California

Frequent ADA plaintiff to face usual legal rival—but this time in sex harassment case by ex-workers

Catherine Corfee has opposed Scott Johnson in many a disabled-access case. But Corfee, who has represented hundreds of small businesses sued by the paraplegic California attorney under the Americans with Disabilities Act, never anticipated that she would be representing plaintiffs in a workplace harassment suit against her longtime legal adversary,…

May 22, 2013 11:30 AM CDT

Kasowitz opens new Calif. office with two Jenner insurance recovery partners

Kasowitz Benson Torres & Friedman has opened a new office in Century City, Calif., with two partners from Jenner & Block. They are Jerold Oshinsky and Linda Kornfeld. Both represent businesses and university policyholders in insurance coverage disputes with their carriers, and Oshinsky had co-chaired the practice group at Jenner.…

May 21, 2013 10:30 AM CDT

Leading IP partner leaps from Steptoe to Sheppard Mullin

An intellectual property litigator who was one of the founders of Steptoe Johnson’s office in Century City, Calif., has leapt to the local office of Los Angeles-based Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton. Partner Michael R. “Mike” Heimbold began work there on Friday, Reuters reports. He said he made the move…

May 20, 2013 2:50 PM CDT

As sanction for destroying evidence, federal judge finds US negligent in wrongful death case

As a sanction for destruction of evidence by the National Park Service in a wrongful death case, a federal judge in Sacramento, Calif., ruled Tuesday that the United States was negligent. The case concerns the July 2009 death of Tommy Botell, 9, after a retaining wall that he and his…

May 15, 2013 8:08 PM CDT

Cops seize cellphone videos said to document fatal beating by deputies; did one get erased?

A witness who had been visiting a Bakersfield, Calif., hospital with family members called 911 last week and reported that deputies across the street had just beaten a man to death. The witness, Sulina Quair, also said she had evidence to back up her claim. The Bakersfield Californian publicized the…

May 15, 2013 2:03 PM CDT

Was well-known lawyer’s demand letter ‘extortion’? Appeals court to hear arguments on judge’s ruling

A well-known Southern California lawyer is famous for his menacing legal threats sent on behalf of celebrity clients. But attorney Martin D. “Marty” Singer crossed the line into making an “extortion” attempt in 2011 when he sent a demand letter to a client’s business partner, a state-court judge ruled after…

May 14, 2013 4:55 PM CDT

Kobe Bryant battles mom for ownership of sports memorabilia from his youth in 2 federal courts

Not one but two federal courts have been asked to weigh in on the issue of whether Kobe Bryant’s mom had a right to clear out his boyhood bedroom and sell at auction the sports memorabilia she found there. Initially, the Philadelphia-area auction house to which Pamela Bryant consigned the…

May 10, 2013 5:50 PM CDT

Calif. AG sues JPMorgan Chase, alleges ‘robo-signing’ and ‘sewer service’ in credit-card suits

California’s attorney general sued one of the nation’s biggest banks on Thursday, alleging that JPMorgan Chase & Co.had engaged in widespread “robo-signing” of documents in credit card collection lawsuits. “To maintain this breakneck pace” while dealing with a glut of litigation against delinquent cardholders, the lending institution created a “debt…

May 9, 2013 10:52 PM CDT

911 call will earn $800K for couple bound and gagged by rogue ex-cop

A married couple bound and gagged in February by rogue ex-cop Christopher Dorner stands to earn $800,000 for calling 911 and describing the former Los Angeles police department employee to authorities. “Had Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds failed promptly to escape their restraints and contact law enforcement, it is likely Dorner…

May 8, 2013 4:10 PM CDT

High school grounds ‘twerking’ seniors; college sued over sorority’s sexualized hazing

A suggestive “twerking” video shot on on the grounds of a California high school, using its equipment, has gotten 33 students involved in the video banned from participating in prom, graduation and end-of-year sports events. The Scripps Ranch High School students affected by the ban included three star members of…

May 3, 2013 3:30 PM CDT

Soda-order spat, claim of unflushed toilet leads to police involvement and lawsuit against airline

An airline passenger who says his refusal to order a soda on a computer touch screen led to his being detained and questioned by authorities after the plane landed has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit over the April 2012 incident. Salvatore Bevivino says he was falsely accused of swearing…

Apr 30, 2013 6:29 PM CDT

Big-bucks jury question: Did concert promoter select or supervise Michael Jackson’s personal doctor?

Opening arguments began Monday in a small Los Angeles courtroom in a wrongful death case that could involve millions, or perhaps even billions, of dollars in damages. At issue is whether concert promoter AEG Live had a role in hiring or supervising Dr. Conrad Murray, who served as Michael Jackson’s…

Apr 29, 2013 9:05 PM CDT

Appeals court OKs fine for lawyer who asserted SLAPP shield against tort case over demand letter

A California law that offers lawyers a shield against tort claims concerning their litigation activities has been limited by a California appeals court and might even be eliminated entirely by a federal appeals court. The state’s so-called anti-SLAPP statute is intended to offer an early exit for small parties targeted…

Apr 24, 2013 9:23 PM CDT

Indicted journalist is out at Reuters. Were Boston Marathon tweets a factor?

A deputy social media editor at Reuters says he has lost his job after being federally indicted on charges he helped the hacking group Anonymous deface a former employer’s news website. Matthew Keys said in a tweet and a Tumblr post that he plans to fight what he described as…

Apr 23, 2013 6:09 PM CDT

Elated billionaire wins $380K in federal suit over fake wine; he may have spent $10M in legal fees

William Koch presumably didn’t need the money. But, after years of litigation and what may have been a total of $10 million spent in legal fees, the Palm Beach, Fla., billionaire won a federal jury award of $380,000 on Thursday, in compensation for the 24 bottles of fake wine he…

Apr 12, 2013 4:55 PM CDT