GUEST COLUMNS
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.
Thursday, September 11, 2025
Uber is weaponizing federal RICO lawsuits against personal injury attorneys and medical providers in multiple states, a corporate intimidation tactic that threatens access to justice for accident victims nationwide.
Taylor Swift's fight to reclaim her master recordings has not only secured ownership of her own music but sparked a legal and industry-wide shift, empowering artists to understand and assert their rights over their work.
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.
Tuesday, September 9, 2025
Mediation in landlord-tenant disputes is an underused but growing tool that offers attorneys and clients faster, more affordable, and more empathetic resolutions than litigation.
California's booming data centers face a climate-driven "cooling dilemma," as rising heat, water scarcity, wildfires and strained power grids threaten operations, prompting urgent innovation, regulatory scrutiny and equity debates over who bears the environmental costs.
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.
Thursday, September 4, 2025
Trump's executive orders targeting "cashless bail" could threaten to withhold federal funds from states like California, even though the state's pretrial system already requires individualized bail hearings and does not operate a substantially cashless framework.
Failing to promptly remit withheld payroll taxes is one of the most dangerous mistakes a business can make -- triggering personal liability for "responsible persons," severe IRS penalties and aggressive collection actions that can even shut the company down.
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.
Tuesday, September 2, 2025
Lawyers who handle trauma cases can absorb their clients' pain, risking vicarious trauma--emotional, physical, and mental burnout--making self-care essential to stay effective.
This year's presentation, "The Big Ask: Lessons for Closings," explores how lawyers can authentically and strategically empower juries to assign meaningful non-economic damages by starting early in voir dire, reinforcing the client's story throughout trial, and delivering a closing that blends empathy, personalization, and a clear call to action.
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.
Thursday, August 28, 2025
The North Carolina Supreme Court held in Town
of Apex v. Rubin that if a government's attempted taking of private
property fails the constitutional "public use" requirement, title must return
to the owner and inverse condemnation cannot be twisted into a tool for the
government to keep what it had no right to take.
In California's high-risk disaster areas, public agencies can generally justify using eminent domain to repair, replace, or relocate costly infrastructure to serve the broader public good, but they must also plan proactively to minimize inverse condemnation liability from future natural disasters.
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.
Tuesday, August 26, 2025
FINRA Forward is a comprehensive reform initiative aimed at modernizing FINRA rules, strengthening collaboration with member firms, leveraging technology and AI, and enhancing enforcement and cybersecurity efforts to protect investors and ensure market integrity.
California's SB 1107 raises auto liability minimums for the first time since 1967, boosting victim protection but likely increasing premiums and underscoring the need for skilled legal counsel.
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.
Thursday, August 21, 2025
The law brings long-awaited clarity to
stablecoins but leaves banks, fintechs and regulators facing unresolved legal
and oversight challenges at the crossroads of blockchain and traditional
finance.
Once a niche subject, art law has grown over the past half century into a recognized legal discipline shaping disputes over ownership, expression and the global art market.
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.
Tuesday, August 19, 2025
The February 2024 cyberattack on Change Healthcare, a UnitedHealth subsidiary, exposed sensitive medical data of nearly 190 million Americans, disrupted billions in claims processing, left providers financially vulnerable, sparked widespread litigation, and prompted proposed federal cybersecurity legislation -- highlighting critical gaps in healthcare IT security and multi-factor authentication practices.
In Hohenshelt
v. Superior Court, the California Supreme Court preserved Civil Code ยง1281.98
from federal preemption by interpreting it to allow exceptions for excusable
late payment of arbitration fees, softening earlier strict rulings and setting
the stage for new disputes.
Monday, August 18, 2025
A curious, deliberate approach can turn casual contacts into a powerful revenue-generating network.
Mediation in class and PAGA cases is essentially inevitable, so attorneys should prioritize early and thorough preparation -- including client management, data analysis, team-building and pre-mediation discovery.
.jpg)
.jpg)
|
|
|
NEWS
|
General News
Friday, September 12, 2025 |
|
| Across the world, cities have struggled to figure out how to provide more affordable housing to people in need. | |
|
General News
Friday, September 12, 2025 |
|
| 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. | |
|
General News
Friday, September 12, 2025 |
|
| 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. | |
|
General News
Thursday, September 11, 2025 |
|
| Relations between state and local governments these days are arguably the worst in living memory, as illustrated by a couple of issues percolating in the final week of the 2025 legislative session. | |
|
General News
Thursday, September 11, 2025 |
|
| 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. | |
|
General News
Thursday, September 11, 2025 |
|
| Norwalk settled a state lawsuit over its housing moratorium, agreeing to repeal restrictions and invest in housing, in a case officials say signals strict enforcement of California's housing laws. | |
|
General News
Wednesday, September 10, 2025 |
|
| Attorneys say the city's plight mirrors that of Catholic dioceses hit by AB 218 lawsuits--though without the same level of bankruptcy filings. | |
|
General News
Wednesday, September 10, 2025 |
|
| 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. | |
|
General News
Wednesday, September 10, 2025 |
|
| 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. | |
|
General News
Tuesday, September 9, 2025 |
|
| The federal financial aid form known as the FAFSA is expected to be made available to the public on time this year. Normally, that wouldn't be news, but after a couple of chaotic years, it is notable. | |
|
General News
Tuesday, September 9, 2025 |
|
| California and the Air Resources Board objected to new evidence filed by the U.S. Chamber in a climate effects disclosure case, arguing it violates procedure and unfairly introduces new compliance claims. | |
