News from August 2016
Individual allegedly copied former employer's business training videos
LOS ANGELES – A Malaysian company alleges a former sales representative and a Santa Monica company unlawfully copied a training video it produces.
Egumball Inc. alleged to have called man 34 times in two minutes
LOS ANGELES – Two California consumers have filed a class-action suit against a marketing company alleging it called multiple times despite the plaintiffs' numbers being on the Do Not Call list.
Crown Electric alleged to owe thousands in unpaid contributions
SAN FRANCISCO – An electrical installation, construction and maintenance company doing business in San Francisco County is accused of not paying contributions to labor union funds.
New Sedgwick LLP partner brings 'unique perspective' to firm
SAN FRANCISCO – Kathryn Richter recently was hired as a partner at the Sedgwick LLP firm in San Francisco.
Pending litigation may hinder Gov. Jerry Brown's cap-and-trade program
SACRAMENTO – The California Air Resources Board is expected to vote next year on whether to extend the state’s cap-and-trade program to 2030.
Foster family to take fight for return of child with Choctaw heritage to state's high court
LOS ANGELES – The attorney for a foster family that was broken up when a 6-year-old girl was removed after a California appeals court upheld a ruling based on the provisions of the federal Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) and its state-law counterpart said a petition for review will be filed by Aug. 8, asking the California Supreme Court to hear the case.
Modesto attorney suspended for 6 months after not meeting with probation deputy by deadline
MODESTO – Attorney Justin Thomas Allen, who practices in Modesto, was suspended on March 18 from practicing law for six months and placed on probation for two years after he stipulated to failing to comply with conditions attached to an earlier disciplinary probation order.
Gold Value International Textile files suit over copyright infringement claims of fabric designs
LOS ANGELES – A fabric company alleges a retailer sold garments made with its copyrighted fabrics.
Trust funds file suit to audit Klondike Construction Services' records
LOS ANGELES – The trustees of labor union funds allege an employer will not let them conduct an audit.
FedEx to pay $3.4 million in settlement over allegations of mishandling hazardous materials
SACRAMENTO – FedEx Ground Package System Inc. (FedEx), which was alleged to not have suitably handled hazardous materials, has settled its case with the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC). FedEx will pay $3.4 million in civil penalties as terms of the June 16 settlement.
State Bar’s annual discipline report: 421 lawyers suspended or disbarred in 2015
SAN FRANCISCO – The State Bar of California released its annual discipline report in June, which addressed the improvements made within the last year, as well as room for improvements in future studies.
$5 million state allocates to bar's legal aid 'terrific step in right direction'
SAN FRANCISCO – In a July article published by the California Bar Journal, it announced that the state provided a $5 million increase to legal aid.
Lawsuit challenges law requiring students to be vaccinated to attend school
SAN DIEGO – A group of parents and the nonprofit Education 4 All in California are suing the state over a new law (Senate Bill 277) requiring children to be vaccinated to attend school, which went into effect July 1.
California is ground zero for ADA lawsuit abuse
SACRAMENTO - State Rep. Ken Calvert, (R-CA) spoke out against abusive litigation brought on alleged violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) earlier in the state's legislative session saying that businesses ought to be given a reasonable period of time to fix access problems.
Company alleges Los Angeles accounting firm prepared misleading reports
LOS ANGELES – A limited liability company alleges it was deceived into signing a lease for a store in a Washington mall because of the financial documents provided by a Los Angeles firm.
Man alleges surgery should be covered by DSW plan
LOS ANGELES – A man has filed suit against his employer and his medical plan seeking reimbursement for a surgery he claims should be covered under the plan.
Lendingcorp accused of harassing phone calls
LOS ANGELES – A Los Angeles woman alleges a debt collector called her at a harassing rate.
Motion Picture Industry plans allege contributions were not paid
LOS ANGELES – Trust funds for a labor group allege an employer did not pay contributions for a period of almost four years.
Los Angeles man files class action against Validity Research over calls
LOS ANGELES – A Los Angeles individual has filed a class-action lawsuit against a data research company alleging it used an autodialer to contact him.
Court sides with marine mammal advocates in naval sonar lawsuit
SAN FRANCISCO — The federal agency tasked with granting the U.S. Navy permission to use low-frequency active sonar for training, testing and routine operations in oceans around the world didn’t do enough to protect marine mammals, a panel of judges in the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decided recently.