GUEST COLUMNS
Thursday, November 6, 2025
Medical debt is a leading cause of consumer bankruptcy in the U.S., and attorneys play a critical role in guiding clients through Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 filings, evaluating timing, exemptions, and alternative remedies, while also considering recent protections such as California's SB 1061.
The disruptive potential of deepfakes in family law highlights the urgent need for legal and technological solutions to safeguard the integrity of evidence and uphold the principles of justice and fairness in custody disputes.
Wednesday, November 5, 2025
The rise of generative AI challenges traditional intellectual property laws by raising unresolved questions about who owns AI-generated content -- the developer, the user or no one -- forcing legal systems to adapt while grappling with fundamental questions about creativity, ownership and responsibility.
The SEC now allows mandatory arbitration in IPOs, reshaping litigation risk for public issuers, raising governance and insurance questions, and making expert, well-structured arbitration crucial for fair, efficient resolution of securities disputes.
Tuesday, November 4, 2025
As autonomous vehicle technologies advance--with investments growing 800% annually and market potential projected at $400 billion by 2035--the shifting landscape of manufacturer liability, insurance coverage, and evolving tort principles is creating a new era of complex commercial litigation and regulatory risk for the driverless ecosystem.
When clients don't pay, lawyers have options -- but ethical rules strictly limit how far they can go, what they can disclose and how they work with collection agencies.
Monday, November 3, 2025
Whether it's an unearned bonus or pay returned for other reasons, such as legal violations, you can often recoup the taxes -- though with the IRS, timing and details matter.
California's paid sick leave has evolved from three days for illness in 2015 to five days covering crime victimization, court appearances, domestic violence and bereavement, with more expansions coming in 2026.
Friday, October 31, 2025
The Supreme Court is taking up two cases that could hold Cuba accountable for seizing American property -- an unexpected legal showdown with serious implications.
A $329 million verdict against Tesla for an autopilot-related death opens the floodgates to more lawsuits, exposing the company's overhyped self-driving claims and inferior safety systems compared to competitors like Waymo.
Thursday, October 30, 2025
In the unpublished decision, the California Court of Appeal ruled that a man living in a tent had no Fourth Amendment protection -- a sign of how courts are criminalizing poverty.
Part Two examines the proposed 2026 ballot initiatives targeting property and automobile insurance in California, including a Consumer Watchdog "Bill of Rights" and a modernized regulatory framework aimed at restoring competition. The coming election could once again place voters at the center of the state's insurance market policy.
Wednesday, October 29, 2025
On Oct. 11, California enacted SB 37 to crack down on misleading attorney advertising -- giving consumers the right to sue over deceptive ads and strengthening penalties for illegal solicitation.
Ballots, burn zones and bottom lines: How California voters have shaped the state's insurance market
California voters have long wielded influence over insurance regulation through ballot initiatives, from Proposition 103's sweeping reforms in 1988 to Proposition 213's 1996 limits on uninsured drivers' claims. This article explores the history and impact of these measures, setting the stage for the critical 2026 election.
Tuesday, October 28, 2025
Cash for keys agreements can offer landlords with properties in rent-controlled jurisdictions flexibility, but failure to follow local rules could cost them dearly.
Once limited mostly to defamation and media cases, California's anti-SLAPP statute (Code Civ. Proc. § 425.16) has expanded into nearly every corner of civil litigation -- from employment, family, and probate disputes to contract, real estate, and arbitration matters -- catching unprepared lawyers off guard and packing a powerful punch with fee-shifting, discovery stays, and immediate appeal rights that can turn a routine case into a high-stakes fight.
Monday, October 27, 2025
As more plaintiffs look to sell their legal claims, the quirky tax rules around such transfers make early tax advice crucial.
Jurors may apply the law as instructed, but rising ticket prices and advancing surveillance are shaping a new expectation: that venues take real responsibility for keeping concertgoers safe.
Friday, October 24, 2025
A billion-dollar Los Angeles verdict over baby powder and mesothelioma underscores how junk science, aggressive trial lawyer advertising, and weak judicial gatekeeping are fueling an endless cycle of litigation that drives up costs, distorts justice, and undermines public trust in California's courts.
The allegations of widespread fraud in Los Angeles County sexual abuse claims demand immediate, independent action from experienced, unbiased plaintiffs' firms to protect real victims and restore integrity to the settlement process.
Thursday, October 23, 2025
Businesses across industries are facing a surge in "Shine the Light" law requests under California Civil Code §1798.83, exposing those unprepared to respond to significant litigation risks and penalties despite compliance with newer privacy laws like the CCPA.
