GUEST COLUMNS
Monday, October 21, 2019
As a financial advisor, I've worked with many clients as they plan for their dream home and gleaned insights on the process along the way. Building a home can be an exciting, but challenging time. It takes a plan with realistic timelines, budgets and expectations to stay on track and keep your sanity through what can feel like an overwhelming process. If building a home is on your bucket list, here are some considerations before you start.
Wednesday, October 9, 2019
SAN FRANCISCO — After a succession of devastating wildfires in the last four years, tens of thousands of Californians — many with broken spirits, many homeless — may now lose out on compensation from the company that was to blame.
Monday, October 7, 2019
Currently trending in the media is the concept of an incredibly early retirement, called the FIRE (financial independence, retire early) movement. News outlets are printing stories of people successfully retiring in their 50s, 40s and even 30s. If you are intrigued by the idea of retiring early, you are probably wondering if moving your retirement date forward is something within your reach.
Wednesday, October 2, 2019
Ryan Beam has spent roughly the past year pushing for government reform, speaking with lawmakers and writing op-eds for newspapers around California. "It seems like 'politics' is a bad word," Beam, a 17-year-old high school senior in Santa Cruz County, told me recently. "This is just sort of civic engagement." Beam's civic activism does have a singular focus: Getting California to let 17-year-olds vote in the presidential primary, as long as they'll be 18 on Election Day in November.
Monday, September 30, 2019
For families of individuals with disabilities, crafting a financial plan requires a delicate balance. As a financial advisor, I've seen this balance play out firsthand. Families want to save responsibly, anticipating future expenses including retirement, but need to be careful not to save more than the limits required for government assistance. ABLE accounts are designed to fill this need. Money saved and invested into one of these accounts can be withdrawn to cover current or future care ? without putting federal and state aid dollars at risk.
Friday, September 27, 2019
In Curver Luxembourg SARL v. Home Expressions Inc., case number 18-2214, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit recently held that the claim language of a design patent can limit its scope where the claim language supplies the only instance of an article of manufacture that appears nowhere in the figures.
Monday, September 23, 2019
For decades, people have subscribed to newspapers, magazines and cable services. Today, that subscription-based payment model is being used across a wide range of consumer products and services.
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
The fight over California's Assembly Bill 5 — the newly approved legislation requiring many gig economy workers to be counted as employees — has been intense. Newspapers up and down the state of California said they have become collateral damage from the state's effort to rein in the gig economy. My colleague Tim Arango dug into how the legislation would affect one of those industries.
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
Giving a teenager a credit card may seem a risky proposition. But finance experts say it can be a helpful educational step, with proper limits.
Monday, September 16, 2019
Many people dream of starting a business. And, for some, a spouse or significant other is the ideal business partner. The prospect of building an enterprise with the person they share other parts of their lives with may be appealing on a number of levels from shared passion, convenience and common goals.
Friday, September 13, 2019
Landlords whose tenants sell counterfeit goods can be liable for trademark infringement if they have knowledge of the infringing acts or are willfully blind to the infringement.
Thursday, September 12, 2019
Monday's session in the California Legislature will likely be remembered for the hundreds of anti-vaccine protestors who shut down both the Senate and Assembly at various times in the afternoon. But lawmakers also acted on scores of bills, including significant gun control and #MeToo bills.
Friday, August 30, 2019
The USPTO recently refused legendary quarterback Tom Brady's application to register the mark TOM TERRIFIC. If you're like me, you're wondering why Tom Brady would want to register such a trademark. Well, according to Brady, he wanted to obtain the rights to the mark to prevent people from referring to him by that nickname. But that response isn't satisfactory for those of us who know about trademark law for a couple of reasons.
Thursday, August 29, 2019
Everything old is new again, at least when it comes to punching loopholes in state tax laws to benefit corporate interests.
Monday, August 26, 2019
Retirement is one of the most important financial goals for many married couples. It's something you may dream about and work hard to reach. But, even if you feel like you are on track in terms of meeting your financial objectives, there is an equally important factor to consider ? are you both on the same page about your vision and plans for retirement?
Wednesday, August 21, 2019
Corn-based ethanol cheaper to produce but less environmentally friendly than more advanced biofuels
Tuesday, August 20, 2019
Residents of low-tax states no longer subsidizing higher tax and spending states like California.
Friday, August 16, 2019
In Celgene Corporation v. Peter, the Federal Circuit recently affirmed the PTAB's decisions finding appealed claims obvious. However, more importantly, the Federal Circuit also held that the retroactive application of IPR proceedings to pre-AIA patents is not an unconstitutional taking under the Fifth Amendment.
Thursday, August 15, 2019
Two proposed class actions alleging California's public universities unfairly punish students accused of sexual misconduct will likely win class certification, legal experts say, in what would be the state's first-ever lawsuits seeking mass dismissal of student disciplinary decisions based on alleged due process violations.
Monday, August 12, 2019
No summary was provided
No summary was provided
Friday, August 9, 2019
A larger EITC led mothers to move out of shared living arrangements with non-related adults
Thursday, August 8, 2019
Construction remains one of the most male dominated professions left in the United States.
Tuesday, August 6, 2019
Californians are worn out by the high cost of housing and see no alternative but to leave.
Monday, August 5, 2019
Americans juggle a lot of interest rates in their daily lives. They pay interest on car loans, credit card balances and mortgages. They earn interest, at least a little, on the money they save with banks.
Thursday, August 1, 2019
For a half century, Freddie Mac has made homeownership possible more than 80 million times.
Tuesday, July 30, 2019
COMPTON — It was bath time and Rosalba Moralez heard a cry. She rushed to the bathroom and found her 7-year-old daughter, Alexxa, being doused with brown, putrid water.
Friday, July 26, 2019
"A trademark is a brand name. A trademark or service mark includes any word, name, symbol, device, or any combination, used or intended to be used to identify and distinguish the goods/services of one seller or provider from those of others, and to indicate the source of the goods/services."
Even women who are famous for their mastery of a domain find themselves being mansplained.
Thursday, July 25, 2019
Laurel Rosenhall, a reporter for the nonprofit news site CalMatters, catches us up on state lawmakers' efforts to curb police shootings.
Tuesday, July 23, 2019
California is home to 12% of the U.S. population, but 25% of the country's homeless.
California is home to 12% of the U.S. population, but 25% of the country's homeless.
Trump's first successful nominee to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals was expected to be a moderate. But a year into his confirmation, Judge Mark J. Bennett is showing signs he's not quite the middle of the road voice his critics, and supporters, claimed he would be.
In a matter of first impression, the state Supreme Court determined there is a presumption that post-conviction evidence under the court's control is open for inspection.
Friday, July 19, 2019
A few years ago, when the concessionaire for Yosemite National Park (the "Park"), Delaware North, was informed that the Park planned to consider other concessionaires, such as Aramark, Delaware North responded in shocking fashion.
Tuesday, June 18, 2019
California's great wealth only masks its increasing dysfunction. Nothing highlights this quite like the explosion of homelessness in the Golden State.
As President Donald Trump rails against the Federal Reserve and urges it to lower interest rates, a similar push is coming from a group founded this year by three left-leaning millennials — albeit for very different reasons.
Monday, June 17, 2019
President Donald Trump's dispute with China has landed on the doorstep of Verizon, with Huawei demanding that the American wireless giant pay licensing fees on hundreds of patents, according to two people briefed on the matter.
If Boeing is allowed to certify that a crash-prone aircraft is safe, and Facebook can violate users' privacy expectations, should companies and industries ever be allowed to police themselves? The debate is heating up particularly in the U.S. tech sector with growing calls to regulate -- or even break up -- the likes of Google, Apple and Amazon.
Wednesday, June 12, 2019
ver the past several years, teenage suicide rates have spiked horrifically. Depression rates are surging, and America's mental health overall is deteriorating. What's going on?
The California bullet-train project is a case study in mismanagement of an infrastructure megaproject.
Tuesday, June 11, 2019
Employers should do more to hire and retain workers with disabilities in a tight labor market.
Employers should do more to hire and retain workers with disabilities in a tight labor market.
Wednesday, June 5, 2019
DOJ should challenge court's legal findings or at least the draconian impact of its accompanying orders
The Federal Arbitration Act ("FAA") evinces a national policy favoring arbitration. The law provides for strong, uniform, and broad enforcement of arbitration agreements when it applies. It preempts state laws and court decisions that disfavor arbitration.
Monday, June 3, 2019
The MGS is a mystery because prior to a 2015 refinery explosion it pretty much didn't exist.
Employers' obligations to investigate workplace-related claims do not end when the complainant or the accused no longer works for the business.
Thursday, May 30, 2019
There have decades of bipartisan rhetoric about the virtues of home ownership, with politicians competing with one another to see who can propose the worst ideas for responsible homeownership.
Fair warning: By reading this you will be plunging into the Legislature's almost impenetrably arcane thicket of internal procedures.
Wednesday, May 29, 2019
Last September, Uber's top executives were pitched by some of Wall Street's biggest banks, Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs. The bankers' presentations calculated Uber's valuation almost identically, hovering around one particular number: $120 billion. Nine months later, Uber is worth about half that figure.
The 'rise of the robots' a threat to the human workers, but not within the next two generations
Friday, May 24, 2019
One of the requirements for obtaining a patent is the written description requirement ? the specification must include a written description of the invention. 35 U.S.C §112(a).
While we aspire to build a #CaliforniaForAll, our state faces serious divides between regions of enormous wealth and regions of deep poverty.
States uncovered the 1,244 data breaches affecting 446 million records that occurred just last year.
Thursday, May 23, 2019
At last count, California's Democratic political leadership had filed four dozen lawsuits against President Donald Trump's administration, reflecting differences on policies large and small.
Voters who supported Proposition 64 were duped by a bait-and-switch
Wednesday, May 22, 2019
The Chinese technology giant Huawei on Monday began feeling painful ripple effects of a Trump administration order that effectively bars U.S. firms from selling components and software to the company.
In 2001, Gen-Xers held an average of $130,000 in assets. In 2016, millennials held 31 percent less.
Tuesday, May 14, 2019
When it comes to solving the state's housing affordability crisis the Legislature seems at a loss.
There's nothing terribly surprising about how Elizabeth Warren's campaign is playing out. She's scoring big points for her seriousness, reflected in a raft of detailed policy proposals.
Tuesday, May 7, 2019
In Cass Sunstein's new book, "How Change Happens," he makes a few points. First, sometimes people's private reactions differ from how society tells them they're supposed to react to a given situation. Second, if you give people permission to express how they really feel, they will sometimes take you up on it. Third, if there is mass dissidence between how people feel they're supposed to act and their actual feelings, then you've got a situation ripe for radical and sudden social change.
A study of tiny home downsizers found that their ecological footprints were reduced by about 45%.
Wednesday, May 1, 2019
California motorists pay $1.17 per gallon more than the national average, according to AAA
Gary Cohn was born in 1960 in the suburbs of Cleveland.
Tuesday, April 30, 2019
The CPUC has previously defined safety performance metrics for utilities and the utilities responded
Senate Bill 1300, enacted last year, is one of the California Legislature's answer to the "Me Too" movement.
Friday, April 26, 2019
Whether or not the Impossible Burger venture succeeds on a large scale remains to be seen
Shockingly, some at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board ("PTAB") think textbook publishers who include dated copyright notices don't actually publish the textbooks that year! Further, would you have imagined an argument that textbooks aren't printed publications?