|
General News
Tuesday, September 9, 2025 |
|
| 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. | |
|
General News
Monday, September 8, 2025 |
|
| 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. | |
|
General News
Monday, September 8, 2025 |
|
| 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. | |
|
General News
Monday, September 8, 2025 |
|
| 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. | |
|
General News
Friday, September 5, 2025 |
|
| 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. | |
|
General News
Friday, September 5, 2025 |
|
| 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. | |
|
General News
Friday, September 5, 2025 |
|
| 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. | |
|
General News
Thursday, September 4, 2025 |
|
| 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. | |
|
General News
Thursday, September 4, 2025 |
|
| The Federal Trade Commission accused Disney of violating a federal children's privacy law by mislabeling videos on YouTube, allowing data collection from young viewers. | |
|
General News
Thursday, September 4, 2025 |
|
| In California, the "regular rate of pay" is used to calculate overtime pay, paid sick leave under the Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act, meal and rest period premiums, split shift premiums, and reporting time pay. | |
|
General News
Wednesday, September 3, 2025 |
|
| 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. | |
|
General News
Wednesday, September 3, 2025 |
|
| 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. | |
|
General News
Wednesday, September 3, 2025 |
|
| 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. | |
|
General News
Tuesday, September 2, 2025 |
|
| An administrative judge denied State Farm and the state Department of Insurance's bid for a remote hearing, based on safety concerns, in a $1.19 billion rate case, reinforcing Proposition 103 transparency protections and ordering scrutiny of wildfire claims handling. | |
|
General News
Tuesday, September 2, 2025 |
|
| The three Democratic supervisors voted against the measure, leaving the matter to the courts. | |
|
General News
Tuesday, September 2, 2025 |
|
| When driving a car across the country isn't possible or desirable, shipping a car can save time, as well as wear and tear on your vehicle. | |
|
General News
Friday, August 29, 2025 |
|
| Given California's size and its cultural and economic impact around the globe, whoever captures its governorship instantly becomes one of the nation's most prominent politicians and a potential candidate for president. | |
|
General News
Friday, August 29, 2025 |
|
| Housing advocates sued Santa Clarita, alleging its accessory dwelling unit restrictions defy state law. The petition claims unlawful barriers, undermining California's push to expand affordable housing through ADU construction. | |
|
General News
Friday, August 29, 2025 |
|
| Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Adam P. Brezine, a veteran of Adobe and Twitter, as chief counsel of the California High-Speed Rail Authority amid deepening legal challenges and the loss of billions in federal funding. | |
|
General News
Thursday, August 28, 2025 |
|
| Orange County's only sanctuary city will partner with the Immigrant Defenders Law Center to provide free legal services to residents facing deportation. The move follows reports of ICE detaining bystanders in public sweeps, including a local attorney. | |
|
General News
Thursday, August 28, 2025 |
|
| CoStar says that revived antitrust counterclaims are a stall tactic ahead of trial. | |
|
General News
Thursday, August 28, 2025 |
|
| Progressive values and humane public policies are California virtues. But not for people living with serious mental illness. | |
|
General News
Wednesday, August 27, 2025 |
|
| A $6.6 million verdict against Home Depot highlights the trial success of Beverly Hills attorneys Pejman Ben-Cohen and Robert Ounjian, who credit deep client connection and strategic collaboration for the win. | |
|
General News
Wednesday, August 27, 2025 |
|
| Since Gov. Gavin Newsom's first State of the State address six years ago, California has stopped pursuing a high-speed rail system that actually connects the Bay Area to Southern California, as was promised to voters in 2008. | |
|
General News
Wednesday, August 27, 2025 |
|
| Ford expanded its racketeering suit accusing Knight Law Group and others of inflating legal fees in a $100 million billing scheme, citing fabricated time entries and alleged fraudulent overbilling practices. | |
|
General News
Friday, September 12, 2025 |
|
| 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. | |
|
General News
Thursday, September 11, 2025 |
|
| Mortgage industry plaintiffs claim a law designed to curb foreclosures on old debts is unconstitutional and will have sweeping unintended consequences. | |
|
General News
Wednesday, September 10, 2025 |
|
| 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. | |
|
General News
Tuesday, September 9, 2025 |
|
| The ruling preserves Inglewood's 20-year agreement with WOW Media to construct 60 signs and 108 screens, with potential extensions through 2065. | |
|
General News
Monday, September 8, 2025 |
|
| 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. | |
|
General News
Friday, September 5, 2025 |
|
| 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. | |
|
General News
Thursday, September 4, 2025 |
|
| Federal public defenders moved to disqualify Acting U.S. Attorney Bilal A. Essayli, alleging his appointment exceeded statutory limits and violated constitutional safeguards, seeking dismissal of an indictment and questioning the legitimacy of prosecutions in the Central District of California. | |
|
General News
Wednesday, September 3, 2025 |
|
| 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. | |
|
General News
Tuesday, September 2, 2025 |
|
| A divided state high court ruled that occupancy tax payments and "key money" must be included in the assessed value of the JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton L.A. Live, siding with Los Angeles County. | |
|
General News
Friday, August 29, 2025 |
|
| Delta Air Lines will pay $78 million to settle claims over jet fuel dumped on 38,000 Los Angeles and Orange County homes, compensating up to 160,000 residents after five years of litigation. | |
|
General News
Thursday, August 28, 2025 |
|
| Attorneys allege ICE and Border Patrol unlawfully handcuffed a 15-year-old boy with disabilities outside Arleta High School, targeting him because of his race. The Trump administration denies racial profiling. | |
|
General News
Wednesday, August 27, 2025 |
|
| The 4th District Court of Appeal unanimously rejected claims the award was excessive or swayed by improper argument. | |