News from October 2016
Court upholds conviction of Redondo Beach contractor regarding his "monster mansion"
REDONDO BEACH -- An appeals court has upheld the conviction of Rami Nassif, owner of the "monster mansion" on 733 Paulina Ave. in Redondo Beach. Although the house was demolished in 2015 and is now an empty lot, Nassif appealed the conviction, alleging judicial bias. A three-judge panel did not agree with his appeal and upheld the decision.
Legal reform groups criticize lawmakers' resuscitation of PCB public nuisance litigation
SACRAMENTO - In a move that has some legal observers scratching — if not shaking — their heads, the California state legislature pushed through in September two measures aimed at giving the cities of Berkeley, Oakland and San Jose standing to refile PCB waterway contamination public nuisance claims against Monsanto.
Man claims Roundup exposure caused illness
LOS ANGELES – A Los Angeles County individual claims that a Missouri business failed to include the potential harmful effects of an an herbicide in its label.
Some LG smarphones infringe patent, FastVDO claims
SAN DIEGO – A Florida corporation claims a San Diego electronics company infringed a patent with some of its smartphones.
Apmetrix Inc. claims Ensighten copied software without authorization
SAN DIEGO – A San Diego data management company alleges a San Jose company copied its software without permission.
Uber comes out on top in appeals court decision
CALIFORNIA – The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit has found that Uber’s arbitration agreements with its drivers are legal and binding.
Homeowner seeks rescission of Wells Fargo Bank's notice of default on home
SAN JOSE – A Santa Clara County homeowner alleges a bank wrongfully initiated foreclosure actions on his home.
Three Yahoo users allege personal information was stolen in data breach
SAN JOSE – Three individuals have filed a class-action lawsuit against Yahoo! Inc. alleging that the web portal failed to exercise reasonable care and prudence in protecting members' personal information.
San Mateo County individuals accused of fraud over insurance policy claims
SAN FRANCISCO – An insurer alleges two San Mateo County individuals misrepresented facts about their claims for benefit coverage and seeks reimbursement for all policy benefits paid.
Man alleges CorePower Yoga did not pay minimum wage
SAN FRANCISCO – An Oakland man alleges a yoga studio did not pay him a minimum wage for cleaning services.
Woman alleges she was retaliated against for taking reduced work schedule
SAN FRANCISCO – A woman alleges she faced retaliation for taking a reduced work schedule to care for her father.
Nissan owner claims manual clutch in 370Z is defective
SAN FRANCISCO – A San Jose Nissan owner alleges the manual clutch in his vehicle is defective.
U.S. Department of Justice disallows admission of Iraq Inquiry in civil suit against the former Bush administration
SAN FRANCISCO -- The U.S. Department of Justice has rejected the submission of the Chilcot Report, barring the documents from reaching the United States Court of Appeal for the Ninth Circuit as supplemental evidence in the ongoing case centered on the Iraq War.
Elon Musk prevails in SolarCity-Tesler merger despite controversies
PALO ALTO -- The journey toward the merger of SolarCity and Tesla has been a long and winding path, especially for the major proponent of this move, Elon Musk, who faced accusations of going under the table to trick shareholders of the real score.
Powerteq claims Texas company is selling automotive goods with similar mark
SAN FRANCISCO – A Dallas company is accused of selling automotive products under a similar mark as a Powerteq LLC.
SunPower employee allegedly violated non-compete clause from previous employer
SAN JOSE — A solar energy company has filed suit against its competitor and a former employee who went to work for the competitor for alleged breach of contract and unjust enrichment.
Legacy Supply Chain Services II Inc., PrimePath alleged to have not paid overtime
SAN DIEGO – A former employee at a Fontana warehouse alleges he was not properly compensated for his work and has filed a class action.
Stanford Law scholar among the dead in American University attack in Afghanistan
STANFORD -- A Stanford Law School scholar was one of the victims of the deadly 10-hour long assault at the American University of Afghanistan (AUAF) in August – a tragedy that killed at least 16 individuals.
Lawyer: Northern District Court's ruling in Rose case could open more certification litigation
SAN FRANCISCO – A new ruling by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California has opened implied certification claims to the elimination of proof in a two-part test.
United of Omaha Life Insurance Co. alleged to have wrongfully denied LA man's benefits
LOS ANGELES – A Los Angeles man alleges an insurance firm wrongfully denied his claim for disability benefits.