Thursday, April 25, 2019
Managers with strong BS skills are adept at delaying unwanted scrutiny of a company's performance
Managers with strong BS skills are adept at delaying unwanted scrutiny of a company's performance
Managers with strong BS skills are adept at delaying unwanted scrutiny of a company's performance
Tuesday, April 23, 2019
List of expenditures unavailable because financial data is scattered across 500 incompatible systems.
As the unemployment rate remains low, there may be more available jobs than qualified applicants to fill them. So, job-seekers are in high demand. One possible side effect of aggressive recruiting and rising wages is that employers are experiencing what is colloquially known as "ghosting."
Tuesday, April 16, 2019
Airlines respond differently to public concerns about fatal accidents involving Boeing 737 MAX 8
Monday, April 8, 2019
If you're planning a wedding -- whether it's your own or your child's -- and haven't been paying close attention to the wedding industry, you may experience sticker shock as you begin calculating costs.
California lawmakers propose inexplicable ban on safer alternatives to conventional cigarettes
Friday, April 5, 2019
On March 25, 2018, the District Court in Nichia Corporation v. VIZIO, Inc., Case No. 8-16-cv-00545 (CACD 2019-03-25, Order), granted defendant's motion to preclude plaintiff's damages expert from testifying that plaintiff should recover, as compensatory damages, its costs incurred in a related Inter Partes Review (IPR) proceedings. The Court found such testimony would constitute an improper circumvention of 35 U.S.C. § 285's requirements for an attorney fee award.
California recently passed a law prohibiting employers from asking applicants for salary history
Wednesday, April 3, 2019
Even after two fatal crashes of the Boeing 737, CEO Dennis Muilenburg insisted the aircraft is safe
The two most recent times I saw my friend Makoto Fujimura, he put a Kintsugi bowl in my hands. These ceramic bowls were 300 to 400 years old.
Tuesday, April 2, 2019
It can cost a half-million dollars more to build the same-size house in California as it does in Texas. The number of adults surprised by this is roughly zero.
Out in the way beyond, the open land on the far side of the Mueller report and cable news obsessives, is a vast kingdom now being used to hasten the demise of the planet.
Monday, April 1, 2019
Figuring out how to pay for college is like putting together a puzzle. At first, it can feel like all the pieces are jumbled in the box.
Bay Area lawmaker proposes a $3.5 million levy on estates to address "wealth inequality" for children.
Wednesday, March 27, 2019
Many employers use background investigations when making hiring, promotional, and similar decisions. The data made available by these investigations help the employer evaluate applicants in greater depth than an application and typical job interviews will allow.
The information-technology industry has successfully lobbied against attempts to legislate or regulate it
Tuesday, March 26, 2019
California needs fewer NIMBYs (not in my backyard), and more YIMBYs (yes in my backyard).
The average American consumes roughly 200 pounds of meat a year. According to Jayson Lusk, an agricultural economist at Purdue University, Americans eat more meat per capita than citizens of almost any other country in the world, making them "the king of meat eaters." How did the United States achieve such a status? And what — if anything — should be done about it?
Monday, March 25, 2019
All have one or more leading research universities and a large proportion of college-educated people.
Wednesday, March 20, 2019
Josef Stalin dreamed of creating a totalitarian society where every individual's behavior could be predicted and controlled but he was born a century too early. He lived before the technology that would have made being a dictator so much easier!
Proposed measure would require all of California's state and local government agencies to use XBRL
Tuesday, March 19, 2019
The profit margin of scientific journal publisher Elsevier nearly 40% while Apple is only 23%
Frans and Caroline Swaalf, management consultants in the Netherlands, have been enamored of South Florida since they were graduate students at the University of Miami in the 1990s.
Monday, March 18, 2019
As a rule, the more an object can be reused - even as a disposable item - the better for the environment
Friday, March 15, 2019
The United States Supreme Court granted a writ of certiorari in Iancu v. NantKwest to determine whether a patent applicant, win or lose, must pay the salaries of the United States Patent and Trademark Office's ("USPTO") in-house attorneys in district court actions challenging the rejection of patent claims by USPTO patent examiners.
The initial stage in the first of the test cases arguing Monsanto's signature weedkiller causes cancer wrapped up on Tuesday with an attorney for the plaintiff again violating the judge's orders, this time by telling the jury to consider whether multiple factors contributed to the plaintiff's illness.
Proposed law may actually impede lactation accommodations for working mothers and promote litigation.
Dozens of people accused of having bought their children's way into elite colleges and universities.
Thursday, March 14, 2019
Two of the nation's largest telecommunications providers have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene in lawsuits claiming they improperly refused to carry programs produced by an African-American owned production studio because of racial discrimination.
The Cadiz Water Project has received numerous validations of its plans, including CEQA approval
Wednesday, March 13, 2019
The financial system had nearly collapsed. The deepest recession in decades was devouring over 700,000 jobs a month. Roughly $13 trillion in stock market wealth, slowly rebuilt since the dot-com bust, had again been incinerated.
Efforts to shift direction and build more transit-oriented development are moving slowly
Tuesday, March 12, 2019
Raghuram Rajan is a professor of finance at the University of Chicago. Rajan's book called "The Third Pillar: How Markets and the State Leave the Community Behind." Its theme is the fragility of democracy — a fairly radical notion for an economist.
TCJA offers tools and provisions for both commercial real estate and residential real estate investors.
Monday, March 11, 2019
A California federal judge ruled Wednesday that the Trump administration's proposed reinstatement of a citizenship question to the 2020 Census is illegal, further complicating a fraught issue by concurring with a New York judge on one claim while adding another.
Security excuses for gathering data increase our risk. They pile up and leach into unexpected places.
For several years leading up to 2018, the stock market was abnormally calm. Stocks had some ups and downs, but generally continued to march higher without much disruption.
Thursday, March 7, 2019
An Oakland federal judge on Monday struck down San Francisco County's use of money bail for those suspected of crimes but not yet charged as a "significant deprivation of liberty."
California's housing demand will not be met by stealing the profit motive from housing suppliers
Wednesday, March 6, 2019
Everyone, it seems, has ideas about new tax strategies, some more realistic than others. Whatever your politics, there is a bipartisan acknowledgment that the tax system is broken. Whether you believe the system should be fixed to generate more revenue or employed as a tool to limit inequality, there is a justifiable sense the public doesn't trust the tax system to be fair.
Recreation and commerce flourish in daylight and are hampered by evening darkness
Tuesday, March 5, 2019
Freedie Mac is focused on inclusion, defined as the intentional act of making people feel included
Freedie Mac is focused on inclusion, defined as the intentional act of making people feel included
Thursday, February 28, 2019
Fewer than 10% of independent contractors prefer traditional work environments to freelancing
Fewer than 10% of independent contractors prefer traditional work environments to freelancing
Wednesday, February 27, 2019
For decades, employers have used timekeeping practices that involve rounding, for example, rounding the employees' "punch time" up or down to the nearest tenth or quarter hour.
The Bay Area should have added a million housing units since 2000, but only 380,000 units were built.
Tuesday, February 26, 2019
California backs 'safe harbor' federal legislation for banks accommodating the cannabis industry
It's natural enough to see elite athletes as finely tuned machines. They're usually bigger, faster and stronger than the rest of us, and their movements can have a grace that appears nearly effortless. But if you talk to enough athletes and coaches, you discover that the mind, not the body, is where most of their energy is going.
Monday, February 25, 2019
After one of the longest bull markets in history, stocks experienced some major ups and downs toward the end of 2018.
Thursday, February 21, 2019
Yesterday's marijuana is as different from today's as near-beer and a martini.
Yesterday's marijuana is as different from today's as near-beer and a martini.
The early hearing may indicate where the court leans, but opponents of the move say their victory at the district court will be upheld.
Wednesday, February 13, 2019
SF Ordinance requiring health warning labels on sugary drink ads runs afoul of 1st Amendment
Two banks announced the industry's biggest merger in a decade on Thursday, signaling bank executives' growing confidence that the regulatory constraints imposed after the 2008 financial crisis have begun to loosen.
Tuesday, February 12, 2019
Californians make up only 12 percent of the U.S. population, but 25 percent of the nation's homeless.
Andrew Yang was born in Schenectady, New York, to immigrant parents from Taiwan. Yang, now 44, studied economics and political science at Brown, got a law degree at Columbia and ultimately became a successful entrepreneur, with a focus on job creation. In the American dream sweepstakes, he was a pretty big winner. But along the way, he came to see that for every winner, there were thousands upon thousands of losers.
Tuesday, February 5, 2019
axing the wealthiest Americans at a higher rate may be good politics, since most voters won't be affected.
Advertisers and marketers once struggled to predict sales of such leisure products movies and books.
Monday, February 4, 2019
Technology has inspired new ways for investors to manage their finances -- often with added convenience and efficiency.
The state of California wants to see 1.5 million Zero Emission Vehicles on California's streets by 2025
Thursday, January 31, 2019
U.S. continues to allow Internet Service Providers to self-regulate with minimal external controls.
U.S. continues to allow Internet Service Providers to self-regulate with minimal external controls.
Wednesday, January 30, 2019
The state government has caused trouble by stomping on private acts of kindness, like food sharing.
Employers require at least some employees to travel for business purposes. When hourly employees travel as part of the job, several employment law issues require attention.
Tuesday, January 29, 2019
The number of applicants to nursing schools in California far exceeds the number of available slots
The Ford Motor Co. is ditching its legacy sedans, doubling down on trucks and trying to steer its stock price out of a long skid.
Thursday, January 24, 2019
With nearly 53,000 federal inmates eligible for relief under the newly enacted First Step Act, the federal criminal justice law that eases mandatory minimums, a ruling from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals may indicate the court's inclination to streamline the process, attorneys say.
Operating costs for the valley's tech startups as much as four times higher than in emerging tech hubs.
Wednesday, January 23, 2019
Former California Gov. Jerry Brown signed more than 1,000 new laws that go into effect this year.
Stocks came very close to entering a bear market on Christmas Eve, which was a very bad thing. Just about everybody said so.
Tuesday, January 22, 2019
If you stand to inherit a property, such as a family home or vacation condo, the gift presents a critical financial decision: whether to sell, rent or keep the home. And oftentimes, this decision is handled while dealing with the loss of a loved one.
The GND Plan recognizes that tackling climate change is going to be disruptive, hurting some people.
Wednesday, January 16, 2019
Employers enter into agreements with employees to settle threatened claims or litigation, and to resolve any potential claims, such as at the time of a layoff or discharge.
Tuesday, January 15, 2019
The demise of the iconic retailer is a sad for the company and those associated with it.
You probably want to be a good person. But you may also be completely self-absorbed. So you may be thinking, "There is no way I can be good if I'm also a narcissist. But how wrong you are!
Monday, January 14, 2019
A prominent economic story of the past year has been the growing tide of trade disputes across the globe.
OZ's offer preferential tax treatment when investing in economically distressed communities.
Thursday, January 10, 2019
The potential fallout from an insincere apology can make the fallout from a crisis far worse.
After he was sworn in as state attorney general Monday, Xavier Becerra took shots at his most frequent opponent in court: the Trump administration.
