GUEST COLUMNS
Wednesday, February 18, 2026
Who decides when a smoke-contaminated home is safe? Right now, it's the insurance company.
In California courtrooms, companies that tightly control branded delivery operations increasingly deny responsibility after serious crashes, stepping aside as "brokers" in a practice known as liability laundering.
Tuesday, February 17, 2026
Although the IRS generally presumes litigation recoveries are ordinary income, damages in some defamation cases--particularly those involving harm to professional reputation or goodwill--may qualify for capital gain or basis recovery.
California's 2026 employment law updates impose new operational obligations affecting records, pay data, leave coordination and training, requiring employers to realign policies and internal systems now.
Friday, February 13, 2026
The IRS issued Notice 2025-69 to guide taxpayers on claiming the new OBBBA deductions for qualified tips and qualified overtime compensation on 2025 returns, providing transitional rules for reconstructing amounts when forms do not separately report them.
California employers are facing a sweeping new set of employment law changes in 2026 that expand employee rights around wages, pay equity and contracting, making early compliance planning essential.
Thursday, February 12, 2026
As genomic testing becomes more accessible, defense counsel in mesothelioma cases are increasingly leveraging BAP1 and other genetic mutations to challenge asbestos causation theories and provide an alternative explanation for the disease.
Last week, a 92-year-old driver may have mistaken the gas for the brake and crashed into Westwood's 99 Ranch Market, killing three and injuring several others, raising questions about driver age, potential medical emergencies, foreseeability, and insurance coverage.
Wednesday, February 11, 2026
Advanced vehicle technology and data are reshaping accident investigations, forcing personal injury attorneys to track system performance, human interaction and emerging liability issues in modern crash litigation.
A proposed California ballot initiative imposing a one-time 5% excise tax on billionaires' net worth has gained traction amid fiscal concerns and fairness debates, but would face significant legal and administrative challenges regardless of one's policy position.
Tuesday, February 10, 2026
Enacted 30 years ago through careful legislative deliberation, Section 230 remains the internet's strongest bulwark for free expression, protecting the services--and users--that make online speech possible.
AI-generated hallucinations are appearing in California court filings. When a decision rests on cases that don't exist, appellate review becomes impossible: You cannot judge the route when you cannot trust the map. California should recognize fabricated legal authority as per se reversible error, no prejudice analysis required.
Monday, February 9, 2026
Plaintiffs are deploying established negligence and product liability doctrines against AI developers in cases alleging chatbot interactions exacerbated mental health crises and failed to escalate warning signs.
Since 2019, South American Theft Groups have driven millions in losses across Los Angeles County, exploiting loopholes in California's Values Act (SB 54) that critics say unintentionally enable repeat offenders to evade deportation and reoffend.
Friday, February 6, 2026
A court-appointed receiver was supposed to stabilize a troubled Tenderloin building--now, 24 tenants, many elderly or non-English speaking, face eviction in a move that deepens the housing crisis.
SB 440 offers broader, more protective change order remedies for private works, providing a model to improve AB 626 before its sunset.
Thursday, February 5, 2026
Post-judgment interest on attorney fees is simple but sneaky: if the law makes fees automatic (like anti-SLAPP), the meter starts at judgment; if a judge must later decide entitlement, the clock doesn't start until the fee award.
In Vetter v. Resnik, the 5th Circuit held that copyright terminations under the U.S. Copyright Act allow authors to recapture worldwide rights--not just U.S. rights--creating potentially enormous implications for the music and broader copyright industries.
Wednesday, February 4, 2026
Patagonia's lawsuit against drag queen Pattie Gonia raises a familiar trademark question--but in a context where advocacy, performance and commerce collide, the stakes are anything but routine.
Private mediation in divorce cases allows parties to resolve disputes confidentially and efficiently, significantly reducing both the financial and emotional costs compared with traditional court proceedings while giving families control over outcomes.
