In The News

It Already Spent $60,000 on Its Own Outside Attorney in Investigation of Ms. Tam.      Here is one that might have some readers cringing given the fiscal woes hitting lots of municipalities.      Alameda City Councilwoman Lena Tam handed officials a $44,000 bill for legal services she incurred while the City was investigating whether she

  Internet Video of Encounter Got A Lot of Exposure.      According to a December 4, 2010 post by John Ellis on the website of The Fresno Bee, the City of Fresno has agreed to pay $75,000 to Glen Beaty, a homeless man, in a federal civil rights lawsuit predicated on a punching by a

Terris/County of Santa Barbara.      As reported in a December 1, 2010 post on the website version of The Santa Barbara Independent, Shawn Terris, a former Santa Barbara County employee, lost her wrongful termination lawsuit against the County and retired CEO Mike Brown. Now, Ms. Terris has been ordered to pay $33,325 to the County

  Former Assistant Says She Cannot Pay, in Pending L.A. Superior Court Proceedings.      As reported in a November 29, 2010 post on the on-line version of the Beverly Hills Courier, Heather Devlin, former assistant of Hollywood agent Todd Shemarya, lost a gender discrimination claim after a jury trial. Agent’s attorneys, claiming the suit was

Efficiency and Alternative Arrangements Are Gaining in Favor.      In the October 2010 edition of U.S. News & World Report, the magazine ranks the “best” U.S. law firms (whether big or small), based on certain categories of specializations. That alone is interesting reading. However, the article also has some interesting observations on the trends, short-term

MiraCosta College to Contest Fee Motion in Ex-President Settlement Challenge Suit.      In our October 15, 2010 post, we reported on a lawsuit in which MiraCosta College’s settlement with ex-president Victoria Richart was successfully challenged, with the plaintiff now moving to recoup $423,205 in attorney’s fees. Now, Mr. Sisson in a follow-up November 16, 2010

  New York Times So Reports in November 14, 2010 Article–$1 Billion May Be At Issue.      In a November 14, 2010 article by Binyamin Appelbaum in The New York Times, he reports on the fact that large banks, hedge funds, and private investors are bankrolling plaintiffs’ lawsuits at record rates, all in the hope

  New Century Class Action Attorneys Garner $14.4 Million in $125 Million Settlement.      U.S. District Judge Dean Pregerson of the Central District of California (Los Angeles) recently approved a $14.4 million settlement of a class action against New Century Financial Corp. (one of the subprime mortgage companies well publicized for its bankruptcy) in favor