Tuesday, January 8, 2019
A year ago, in the wake of President Donald Trump's tax cut, euphoric investors pushed the Dow Jones industrial average past 25,000, a record.
The inauguration traditionally reflects the personal and governing style of the governor being sworn in.
Monday, January 7, 2019
The tea leaves suggest that the days of fiscal wine and roses for California government are over
The Trademark Trial and Appeals Board recently issued an interesting decision regarding standing to oppose the registration of trademark applications. United Trademark Holdings, Inc. filed for registration of the mark RAPUNZEL for use in conjunction with dolls and toy figures.
Friday, January 4, 2019
A quick glance at television commercials or online pop-up ads shows that rewards programs are the name of the game for many credit cards.
Lawmaker says people driven to homelessness because of housing crisis, among other on challenges
Thursday, January 3, 2019
Law students and professors have gone to Tijuana to advise asylum seekers on their options.
1,800 businesses moved out or 'disinvested' from California, according to the most recent data
Wednesday, January 2, 2019
This fall, the California legislature responded to the #MeToo movement in a significant way.
Monday, December 31, 2018
Actors gain notoriety for different reasons. For some it's due to a physical characteristic or an iconic character portrayal.
Friday, December 28, 2018
Welcoming a child is an incredibly exciting time in your life.
Thursday, December 27, 2018
The blocking of a pardon for a twice-convicted felon was a rare stumble in the governor's race to grant clemencies as his last term comes to an end.
Wednesday, December 26, 2018
Employers and the public understandably focus on workplace harassment claims arising from co-workers' or supervisors' conduct. However, an employer also may incur liability for unlawful workplace harassment perpetrated by an outsider, such as a customer or vendor.
Monday, December 24, 2018
Give time, talent or treasures to the least of those in our communities
Friday, December 21, 2018
Non-statutory, or obviousness-type, double patenting ("ODP") is a judicially created doctrine that prohibits an inventor from effectively extending the monopoly on a patented invention by applying for a later patent with claims that are not "patentably distinct" from the claims in the earlier patent. The core principle behind the doctrine is that "an inventor must fully disclose [the] invention and promise to permit free use of it at the end of [the] patent term." See Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp. v. Breckenridge Pharmaceutical ("Breckenridge").
For many of us, the new year means a fresh start and the chance to set new goals. If your resolutions are money related, here are some ways to strengthen your financial foundation in 2019.
Wednesday, December 19, 2018
Just seven months before the scheduled release of a new technology system intended to simplify the repayment process for more than 35 million federal student loan borrowers, the Education Department is scrapping its plan and starting over.
No gas-fueled cars, no 'gig' jobs, no fur products and other questionable legislation
Tuesday, December 18, 2018
Retired 1st District Court of Appeal Justice William A. Newsom III died Wednesday. He was 84.
Immigration leads to a wider variety of better products for the American consumer.
Monday, December 17, 2018
You've worked hard to accumulate your wealth and now want to share the fruits of your labor with your grandchildren.
Ruling allowing a much-needed pension reform would save California from fiscal disaster.
Thursday, December 13, 2018
Facing NIMBY opposition Elon Musk, abandoned plans his for a hyperloop transportation system
Recently, officials in California announced that the Camp Fire, the deadliest wildfire in the state's history, had been fully contained. The achievement was made possible through the hard work of firefighters on the ground, with some help from above: a swarm of tiny, orbiting satellites that represent the next phase of the space age.
Tuesday, December 11, 2018
For many the holidays mean not only shopping and family time but also scanning job advertisements
What if President Trump's gut turns out to have been right and the Federal Reserve's interest rate increases are holding back the United States economy?
Friday, December 7, 2018
Focus on environmental, social, and governance investing costs potential returns
Every year about this time, I search the PTO database for any new patents on inventions related to Christmas. This year turned up several.
Wednesday, December 5, 2018
Stocks rose on Wall Street Monday after President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping of China reached a truce in the countries' trade war.
It's near impossible to fix our own stuckness because we all operate in our own blind spots
Tuesday, December 4, 2018
Young leaders bring passion, but that doesn't necessarily make up for a lack of wisdom
Many people think the American political system is "broken" — but what if that's not true? The authors of a recent Harvard Business School report say that the Republican and Democratic parties constitute a duopoly: a wildly successful industry that has colluded to kill off competition, stifle reform and drive the country apart.
Friday, November 30, 2018
In University of Massachusetts Medical School et al v. L'Oreal SA et al, 1-17-cv-00868 (DED 2018-11-13, Order) (Sherry R. Fallon), the magistrate judge recommended granting a foreign parent company defendant's motion to dismiss plaintiffs' patent infringement action for lack of personal jurisdiction where its American subsidiary introduced the alleged accused products into the stream of commerce and the foreign defendant's corporate structure is not sufficient to establish personal jurisdiction because "mere ownership of a subsidiary does not justify the imposition of liability on the parent."
While still early in the regulatory process, Opportunity Zones are a boon for real estate investors.
Wednesday, November 28, 2018
Devastation caused by forest wild fires increasing, nowhere more so than in California.
Days after President Donald Trump attacked the impartiality of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, attorneys at the U.S. Department of Justice asked the nation's highest court to review an injunction blocking the government from implementing a ban on transgender soldiers in the military, effectively seeking to skip the very court Trump brazenly called a "complete and total disaster."
Tuesday, November 27, 2018
As 2018 winds down, it's time to think about if and how you may be able to reduce the taxes owed on your next tax return.
Nonprofits should send fundraising communications on a day when they can be the star of the show.
Monday, November 26, 2018
The San Diego Padres recently took control of the Amarillo minor league baseball organization. The organization will serve at the Padres' Double A affiliate.
Climate scientist refutes Gov. Brown's claim of link between warming and recent wildfires
Monday, November 19, 2018
Without risk, there can be no innovation. The world of innovation is murky and uncertain. You must give people your permission to fail. Otherwise, they won't even try.
Retirement brings the end of a chapter in your career and the start of a new lifestyle. This unique transition can bring a myriad of emotions, most commonly ones of excitement and apprehension.
Thursday, November 1, 2018
Aggressive NIMBY outlook and excessive regulation responsible for unaffordable housing.
The attorney for a Black Lives Matter activist announced a plea deal hours ahead of a hearing on her motion to force the entire San Joaquin County district attorney's office to recuse itself from the case.
Wednesday, October 17, 2018
Federal regulations are the source of banking limitations on cannabis-related commerce.
The World Trade Organization is the referee for 164 member nations, each with their own political and economic agendas. Lately, those agendas have gotten more complicated, especially with President Donald Trump's tariff blitz. The modern global economy requires a delicate balance in which countries collaborate on trade while simultaneously competing against one another. This competition often requires a referee to make sure everyone's following the rules.
Thursday, October 11, 2018
Opportunity Zones aim to uplift low-income neighborhoods, while providing generous tax incentives.
Opportunity Zones aim to uplift low-income neighborhoods, while providing generous tax incentives.
Wednesday, October 10, 2018
his article is Part 2 of a two-part series providing an overview of laws affecting San Francisco employers.
Tuesday, October 9, 2018
We've all heard the same story: Our economy would be more dynamic if only the government would get out of the way. But Mariana Mazzucato, a professor of the economics of innovation and public value at University College London, says we've got that story backward.
Fourth Industrial Revolution, like all good revolutions, is disrupting social and economic structures.
Monday, October 8, 2018
Each year, employers offer an open enrollment period — a window of time to select your benefits package for the coming year.
UC Berkeley has signed master lease agreements at privately developed housing projects.
Friday, October 5, 2018
The state Supreme Court wrongly takes away free choice of how individuals practice their occupation.
In recent years, the U.S. Supreme Court has considered a number of intellectual property and related cases, but many issues remain unresolved. Therefore, it is important to look both at the cases currently before the U.S. Supreme Court as well as those the Court chooses to let stand without further review.
Wednesday, October 3, 2018
Rabbi Gavriel Price has thousands of years of Jewish religious law to draw on when he is on the job, determining whether a new food item can get a kosher certification from his organization, the Orthodox Union.
Seeing makeshift homes on sidewalks and freeway off ramps is not unusual in most parts of California. Tents can now be found on sidewalks where just a block away, two-bedroom homes easily sell for more than $1 million.
Debtors who file for bankruptcy protection are protected by the imposition of an automatic stay.
Tuesday, October 2, 2018
Community Choice Aggregators are taking California cities and counties storm.
Thursday, September 27, 2018
Survey analysts on both sides defended their methodology studying pay-for-play's impact on consumer demand Monday in the potentially landscape-altering NCAA antitrust trial where student-athletes are fighting for a larger stake in the multi-billion dollar industry.
California's Tom Steyer is financing renewable fuels legislation across the country.
Wednesday, September 26, 2018
This article is Part 1 of a two-part series providing an overview of laws affecting San Francisco employers.
Partnerships and LLCs face dramatic changes in how audits are conducted.
Tuesday, September 25, 2018
The national anthems of the United States and Mexico were played over the stadium speakers as the flags of both countries fluttered in the hot summer wind. Fans chatted away in English and Spanish. It was time for the Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos, the Owls of the Two Laredos, one of the oldest teams in Mexican baseball, to take the field here at Uni-Trade Stadium on the Texas side of the border. Except this was not an away game.
Monday, September 24, 2018
Let's face it -- summer can be expensive between vacations, home improvements
Wednesday, September 19, 2018
Those who take climate change and efforts to stop it seriously can arguably be divided into two broad camps: environmentalists and techno-optimists. The former believe that technology, population growth and overconsumption have led us to the brink of a disaster that only a dramatic change in lifestyles can avert. Techno-optimists, meanwhile, tend to believe that technology is as much the answer to our climate problems as the cause and that, ultimately, we can innovate our way out of the crisis. Mary Robinson, a former president of Ireland (the first woman to hold the position) and United Nations high commissioner for human rights most surely falls into the first camp.
Monday, September 17, 2018
For small business owners, managing the bottom line of their company is often a top priority.
Lisa Brennan-Jobs' memoir recounts life with (and without) father Steve Jobs.
Friday, September 14, 2018
Lawmakers determined to root out sexual harassment in the Golden State.
Galderma Laboratories, LP et al v. Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC et al, 1-16-cv-00207 (DED August 31, 2018, Order) (Stark, USDJ), Judge Stark of the District of Delaware recently found that a plaintiff was collaterally estopped from pursuing claims for patent infringement of two drug patents under a doctrine of equivalents theory based on a finding of no literal infringement in a prior case even though a doctrine of equivalents theory was not asserted in that case.
Thursday, September 13, 2018
Both of California's U.S. senators, Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris, sit on the Senate Judiciary Committee, both played starring roles in last week's confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, and both had personal political agendas.
NAFTA's trilateral composition is the heart, not a glitch of the original agreement.
Tuesday, September 11, 2018
As you may have heard, Scandinavians are a pretty happy bunch. Defining human happiness is a tricky, inherently subjective task. But we can probably all agree that it has something to do with a combination of material well-being, physical and mental health, personal security and strong social ties.
Caltrans runs afoul of state law that prohibits use of taxpayer funds for campaign activities or advocacy
Monday, September 10, 2018
There's no question that Social Security is a cornerstone of retirement income for many Americans.
Wednesday, September 5, 2018
What policies the rest of the country needs to reject to avoid falling into the California trap.
What policies the rest of the country needs to reject to avoid falling into the California trap.
