after about eight months of work when an outside probe found misconduct. | |
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General News
Monday, September 8, 2025 |
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| Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli filed federal lawsuits accusing Southern California Edison of negligence in the Eaton and Fairview wildfires, seeking over $77 million for suppression costs and damages to federal lands. | |
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General News
Monday, September 8, 2025 |
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| At least two things are true about SB 79, a bill by state Sen. Scott Wiener that would clear the way for construction of apartment buildings near transit stops in California, most pointedly including Los Angeles: It's a bad idea, and Los Angeles has only itself to blame for it. | |
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General News
Friday, September 5, 2025 |
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| A federal judge's ruling Tuesday on what steps Google must take to fix its monopoly in online search delivered a clear answer: You will be restrained, but not broken up or forced to fundamentally change your business practices. | |
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General News
Friday, September 5, 2025 |
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| Judge Laura Seigle urged efficiency in discovery for the Eaton Canyon fire litigation, discouraging use of the phrase "fake responses" and suggesting category-based requests as subrogation plaintiffs and Southern California Edison spar over document production. | |
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General News
Friday, September 5, 2025 |
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| Seeking to overturn a $100,000 noneconomic-damages award in Franklin v. Geragos, Geragos' counsel filed a pocket brief arguing no causation and a statute-of-limitations defense. Judge Steve Cochran pressed both sides to pursue an agreement rather than risk a reportable judgment. | |
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General News
Friday, September 5, 2025 |
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| Orange County Superior Court Judge Lee Gabriel denied Joshua Cua's anti-SLAPP motion in Beverage Visions, LLC v. Cua, holding that texts to BV customers--including false claims of an FBI probe and a trial loss--were commercial solicitations intended to divert business, not protected speech; the case now moves into discovery. | |
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General News
Wednesday, September 3, 2025 |
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| A San Diego surf school claims California State Parks' decades-old system of exclusive teaching contracts violates free speech and equal protection. The case, filed by Wavehuggers LLC, is the second federal challenge this year to government restrictions on paid surf lessons, both backed by Pacific Legal Foundation attorneys. | |
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General News
Wednesday, September 3, 2025 |
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| Employees at S&F Foods dreaded lifting heavy cardboard boxes from a conveyor belt and placing them onto pallets for shipment all day. So Mike Calleja, the plant manager for the company, which makes frozen food for school cafeterias, hired a robot. | |
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General News
Wednesday, September 3, 2025 |
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| A Los Angeles judge barred Compton City Attorney Eric Perrodin from using his title in his lawsuit against the city council, citing conflicts of interest and improper use of city resources. The city, represented by other attorneys, has also sued him. | |
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General News
Wednesday, September 3, 2025 |
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| Supporters say the change preserves clarity and consistency, while Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman argues courts should be able to warn that a plea "will" result in immigration penalties. The dispute centers on language dating back to 1978 and could affect thousands of future pleas. | |
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General News
Wednesday, September 17, 2025 |
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| In a setback for Huntington Beach's yearslong battle against state housing laws, an appellate panel vacated a lower court ruling and told a San Diego County judge to issue a new order imposing strict compliance deadlines. | |
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General News
Monday, September 15, 2025 |
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| Judge Doreen Boxer denied comics creator Frank Miller's summary judgment bid, allowing producer Stephen L'Heureux to take his good faith claim over the "Hard Boiled" adaptation rights dispute to a jury. | |
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General News
Friday, September 12, 2025 |
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| A federal judge has allowed a key claim, public nuisance, to proceed in a high-profile lawsuit accusing ExxonMobil of worsening California's plastics crisis. | |
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General News
Wednesday, September 10, 2025 |
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| The ruling is the first significant interpretation of California's Free to Read Act, which bars library book restrictions based solely on age or sexual content unless the material is obscene. | |
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General News
Monday, September 8, 2025 |
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| California lawmakers and plaintiffs' attorneys are backing new bills to restrict misleading advertising, referral kickbacks and other questionable practices. The push follows criticism of lax State Bar enforcement and a surge of complaints after recent wildfires. | |
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General News
Friday, September 5, 2025 |
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| Two Los Angeles County law enforcement unions were granted permission to intervene in Sheriff Robert Luna's lawsuit, supporting his position against releasing deputies' personnel records to a civilian oversight commission. | |
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General News
Wednesday, September 3, 2025 |
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| The three Democratic supervisors voted against the measure, leaving the matter to the courts. | |