Substantive Unconscionability To Trip Over. This is a tragic case involving the death of a recently graduated UCLA engineering student in the throes of an acute psychotic episode. He was briefly in a care facility where the precariousness of his condition was recognized. Allegedly he required constant supervision, which was not provided, and he […]
Joseph Merced Nunez v. Cycad Management LLC, B306986 (2/2 3/18/22) (Lui, Ashmann-Gerst, Chavez). Nunez, a gardener, sued Cycad for employment-related claims. Cycad moved, unsuccessfully, to compel arbitration. The Court of Appeal now holds: "Substantial evidence supports factual findings that the Agreement is adhesive because it was presented to Nunez as a nonnegotiable condition of […]
California Appellate Law Podcast. My colleague Mike Hensley and I have published the California Attorney's Fees Blog since 2008. Tim Kowal and Jeff Lewis, the creators of the California Appellate Law Podcast, recently interviewed us on their podcast. Here's a link to the interview on Tim and Jeff's podcast. Thanks, Tim and Jeff, for […]
Suggestion: Don't Wait Two Years To Bring A Motion To Compel Arbitration. The Court of Appeal affirmed the trial court's order denying Appellants' motion to compel arbitration. Akira Kokubu, Plaintiff, Cross-defendant and Respondent, v. Takashi Sudo et al, Defendants, Cross-defendants and Respondents; Park Rolling Hills, LLC, et al., Defendants, Cross-complainants and Appellants, No. B310220 […]
Sign-In Wrap Contracts Are Hybrids Of Browserwrap (Hard To Enforce) And Clickwrap (Easier To Enforce) Contracts. B.D., a minor, and his father sued the videogame company Blizzard, contending that the game Overwatch encouraged gambling. Specifically, they alleged Overwatch used “real money” to make in-game purchases of “Loot Boxes”—items that offer “randomized chances . . […]
Los Angeles Arbitrator Awards $175M Plus Attorney's Fees Plus Royalty. Daily Journal Staff Writer Federico Lo Giudice reported the award on April 7, 2022 in an article entitled, "Arbitrator awards $175M to Monster in energy drink dispute." The arbitrator is Bruce A. Isaacs. The law firm representing the successful parties Monster Energy Co. and […]
The Problem To Be Solved Is How To Achieve Equal Access To Justice. "Does a trial court that granted a defendant’s petition to compel arbitration have jurisdiction to lift the stay of trial court proceedings where a plaintiff demonstrates financial inability to pay the anticipated arbitration costs? If so, may the court require defendant […]
A Case Of First Impression. Unless you practice in this area, you may not know that in an uninsured motorist arbitration between the motorist with uninsured motorist coverage and her insurance company, discovery disputes are addressed to the court, not to the arbitrator. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company v. Cora Robinson, A158467 (1/1 […]
Based On Generally Applied Principles Of Agency, The Care Facility Failed To Establish Son Acted As Father's Agent. An elder care facility argued that aged father, who died of severe sunstroke while in care of facility, was bound to arbitrate by son's signature on Residency Agreement. The basic problem was that, though it was […]
Including Confidentiality Provision In Settlement Of Malpractice Lawsuit Did Not Violate Public Policy, Because Provision Did Not Prevent Reporting To State Medical Board. In Pappas v. Chang and Chang v. Pappas, Nos. A159792 and A160293 (1/2 3/3/22) (Richman, Miller; Kline, conc.), the Court of Appeal affirms the trial court in separate consolidated appeals. In […]