Friday, August 31, 2018
Procter & Gamble, the international consumer packaged goods conglomerate, recently filed a slew of trademark applications with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, seeking to register WTF, LOL, FML, and NBD for use in conjunction with certain consumer goods.
Women are making progress in executive and senior level management, but still lag behind men.
Thursday, August 30, 2018
When it comes to employment, a felony conviction is more damaging than imprisonment.
President Donald J. Trump has nominated Phoenix-based Magistrate Judge Bridget Shelton Bade to an Arizona seat on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, ending a two-year deadlock between the state's senators and the White House in negotiations to find a suitable nominee.
Wednesday, August 29, 2018
Helping public housing residents to overcome their dependence on the government.
Some employers historically have set a new employee's wages
Tuesday, August 28, 2018
The school shootings at Virginia Tech and Sandy Hook; the massacres at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, and outside the Mandalay Bay hotel in Las Vegas; the terrorist attacks during the Boston Marathon. After each of these tragedies, someone has a thankless, brutally difficult job to do: determine how the available compensation money should be distributed to the victims and their families. That someone is usually Kenneth Feinberg, along with his small Washington law firm.
Mortgage professionals are gaining better understanding of borrowers of the future
Monday, August 27, 2018
The road to retirement is full of twists and turns that can make even the most financially secure person wonder if they saved enough for their next chapter. If you feel similar emotions
Labor Day is a testament to America's high esteem for hard work.
Friday, August 24, 2018
Often, it's just the case of another business with the same name having registered that account first.
Thursday, August 23, 2018
The long-running legal dispute between the Commission on Judicial Performance and the state auditor could be nearing its conclusion, thanks in part to a pair of bills now advancing through the Legislature.
Permissionless innovation fomented by competitive free markets best guarantees consumer welfare.
Wednesday, August 22, 2018
Lance Armstrong was once one of the most lionized athletes on the planet. Then, in 2012, it all fell apart. During a television interview with Oprah Winfrey he admitted to using erythropoietin, or EPO. Stephen Dubner recently chatted with Armstrong about that infamous interview and how the years since have changed him.
New warning signs must be posted on buildings, or property owners could face lawsuits or penalties
Tuesday, August 21, 2018
What does a beer company do to hedge against slowing growth in its main business?
Wages grew 3.5 percent when adjusted for compositional change in the workforce
Friday, August 17, 2018
First of three guidances describe the transition tax on controlled foreign corporations.
Wednesday, August 15, 2018
Opportunity to embed AI and machine learning into a company's internal operational processes.
California law protects employers from lawsuits based on negative employment references given without malice. Therefore, employers lawfully may communicate with other employers about their current or former employees' performance, reasons for separation, and more.
Tuesday, August 14, 2018
High-Speed Rail remains necessary to the Golden State's transportation future.
Educating your adult children on the importance of saving for retirement may be a bit challenging in the short run if they're not receptive to the message, but it may do them a world of good if they accept your advice.
Monday, August 13, 2018
A meaningless vote that does nothing to reunite migrant children with their parents.
Friday, August 10, 2018
Non-homeowners face daunting challenges in the current housing market
Is there room for a third party? If some independent mounted a presidential bid in 2020, would that person have a chance? Those are questions we won't be able to answer for a few years.
Thursday, August 9, 2018
Nine years into this recovery, annual economic growth has been rather tepid at an average of 2.2%.
The Legislature reconvened this week for the inevitably hectic final weeks of its annual session. The pressure cooker atmosphere that always envelops the final days is, history tells us, not conducive to thoughtful policymaking.
Wednesday, August 8, 2018
For decades, the district south of downtown and alongside San Francisco Bay here was known as either Rincon Hill, South Beach or South of Market. This spring, it was suddenly rebranded on Google Maps to a name few had heard: the East Cut. The peculiar moniker immediately spread digitally, from hotel sites to dating apps to Uber, which all use Google's map data.
Balancing consumer privacy protection and development of innovative technologies
Monday, August 6, 2018
No summary was provided
Friday, August 3, 2018
No summary was provided
Conflicts continue over subpoenas and information obtained during the newsgathering process.
Thursday, August 2, 2018
Twitter sets the record straight on so-called 'shadow banning.'
Twitter sets the record straight on so-called 'shadow banning.'
Wednesday, August 1, 2018
Starting up with 12 employees, Intel is today the world's second-largest maker of semiconductors.
No summary was provided
Tuesday, July 31, 2018
Supreme Court's Janus decision portends seismic change in Golden State's politics
You wouldn't think that you could win a Nobel Prize for showing that humans tend to make irrational decisions. But that's what Richard Thaler did in 2017. Stephen Dubner recently spoke to Thaler about how institutions and firms are now practicing what he has been preaching, often to quite substantial success.
Monday, July 30, 2018
No matter your life stage or financial situation, it's important to have insurance in place to provide for your loved ones. Make it a priority to regularly review your coverage and ensure it covers the changing needs of your family.
Friday, July 27, 2018
Network of urban air vehicles will alleviate transportation congestion on the ground.
Thursday, July 26, 2018
Those seeking help from addiction shouldn't have to worry about false advertising
The lawsuit has put $2 billion in funding on hold, and the state Legislature hopes to partially break the logjam with a November ballot initiative.
Wednesday, July 25, 2018
New technologies key to reducing carbon emissions of fossil fuels
Dan Doctoroff, a successful investment banker in New York spearheaded a massive effort to bring the Olympics to the city in 2012.Though the bid failed, it helped catalyze dramatic development throughout New York as a result of extensive rezoning efforts.
Tuesday, July 24, 2018
It is premature to assess the ultimate impact of recent trade policy developments on the U.S. economy
Monday, July 23, 2018
Electricity and distribution will be highly integrated in the state's future electrical grid
Creating a well-crafted financial plan will help you achieve your goals.
Friday, July 20, 2018
Conor McGregor's presence in the business world is just as polarizing as his presence in the sports and entertainment world.
Twitter aims to be the social media platform that serves healthy public conversation
Wednesday, July 18, 2018
More than half of all Americans either have a cataract or have had cataract surgery by age 80
No summary was provided
Tuesday, July 17, 2018
No summary was provided
We all struggle with the difficulty of separating mentally from our work
Monday, July 16, 2018
Foundations of the patent system have been eroded, much to the detriment of small businesses in tech
No summary was provided
Wednesday, July 11, 2018
Tuesday, July 10, 2018
No summary was provided
FCC applies old regulations to new industries like cloud computing
Monday, July 9, 2018
Today's housing market is creating more and more hurdles for homebuyers.
U.S. in the midst of the third great inflection point since the dawn of manned flight
Friday, July 6, 2018
Offshore wind benefits from potential demand, as 53% of the nation's population live in coastal areas
Thursday, July 5, 2018
No summary was provided
Tuesday, July 3, 2018
Shortly after my previous employer suddenly laid me off. I was grateful to be employed again so quickly — but I quickly realized this new job wasn't for me. Given how I was treated at my last company, I didn't think I'd ever feel allegiance to an employer again. Is it acceptable to consider leaving so soon?
Monday, July 2, 2018
While neutrality doesn't mean that we don't have values, it must mean that we are not partisan.
No summary was provided
Friday, June 29, 2018
Today's real estate industry relies heavily on the use of websites displaying photographs of properties for sale to entice buyers. Many of the photographs on these sites are taken by professional photographers who license the use of their photos and retain the copyrights to them. The Ninth Circuit was faced with the question of whether these photographers can maintain an action for copyright infringement against a company whose software apparently "scrubbed" metadata identifying the copyright holders of photographs on various real estate websites.
Artificial intelligence a power tool we're just beginning to understand.
Tuesday, June 26, 2018
No summary was provided
Despite booming economy, labor force participation remains stubbornly low
Monday, June 25, 2018
Couples who don't have children tend to have more financial flexibility to pursue their own goals throughout life and in retirement. But this flexibility doesn't mean they don't need to manage their future financial, health and legacy needs.
An estimated 9 in 10 employers currently use background checks in hiring
Friday, June 22, 2018
While many animals are afforded various protections by the rule of law, photos taken by some do not have the risk of liability for copyright infringement.
Thursday, June 21, 2018
The long-term health of the nation's economy is tied to the real interest rate.
Politicians are misusing trailer bills, meant to implement the state budget, to enact far-reaching policies that have virtually nothing to do with the budget, and without any of the traditional safeguards, such as waiting periods and public hearings.
Tuesday, June 19, 2018
Pharmaceutical firms donate an enormous amount of their products. Pfizer, for example, donated $4.7 billion in medicines in 2017. And yet all that generosity doesn't seem to be helping its reputation. According to Gallup, only about a third of Americans hold a positive view of the pharma industry, which makes it nearly as unpopular as the federal government.
Pharmaceutical firms donate an enormous amount of their products. Pfizer, for example, donated $4.7 billion in medicines in 2017. And yet all that generosity doesn't seem to be helping its reputation. According to Gallup, only about a third of Americans hold a positive view of the pharma industry, which makes it nearly as unpopular as the federal government.
Monday, June 18, 2018
No summary was provided
Friday, June 15, 2018
On April 24, 2018, the Supreme Court issued its ruling in SAS Institute, Inc. v. Iancu, which held that the Patent Trial and Appeal Board ("PTAB") arm of the United States Patent and Trademark Office ("USPTO") must issue a final written decision addressing each and every patent claim challenged in an Inter Partes Review ("IPR") petition if review is granted
Thursday, June 14, 2018
In a nearly unanimous decision, the justices ruled Monday that tolling provisions that allow plaintiffs to bring individual lawsuits after relevant statutes of limitations periods pass if a previous attempt at class certification fails do not apply to subsequent tries at class-wide complaints.
Wednesday, June 13, 2018
A proposed $500,000 cut to the agency failed to make it into Gov. Jerry Brown's final budget.
Sunday is not my favorite hour to discuss home-improvement projects with a prospective contractor, but there I was, eagerly showing this one my basement. He seemed promising, spending almost two hours in my basement. All I had to do now was wait for his bid. I eagerly opened the email only to find a half-page proposal with scant information, just a vague bullet list with a dollar sum at the bottom. When I asked for more detail and references, I never heard from him again. My experience is not uncommon among homeowners looking to hire tradespeople.
As the legal field tries to keep pace with medical advancements, complicated and interesting cases arise.
Monday, June 11, 2018
Opportunity Zones provide incentives for developers to invest in economically distressed communities
Friday, June 8, 2018
Can Joel Embiid block the Buffalo Bills' attempt to register "Respect the Process"? And better yet, if he can, will he?
Gig economy a magnet for many unemployed and underemployed millennials.
Thursday, June 7, 2018
The nation's highest gasoline taxes force California drivers to pay sky-high pump prices.
Many proposals on this week's ballot will raise local taxes directly, or indirectly through issuance of bonds that would require higher property taxes to repay.
Wednesday, June 6, 2018
The California Supreme Court's recent decision in Dynamex v Lee changes the way businesses evaluate their employee classifications.
Tuesday, June 5, 2018
These days, more and more businesses are giving back. Corporate social responsibility programs — in which companies donate to educational institutions, or help protect the environment, or strip child labor from their supply chains, or do any number of world-improving things — are all the rage in global C-suites. So why has CSR become so popular? It can't simply be that the world's business titans woke up one day and decided to make the world a better place.
