GUEST COLUMNS
Wednesday, February 25, 2026
When a demand letter becomes a "claim": examining a novel offensive use of New York's anti-SLAPP law--and why the same strategy would fail in California.
In a 6-1 decision, the California Supreme Court considered whether an arbitration agreement that was nearly impossible to read can be enforced--and clarified how illegibility factors into contract formation and unconscionability analysis.
Tuesday, February 24, 2026
Billie Eilish's Grammy remark wasn't
about land titles. It was about moral standing in the face of a deeply unjust
immigration system.
California's new mobilehome laws strengthen tenant protections, modernize notices and impose stricter disaster-response obligations for parks and public agencies.
Monday, February 23, 2026
The entertainment industry is at the forefront of innovative claims arising from the intersection of media and generative AI technologies, and as these cases begin to settle on their own and with the help of mediators, they are drawing new lines in the sand while establishing novel licensing frameworks.
Legislation intended to promote affordable housing by limiting community associations' enforcement, collection, and maintenance powers often backfires, forcing compliant homeowners to subsidize non-compliant neighbors, shoulder higher costs and face greater safety and insurance risks.
Friday, February 20, 2026
Fueled by advertising deregulation from the Supreme Court of the United States, high-volume "plantation" law firms rely on mass-marketing and industrial intake systems that prioritize profit and scale over ethics, supervision and meaningful client representation.
Candlestick Park was more than cold and windy. It was built on insider deals, political maneuvering and a grand jury probe that went nowhere -- leaving taxpayers in the cold while the Giants cashed in.
Thursday, February 19, 2026
The California Court of Appeal recently held that staffing companies are not "laborers" under Civil Code section 8024 and cannot claim against public works payment bonds, while confirming that prevailing parties are entitled to attorneys' fees regardless of whether the bond is for a state or local project.
Remote car rentals aren't responsible for checking if a customer is sober--negligent entrustment requires proof the driver was known to be unfit.
Wednesday, February 18, 2026
For decades, legal research rested on the scarcity of authoritative information; general-purpose AI now places that assumption under pressure by changing how experienced lawyers test, refine and pressure-check legal reasoning.
H.R. 3699 would broadly block state and local governments from most forms of energy regulation --potentially disrupting electrification efforts, safety rules, wildfire protections and utility cost oversight.
Tuesday, February 17, 2026
Who decides when a smoke-contaminated home is safe? Right now, it's the insurance company.
In California courtrooms, companies that tightly control branded delivery operations increasingly deny responsibility after serious crashes, stepping aside as "brokers" in a practice known as liability laundering.
Friday, February 13, 2026
Although the IRS generally presumes litigation recoveries are ordinary income, damages in some defamation cases--particularly those involving harm to professional reputation or goodwill--may qualify for capital gain or basis recovery.
California's 2026 employment law updates impose new operational obligations affecting records, pay data, leave coordination and training, requiring employers to realign policies and internal systems now.
Thursday, February 12, 2026
The IRS issued Notice 2025-69 to guide taxpayers on claiming the new OBBBA deductions for qualified tips and qualified overtime compensation on 2025 returns, providing transitional rules for reconstructing amounts when forms do not separately report them.
California employers are facing a sweeping new set of employment law changes in 2026 that expand employee rights around wages, pay equity and contracting, making early compliance planning essential.
Wednesday, February 11, 2026
As genomic testing becomes more accessible, defense counsel in mesothelioma cases are increasingly leveraging BAP1 and other genetic mutations to challenge asbestos causation theories and provide an alternative explanation for the disease.
Last week, a 92-year-old driver may have mistaken the gas for the brake and crashed into Westwood's 99 Ranch Market, killing three and injuring several others, raising questions about driver age, potential medical emergencies, foreseeability, and insurance coverage.
Tuesday, February 10, 2026
Advanced vehicle technology and data are reshaping accident investigations, forcing personal injury attorneys to track system performance, human interaction and emerging liability issues in modern crash litigation.
A proposed California ballot initiative imposing a one-time 5% excise tax on billionaires' net worth has gained traction amid fiscal concerns and fairness debates, but would face significant legal and administrative challenges regardless of one's policy position.
Monday, February 9, 2026
Enacted 30 years ago through careful legislative deliberation, Section 230 remains the internet's strongest bulwark for free expression, protecting the services--and users--that make online speech possible.
AI-generated hallucinations are appearing in California court filings. When a decision rests on cases that don't exist, appellate review becomes impossible: You cannot judge the route when you cannot trust the map. California should recognize fabricated legal authority as per se reversible error, no prejudice analysis required.
