Thought Leadership - Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP

Berkeley’s Natural Gas Ban in New Housing and Businesses Not Allowed, Says Ninth Circuit

Local or state regulations seeking to decarbonize new buildings by banning natural gas appliances or infrastructure are preempted under federal law according to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Climate Disclosure Mandates: California Lawmakers Press Forward Ahead of Forthcoming Federal Rule

Two proposed climate-related disclosure mandate laws moved closer to becoming law in California.

Mandatory Climate Emissions Disclosures: California Lawmakers Press On While SEC May Be Backing Off

Mandatory disclosure of greenhouse gas emissions by business operators is coming, one way or another. California legislators continue to press for a change in law that would require disclosures for large businesses that do business in California.

Manatt Represents Skybound Entertainment in Mega Cat Studios Investment Deal

A Manatt team led by Venture Capital and Emerging Companies Partner Richard McDerby and including Associate Darren Bartlette successfully represented Skybound Entertainment in its investment in Mega Cat Studios, an independent video game development studio.

FTC Signals New Era of Enforcement with $1.5 Million Penalty for Unauthorized Sharing of Health Data

The Federal Trade Commission announced yesterday that it has brought its first-ever enforcement action under its Health Breach Notification Rule, against digital health platform GoodRx Holdings, Inc.

Manatt Advances 19 Legal and Consulting Professionals Across Practices Nationwide

Manatt, Phelps @ Phillips, LLP, a multidisciplinary, integrated professional services firm, announced today the advancement of 19 professionals, effective January 1, 2023@nine attorneys to equity partnership, one consultant to senior managing director, four attorneys to partnership, four consultants to managing directors and one attorney to counsel. These elevations illustrate the power of...

Bots Beware: Website Chat Bots Become Latest Target for California Class Actions

California class action lawyers have turned their sights on a new target: websites that employ “chat bots,” digital assistants that allow companies to communicate with customers without employing live website customer service representatives.

DOL Releases New Rule on Worker Classification

On October 13, 2022, the Department of Labor released a new proposed rule on the question of whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Wolff and Smith to Speak on Climate-Related Disclosures at Law Journal Newsletters Webinar

Investigations, Compliance and White Collar Defense Partner Jacqueline Wolff and Land Use Partner David Smith will speak in a webinar session titled “Climate Change Risk and Disclosure: A New Focus for SEC Enforcement,” hosted by Law Journal Newsletters on October 13.

Famili Quoted in POLITICO on the Federal Climate of the Booming Cannabis Industry

Leader of Manatt@s Cannabis and CBD practice@Anita Famili spoke with POLITICO about how federal illegality is impacting cannabis businesses in states that have new recreational marijuana markets. In the article, Famili noted that marijuana companies are at a disadvantage when it comes to federal taxes, saying @the cost of doing business for weed companies is just much higher than any other...