Monday, June 4, 2018
There are steps you can take to feel more financially confident regardless of your age and current health status.
More than 200 identified faults in California are considered very dangerous.
Friday, June 1, 2018
FDA citizen petition abuse is an instrumental anti-competitive tool that pharmaceutical companies use to delay market entry of generic drugs, an empirical study demonstrates.
No summary was provided
Union official time constitutes a direct government subsidy to federal employee unions.
Thursday, May 31, 2018
'Driving while black' has resurged in 2018 under the wider umbrella, 'existing while black' or 'EWB.'
'Driving while black' has resurged in 2018 under the wider umbrella, 'existing while black' or 'EWB.'
Wednesday, May 30, 2018
The U.S. high court's recent sports betting ruling is sure to cause a flurry of activity in state legislatures across the country.
Tuesday, May 29, 2018
Consider the benefits of working another year or more before retirement.
Thursday, May 24, 2018
Too often, political tactics are based on the cynical assumption that voters can be easily fooled and the current election season is, unfortunately, rife.
Controversial 5-4 majority decision was authored by Justice Neil Gorsuch.
Wednesday, May 23, 2018
The Trump administration is working on an agreement with China so the country can purchase more US goods and shrink the trade gap.
Tuesday, May 22, 2018
California's new rooftop solar mandate will add approximately $12,000 to the cost of a new home.
No summary was provided
Monday, May 21, 2018
When the California Supreme Court ruled that many independent contractors must be reclassified as employees, it may have unintentionally paved a path toward greater safety on the state's roads and highways.
U.S. and China endeavor to strike a grand bargain to avert a trade war
Freelance professionals have unique opportunities and challenges when it comes to creating a viable path to financial security.
Friday, May 18, 2018
Many patent owners feel that alleged infringers have an unfair advantage under the current system that applies different claim construction standards for different forums.
How do songwriters survive in the digital age? 'Quite precariously.'
Thursday, May 17, 2018
Gov. Jerry Brown is strangely unwilling to even try to save the state budget from the existential threat posed by an insanely unbalanced tax system, even though he acknowledges the fiscal peril.
This month, Tesla released its 2018 first quarter financials, with horrid results. In the first three months of the year, Tesla managed to lose another $784 million.
Study finds toxic contaminants in 20 out of 20 samples at "licensed" marijuana dispensaries.
Wednesday, May 16, 2018
Atul Gawande is an extraordinarily busy man, even for a doctor. Not only is he a surgeon, but he's also a health policy professor at Harvard, an executive director at Ariadne Labs, and a staff writer at The New Yorker. Gawande recently found time to chat with Stephen Dubner about how we can improve health care and how he gets it all done each day.
Tuesday, May 15, 2018
Attorney General Jeff Sessions requested friend-of-the-court briefs in March relating to an asylum case on whether suffering from "private criminal activity" made someone part of a particular social group that is eligible for asylum in the U.S.
A new guidebook for communications professionals when a fast moving crisis hits.
The Phillippine Supreme Court has voted to remove the Chief Justice of the court in what some are calling a "black day for justice."
Monday, May 14, 2018
For many investors, cash helps protect a portion of income against market volatility and provides the ability to generate a competitive return.
Gov. Brown allowed to designate up to 25 percent of low-income census tracts as 'Opportunity Zones.'
Friday, May 11, 2018
Lower immigration and birth rates have caused a decline in California's population growth.
Ninth Circuit finds monkeys cannot sue for copyright infringement
Companies see value in career education for their middle-skill workers
Thursday, May 10, 2018
California's economy has climbed in global rankings to 5th place behind only the United States as whole, China, Japan and Germany.
No summary was provided
The new reality in California is that cannabis interests have become a formidable lobbying force.
Here's one to check off your bucket list of ponderables: If you engage in an intentional act that results in an unintended accident, is it an really an accident?
Wednesday, May 9, 2018
Protecting the integrity of the pharmaceutical supply chain
While using independent contractors gives companies an edge, California's high court said it was an unfair competitive advantage.
Tuesday, May 8, 2018
Space weather has the potential to disrupt such technologies as GPS, telecommunications and aviation
In theory, millions of borrowers are eligible to have their debts forgiven after a decade of public-service work. In practice, the program has produced a litany of frustrations. But there is at least one person who has made the 120 qualifying payments and now has a zero balance as a result, thus joining a very small club of the forgiven.
Monday, May 7, 2018
Businesses across the world are bracing for the impact of the new European Union data-protection regulation, known as the GDPR, which comes into effect on May 25.
The death of far-reaching—even revolutionary—legislation to facilitate housing development crystallized a conflict that's been simmering in California for decades: Who controls land use?
When we begin to think about how to maintain a thriving legal practice that is being outpaced by artificial intelligence, automated on-line legal services, and lawyer "robots," the first question that hits us is, where do we even begin? Below we suggest a roadmap for addressing what is arguably the biggest challenge the legal industry has faced in its history.
For an increasing number of investors, investing is not just about selecting opportunities that do well in their portfolio. It's about owning investments that also make a positive social impact.
Friday, May 4, 2018
Ren Ventures argues that Lucasfilm doesn't have common law trademark rights to SABACC card game because it failed to use the game in a trademark manner.
Western societies apparent are unable to assimilate and integrate rapidly newcomers
Thursday, May 3, 2018
Social media platforms need to be better stewards of information they disseminate to the public
Voters often make snap judgments based on ideological predispositions and unpredictable events that unfold during campaigns, what those in politics call "x-factors."
Wednesday, May 2, 2018
What is the one thing that sets humans apart from all other animals? Some say it's our innate curiosity; some say our language. Others say it's our culture. Our capacity for trade — our ability to create markets and respond rationally to supply and demand — would seem an obvious, and particularly strong, candidate for what make us human. And yet research suggests that economic activity isn't as uniquely human as we might imagine.
Tuesday, May 1, 2018
California labor laws generally discourage overtime work by requiring employers to pay a premium for extra work hours.
A recent decision will likely instigate a sea change regarding how family law trials and motions are litigated.
Work centers have evolved into de facto labor organizations. They should comply with the laws that regulate unions
Monday, April 30, 2018
Consider taking steps to prepare for potential changes in the investment environment that could be caused, in part, by inflation
Friday, April 27, 2018
The Supreme Court left intact a system created by Congress in 2011 that has been used by potential patent infringers to challenge and invalidate thousands of patents.
America has a deficit of 7.3 million homes. Half of that total is in California
California's public employee pension systems have immense gaps between what they have in assets and what they will need to meet their obligations to retirees.
Thursday, April 26, 2018
California boasts 13 Women's Business Centers throughout the state
Legislators failed to close a loophole that would have allowed various aides under them to unionize and more effectivley fight the various harassment scandals that plague the Capitol.
Wednesday, April 25, 2018
The Internet has been disrupted by advances in networking technology and applications
The lieutenant governor has few, if any, substantive duties other than take over if a governor dies or resigns.
In light of the recent US-China trade dispute, various Chinese companies are facilitating alternate shipping routes through other countries in hopes of circumventing new tariffs.
Tuesday, April 24, 2018
Cybercrime damage will reach $6 trillion by 2021, nearly 10 percent of the global economy.
Political oddsmakers have pegged Bakersfield Congressman Kevin McCarthy and the No. 3 GOP leader, whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana, as the two contenders for speaker of the House of Representatives.
There's a mountain of evidence suggesting that the quality of our relationships has been in steady decline for decades. Over the past five years, loneliness, suicide rates and depression have abruptly gotten worse.
Monday, April 23, 2018
The U.S. has been the indisputable world leader in disruptive innovations in the internet age.
Women often face unique challenges when it comes to managing their finances. If you are a woman working to build your financial confidence today and tomorrow, understanding key challenges is the first step to overcoming them.
The Supreme Court has not approved of any such standard. Even in the 9th Circuit, the award must be "completely irrational."
Friday, April 20, 2018
The IRS received more than 94.1 million individual returns between Jan. 29 and March 30.
The Ninth Circuit recently revisited the issue of the applicability of the safe harbor provision of the Digital Millenium Copyright Act ("DMCA").
Thursday, April 19, 2018
The U.S. Supreme Court previously ruled that federal law trumps state law on marijuana
The California Chamber of Commerce published its annual "job killer" list of bills it wanted to block. 24 bills made the list.
Wednesday, April 18, 2018
President Donald Trump's Republican administration in Washington and California's Democratic politicians in Sacramento are clearly looking for opportunities to do battle in the media and in the courts.
Last summer, Stephen Dubner had the opportunity to chat with arguably the most heavily scrutinized chief executive in the United States: Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg. Even before Americans and the world learned that data from an estimated 87 million Facebook users had been weaponized by political operatives, and before the 33-year-old CEO sat down for a two-day grilling session from an irate Congress, Zuckerberg was feeling the heat.
In 2017, Customs and Border Patrol recorded the lowest level of illegal cross-border migration on record.
The California Supreme Court does review unpublished opinions, but rarely
When evaluating the act's impact on mergers and acquisitions, corporate and pass-through entity provision changes must also be evaluated in the context of even more complex international ones that could affect a transaction.
Tuesday, April 17, 2018
Market volatility does not always mean you need to make changes to your portfolio. There are things you can do to prevent fear from getting the best of you.
The Supreme Court should grant certiorari in this case to correct the 9th Circuit's misapplication of the market participation doctrine and affirm that states and local governments may not substitute their judgment on labor policy for that of Congress.
Americans who are financially abused lose an average of $140,500 of their life savings
California is experiencing what educators call an "achievement gap."
Monday, April 16, 2018
It is likely the internal combustion engine will remain the dominant powertrain for the next several decades
Two new employment laws have expanded parental leave rights with the chance that the new regulations could expand compliance obligations.
Friday, April 13, 2018
Building your business reputation isn't a guarantee you will survive a crisis, but it gives you a fighting chance
A discussion of a few of the most common aspects of patent law that are misunderstood.
Wednesday, April 11, 2018
Were a citizenship question to depress the census count in California and other states with high immigrant populations, it could also depress their clout in Congress.
Were a citizenship question to depress the census count in California and other states with high immigrant populations, it could also depress their clout in Congress.
A Los Angeles Superior Court judge ruled that stores selling coffee must post cancer warning labels
Tuesday, April 10, 2018
No summary was provided
Monday, April 9, 2018
Racially explicit government policy in the mid-twentieth century separated the races in every metropolitan area
There are a variety of ways grandparents can help their grandchildren financially in the pursuit of a college degree.
Friday, April 6, 2018
There are four types of intellectual property protection, and it is important to understand the distinctions between them to keep your business safe.
Recently enacted Tax Cut and Jobs Act includes unexpected provision on carried interest
Thursday, April 5, 2018
A ballot measure in San Francisco would require the city to fund and run a program to provide tenants facing eviction with full-scope representation by an attorney regardless of income or means.
Sacramento is no stranger to protest marches and other forms of political expression. However, the city has never experienced anything as emotionally powerful as the almost daily marches and rallies to condemn the city police shooting death of 22-year-old Stephon Clark.
MLB claims new 'protective' netting will have minimal effect on fan experience
Tuesday, April 3, 2018
SB 306, effective January 1, 2018, expanded the California Department of Labor Standards Enforcement's authority to investigate wage law violations, without a worker-filed complaint. The federal government has stepped up immigration laws enforcement. Many inspections occur with little to no notice. Therefore, management should learn their rights and obligations.
