California Appellate Tracker

Plaintiffs’ motion to consolidate their eight lawsuits for pre-trial purposes was not sufficient to transform the lawsuits a removable mass action under the Class Action Fairness Act.  Read More

Plaintiff cannot sue the United States for negligent injuries suffered in a foreign country, and plaintiff suffered her injury in Spain when she was prematurely born with brain damage, not in the United States where she was later diagnosed with cerebral palsy.  Read More

To state a conversion claim, a plaintiff need only allege ownership or the right to possession of the converted property, not both ownership and right to possession.  Read More

Genuine issues of material fact existed as to whether construction employer’s yard amounted to a worksite, such that the employer could claim exemption based on the going and coming rule from liability for injuries caused by employee on his way from home to the yard.  Read More

Genuine issues of material fact existed as to whether three foreign airline defendants could invoke the filed rate doctrine as a defense to an antitrust lawsuit, since it was not clear whether the federal Department of Transportation actually regulated rates for foreign carriers or merely paid lip service to that policy.  Read More

Minor who prevailed on administrative action to assure his right to a free and appropriate education under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act was considered a prevailing party for purposes of subsequent lawsuit filed by school district which sought to force other public entities to pay for his education.  Read More

The mandatory attorney-fault provision of Code of Civil Procedure section 473(b) applies only to judgments of dismissal or default and not to other types of judgment, such as, here, a trial on the merits of an administrative mandate proceeding in which judgment was rendered for the defendant agency.  Read More

A trial court's order denying a party's demand for a jury trial is reviewable before trial by petition for a writ of mandate.  Read More

A waiver of the right to seek injunctive relief in court to prevent violations of California’s Consumer Legal Remedies Act, Unfair Competition Law, or False Advertising Law is unenforceable under California law, and the Federal Arbitration Act does not preempt California law in that respect.  Read More

The claims in pro per plaintiff’s second amended complaint were time-barred because his initial complaint—filed before the limitations period had expired—was so deficient that it did not put the defendant on notice of any claim.  Read More

Employer was not entitled to summary judgment on discrimination claim based on the Immigration Control and Reform Act, since that act requires proof of immigration status only for new hires, not employees reinstated after a disciplinary suspension nor employees hired before 1986.  Read More

At least when a directors and officers liability policy provides a defense on appeal, its provision requiring reimbursement of defense costs upon a “final determination” the insured was guilty of willful misconduct applies only after completion of the appeal.  Read More

If a suit is dismissed on forum non conveniens grounds, the defendant is not entitled to an attorney fee award as the prevailing party, at least if the plaintiff can and does re-file suit in the other forum. Read More

Because a county charged admission for entry into a campground located inside a county-owned park, and PG&E maintained a power line to the campground’s bathroom, PG&E could not claim immunity for injuries suffered by the public in connection with the bathroom—even though PG&E received no portion of the campground fee.  Read More

Under 28 USC § 3304(a), the federal government may void as fraudulent any transfer made by a debtor who does not receive equivalent value, and a judgment debtor’s disclaimer of an inheritance fits that definition.  Read More

A minor living with his parents in a San Francisco apartment is not a tenant entitled under a city ordinance to a $4,500 relocation payment when the landlord stops renting the apartment.  Read More

The trial court’s finding that plaintiffs were exempt administrative employees, not entitled to overtime pay, was supported by substantial, properly admitted evidence showing plaintiffs spent more than 50% of their work time on administrative tasks.  Read More

Proceedings in non-bankruptcy courts to enforce sanctions against the debtor for litigation misconduct—including, as here, discovery sanctions—are exempt from the automatic stay.  Read More

Bankruptcy courts should use federal choice-of-law rules to determine which state’s law to  apply (such as, here, which statute of limitations is applicable).  Read More

A federal appellate court reviews a district court’s decision to enforce or quash an administrative subpoena for abuse of discretion.  Read More