Friday, February 6, 2026
Plaintiffs are deploying established negligence and product liability doctrines against AI developers in cases alleging chatbot interactions exacerbated mental health crises and failed to escalate warning signs.
Since 2019, South American Theft Groups have driven millions in losses across Los Angeles County, exploiting loopholes in California's Values Act (SB 54) that critics say unintentionally enable repeat offenders to evade deportation and reoffend.
Thursday, February 5, 2026
A court-appointed receiver was supposed to stabilize a troubled Tenderloin building--now, 24 tenants, many elderly or non-English speaking, face eviction in a move that deepens the housing crisis.
SB 440 offers broader, more protective change order remedies for private works, providing a model to improve AB 626 before its sunset.
Wednesday, February 4, 2026
Post-judgment interest on attorney fees is simple but sneaky: if the law makes fees automatic (like anti-SLAPP), the meter starts at judgment; if a judge must later decide entitlement, the clock doesn't start until the fee award.
In Vetter v. Resnik, the 5th Circuit held that copyright terminations under the U.S. Copyright Act allow authors to recapture worldwide rights--not just U.S. rights--creating potentially enormous implications for the music and broader copyright industries.
Tuesday, February 3, 2026
Patagonia's lawsuit against drag queen Pattie Gonia raises a familiar trademark question--but in a context where advocacy, performance and commerce collide, the stakes are anything but routine.
Private mediation in divorce cases allows parties to resolve disputes confidentially and efficiently, significantly reducing both the financial and emotional costs compared with traditional court proceedings while giving families control over outcomes.
Monday, February 2, 2026
The Pasadena City Council's acceptance of a donated police tracking dog without scrutiny reflects a dangerous, well-documented pattern in which unreliable canine scent evidence--often amounting to junk science--has led to wrongful arrests and convictions, as shown by cases like Josh Connole's and others where dog alerts supplanted rigorous proof and nearly destroyed innocent lives.
Video used to speak for itself in court. Now, thanks to AI and digital manipulation, officers and their attorneys must be ready to prove it's telling the truth.
Friday, January 30, 2026
Annual reporting isn't what it used to be--find out what's required and avoid an unpleasant surprise that could put your license at risk.
Desegregation is not discrimination: Why the lawsuit against LAUSD distorts history, law and justice
The lawsuit claiming LAUSD's desegregation policies "harm white students" isn't just a misreading of the law--it's a distortion of constitutional history and civil rights jurisprudence.
Thursday, January 29, 2026
Grok has become a hub for AI-generated sexual exploitation, prompting California officials to investigate its failure to prevent the creation of deepfakes and child pornography.
Leaving California can eliminate its 13.3% state income tax, but expatriating from the U.S. entirely triggers a costly "exit tax" on all your assets that can be difficult to avoid.
Wednesday, January 28, 2026
As parents let teens ride solo in autonomous vehicles, the real legal question isn't rule-breaking--it's whether companies can avoid responsibility when they knowingly allow foreseeable risks.
Lululemon is now tackling dupe culture on two fronts--challenging lookalikes in court while using a new trademark strategy to curb how competitors talk about them online.
Tuesday, January 27, 2026
As AI hype accelerates, a wave of "AI washing" securities lawsuits--alleging companies overstated or misrepresented their AI capabilities--highlights the need for careful, fact-based disclosures, forward-looking safe-harbor language and proactive risk management to mitigate litigation exposure.
Canadian securities regulators have introduced sweeping reforms to strengthen capital markets amid U.S. trade tensions, expanding capital-raising limits, streamlining IPO requirements and broadening investor participation--creating conditions for continued growth in 2026.