As the U.S. Supreme Court ponders compelled payment of agency fees, labor unions prepare for the outcome.
Californians have a constitutional right to hold and express beliefs that may be in the political minority, even if they are misguided, without that right being diluted or violated by state legislators.
I have read with interest, and a sense of bemusement, headlines about the 9th Circuit's decision in much-watched copyright infringement case.
Monday, April 2, 2018
A majority of American households prefer financial stability to higher income
Friday, March 30, 2018
More than 24 million mostly-rural households lack broadband access most Americans take for granted
Over the past few years, voters in hundreds of California cities and other local governments were asked to pass tax increases, and indications are that another big batch of local tax measures will be on this year's ballots.
Thursday, March 29, 2018
Donors to campaign groups don't always get what they want.
As part of Women's History Month, a week aside to consider The Status of Black Women
Wednesday, March 28, 2018
High-speed train system linking the northern and southern regions of the state looks like a solution in search of a problem, rather than a vital transportation system.
The 9th Circuit in Hall v. Swift found the allegedly infringed phrases of the song in question to be "too brief, unoriginal and uncreative to warrant protection under the Copyright Act" and provided Hall and Butler leave to amend their complaint.
Friday, March 23, 2018
Americans have spent much of the past decade wondering when the economy would recover from the crippling Great Recession. Now, they are considering another question: When, and how, will that recovery end?
Thursday, March 22, 2018
Arizona officials saw opportunity when Uber and other companies began testing driverless cars a few years ago. On Sunday night, an autonomous car operated by Uber — and with an emergency backup driver behind the wheel — struck and killed a woman on a street in Tempe, Arizona. It was believed to be the first pedestrian death associated with self-driving technology.
Wednesday, March 21, 2018
Dropbox, the online file storage company, is poised to hold one of the year's most highly awaited stock market debuts. But whether investors think the technology darling is more valuable as a publicly traded company or as a privately held start-up is debatable.
Tuesday, March 20, 2018
As of February 5, 2018, California Assembly Bill 403 imposes stiff consequences on members of the legislature or employees who interfere with an employee's right to make a protected disclosure.
Monday, March 19, 2018
Switching employers can have a substantial impact on your financial life. Four tips to help keep your finances on track through the transition.
Friday, March 16, 2018
At the June election, four public defenders hope to unseat four judges simply because they were appointed by a Republican governor.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas finds defendants have not committed acts of infringement sufficient to establish venue.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas finds defendants have not committed acts of infringement sufficient to establish venue.
Thursday, March 15, 2018
Republicans are exploiting the Democratic Party's abject lack of discipline and gaming California's top-two primary system to potentially block Democratic challengers from reaching the November ballot.
U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions says he is suing the state to overturn three laws aimed at helping millions of undocumented immigrants avoid deportation.
Wednesday, March 14, 2018
Google currently has multiple lawsuits filed against it by former employees alleging that the companies' diversity practices are both too disruptive and too ineffective.
Taxing motorists and spending the money on transportation improvements is the right thing to do. Claiming overblown economic benefits is the wrong thing to do.
Tuesday, March 13, 2018
The gender pay gap is a phenomenon prevalent all over the world and when adjusted for discriminatory factors, the reasons for its existence become less clear with some differences attributed to small but important variance in each gender's behavior.
Monday, March 12, 2018
So far, electing a new governor of California has resembled a game of musical chairs.
Capitalize on the benefits of having an ownership stake in your employer's firm while maintaining a well-diversified portfolio.
Friday, March 9, 2018
The on-sale bar can be raised as a defense in patent infringement litigation.
The lesson of AB 1687 is that politicians shouldn't be star-struck by Hollywood and they shouldn't erode constitutional rights regardless of the supposed worthiness of their motives.
Thursday, March 8, 2018
California's commission process for redistricting isn't perfect, but it's one that other states should emulate.
Wednesday, March 7, 2018
When Google agreed to buy Zagat for $151 million nearly seven years ago, the technology giant intended to bring the restaurant review empire into the digital age. Now ownership of Zagat will change again — into the hands of an upstart restaurant review company that has harnessed smartphone apps, an Instagram hashtag and a texting recommendation service as parts of its path to growth.
For now, unless I have reason not to do so, all incumbent judges have my vote.
When Google agreed to buy Zagat for $151 million nearly seven years ago, the technology giant intended to bring the restaurant review empire into the digital age. Now ownership of Zagat will change again — into the hands of an upstart restaurant review company that has harnessed smartphone apps, an Instagram hashtag and a texting recommendation service as parts of its path to growth.
Tuesday, March 6, 2018
The Delaware Supreme Court recently held that director compensation awards made pursuant to discretionary compensation plans are not to be afforded review under the deferential business judgment rule.
President Donald Trump has announced potential tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports from every country around the world. Various European countries responded on Friday with threats of retaliation and many countries argue that such tariffs would end up harming both all parties rather than just helping the United States.
Friday, March 2, 2018
If a patent only covers a component of a product that a defendant in a patent infringement case has sold, the plaintiff must apportion damages between the patented component and the whole product. The plaintiff is only entitled to a reasonable royalty on the patented component, not on the whole product.
Vapor intrusion can be an issue at industrial properties, suburban strip malls and residential developments.
Thursday, March 1, 2018
Never judge the true tenor of a political party by what happens at its convention. Last weekend's Democratic gabfest was a case in point.
The U.S. economy appears to be performing very well. It is in the best shape that it has been in since the crisis.
Wednesday, February 28, 2018
A recent federal court ruling and a case recently argued before the California Supreme Court are the most recent installments in the ongoing effort to reconcile employee classification with the gig economy.
Homelessness increased 13 percent in 2016 and 14 percent in 2017, posing a threat to the state's economic prosperity, mayors warn
There are many situations in which employers are obligated to give their employees time off from work. The California Family Rights Act has expanded the class of employers to include small business, so it is always pertinent to check and see which forms of leave are protected before coming to a conclusion.
Tuesday, February 27, 2018
Blockchain will help democratize the benefits of digitizing data and allow the entire food system to get smarter together
In 1994, Indra Nooyi joined PepsiCo as a chief strategist; 12 years later, she was named its CEO. Today, she oversees 260,000 global employees and a snack empire that includes Frito-Lay chips, Tropicana juices, Quaker foods and of course lots of soda.
Monday, February 26, 2018
With market performance where it is, it may make sense to review your portfolio and determine if changes are appropriate.
It looks like Gavin Newsom and Antonio Villaraigosa will be the June primary election's top two vote-getters and will face each other in November for the governorship.
Recently, the Polish government has come under fire for proposing legislation that would criminalize equating the Poles' complicity with Nazis' crimes.
Friday, February 23, 2018
Certain claims are not patentable under 35 U.S.C. §101. If claims are well-understood, routine, and conventional they might not be eligible for patent.
Thursday, February 22, 2018
The 'small business economy' has yet to fully receovered from the Great Recession
Many have criticized Proposition 57 as too vaguely drafted and too broad. Now, the CDCR must either rewrite the regulations or try to overturn a recent ruling by Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Allen Sumner.
Client agencies – cities, particularly – were already complaining that double-digit annual increases in CalPERS payments were driving some of them towards insolvency and the new policy, which will kick in next year, will raise those payments even more.
Wednesday, February 21, 2018
The complaint that Stone Brewing filed in District Court against MillerCoors epitomizes the fight between craft brewers and "Big Beer." It will be interesting to see how it plays out.
History's ultimate "bar exam question" is the fact pattern in United States v. Libellants of the Schooner Amistad, the U.S. Supreme Court's first civil rights case.
Tuesday, February 20, 2018
The most sweeping tax reform legislation in decades was enacted into law at the end of 2017. If you pay federal income taxes, you are likely to see an impact this year.
Friday, February 16, 2018
Thinking even the most offensive thought is still private. With any other expression, all bets are off.
Thinking even the most offensive thought is still private. With any other expression, all bets are off.
Suing oil companies for causing climate change has become a popular exercise in California's coastal communities. However, winning in court is another matter, and by just filing the actions, California governments may be risking their ability to borrow money at low rates.
Thursday, February 15, 2018
Proposition 50, a constitutional amendment that voters approved in the June, 2016, primary election, empowers legislative houses, by a two-thirds vote, to suspend without pay, members who either face criminal charges or are deemed to have breached the public trust.
Renewal of Sacramento's expiring half-cent tax would cover perhaps half of the projected increase in annual pension costs, but crowd out other services the tax now finances. Were voters to double it to a full cent, virtually every new dollar it generated would be needed to pay increased CalPERS demands.
Wednesday, February 14, 2018
Some common issues employers may encounter during and after a natural disaster, including paying employees, handling leave requests, and managing safety concerns.
Declaring that it was "time for a reality check," Assemblyman Jim Patterson asked for an emergency audit of the project in December.
Tuesday, February 13, 2018
Should we go with an insider or an outsider? This is among the central questions that companies ask themselves when choosing a new chief executive.
Bipartisan legislation awaits the president's signature
Monday, February 12, 2018
Agencies are increasingly finding small errors in the reports and assessing significant penalties — they consider these paperwork errors as grave as harmful emissions and an affront to the integrity of the regulatory program.
While talking about the sensitive topic of your parents' long-term financial goals may seem uncomfortable, addressing it sooner rather than later can help eliminate challenges and uncertainty down the road.
When the evidence shows that an ISP fails to enforce the terms of its own policy in any meaningful fashion, that ISP has not "reasonably implemented" a repeat copyright infringer policy.
Filing public nuisance suits against oil companies for making and distributing fossil fuels is not the right way to fashion intelligent environmental policy.
Friday, February 9, 2018
When the evidence shows that an ISP fails to enforce the terms of its own policy in any meaningful fashion, that ISP has not "reasonably implemented" a repeat copyright infringer policy.
Misconduct complaints involving senior military leaders increased 13 percent from 2015 to 2017.
Thursday, February 8, 2018
The expansion is proceeding at a good pace, unemployment is low, and inflation is finally headed in the right direction again.
One of California's most complex and unusual financial/political/legal conflicts was settled last week, but the deal left a couple of mysteries.
It's hypocritical for the Legislature to exempt itself from the laws and procedures it imposes on others, as the firestorm over sexual harassment underscores. If would-be miscreants know that their behavior can be reported and revealed to the public, they'll be much less likely to do it.
The expansion is proceeding at a good pace, unemployment is low, and inflation is finally headed in the right direction again.
Wednesday, February 7, 2018
A group of Silicon Valley technologists who were early employees at Facebook and Google, alarmed over the ill effects of social networks and smartphones, are banding together to challenge the companies they helped build.
Enactment of new employment laws require California employers to make significant changes in their hiring practices and workplace policies.
Tuesday, February 6, 2018
We've all had the feeling that our workplace would completely crumble in our absence. It's rarely true. So at least consider the possibility that the organization will muddle along happily without you.
Let me just start by saying I grew up in a military family. I am a military brat.
Monday, February 5, 2018
The water tunnel and high-speed rail projects that Jerry Brown has touted are plagued by problems.
A Riverside case involves the right of people with developmental disabilities to marry as well as the right not to be pressured into marriage through undue influence.
President's first year in office has been 'a wasted opportunity in meeting the needs of the American people.'
