Jonathan Bilyk News
California cities can't bring class action to force Netflix, Hulu, other streamers to pay cable TV franchise fees
A state appeals court has pulled the plug, for now, on efforts by trial lawyers and California cities to force streaming entertainment services, like Netflix, to pay the fees normally levied by state law on cable TV companies
California can't enforce minor gun ad ban law while court case plays out over speech restrictions
The full U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals said it won't grant the Attorney General's request for a review of a three-judge panel's decision to slap an injunction on AB2571, which they said amounted to an unconstitutional 'muzzling of speech'
Appeals court: Lowe's can't escape PAGA class action by enforcing arbitration clause vs lead plaintiff
The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals agreed that the California Supreme Court's interpretation of the state's controversial PAGA law holds sway over that of the U.S. Supreme Court
Carano sues Disney over firing from 'Mandalorian,' says retaliated against her over politics
TV and film star Gina Carano says Disney illegally attempted to blast her career from orbit over conservative online speech, costing her untold millions of dollars in future career opportunities built on her popular recurring character on Star Wars series, 'The Mandalorian'
Class action lodged vs LDS for allegedly misleading about use of $1.4B of tithes for Salt Lake mall
The class action builds on appellate decision in favor of wealthy ex-Mormon James Huntsman, now seeks payouts on behalf of all LDS tithes-paying members
CA emissions reporting rules illegal try to let CA regulate emissions worldwide, lawsuit says
A new lawsuit from the U.S. and California chambers of commerce and other business advocates says new California laws forcing businesses to report "climate" emissions violates both the First Amendment and Clean Air Act.
Appeals panel: Judge can shut down major LA shipping terminal over environmental mitigations
A state appeals court says a San Diego judge improperly restrained himself from crafting a harsher "remedy" to address alleged mishandling of environmental mitigation at the Port of L.A.'s China Shipping terminal.
Cummins, Stellantis face potentially costly lawsuits over alleged Ram truck emissions cheat devices
Cummins agreed to pay $2B to end federal and California state regulatory actions over alleged "defeat devices" to bypass emissions controls on Ram trucks. But now trial lawyers are seeking further payouts from private lawsuits in California courts
New filing: Broad, bipartisan coalition shows 'exceptional' need for SCOTUS to undo pro-homeless rulings
The U.S. Supreme Court could decide in January whether to hear arguments over Ninth Circuit ruling that critics say has created 'constitutional right' for homeless to camp on streets and in parks, and leaves local governments powerless to retake public spaces
Judge again rejects consumer lawsuit trying to shut down Kroger-Albertsons merger
A federal judge said the consumers still haven't demonstrated how exactly they will be harmed by the $24B merger of the country's No. 1 and No. 2 supermarket chains. Action by the FTC could come in mid-January, per court filings
Enviros can't undo California rule intended to lessen electric bill pain for most customers
A state appeals panel says it won't second-guess a state commission's decision to reduce the amount paid to homeowners with solar power systems to hold down bills for all other customers who had been paying more to pay for others' home solar arrays
Google to pay $700M to end Google Play store class actions; Lawyers to get up to $128M, states get $70M
The lawsuits accused Google of monopolizing control of the Android smartphone operating system and environment. About 71 million consumers could see $2-$7 each in refunds from the deal
Appeals court to revisit decision that would have allowed Uber, drivers challenge anti-gig economy law AB5
The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued an order indicating the full court would review the earlier decision of a three-judge panel that called out California Democratic lawmakers for appearing to craft AB5 to punish Uber and other app-based ridesharing and food delivery companies at the bidding of union allies
Appeals court strips approval of pesticide EPA, growers say is needed to fight 'devastating' citrus crop diseases
Environmentalists and judges agreed that the EPA needs to conduct more studies to determine if widely-used streptomycin is actually 'practically non-toxic' to bees and other pollinators, as EPA claims, before it can be used to save lemon, lime, orange and grapefruit crops in US from two ravaging bacterial diseases
Activists file suit vs EPA, claiming children have a 'fundamental right' to a 'stable climate'
The lawsuit asserts children in California and the U.S. face a future of nothing but despair if the EPA isn't forced by the courts to take action against emissions from oil, natural gas and coal, without regard for economic harm
Rampant PAGA, Prop 65 lawsuits land California courts high on list of worst U.S. 'Judicial Hellholes'
The report issued by the American Tort Reform Association says California ranks third on the annual list, thanks to its continued status as lawyers' 'laboratory' for innovative ways to increase businesses' lawsuit risk
Disney sued over alleged slippery conditions at resort pool area at Aulani Resort in Hawaii
The class action lawsuit accuses Walt Disney Company of failing to warn hotel guests about allegedly dangerous slippery conditions at the Aulani's pool area
Jury orders Bayer Monsanto to pay $332M in latest Roundup trial verdict
Bayer has pledged to appeal, and believes it can at least reduce what it called an 'unconstitutionally excessive verdict.'
California, 32 other states accuse Meta of 'exploiting, addicting,' kids, causing societal harms
The multistate lawsuit filed in San Francisco federal court asserts the parent of Facebook and Instagram has misled parents and society at large about the alleged addictive and harmful properties of its social media products
Judge strikes down CA ban on 'assault weapons,' says state trampling 2nd Amendment, SCOTUS decisions
U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez said California cannot constitutionally use threat of possible mass shootings to justify criminalizing the ownership of certain firearms the state believes are "unusually dangerous"