On June 19, 2017, the United States Supreme Court invalidated a provision of the Lanham Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1052(a), which had prohibited the registration of trademarks “which may disparage . . . persons, living or dead, institutions, beliefs, or national symbols, . . . or bring them into contempt, or disrepute[.]”

Last week, on June 15, 2017, a California Court of Appeal reaffirmed the principle that individuals performing work for the direct benefit of an employer are entitled to wage and hour protections under the Federal Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) and California law regardless of immigration or work authorization status.

On June 9, 2017, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed SB 807 into law. In doing so, it will cause more litigation related to Texas construction projects to remain in Texas.

Effective January 1, 2017, the Legislature has enacted a significant change to California’s strict contractor’s licensing law, providing some relief to contractors who have allowed their license to lapse through oversight or inadvertence – provided they can show that they acted “promptly and in good faith” in fixing the mistake. 

More than eight years ago, the California Supreme Court handed down Crawford v. Weather Shield (2008) 44 Cal.4th 541, holding that a contractual indemnitor must immediately assume an indemnitee’s defense, irrespective of whether it is determined that indemnity is actually owed.  

California’s longstanding restrictions on defense and indemnity construction contracts have undergone several changes over the years with significant differences based upon the contract execution date.  

Parties involved in California construction defect lawsuits over the past nine years are familiar with the following scenario: A developer/general contractor moves for summary adjudication of the contractual duty to defend owed by one or more subcontractors.   

California’s Third District Court of Appeal recently clarified the scope of the Right to Repair Act, commonly known as SB-800 (“SB-800”).