It may make sense to use both active and passive investments to effectively build and manage a diversified portfolio.
Friday, February 2, 2018
These companies are at the forefront of America's economic growth.
While not all software-based innovations are patent eligible, it is clear that some are. Therefore, it is imperative to take into account recent court decisions when drafting the specifications and claims for such inventions.
Thursday, February 1, 2018
Los Angeles and San Francisco are suddenly in the throes of turmoil as they search for new leaders.
Governor Jerry Brown punctuated his State of the State address with lists of what he clearly regards as major accomplishments. Does his work qualify for a commendable legacy?
Wednesday, January 31, 2018
the California Legislature just amended the California Family Rights Act so that small businesses will be subject to part of its provisions.
There is no guarantee the U.S. will stay on top as 5G rolls out
Tuesday, January 30, 2018
A recent case out of the Ninth Circuit, Oracle USA, Inc. v. Rimini Street, Inc. (July 13, 2017), illustrates some of the risks third party software vendors run concerning copyright issues.
Monday, January 29, 2018
If you expect to receive a refund on your 2017 tax return, will you save or spend it? While you may be tempted to indulge, consider using the money to solidify your long-term financial position.
Friday, January 26, 2018
Giant tech firms like Google spend a lot of money on political lobbying and are attempting to shape the public policy debate through support of a wide variety of think tanks and nonprofit groups.
Children in California's K-12 public school system trail badly in educational accomplishment.
Thursday, January 25, 2018
Attorney General Xavier Becerra is imploring the U.S. Supreme Court to validate laws in California and other states requiring public employees who are not union members to nevertheless pay "agency fees" to unions.
Decision softens the blow of repeal of other miscellaneous itemized tax deductions
These cases deal with the statutory interpretation of the Dodd-Frank Act and its whistleblower protections, the jurisdictional reach of state courts in certain securities class actions, and separation of powers issues related to the appointments clause of the U.S. Constitution.
The SEC's recent Compliance and Disclosure Interpretation regarding Regulation G should bring an end to one popular claim that has proliferated in the post-Trulia world.
Wednesday, January 24, 2018
With passage of an infrasture bill, growth in the construction industry could reach unprecedented levels.
Effective January 1, 2018, employers are subject to new state law requirements related to federal officials' access to employees and documents. Employers must carefully walk the line between complying with federal immigration law, and state law prohibiting "too much" cooperation.
Collective bargaining for California's public employees may have been a questionable idea. But it's not going away and there's absolutely no reason why Capitol workers, except for a small cadre of senior staffers, should not have civil service status and unionization, if they wish.
Tuesday, January 23, 2018
What can we expect to see as the marijuana industry continues to ramp up? An increase in impaired driving crashes, more teens and young adult addicts, more psychotic breaks and violence related to marijuana, and even more arrests.
Everybody agrees society is in a bad way, but what exactly is the main cause? It could be the failure of liberal democracy.
In practice, Gov. Jerry Brown has not always adhered to the principle of "subsidiarity," but has been particularly stubborn about applying it to the state's six-million-student public education system, rejecting demands of education reformers for more state intervention on behalf of "high-needs" students.
While email is often used to send important information and documents, it is by no means a foolproof method of communication for attorneys.
While email is often used to send important information and documents, it is by no means a foolproof method of communication for attorneys.
Everybody agrees society is in a bad way, but what exactly is the main cause? It could be the failure of liberal democracy.
Sheriff's Department and DA's office files are worthy of review and disclosure.
What can we expect to see as the marijuana industry continues to ramp up? An increase in impaired driving crashes, more teens and young adult addicts, more psychotic breaks and violence related to marijuana, and even more arrests.
Sheriff's Department and DA's office files are worthy of review and disclosure.
Controversial political issues like immigration are often complex, presenting the public with a range of options from which to choose. Absent narrow exceptions, courts may not reject the product of the democratic process and substitute their own preferred policy.
Controversial political issues like immigration are often complex, presenting the public with a range of options from which to choose. Absent narrow exceptions, courts may not reject the product of the democratic process and substitute their own preferred policy.
Monday, January 22, 2018
If you experience an unexpected change in your employment status, review your financial situation and create a plan to help you feel more in control.
A look at two major figures in the California Legislature can teach a lesson about human behavior.
Friday, January 19, 2018
The Federal Circuit just reversed itself in holding that patent owners can now appeal a decision by the Patent Trial and Appeal Board finding that a challenger's petition for inter partes review (IPR) is timely.
According to a 584-page report, released this month by the federal government, California committed gross negligence in the construction and maintenance of the nation's highest dam, Oroville.
Thursday, January 18, 2018
Gov. Jerry Brown is concerned that the new federal tax overhaul encourages the few thousand Californians with the highest incomes, whose taxes allow Brown and other California politicians to spend tens of billions of dollars a year, to take their money elsewhere.
Wednesday, January 17, 2018
The U.S. District Court issued an opinion in TCL Communications v. Ericsson and determined Ericsson did not offer to license its standard essential patents on reasonable terms, and instead become only the fourth U.S. Court to determine a royalty rate for essential patents.
On Wednesday, Brown proposed the 16th and final budget of his record-long gubernatorial career. It totals $190.3 billion, but according to staff, would spend roughly the same percentage of Californians' personal income as it did 43 years ago, a bit less than 8 percent.
Tuesday, January 16, 2018
Purchasing a business comes with numerous financial considerations. There are steps to consider before signing on the dotted line.
A proposed ballot measure would remove commercial properties from the protection of Proposition 13
Friday, January 12, 2018
hen you buy tickets to a big concert, a professional sports event or a hot Broadway play — on a scale of 1 to 10 — how would you rate the ticket-buying experience? Think about everything from the price to the availability of tickets to the transparency of the whole transaction. The public has almost no chance to buy good tickets to the best events.
State legislators are floating some creative schemes to blunt the impact of the new federal tax law on California taxpayers.
Thursday, January 11, 2018
State legislators are floating some creative schemes to blunt the impact of the new federal tax law on California taxpayers.
Sen. Kamala D. Harris, D-California, was appointed to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday.
Wednesday, January 10, 2018
hen you buy tickets to a big concert, a professional sports event or a hot Broadway play — on a scale of 1 to 10 — how would you rate the ticket-buying experience? Think about everything from the price to the availability of tickets to the transparency of the whole transaction. The public has almost no chance to buy good tickets to the best events.
Tuesday, January 9, 2018
Trademarks deemed vulgar are still protected by the First Amendment. | Intellectual Property Perspectives | By Josh Escovedo
Monday, January 8, 2018
The Democratic supermajority is in trouble in California. What will happen?
2017 was the year Twitter commandeered politics.
Ways to stay motivated to achieve financial goals.
Friday, January 5, 2018
Policies that appear to aid the less-fortunate often decrease prosperity by pushing up the cost of living
Part 2 of a two-part series providing an overview of new California employment laws.
Thursday, January 4, 2018
A federal judge overseeing the ineffective counsel claim of a man convicted a decade ago of terrorism charges has denied a government motion to kick the defendant's lead attorney off the case.
For years, an "Equity Coalition" of civil rights and education reform groups has battled the state's education establishment – state schools Superintendent Tom Torlakson, the state Board of Education and the California Teachers Association, most notably – over how the "achievement gap" should be addressed.
The fate of Nicola Hanna, the new interim U.S. Attorney for the Central District, and California's other new federal prosecutor remains unclear because the Trump administration has not officially nominated them.
Wednesday, January 3, 2018
There are 700,000 DACA recipients, 200,000 of which are in California alone
There are nearly 700,000 individuals with DACA in the United States, approximately 220,000 of whom live in California.
Tuesday, January 2, 2018
Saving for retirement should be a top financial priority. It's worth it to commit to saving today.
The twin ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach have become vital economic powerhouses.
There are nearly 700,000 individuals with DACA in the United States, approximately 220,000 of whom live in California.
Friday, December 29, 2017
Home for the holidays after passing the eighth-largest tax cut in U.S. history, Republicans could be forgiven for reveling in the warm embrace of nostalgia. Ronald Reagan's first State of the Union address promised the biggest tax cut ever to "expand our national prosperity, enlarge national incomes and increase opportunities for all Americans". Republicans are proving notably more reluctant to acknowledge the true impact of the tax changes that Reagan wrought.
Thursday, December 28, 2017
The wisest course would be to restrain spending in the next state budget and squirrel away as much money as possible. However, the Legislature is dominated by liberal Democrats who fervently believe that more spending is a godly virtue.
Wednesday, December 27, 2017
No summary was provided
Tuesday, December 26, 2017
Legislature wants a review of judicial discipline records
Investors have increasingly turned to international stocks and bonds to diversify their portfolio over the long term. There are considerations to keep in mind.
Friday, December 22, 2017
Our country has faced some tough times. I don't have to tell you about that. And for too long, year after year, more and more Americans gave up hope.
After selecting a strong trademark, there are many things a trademark owner can do to strengthen and protect a trademark but one of the essential things it must do is to force infringers to stop infringing.
Thursday, December 21, 2017
Making California the first state to guarantee health care for every resident has become a touchstone issue – and a divisive one – for the state's dominant Democrats. The state Assembly will take up – or possibly ignore – a universal health care bill that the Senate passed this year.
Wednesday, December 20, 2017
A first-time chief executive, was barely a year into a turnaround effort at Marvell Semiconductor when he sold its board on a bold move: a $6 billion offer to purchase Cavium, another midsize maker of computer chips.
Tuesday, December 19, 2017
California, which had led the nation in cracking down on crime in the 1980s and 1990s by locking up tens of thousands of felons, has dramatically reversed course in the last half-decade.
The holidays can be a wonderful time for families and friends to gather together, sharing memories and gifts. This season can also provide the opportunity to instill the value of giving to others in your child.
While California's economy is largely driven by Silicon Valley's digital innovation, its state government in Sacramento, just 100 miles northeast, has abysmally failed to use that technology effectively.
Monday, December 18, 2017
The holidays can be a wonderful time for families and friends to gather together, sharing memories and gifts. This season can also provide the opportunity to instill the value of giving to others in your child.
Friday, December 15, 2017
I wanted to understand the phenomenon for myself. So in 2013, I bought a single bitcoin.
Wednesday, December 13, 2017
These important considerations make how fuel economy is regulated relevant to every auto dealer in America and their customers.
Tuesday, December 12, 2017
How could these two men significantly change the dynamic among serious investors on the coasts to reorient their focus on cities, many of them suffering from the erosion of manufacturing, in the Rust Belt and elsewhere?
Monday, December 11, 2017
December is a great time to review your finances and get ready for a fresh start in the new year. Five key financial moves are worth reviewing before year end.
Friday, December 8, 2017
There is no federal court jurisdiction for disputes involving patents where the claimant does not actually own the patents. The possibility that one might own a patent, if a contingent future event occurs, is not enough. This seems like an obvious rule, but it ended up before the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals.
Thursday, December 7, 2017
Politicians ensnared in the harassment scandal can affect the Legislature's delicate balance of power.
There is no federal court jurisdiction for disputes involving patents where the claimant does not actually own the patents. The possibility that one might own a patent, if a contingent future event occurs, is not enough. This seems like an obvious rule, but it ended up before the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals.
Wednesday, December 6, 2017
Whether your children are getting ready for kindergarten or graduation, capitalizing on tax-saving opportunities can help make college a financial reality.
