Legal Pad

Recent Posts from Legal Pad

• S.F. Office Space: Get It Cheap, While You Can

  San Francisco landlords are pretty desperate for tenants these days — but just a little less so than earlier this year. And that means they’re still willing to throw in sweeteners on top of lower…

• Trademark Fight Draws a Line on Sand Hill Road

  A legal battle for the trademark rights to the very heart of Silicon Valley is under way. Sand Hill Advisors, the Palo Alto wealth management company, is suing Sand Hill Advisors, the commercial real estate…

• BART Cop's Murder Trial Goes to L.A.

  The murder trial for a former BART police officer is headed to Los Angeles County, an Alameda County judge reportedly ruled today. Alameda County Superior Court Judge Morris Jacobson had granted a change of venue…

• Lawyer-Daughter's Film On Controversial Lawyer-Father, At a Theater Near You

  Vanity Fair magazine supposedly once called William Kunstler “the most hated lawyer in America,” and even the New York lawyer’s daughters say they didn’t always understand the man. Sarah and Emily Kunstler have made a…

• UC Regents, So Predictable, Confirm Fee Hikes

  UC Regents went ahead and voted today to increase student fees systemwide to deal with a $1.2 billion state funding gap. We had the story of discontent among Berkeley’s future lawyers, and today ATL talks…

• You Can Probably Even Specialize in Pirate Litigation

  When pirates attack, can seamen sue? The Maersk Alabama was attacked again yesterday off the coast of Somalia –- Somali pirates had first targeted the ship last Spring in a dramatic attack ended by U.S.…

• Reinhardt Rules With Eye on the Prop 8 Federal Case?

  Here’s another adventure, courtesy of Ninth Circuit Judge Stephen Reinhardt. Awhile back, in an administrative order, Reinhardt found that a federal public defender was unconstitutionally denied health insurance benefits for his same-sex spouse. Today, the…

• A Mickey Mouse Case (Some Headlines Write Themselves)

  Mickey Mouse filed a trademark lawsuit against Donald Duck in Florida District Court this week. Yes, the case was actually filed. No, we cannot say whether Mouse’s claims are frivolous. The complaint (.pdf) is no…

• State Lawyers: Assuming You Only Win, You Still Lose

  No pressure, state lawyers. But if you could win all those lawsuits challenging California policies on furloughs, the prison population, redevelopment funding and social services cuts, the bean counters in Sacramento would be really grateful.…

• 'Who You Callin' Better Off?' (How to Start a Budget Slapfight)

  In times of tense budget talks (like now), be careful about alleging that another department is better off financially than your own. That’s the implicit message of a letter the San Francisco County Superior Court…