State Court
Gay father can use oral agreement to block parental rights claim from surrogate mom
A state appeals court has ruled an oral agreement between a gay man and his female neighbor is enough to block the woman's attempt to claim to be legally recognized as the mother of the child she birthed with the man via artificial insemination using her own eggs
Lawsuits
Google to pay $100M to settle AdWords class action; Lawyers could get $33M
Lawsuits
Environmentalists can block San Diego Co. from easing 'vehicle-miles-travelled' rules to boost housing
A state appeals court agreed San Diego County didn't present enough evidence to support its decisions to exempt certain 'infill' or 'small' housing developments from onerous, costly 'climate change' driven transportation studies when building new homes
Federal Court
CHP can be sued after officer misinterpreted man's stroke for drug intoxication, delayed medical care
2-1 appeals ruling holds regardless of underlying reason, officer should've ordered prompt medical attention
Law professor says California Attorney General Rob Bonta's decision to join with environmental activists to sue ExxonMobil over its Advanced Plastics Recycling programs is "Orwellian," defying both the rule of law and the Constitution.
Gaming company files pretrial motion to restrict mentions of its China ties during trial against Google
Epic Games, the developer behind Fortnite and several other renowned online games, has initiated legal action against tech behemoth Google, alleging that the latter is unjustly monopolizing Android app distribution. The gaming company's lawsuit comes with a pretrial motion to limit mentions of Epic's second largest shareholder being based in China during the trial scheduled for Nov. 6 start, said Epic Games.
The State Bar of California's Board of Trustees has initiated a new phase governance
The State Bar of California's Board of Trustees recently announced significant changes and decisions during its latest meeting. Brandon Stallings has been appointed as the new Board Chair, with José Cisneros assuming the role of Vice Chair and Mary Huser joining as a new Trustee. Stallings emphasized the organization's commitment to transparency and accountability.
State Court
Plaintiffs accuse former partner Larue Perkins of fraud and mismanagement
A legal dispute has erupted within a family over alleged fraud and mismanagement concerning valuable real estate assets tied to a longstanding family partnership agreement dating back decades ago now under scrutiny amid claims brought forth...
State Court
Plaintiff injured worker sues California Department Of Transportation (Caltrans) over workplace negligence
An accident involving improper equipment use at a Caltrans facility has led James Kehoe to file a lawsuit against the department for negligence resulting in severe injury.
State Court
Plaintiff alleges PG&E Corporation's Negligence Led to Severe Injury
A Massachusetts resident has filed a lawsuit against PG&E Corporation and others for negligence after suffering severe injuries from tripping over an uneven sidewalk cover in San Francisco.
State Court
GrubMarket accuses former managers of misappropriation and unfair competition
In a detailed legal battle unfolding in San Francisco's Superior Court, GrubMarket accuses two former managers of stealing trade secrets to launch a rival business venture.
State Court
Plaintiff Alleges Negligence Against City Over Sidewalk Hazard
A San Francisco resident has filed a lawsuit against the city claiming negligence after tripping over a hazardous sidewalk grate outside Thrillhouse Records.
State Court
Plaintiff alleges Non-Profit Organization Discriminated Against Him Due To Disability
A former employee is suing a non-profit organization for alleged discrimination based on disability and multiple labor law violations after being wrongfully terminated following sick leave related to mental health issues
State Court
Plaintiffs Accuse Utility Giant PG&E Corporation Of Negligence Leading To Devastating Fire
A group led by Patricia J.Hart has filed a lawsuit against utility giant PG&E Corporation following a catastrophic fire allegedly caused by faulty equipment.
State Court
Plaintiff accuses aerospace giant Lockheed Martin of discrimination and retaliation
A former employee has sued Lockheed Martin Corporation for alleged discrimination based on his Iranian heritage and retaliation following his reports on cybersecurity failures.
State Court
Plaintiff Sergeant Alleges Payday Lender Violated Military Lending Act
Felix Ramirez has initiated a class-action lawsuit against ActiveHours Inc., operating as EarnIn, accusing them of violating federal lending laws designed to protect military personnel from predatory financial practices.
Appeals court: Apple OK to fire actor from TV series for refusing Covid vax
Actor Brent Sexton had sued Apple Studios over the decision to withdraw their offer to cast him as former President Andrew Johnson in the TV series, "Manhunt," concerning the pursuit of Lincoln assassin John Wilkes Booth. The court said Sexton's lawsuit was an illegal attempt to punish Apple for its "speech" about vaccines.
