Baby Steps to Prop. 65 Reform
On September 11th, the state Senate sent AB 227 by Assemblyman Mike Gatto with a vote of 78-0, and the bill is now on its way to Governor Brown for a veto or signature. Gov. Brown likely will sign it because it has received bipartisan support from a broad coalition of trial lawyers, environmentalists and business. AB […]
It’s Football Season – Remember to Read that Helmet Warning!
There may be no better time of the year than the start of football season. The rivalries, the tailgate parties and the discussion of liability issues are what I look forward to every year. I am sure that back in 1892 when William “Pudge” Heffelfinger signed a $500 contract to play with the Allegheny Athletic […]
Is CEQA Reform Coming Up Short?
Is substantial CEQA reform possible or is it coming up short? The latest version of state Senate Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg’s SB 731 falls short of what should be the ultimate goal of any CEQA reform: stopping abusive CEQA lawsuits while preserving CEQA’s ability to protect the environment. Last week, SB 731 advanced out of the Assembly […]
The 13 Year Old Lead Paint Lawsuit
A trial began a few weeks ago before Superior Court Judge James Kleinberg, an appointee of Governor Gray Davis. He is hearing a case without a jury to determine whether five paint manufacturers, including Atlantic Richfield, NL Industries and Sherwin Williams should be held liable and ordered to remove led paint from an estimated 5 million homes […]
When the Trial Lawyers Come to Town…
Recently, the American Association of Justice (AAJ), the national association of plaintiff’s lawyers, held its annual national convention in San Francisco. Unfortunately, these lawyers weren’t interested in growing our economy or creating jobs. With several of their sessions focused on lawsuit creation, it’s obvious they’re interested in just one thing: lining their own pockets by […]
The Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act
Aside from President Obama going after patent trolls, what is going on at the federal level on legal reform? Recently, U.S. Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa and Congressman Lamar Smith of Texas introduced legislation to reduce abusive lawsuits that plague the United States legal system. The Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act (LARA) imposes mandatory sanctions for lawyers […]
CALA Kicks off Small Business Summer Campaign in Chico
CALA kicked off its Small Business Summer campaign in Chico, California on Friday, July 12. Now I know you are asking: what is Small Business Summer? Small Business Summer is designed to accomplish three goals. The first goal is to raise awareness about the impact of lawsuit abuse on small businesses. Small businesses are too […]
Wage and Hour Lawsuits – Be Warned!
It is summer and I am always searching for new and interesting issues to talk about. One issue that has come to my attention is the abuse of wage and hour lawsuits and California is a hotbed for them. A recent article in Corporate Counsel confirms just how popular they are with plaintiffs’ lawyers. For […]
California is Ground Zero for Food Lawsuits
For some time, the plaintiffs’ bar has been looking for the next cash cow and the food industry seems to be it. Last year, a story on ABC laid out how the same guys who got rich by pummeling the tobacco industry have set their sights on a new target: those who make and sell food. That accusation […]
Is President Obama a Legal Reformer?
I will be honest: the title of this blog was a little hard to type. But I was reading an article in Reuters and it made me wonder: does the President believe in legal reform? On one level it would seem that he does. Just last week, he took steps intended to curb lawsuits brought by companies […]