Amid "No Kings" protests over his authoritarian tactics, Trump's March 22 directive to punish lawyers challenging his policies looks less like reform -- and more like an effort to intimidate dissent.
Wednesday, October 22, 2025
The EPA's proposal to gut greenhouse gas reporting would sideline nearly all sectors, leaving a gaping hole in climate accountability until at least 2034.
The California Air Resources Board released a preliminary list of in-scope entities and draft guidance on the state's mandatory climate reporting requirements. Certain companies doing business in California will have to publicly post their first reports on or before Jan. 1, 2026, in accordance with the guidance.
Tuesday, October 21, 2025
Sen. Ted Cruz plans bipartisan legislation to curb government "jawboning" -- pressure on media or platforms to silence speech -- arguing that protecting free expression requires applying First Amendment principles evenly, no matter the politics.
Recent California legislation will enable municipalities -- and reviewing courts -- to conserve valuable resources and time during CEQA-related litigation.
Monday, October 20, 2025
Despite longstanding precedent affirming the public's right to access civil court proceedings, recent actions in Los Angeles courtrooms underscore the need to reaffirm a core principle: Public and press access to civil proceedings is a constitutional right -- one that has never been more vital.
Banksy's mural at London's Royal Courts of Justice highlights the complex legal landscape of the Visual Artists Rights Act, which grants authors of recognized visual art the 'right of integrity' to prevent destruction or alteration of their works, creating potential liability for building owners even when artworks are installed without permission.
Friday, October 17, 2025
California personal representatives must
conduct diligent, country-specific searches to identify heirs abroad, since failure to do so can reopen estates, delay distributions, and expose fiduciaries to liability.
The 2025 California Legislative Session enacted major reforms to the state's cannabis and hemp laws -- including new hemp regulations, a temporary cannabis tax cut, tighter controls on online sales, and faster approval for substance research -- marking one of the most significant overhauls of the industry since legalization.
Thursday, October 16, 2025
In California trust litigation, determining whether a settlor's mental ability meets the lower testamentary standard or the higher contractual one often decides who controls an estate -- and the outcome of the entire case.
Class actions in California are high-stakes, complex and slow -- demanding strategy, persistence, and careful management to deliver real results.
Wednesday, October 15, 2025
The pending 3rd Circuit appeal in Thomson
Reuters v. ROSS Intelligence could set a landmark precedent on whether
using proprietary legal research headnotes to train AI constitutes copyright
infringement or fair use, potentially reshaping how commercial AI platforms are
developed across legal, medical, financial and other research-intensive fields.
California's diverse, high-value specialty crops are poorly served by federal farm subsidy programs designed for bulk row crops, and modernizing aid to reflect real economic losses, export risks, and timely delivery is critical to sustaining the state's farms and the national food supply.
Tuesday, October 14, 2025
Trump's bid to use the National Guard as a political tool has sparked lawsuits claiming he overstepped his authority and threatened the balance between federal and state power.
Under the Government Claims Act, a claimant need not file a pre-suit claim with a public entity when seeking purely declaratory relief, though any subsequent monetary claims must be preceded by a government claim.
Monday, October 13, 2025
Opened in 1891, Los Angeles' Red Sandstone Courthouse symbolized the city's civic pride, growth and legal development, and though it was demolished after earthquake damage in the 1930s, its legacy endures through preserved architectural elements and its influence on subsequent courthouses.
Effective commercial mediation requires recognizing and managing the human elements -- emotions, histories, biases and interpersonal dynamics -- that can either facilitate or impede settlement, rather than focusing solely on financial and legal positions.
Friday, October 10, 2025
Bronshteyn
serves as a reminder of the broad discretion trial courts hold in awarding
attorney's fees to prevailing plaintiffs in employment litigation -- and the
difficulty defendants may face when trying to overturn such awards on appeal.
School injury cases can be complex and fact specific -- Doe v. Mount Pleasant Elementary School District serves as a practical starting point for analyzing claims tied to school-sponsored overnight retreats.
Thursday, October 9, 2025
Despite more than 20 years of mandatory harassment training in California, workplace sexual harassment complaints have risen sharply, highlighting that compliance-focused programs fail to change culture and that effective prevention requires ongoing, interactive, and inclusive approaches emphasizing bystander intervention, relevance and psychological safety.
If you want to be paid, refusing to hand over a Form W-9 may not make sense.
Wednesday, October 8, 2025
Many workers believe they're in a hostile work environment, but unless mistreatment is tied to a legally protected trait, the law often doesn't consider it unlawful.