Shutterstock
Sen. Scott Wiener
Sen. Scott Wiener
|
|
|
NEWS
|
General News
Wednesday, February 25, 2026 |
|
| The U.S. tech industry has stubbornly refused to shift where it gets most of its chips, which power things like smartphones, laptops and the giant data centers that run artificial intelligence. | |
|
General News
Wednesday, February 25, 2026 |
|
| A YouTube engineering vice president told a Los Angeles jury the platform optimizes for user value, not addiction, as plaintiffs in coordinated social media litigation claim its design fueled compulsive use and harmed a young user's mental health. | |
|
General News
Wednesday, February 25, 2026 |
|
| A San Francisco judge granted leave to amend a wrongful death complaint filed by the parents of former OpenAI employee Suchir Balaji, finding their claims against the apartment owner could potentially be cured by additional factual allegations. | |
|
General News
Tuesday, February 24, 2026 |
|
| Since Ring's Super Bowl ad aired, instead of a victory lap, Jamie Siminoff has been on an apology tour. | |
|
General News
Tuesday, February 24, 2026 |
|
| Kaiser Foundation Health Plan sued 10 insurers, alleging wrongful denial of coverage for most of its $556 million Medicare fraud settlement and seeking to recover $95 million in policy limits. | |
|
General News
Tuesday, February 24, 2026 |
|
| During a Sacramento hearing, U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd pressed attorneys on whether California's attorney general is a proper defendant and whether AB 130 can be applied retroactively. | |
|
General News
Monday, February 23, 2026 |
|
| High electricity costs and cold temperatures can make heating through the cold season with a heat pump more expensive than using a gas furnace. | |
|
General News
Monday, February 23, 2026 |
|
| A federal judge challenged DivX's theory that Netflix induced patent infringement by continuing operations after being sued, as attorneys sparred over alleged copying and the scope of streaming technology claims. | |
|
General News
Monday, February 23, 2026 |
|
| A federal judge in Los Angeles dismissed a putative class action accusing PepsiCo and Frito-Lay of unlawfully favoring large grocery chains over small convenience stores, ruling that the plaintiffs' Robinson-Patman Act claims lack a workable class framework but granting leave to amend. | |
|
General News
Friday, February 20, 2026 |
|
| Judge David O. Carter criticized the City of Los Angeles and homeless advocates for prolonging a dispute over a court-appointed data monitor, urging them to reach agreement and avoid further public expense in ongoing oversight litigation. | |
|
General News
Friday, February 20, 2026 |
|
| If you had to ask whose forehead was plastered on a billboard along San Francisco's Route 101 last month, you were clearly not in the startup world. | |
|
General News
Thursday, February 19, 2026 |
|
| Here are some strategies for paring down your monthly or annual expenses, digital and otherwise. | |
|
General News
Thursday, February 19, 2026 |
|
| The proposed agreement, filed for preliminary approval in St. Louis, is designed to resolve both current and future claims from individuals alleging they developed Non-Hodgkin lymphoma from the glyphosate-based herbicide. | |
|
General News
Thursday, February 19, 2026 |
|
| In Colorado, historically a hub of coal mining, legislators are planning to give drivers a $2,000 discount on new electric vehicles, more than double the current amount offered by the state. | |
|
General News
Wednesday, February 18, 2026 |
|
| As the country grapples with a housing shortage, Irvine's model has gained a new appeal. | |
|
General News
Wednesday, February 18, 2026 |
|
| An African American-led development team sued Los Angeles and former councilmember Kevin de León, alleging officials sabotaged a $1.2 billion downtown project in retaliation for condemning a 2022 racist recording scandal. | |
|
General News
Wednesday, February 18, 2026 |
|
| Over the past few months, amid the rows and rows of rail cars in various stages of production, the newest Amtrak trains have finally begun rolling onto the tracks. | |
|
General News
Tuesday, February 17, 2026 |
|
| Recent developments have many wondering what a smart security camera or doorbell does, who has access to the video they take -- and what homeowners can do to secure their own data. | |
|
General News
Tuesday, February 17, 2026 |
|
| A California appellate panel rejected Avon's challenges to expert testimony and found sufficient evidence its talc products contained asbestos linked to Rita-Ann Chapman's mesothelioma. | |
|
General News
Tuesday, February 17, 2026 |
|
| The California attorney general said he would investigate whether evacuation delays in West Altadena's historically Black community were influenced by race, age or disability discrimination. | |
|
General News
Friday, February 13, 2026 |
|
| Protect your legacy with regular updates to your financial documents | |
|
General News
Friday, February 13, 2026 |
|
| Instagram chief Adam Mosseri testified as an adverse witness in the first bellwether trial of Los Angeles County's coordinated minors' social media litigation, as jurors reviewed internal Meta emails warning that lifting restrictions on cosmetic filters could prioritize growth over teen safety. | |
|
General News
Friday, February 13, 2026 |
|
| CoStar Group fired back at arguments opposing its bid to disqualify Quinn Emanuel, accusing the firm of knowingly representing a competitor in active litigation without consent and dismissing claims that an advance waiver or ethical wall could cure what it calls a clear breach of loyalty. | |
|
General News
Thursday, February 12, 2026 |
|
