• San Diego attorney honored for pro bono work with nonprofit and entrepreneurial organizations

    Daily Journal
    July 22, 2024

    (Subscription required) Erik T. Johnson was recognized by the California Lawyers Association with a Labor and Employment Law Pro Bono Achievement Award for his many hours of service to the San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program's Microbusiness and Nonprofit Support Program.

  • Court Properly Foiled Effort to Insulate Funds From Levy

    Metropolitan News-Enterprise
    July 22, 2024

    A law firm did not own funds in a client trust account despite a recitation in the engagement agreement that the money was “deemed earned” by the firm “when received,” Div. One of the Fourth District Court of Appeal has held, affirming a determination that a notice of levy served by a judgment creditor of the client is enforceable.

  • Bay Area builders say city impact fees hinder new housing. A recent Supreme Court ruling may give developers more power to fight them.

    Bay Area News Group
    July 22, 2024

    Previous cases have required such fees to be “roughly proportional” to a development’s impact. But California courts have held local governments to a lower standard. In a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court found that was incorrect, and remanded the case to the state court for reconsideration. It’s unclear what new standards the California court will direct cities to adopt, but the fees are likely to be reined in.

  • California Supreme Court Justice Edward Panelli dies at 92

    Bay Area News Group
    July 22, 2024

    Panelli’s illustrious legal career spans six decades, beginning as a lawyer in the 1950s, then serving as a Superior Court judge before his appointment to the California Supreme Court in 1985. After retiring, he continued to work as an arbitrator, mediator, legal scholar and educator.

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