Mata v. Liberty Utilities (Nov. 19, 2020, B293479) 2020 WL ___ [nonpublished opinion]

Plaintiff claimed take-home asbestos injury from his father’s job at GMSR’s client, a water utility, where the father occasionally cut asbestos pipe. The jury awarded compensatory and punitive damages. The trial court struck the punitive damages on the ground that there was no evidence that

Yu v. Superior Court of Los Angeles County (October 27, 2020) __ Cal.App.5th __ [2020 WL 6281295]

Plaintiff sued GMSR’s clients for wrongful foreclosure after they purchased a real property loan on which plaintiff had defaulted. The matter proceeded to a judicial reference, which resulted in a determination by the referee that GMSR’s clients were liable for millions in both compensatory and

B.Q. v. Dekok (9th Cir. 2020) 825 Fed.Appx. 533

Plaintiff, a seventh-grade student, claimed that a teacher’s use of inaccurate and negative translations of Sharia law to teach a unit on religion to students violated the Establishment Clause.  The district court dismissed the suit, finding that the teacher was entitled to qualified immunity because

Hawkins v. Southern Cal. Edison Co. (October 8, 2020, B295675) 2020 WL ___ [nonpublished opinion]

Plaintiff alleged that she suffered injury from exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF) at her apartment building, to which GMSR’s client Southern California Edison provided power. Edison successfully demurred based on directly controlling California Supreme Court authority—San Diego Gas and Electric Company v. Superior Court (Covalt)

Rosenthal v. City of Oakland (August 27, 2020, A156881) 2020 WL 5051440 [nonpublished opinion]

Plaintiff tripped and fell over a defect on a municipal sidewalk next to property owned by GMSR’s client, Street 41, LLC.  He sued the City of Oakland and Street 41 for failing to maintain the sidewalk.  The trial court granted the City’s and Street 41’s

In re Marriage of DeSouza (2020) 54 Cal.App.5th 25

In re Marriage of DeSouza (2020) 54 Cal.App.5th 25, First District, Division Three.  While dissolution proceedings were pending, the ex-husband of GMSR’s client had two friends buy bitcoins with the community’s assets without at the time disclosing the purchases to his ex-wife.  One friend transferred

Ixchel Pharma, LLC v. Biogen, Inc. (2020) 9 Cal.5th 1130

Plaintiff had an at-will contract with a non-party to develop a drug based on a certain active ingredient.  Defendant Biogen reached its own deal with that non-party to settle patent disputes and to license the same active ingredient—requiring that the at-will contract with Plaintiff be

Durment v. Burlington Insurance Company (9th Cir. 2020) 820 Fed.Appx. 561

Court of Appeals Opinion – View Document

Pankey v. Petco Animal Supplies, Inc. (June 24, 2020, D072779) [previously published at 51 Cal.App.5th 61]

Hishmeh Enterprises, Inc. v. City of Porterville (June 22, 2020, F074356, F074357, F077323) 2020 WL 3410926

Plaintiffs were struck by a car while crossing a street near an inoperative streetlight. GMSR’s client, Southern California Edison, serviced the streetlight. Plaintiffs sued, alleging that Edison was negligent in allowing the light to be off. On summary judgment, the trial court ruled that Edison