War teaches luck matters. So does the law. Survival in court often depends on which lawyer, judge, or county you get -- not just your merits. To make justice fair, we need funding parity, standardized protocols and consistent representation -- so outcomes aren't left to chance.
Tuesday, October 7, 2025
Ross Intelligence is appealing a Delaware court ruling that held its use of Thomson Reuters' copyrighted headnotes for AI training was not fair use, in a case that could have sweeping implications for how AI models legally access and learn from copyrighted material.
By grounding complex disputes in universal moral principles, trial lawyers can make any business case accessible and compelling.
Judge Lawrence VanDyke
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NEWS
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General News
Thursday, November 6, 2025 |
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| A court ruling this summer canceled a President Joe Biden-era federal effort to remove medical debt from credit reports. | |
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General News
Thursday, November 6, 2025 |
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| A federal lawsuit filed in San Jose claims AB 715's vague language equates criticism of Israel and Zionism with antisemitism, chilling classroom speech and violating the First Amendment. | |
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General News
Thursday, November 6, 2025 |
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| Prosecutor Ana Gonzalez challenged Public Defender Manohar Raju's claims of an emergency over staff shortages, while Judge Harry Dorfman warned against personal attacks. | |
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General News
Wednesday, November 5, 2025 |
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| Two cases in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California -- with one now moving to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals -- will provide key tests of the state's efforts to fill the void left as the new administration steps back from enforcing federal labor protections. | |
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General News
Wednesday, November 5, 2025 |
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| As Gov. Gavin Newsom ramps up what appears to be a 2028 White House bid, a mainstay of his pitch during television interviews and social media appearances is California's economy. | |
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General News
Wednesday, November 5, 2025 |
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| The federal appeals court panel on Friday ordered a San Jose magistrate judge to reinstate a jury's trade secrets misappropriation verdict in favor of EchoSpan Inc. after he wiped it out in post-trial motions by defendant Medallia Inc. last year. | |
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General News
Tuesday, November 4, 2025 |
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| U.S. District Judge William H. Orrick said the law firm violated a court order that barred LinkedIn research on potential jurors, warning that future violations could bring far steeper penalties. | |
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General News
Tuesday, November 4, 2025 |
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| Los Angeles struggles to balance its humane responses to addiction and homelessness with its more instant but often less durable alternatives -- police action. | |
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General News
Tuesday, November 4, 2025 |
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| Southern California Edison finalized its Eaton Fire settlement plan, doubling eligible properties to 18,000, expanding coverage beyond the fire perimeter, increasing compensation, and revising procedures to streamline out-of-court claims. | |
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General News
Monday, November 3, 2025 |
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| Santa Ana agreed to pay $550,000 to settle a federal lawsuit by nonprofit Share Our Selves, which accused the city of using zoning laws to block a downtown clinic for low-income residents. | |
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General News
Monday, November 3, 2025 |
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| Baron App Inc., which operates the celebrity video platform Cameo, sued OpenAI in San Francisco federal court, alleging that OpenAI's Sora app infringes on its trademark by using the same "Cameo" name for an AI-generated video feature. | |
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General News
Monday, November 3, 2025 |
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| One of the most important aspects to consider while preparing for your new arrival is how your financial habits, responsibilities and goals might change. | |
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General News
Friday, October 31, 2025 |
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| Retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy reflected on his Sacramento roots, his landmark rulings, and encounters with figures from Vladimir Putin to the plaintiff in Chadha during a McGeorge School of Law talk. | |
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General News
Friday, October 31, 2025 |
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| Well, sports fans, how about this scenario -- long-time frenemies Gavin Newsom and Kamala Harris facing off for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination three years hence? | |
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General News
Friday, October 31, 2025 |
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| California Attorney General Rob Bonta on Tuesday approved OpenAI's restructuring plan, allowing its for-profit arm to operate as a public benefit corporation after securing concessions on safety and charitable oversight. | |
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General News
Thursday, October 30, 2025 |
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| A San Francisco judge said she will approve a $65 million settlement resolving a class action accusing World Financial Group of misclassifying 380,000 sales agents and running a pyramid-style recruiting scheme. | |
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General News
Thursday, October 30, 2025 |
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| The cryptocurrency trading platform is asking a San Francisco federal judge to dismiss or transfer a breach of contract lawsuit to New York, citing a revised user agreement that includes a forum selection clause. | |
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General News
Thursday, October 30, 2025 |
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| Cal State, the largest U.S. university system with 460,000 students, recently embarked on a public-private campaign -- with corporate titans including Amazon, OpenAI and Nvidia -- to position the school as the nation's "first and largest AI-empowered" university. | |