Tuesday, February 3, 2026
The Pasadena City Council's acceptance of a donated police tracking dog without scrutiny reflects a dangerous, well-documented pattern in which unreliable canine scent evidence--often amounting to junk science--has led to wrongful arrests and convictions, as shown by cases like Josh Connole's and others where dog alerts supplanted rigorous proof and nearly destroyed innocent lives.
Video used to speak for itself in court. Now, thanks to AI and digital manipulation, officers and their attorneys must be ready to prove it's telling the truth.
Monday, February 2, 2026
Annual reporting isn't what it used to be--find out what's required and avoid an unpleasant surprise that could put your license at risk.
Desegregation is not discrimination: Why the lawsuit against LAUSD distorts history, law and justice
The lawsuit claiming LAUSD's desegregation policies "harm white students" isn't just a misreading of the law--it's a distortion of constitutional history and civil rights jurisprudence.
Friday, January 30, 2026
Grok has become a hub for AI-generated sexual exploitation, prompting California officials to investigate its failure to prevent the creation of deepfakes and child pornography.
Leaving California can eliminate its 13.3% state income tax, but expatriating from the U.S. entirely triggers a costly "exit tax" on all your assets that can be difficult to avoid.
Thursday, January 29, 2026
As parents let teens ride solo in autonomous vehicles, the real legal question isn't rule-breaking--it's whether companies can avoid responsibility when they knowingly allow foreseeable risks.
Lululemon is now tackling dupe culture on two fronts--challenging lookalikes in court while using a new trademark strategy to curb how competitors talk about them online.
Wednesday, January 28, 2026
As AI hype accelerates, a wave of "AI washing" securities lawsuits--alleging companies overstated or misrepresented their AI capabilities--highlights the need for careful, fact-based disclosures, forward-looking safe-harbor language and proactive risk management to mitigate litigation exposure.
Canadian securities regulators have introduced sweeping reforms to strengthen capital markets amid U.S. trade tensions, expanding capital-raising limits, streamlining IPO requirements and broadening investor participation--creating conditions for continued growth in 2026.
Tuesday, January 27, 2026
The California Supreme Court recognizes the public's right under the California Public Records Act to enforce proper public agency behavior.
Proposed federal evidence rule would require AI-Generated evidence to meet same standard as expert witnesses.
Monday, January 26, 2026
The fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis violated the
Fourth Amendment's ban on unreasonable seizures, yet federal doctrines like
qualified immunity and the fading Bivens remedy leave victims without
real redress.
In 2025, California courts and the Department of Insurance clarified that
"direct physical loss or damage" from fires and smoke--including invisible or
microscopic damage--can qualify for coverage under insurance policies, building
on the precedent set in Another Planet Entertainment v. Vigilant Insurance.
Friday, January 23, 2026
California has finally delivered broad tax relief for wildfire settlements--but new legal definitions and shifting requirements mean many victims must still tread carefully to secure their exclusions.
More than a year after the Eaton and Palisades fires, many families still cannot rebuild because insurers quietly shortchange total-loss claims by delaying, minimizing or withholding benefits they owe.
Thursday, January 22, 2026
The Trump administration's most consequential norm-breaking act may be its sidelining of senior JAG officers and targeting of Senator Mark Kelly for restating the bedrock rule that service members must obey only lawful orders.
McConaughey is trademarking 'Alright, alright, alright'--and himself--to fight AI deepfakes before they fight him.
Wednesday, January 21, 2026
Long before today's trade wars, tariff disputes helped shape the legal definition of art--forcing courts to draw lines between culture and commerce.
The start of a new year offers a timely reminder: maintaining perspective is essential for attorneys and firm leaders working to build meaningful, sustainable practices amid ongoing professional demands.
Tuesday, January 20, 2026
While FEHA already provides for fee recovery, an offer to compromise remains a powerful, underutilized tool that can bolster plaintiffs' leverage, efficiency and positioning throughout litigation.
For Iranians, U.S. foreign policy isn't just unpredictable--it's dangerous, as shifting statements and unclear signals from Washington can raise hopes, trigger crackdowns and leave people vulnerable.
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