Google to pay $100M to settle AdWords class action; Lawyers could get $33M
Google will pay $100 million to settle a class action dating back to 2011, which accused the company of misleading advertisers about the location targeting of their ads and click discounts. Plaintiffs' lawyers are expected to claim up to a third of the funds
Environmentalists can block San Diego Co. from easing 'vehicle-miles-travelled' rules to boost housing
A state appeals court agreed San Diego County didn't present enough evidence to support its decisions to exempt certain 'infill' or 'small' housing developments from onerous, costly 'climate change' driven transportation studies when building new homes
Parents can't sue pricey Sonoma County private school for failing to disclose past sex abuse of students
A state appeals panel has tossed class action vs Sonoma Academy for allegedly keeping secret sexual abuse and other misconduct committed by three staffers from 2004-2020, as the court found parents and students suffered no harm from the non-disclosure
PACT executive director on legal system exploitation: 'Individuals call personal injury attorneys in times of crisis'
Lauren Zelt, executive director of Protecting American Consumers Together (PACT), announced that PACT's new digital campaign aims to empower Californians who feel exploited by personal injury attorneys they hired during times of crisis.
'Middle finger to SCOTUS': Appeals court says ammo magazines aren't 'arms,' so CA ban stands
The liberal majority on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals said California's ban on "large capacity magazines" used in semiautomatic weapons doesn't violate the Second Amendment, because the magazines are just "boxes." Other judges said the decision "butchered" the 2A and defied the Supreme Court
Judge enters another order blocking CA from enforcing law over young user online privacy
A group advocating for tech companies said the ruling represents a victory for free online speech, as the law would essentially force social media and other online companies to serve as "censors," enforcing the state's content standards online
Penn trucking company signs onto petition to challenge California 'Clean Cars' standards
A petition has been filed to challenge a waiver granted by the EPA in the final days of the Biden administration to allow California to proceed with its so-called 'Advanced Clean Cars' emission standards. Those standards automatically control vehicles in many other states
Rocklin schools appeal ruling ordering them to revoke parental trans notification policy
Rocklin Unified School District has asked a CA appeals court to undo a ruling from the public employees labor board that directed them to rescind a policy requiring staff to notify parents if their child asks to be known by a different gender. The board said the district needed to first negotiate with the teachers union
Lawsuit: Fresno schools run academic help programs that discriminate vs non-black students
The lawsuit from the Californians for Equal Rights Foundation is the latest challenging alleged racially discriminatory government programs in the state. The lawsuit asserts Fresno Unified School District is spending $12M per year to operate academic programs open only to black students
American Tort Reform Association president: ‘significant campaign contributions’ from California attorneys ‘raise concerns about the potential influence on legislative and judicial decisions’
Sherman "Tiger" Joyce, president of the American Tort Reform Association (ATRA), expressed concerns about a new report that analyzes California trial attorneys' campaign contributions. The report suggests these contributions may have potential influence on legislative and judicial decisions. Joyce voiced his concerns in a press release dated March 19.
'Not Election Week:' CA law giving mail ballots a week after Election Day to arrive is illegal, lawsuit says
San Diego U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa has joined with Judicial Watch to challenge California's election law, which requires election officials to count all ballots received by mail up to a week after Election Day. He argues it violates constitutional rights of candidates and voters and violates federal law which establishes an official Election Day
Business groups express relief as Newsom signs PAGA reforms into law
Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed newly passed legislation that aims to reform the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA), which business groups have long criticized as a vehicle for rampant lawsuit abuse that offers little in the way of worker protections.
California extends 'take-home' asbestos liability to case of brother who lived elsewhere
SAN FRANCISCO (Legal Newsline) - A California Supreme Court decision limiting “take-home” asbestos liability to people who live in the same house doesn’t preclude a man from suing over claims he was exposed to asbestos when visiting at his brother’s house.
Closing arguments heard in man’s lawsuit over toxic baby powder; Verdict delayed
In a Northern California trial to decide if Johnson & Johnson baby powder caused a man's mesothelioma a jury verdict in the six-week-long case has been delayed
Plaintiffs accuse former partner Larue Perkins of fraud and mismanagement
A legal dispute has erupted within a family over alleged fraud and mismanagement concerning valuable real estate assets tied to a longstanding family partnership agreement dating back decades ago now under scrutiny amid claims brought forth...
EPA can't make SF pay big fines for overall quality of SF Bay due to wastewater flow
The U.S. Supreme Court said the U.S. EPA exceeded their authority under the Clean Water Act in imposing so-called "end results" standards on San Francisco wastewater discharges, effectively making the city pay many millions or even billions of dollars in penalties for poor water quality in the Bay
State-required insurance costs drive up Uber fares, taking 32% per ride
Uber has announced that rising state-mandated insurance costs are impacting ride affordability, with 32% of each rider's fare in December 2024 allocated to these expenses.
Claremont attorney faces suspension, probation following overturned embezzlement, grand theft conviction
SAN FRANCISCO – Longtime Claremont attorney Louis Julian White faces suspension and probation following an Aug. 8 California Supreme Court order and his overturned conviction last year on embezzlement and grand theft charges, according to a recent State Bar of California announcement and court documents.