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General News
Wednesday, October 29, 2025 |
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| Justices instead approved only installment-payment clarifications, adopted (with modifications) cross-state license recognition for military personnel and spouses, and appointed Pasadena Assistant City Attorney Alison R. Worthington to the State Bar Court. | |
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General News
Wednesday, October 29, 2025 |
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| With more interest rate cuts a possibility, it may be a good time to lock in current rates in your savings, if you haven't already. | |
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General News
Wednesday, October 29, 2025 |
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| Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero also bemoaned California's budget challenges and the ongoing shortage of judges, especially in San Bernardino and Riverside counties. | |
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General News
Tuesday, October 28, 2025 |
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| Author Tasha Alexander alleges Apple trained its 'Apple Intelligence' model using her books without permission. | |
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General News
Tuesday, October 28, 2025 |
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| Many financial institutions are offering interest-free loans, fee waivers, deferred payments and other forms of temporary relief to help keep workers afloat while the political gridlock drags on. | |
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General News
Tuesday, October 28, 2025 |
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| Several liberal judges issue sharp dissents as the appeals court lets stand a stay of a San Francisco judge's order stopping the use of federalized National Guard troops in Los Angeles. | |
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General News
Monday, October 27, 2025 |
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| A San Jose federal trial over Valeo's claims that Nvidia used stolen automotive software was postponed to January 2026 as both sides pursue settlement talks in November mediation. | |
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General News
Monday, October 27, 2025 |
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| The appointments include one judge each in Fresno, Mendocino, Orange, San Francisco, San Mateo, Solano, and Tulare Counties, and multiple appointments in Los Angeles and Riverside Counties. | |
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General News
Monday, October 27, 2025 |
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| Quantum computing is still an experimental technology. But Google's new algorithm, Quantum Echoes, shows that scientists are rapidly improving techniques that could allow quantum computers to crack scientific problems no traditional computing device ever could. | |
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General News
Friday, October 24, 2025 |
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| New rulemaking and direct oversight by John A. Squires could dismantle key provisions of the America Invents Act, critics warn. | |
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General News
Friday, October 24, 2025 |
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| Newsom's slow roll protects him from taking any meaningful actions, thus bequeathing reparations to his successor, like his many other unresolved California issues. | |
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General News
Friday, October 24, 2025 |
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| California and the U.S. Department of Justice sparred Tuesday in federal court over whether to delay the state's lawsuit challenging the federal government's decision to claw back billions in high-speed rail funds. The state argued the Trump administration could still reallocate the money despite the government shutdown, while Justice Department attorneys said they were barred from proceeding on non-emergency cases. | |
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General News
Thursday, October 23, 2025 |
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| As voters weigh in on Proposition 50, which will appear on the ballot next month, the debate over the measure is complicated by one common concern and one common misconception: The concern is that the proposed redistricting moves California away from hard-won fairness in drawing congressional boundaries. The misconception is that this is a simple gift to Democrats. | |
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General News
Thursday, October 23, 2025 |
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| Judge Ethan P. Schulman sanctioned a McDonald's franchise's attorney for repeated discovery delays, scolding both sides for poor communication in a wage-and-hour class action with minimal document production. | |
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General News
Thursday, October 23, 2025 |
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| A Los Angeles judge ordered Mark Zuckerberg, Adam Mosseri and Evan Spiegel to testify in bellwether trials over claims that Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat harm students' mental health and learning. | |
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General News
Wednesday, October 22, 2025 |
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| High school seniors applying to college may cross some schools off their list when they see the nearly six-figure "sticker" prices, not realizing that the actual cost may be far lower. | |
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General News
Wednesday, October 22, 2025 |
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| Federal courts in California enter "phase two" of shutdown operations Monday, furloughing staff and scaling back functions after funding expired, though judges will continue hearing cases under constitutional obligations. | |
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General News
Wednesday, October 22, 2025 |
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| As Congress stalls on artificial intelligence regulation, California's sweeping AI legislation is setting a national benchmark. States from New York to Texas are borrowing key principles -- and testing their own limits -- as they craft new rules for the fast-moving technology. | |
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General News
Tuesday, October 21, 2025 |
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| Eight years ago, as he began his campaign for governor, Gavin Newsom described fixing the state's chronic housing shortage as a moral imperative. | |