Whether your children are getting ready for kindergarten or graduation, capitalizing on tax-saving opportunities can help make college a financial reality.
Tuesday, December 5, 2017
Although the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California officially backs Governor Jerry Brown's WaterFix project, its largest member agency, the San Diego County Water Authority, is highly critical, so continued backing in Southern California is not certain.
Monday, December 4, 2017
Whether your children are getting ready for kindergarten or graduation, capitalizing on tax-saving opportunities can help make college a financial reality.
Friday, December 1, 2017
Although In Re Micron clarified waiver of venue under Rule 12(g)(2) and (h)(1)(A) in light of TC Heartland, there are still a number of issues that need to be worked out at the District Court level. And, it is likely there will be differing application across District Courts until more of these issues are worked out.
Thursday, November 30, 2017
With nothing politically to lose, Governor Jerry Brown has the freedom to do whatever he wants. He is asking the state Supreme Court to, in effect, make it easier for state and local governments to reduce benefits in public employee pensions.
Mac Taylor, the Legislature's top adviser on the state budget, delivered some superficially good news this month to his bosses. With no economic downturn on the horizon, he said in his annual survey of the state's fiscal situation, there should be no problem writing a balanced 2018-19 budget next year.
Wednesday, November 29, 2017
Court rules that "Zootopia" and "Looney" are not substantially related and dismissed copyright lawsuit.
Bowing to pressure from critical legislators, the State Bar finally agreed to divide its two incompatible roles of licensing (and policing) attorneys and acting as a trade association for the profession.
Tuesday, November 28, 2017
Employers must understand the legal parameters of obtaining and using criminal history.
Friday, November 24, 2017
Most people under 40 sense a social and moral void and understand that change has to come at the communal, emotional and moral level. People over 40 need to be informed.
Wednesday, November 22, 2017
Distorting the language of a repeal ballot measure should not be allowed. We need to prevent it.
Tuesday, November 21, 2017
Upcoming tax season will be complex. Planning early with an accountant will save money and spare headaches.
Monday, November 20, 2017
If you're a retiree who is tempted to travel in the off-season, think through the costs and logistics first.
Gov. Jerry Brown was on message throughout his nearly two-week trip through Europe: Climate change is a serious threat, California is doing its part—and, especially, come to San Francisco next year for a climate conference that gets things accomplished.
Friday, November 17, 2017
Gorilla Glue #4 pot strain may need to rebrand.
California's political and legal war over whether the state's six million K-12 students are being adequately educated pits the state's education establishment against a coalition of civil rights groups, education reformers and charter school advocates over the "achievement gap" that separates poor children, particularly Latinos and African-Americans, from more privileged white and Asian students.
Thursday, November 16, 2017
Those without celiac-like symptoms may want to think harder before causally adopting a gluten-free lifestyle. Doing so may damage your bank account and make your social life far more complicated, without doing your body much good.
Wednesday, November 15, 2017
Governor Jerry Brown is jetting around the world preaching the gospel of climate change, that everyone needs to reduce' emissions and change their lifestyles. Yet, he has a personal "carbon footprint" that's probably greater than 90 percent of Californians and 99 percent of the globe's population.
Tuesday, November 14, 2017
Why has there been a decline in civic institution building? Political polarization has got to be a big culprit. The affluent have also been less entrepreneurial.
Monday, November 13, 2017
If you wonder when, where, why or how to fulfill your retirement goals, you are not alone. Your dreams and financial situations are unique, and there is no one-size-fits-all retirement solution.
Friday, November 10, 2017
Waymo, the autonomous car company from Google's parent company Alphabet, has started testing a fleet of self-driving vehicles without any backup drivers on public roads.
Thursday, November 9, 2017
Once employers offer vacation or PTO, their policies and procedures must comply with California wage-hour law.
The USPTO just issued a final rule for trial practice before the PTAB that explicitly protects communications between patent agents or foreign patent practitioners and their clients.
Wednesday, November 8, 2017
There's no particular reason why rank-and-file legislative workers couldn't be civil servants, rather that serving, as they do now, as "at-will" employees who can be fired without warning by their political masters.
Tuesday, November 7, 2017
Attorneys representing companies that are involved in the stock photography industry may want to revisit any applicable licensing agreements regarding stock photos to determine whether or not their client will have standing to pursue copyright infringement claims concerning the photos in their catalogues.
Monday, November 6, 2017
Several small, cash-strapped California school districts are using a loophole in state law to boost their revenue by overseeing a raft of far-flung charter schools, according to a recent report published by the state auditor.
The multibillion-dollar package of improvements to highways, streets and other transportation facilities enacted by the Legislature and Gov. Jerry Brown this year may do little, if anything, to relieve traffic jams.
Several common mistakes made by financially accomplished people — along with a few tips to counteract them.
Friday, November 3, 2017
It's no secret that the German economy is in great shape. Exports are through the roof. Another reason for the continuing resilience of the German economy is its highly collaborative labor unions.
California authorities are confronting the opioid crisis with public education campaigns and local community coalitions.
Thursday, November 2, 2017
Shawn Lesser, a co-founder of Big Path Capital, an investment bank focused on impact investments, which seek social as well as financial returns, said interest in agriculture has surpassed that of clean energy and affordable housing.
Shawn Lesser, a co-founder of Big Path Capital, an investment bank focused on impact investments, which seek social as well as financial returns, said interest in agriculture has surpassed that of clean energy and affordable housing.
The dramatic rise of the San Francisco Bay Area into a globally important cultural and economic powerhouse is a case study in regional cohesion. Sacramento's regional leaders say they want to emulate it. But they'll have to get their act together first.
Wednesday, November 1, 2017
Eric Garcetti won't be running for governor next year. He may be exploring a presidential run.
An appellate court has affirmed a trial judge's decision that a company's arbitration agreement is unconscionable and unenforceable, and that an employee cannot be compelled to arbitrate her wrongful termination and retaliation claims.
Tuesday, October 31, 2017
The central bank also left itself plenty of room to reverse course if necessary
Monday, October 30, 2017
Access to medical care may be a dominant campaign issue.
Financial considerations to keep in mind if retirement includes earning an income.
Friday, October 27, 2017
Allergan case brings up questions about sovereign immunity.
Thursday, October 26, 2017
Employers may be wary of their employees' social media posts, particularly when employees identify their employers in their profiles, or comment about their bosses or companies.
Wednesday, October 25, 2017
New gun laws enhanced California's status of having the nation's tightest restrictions on the purchase and use of firearms. However, what politicians and voters wrought last year didn't really cut down on the number of guns.
Tuesday, October 24, 2017
More than 140 women –California legislators, Capitol staffers, lobbyists and political consultants – signed an open letter denouncing "pervasive" sexual harassment and other forms of misconduct in state politics. "Each of us who signed this op-ed will no longer tolerate the perpetrators or enablers who do," the letter reads. Nor should we.
Monday, October 23, 2017
Some tips to guide support for disaster relief so that generosity helps rather than hinders relief efforts.
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General News
Monday, October 21, 2019 |
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| At a tense hearing Wednesday, attorneys for prisoners sought to show state corrections department officials tried to mislead the special master in charge of inmate mental health care. Lawyers for the state tried to paint a picture of overworked employees who made occasional errors. | |
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General News
Monday, October 21, 2019 |
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| At a tense hearing Wednesday, attorneys for prisoners sought to show state corrections department officials tried to mislead the special master in charge of inmate mental health care. Lawyers for the state tried to paint a picture of overworked employees who made occasional errors. | |
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General News
Friday, October 18, 2019 |
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| An appellate panel seemed skeptical about claims a CHP officer's renewed investigation makes him liable under double jeopardy. | |
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General News
Friday, October 18, 2019 |
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| An appellate panel seemed skeptical about claims a CHP officer's renewed investigation makes him liable under double jeopardy. | |
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General News
Thursday, October 17, 2019 |
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| The Public Watchdogs is asking the federal court to consider a piece of evidence from a settlement reached between another oversight group and Southern California Edison Co. in a separate case from 2017. | |
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General News
Thursday, October 17, 2019 |
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| Los Angeles County is charging probationers more money in fines and fees than they are legally required to pay, while also coercing probationers into waiving their right to an "ability to pay" trial, according to a lawsuit | |
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General News
Thursday, October 17, 2019 |
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| SB 707 was not the most talked about arbitration bill in Sacramento this year. But it may yet prove to be the most influential. | |
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General News
Wednesday, October 16, 2019 |
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| AB 61 allows coworkers, employers and teachers use an ex parte court process to obtain a gun-violence restraining order. | |
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General News
Wednesday, October 16, 2019 |
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| DLA Piper corporate partner Louis P.A. Lehot has been ousted from the firm, a week after a colleague accused him of sexually assaulting her on multiple occasions. | |
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General News
Wednesday, October 16, 2019 |
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| The nonprofit organization hopes to strengthen efforts it already has underway in the areas of diversity, access to justice and civic education. | |
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General News
Wednesday, October 16, 2019 |
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| The nonprofit organization hopes to strengthen efforts it already has underway in the areas of diversity, access to justice and civic education. | |
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General News
Tuesday, October 15, 2019 |
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| The secretary of Energy improperly, indeterminably shelved Obama-era efficiency standards finalized just before President Trump's inauguration, a 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals paneled decided Thursday. | |
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General News
Tuesday, October 15, 2019 |
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| The 2nd District of Court of Appeal's ruling that 2018's Dynamex decision should apply retroactively to wage and hour orders could have major implications with the state Supreme Court, experts said Thursday. | |
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General News
Tuesday, October 15, 2019 |
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| In signing the fee bill, Gov. Gavin Newsom doesn't commit to moving the bar into the state budget. | |
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General News
Monday, October 14, 2019 |
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| California joins 20 other states in allowing felons to serve on juries, as Gov. Gavin Newsom signs numerous criminal justice bills. | |
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General News
Monday, October 14, 2019 |
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| A Los Angeles criminal defense firm that hired an attorney who previously prosecuted its client for death told the state Supreme Court in a filing Wednesday that it properly walled off the attorney from involvement in the matter. | |
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General News
Monday, October 14, 2019 |
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| At issue is the Mulford Act, a 1967 state law banning the open carry of loaded firearms that was inspired in part by armed protests held by the Black Panthers, including a few blocks away at the State Capitol. | |
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General News
Wednesday, October 9, 2019 |
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| The newly coordinated case includes an amended complaint from the state attorney general and a debate over bankruptcy-triggered stays | |
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General News
Wednesday, October 9, 2019 |
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| Candidates for San Francisco DA accuse mayor of political move in making an interim appointment of one of their opponents. | |
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General News
Wednesday, October 9, 2019 |
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| Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed two bills to address the problem of "deep fakes," digital video or audio that is manipulated to falsely make it appear that someone is doing or saying something they never did, but both could end up in court. | |
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General News
Monday, October 21, 2019 |
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| Facebook asked the judge overseeing the lawsuit about the Cambridge Analytica scandal to grant a rare appeal that may pause the case while higher courts weigh in. | |
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General News
Friday, October 18, 2019 |
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| An appellate panel seemed skeptical about claims a CHP officer's renewed investigation makes him liable under double jeopardy. | |
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General News
Tuesday, October 15, 2019 |
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| In signing the fee bill, Gov. Gavin Newsom doesn't commit to moving the bar into the state budget. | |