| The U.S. economy put in a strong showing at the start of 2026, following a year of disruptions that depressed both the demand for labor and its supply. | |
|
General News
Thursday, February 12, 2026 |
|
| There is a big hole in the seductively simple argument that Trump's policy will push employers to hire Americans: For many jobs, the cheaper and more likely replacement is a robot. | |
|
General News
Thursday, February 12, 2026 |
|
| Google urged jurors to reject claims that YouTube is addictive, arguing usage data and medical records show the plaintiff's mental health struggles were not caused by the platform as the first bellwether trial unfolds. | |
|
General News
Wednesday, February 11, 2026 |
|
| Jurors heard dueling openings in the first bellwether trial accusing Meta and Google of designing addictive platforms that harmed a child, with the defense arguing her mental health struggles stemmed from a troubled home, not social media use. | |
|
General News
Wednesday, February 11, 2026 |
|
| Making healthy financial decisions, such as saving for retirement, paying down credit card debt, and refinancing your mortgage can set you up for long-term financial success. | |
|
General News
Wednesday, February 11, 2026 |
|
| It has been just 26 months since some of the most grueling strikes in Hollywood history came to an end. Now comes the possibility that it will happen all over again. | |
|
General News
Tuesday, February 10, 2026 |
|
| A Los Angeles jury awarded $25 million to a plaintiff who developed severe lung disease after long-term PAM cooking spray use, finding Conagra failed to warn consumers and was fully liable. | |
|
General News
Tuesday, February 10, 2026 |
|
| A Republican proposal to charge higher fees on mortgages for service members and veterans -- adding, in some cases, $1,000 or more to the cost of the loan -- is being scaled back in the face of significant opposition from veterans' groups and lenders. | |
|
General News
Monday, February 9, 2026 |
|
| The 9th Circuit en banc held immigration judges must conduct a case-specific inquiry into whether severe traffic can constitute "exceptional circumstances," overruling part of a 2021 precedent and remanding a family's removal case to the BIA. | |
|
General News
Monday, February 9, 2026 |
|
| Bankruptcy partner Aram Ordubegian will lead ArentFox Schiff's Los Angeles office, aiming to grow the roster from 75 to 100 attorneys as longtime managing partner Aaron Jacoby steps aside after 10 years. | |
|
General News
Monday, February 9, 2026 |
|
| Workplace investigations are a balancing act | |
|
General News
Wednesday, February 25, 2026 |
|
| SB 875 would streamline San Francisco's path to public power, but critics warn it could trigger legal challenges, higher rural rates and broader market consequences. | |
|
General News
Tuesday, February 24, 2026 |
|
| States and the federal government are at odds over how to regulate AI. | |
|
General News
Monday, February 23, 2026 |
|
| The City of Malibu has sued the state, Los Angeles and other agencies over the devastating Palisades Fire, alleging dangerous conditions of public property, public nuisance and inverse condemnation, and seeking to recover extensive public and economic losses. | |
|
General News
Friday, February 20, 2026 |
|
| Mark Zuckerberg defended Instagram's age limits and design choices, disputing claims the platform intentionally addicted minors for profit. | |
|
General News
Thursday, February 19, 2026 |
|
| A half-dozen senior executives at Southern California Edison and its parent company will lose an estimated $2 million in bonuses as a result of the devastating Eaton fire near Los Angeles last year, the electric utility said Wednesday. | |
|
General News
Wednesday, February 18, 2026 |
|
| A federal judge considers certifying a class action alleging UNOS and Cedars-Sinai used race-based kidney function calculations that delayed Black patients' transplant wait times and harmed thousands nationwide. | |
|
General News
Tuesday, February 17, 2026 |
|
| A federal judge found Los Angeles altered and fabricated sanitation records in a homeless encampment lawsuit, issuing terminating sanctions on liability and citing willful misconduct and bad faith. | |
|
General News
Friday, February 13, 2026 |
|
| A Los Angeles Superior Court judge tentatively ruled that Palisades Fire plaintiffs adequately alleged dangerous conditions and infrastructure failures, allowing inverse condemnation claims against the city, its water and power utility and the state to move forward into discovery. | |
|
General News
Thursday, February 12, 2026 |
|
| The city also asked the circuit court to halt a contempt hearing the judge scheduled, arguing that he is exceeding his authority to interfere with elected officials' decision-making and making rulings based on information not presented in court. | |
|
General News
Wednesday, February 11, 2026 |
|
| A special effects studio sued Paramount and Spyglass, alleging the Ghostface mask infringes its original design, while the studios countered with a lawsuit arguing the claims are untimely and aimed at leveraging the upcoming "Scream 7" release. | |
|
General News
Tuesday, February 10, 2026 |
|
| After a week's deliberation and a trial that began in November, a Los Angeles jury awarded a verdict of $8.8 million to share among 24 residents in and around Carson for the foul odor that emanated from a warehouse fire. | |
|
General News
Monday, February 9, 2026 |
|
| A Northern District judge declined to hold insurance broker John Marques in contempt after his lawyer said a serious medical condition prevented compliance with post-judgment discovery in an SEC action tied to the $170 million EquiAlt real estate fraud. | |