An Open Letter to the County Counsels’ Association of California To the legal representatives of California’s counties: As you meet this week in Monterey to discuss civil law and litigation, there is a major issue that merits your attention: the growing trend of California counties and cities, urged on by profit-hungry contingency fee lawyers, to bring “public […]

California needs to make major progress when it comes to preventing abusive lawsuits. The state earned the title of “Judicial Hellhole” again this year, calling attention to the fact that California’s legal climate is out of balance, and things are getting worse each year. California earned this title because of laws like the Private Attorney General […]

Shakedown Prop. 65 lawsuits have been plaguing California’s small businesses for decades. Through 2012, Prop. 65 had led to 16,000 lawsuits and close to $500 million in settlements, much of which has gone directly to plaintiffs’ lawyers for fees and costs – and the numbers have only increased since then. Back in 2013, CALA applauded the California Legislature for […]

Here in California, the latest battle of the smartphone wars between Apple and Samsung before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit is just the latest example of why our nation’s patent laws need reform. This highly public feud has increased the average consumer’s awareness of patents and their role. Washington has paid attention too, and […]

There has been a lot of focus on what will California do this year to stop the shakedown lawsuits associated with the Americans with Disability Act (ADA). Many bipartisan bills have been introduced at the state level (including AB 52, AB 54 and SB 67), but to solve the problem we also need the federal […]

Recently a non-profit by the name of As You Sow (AYS) has accused Hershey, Mars and See’s Candies of failing to label lead and cadmium content in chocolate contrary to Californian law. AYS has sent legal notices to all three companies after testing revealed trace amounts of lead and cadmium in some of the companies’ brands. The […]

In politics, sometimes it’s all about judges and for California, Governor Brown is very cognizant of the issue. I really believe that the Governor’s legacy will not be tax reform, high speed rail or the infamous two tunnels in the delta – it is with his appointments to the California Supreme Court. Now that Leondra […]

California is home to innovation, from advances in the movie industry to the development of the iPad. But not all innovations here are beneficial, and some of the “innovations” of California’s lawyers are nothing but attempts to get large settlements or win large verdicts. Those innovations are one reason why California was yet again named one […]

With the 2015-2016 legislative session under way, it’s worth reminding our elected leaders why legal reform is needed. Ultimately, enacting legal reform is about making our lawsuit system serve the interests of ordinary people, rather than making personal injury lawyers rich. Stopping the abuse of our legal system will enable California businesses to grow and […]