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General News
Tuesday, October 21, 2025 |
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| Two California community energy agencies sued solar developer Origis USA, alleging a $200 million scheme to inflate project costs and exploit regulatory deadlines for profit on a Fresno County solar project. | |
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General News
Tuesday, October 21, 2025 |
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| The 1st District Court of Appeal ruled the Legislature lawfully renamed Hastings College of the Law and eliminated a hereditary board seat, rejecting claims by descendants that the move violated the U.S. and California Constitutions. | |
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General News
Monday, October 20, 2025 |
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| A San Francisco federal judge granted a temporary restraining order blocking the Trump administration from issuing reduction-in-force notices during the government shutdown, siding with unions challenging the legality of planned layoffs. | |
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General News
Monday, October 20, 2025 |
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| Despite an aggressive legal defense led by former U.S. Labor Secretary Thomas Perez, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to oust Sheriff Christina Corpus--the county's first Latina and first female sheriff--after finding misconduct and abuse of authority. Her attorneys plan to appeal, calling the action unconstitutional and discriminatory. | |
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General News
Monday, October 20, 2025 |
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| You're never too young to get your finances in order, and the decisions you make now can help you develop positive habits to build wealth down the road. | |
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General News
Thursday, November 6, 2025 |
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| Judges Patrick J. Bumatay and Lawrence J.C. VanDyke dissented Friday from the 9th Circuit's refusal to revisit a case upholding criminal penalties created by Interior Department regulations. They argued that only Congress--not the executive branch--has constitutional authority to define crimes. | |
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General News
Tuesday, November 4, 2025 |
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| California and other states are seeking to challenge the Justice Department's approval of the Hewlett Packard Enterprise-Juniper merger, alleging political interference and calling for an evidentiary hearing under the Tunney Act. But the Justice Department and Hewlett Packard Enterprise argued this week that the states had no right to intervene. | |
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General News
Monday, November 3, 2025 |
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| Los Angeles County Judge Lawrence P. Riff approved mechanisms to distribute billions in settlements compensating thousands of survivors of sexual abuse in county-run juvenile facilities, advancing implementation of historic agreements. | |
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General News
Friday, October 31, 2025 |
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| Two insurer groups are challenging a deal in the Sacramento Diocese bankruptcy allowing four sexual abuse cases to proceed, in a hearing that could influence similar disputes nationwide. | |
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General News
Thursday, October 30, 2025 |
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| Oil giant argues SB 253 and SB 261 compel speech and conflict with federal securities rules. A prior challenge by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce failed to win an injunction. | |
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General News
Wednesday, October 29, 2025 |
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| U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers of Oakland urged attorneys general to use AI for jury instruction analysis in a Social Media Addiction MDL, criticized "gamesmanship," and moved the first bellwether trial to Oakland. | |
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General News
Tuesday, October 28, 2025 |
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| Engineer Dan Sargent, backed by Sam Altman and Jony Ive, seeks dismissal of a trade secrets lawsuit from iyO Inc., claiming any alleged disclosures were protected speech under California's anti-SLAPP law. | |
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General News
Monday, October 27, 2025 |
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| The San Francisco Superior Court said it will begin releasing criminal defendants because the Public Defender's Office lacks enough attorneys to represent them, prompting a sharp exchange between Public Defender Manohar Raju and District Attorney Brooke Jenkins -- and renewed debate over California's system for funding indigent defense. | |
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General News
Friday, October 24, 2025 |
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| Trinity County Judge Eric Heryford was publicly censured for falsely signing salary affidavits while delaying rulings in multiple cases and showing a lack of candor during a judicial conduct investigation. | |
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General News
Thursday, October 23, 2025 |
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| As social media shifts toward short-form video, attorneys are redefining their marketing playbooks -- balancing creativity and reach against ethical boundaries and disclosure requirements. | |
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General News
Wednesday, October 22, 2025 |
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| A federal judge tentatively approved class certification in an antitrust lawsuit alleging that a $12.8 billion Altria and Juul deal illegally eliminated competition in the U.S. e-cigarette market through a non-compete agreement. | |
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General News
Tuesday, October 21, 2025 |
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| The NLRB sued to block California's AB 288, a "trigger law" empowering a state agency to enforce federal labor rights when the board cannot or will not act. Experts say the measure faces likely NLRA preemption, setting up a test of federal incapacity. | |
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General News
Monday, October 20, 2025 |
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| A Sacramento Superior Court judge expressed doubts that taxpayer organizations have standing to challenge a new law revising how the state taxes business income. The case tests whether SB 167 unlawfully changes state tax rules under the guise of clarification. | |