Civil Trials

ADA Lawsuit Factory in SF

CNET/H-P Suit: Good Personal Privacy v. Bad Personal Privacy VIolator

Ka-Ching!

Smashing Pumpkins File Lawsuit Against Virgin Records

Building Racism

Segregation and racism are used to pit black and Latino carpenters against each other at a low-income-housing site

Ka-Ching!

The Guardian hits the jackpot — but don't count the money yet, Bruce.

Vexatious Litigant Burton Wolfe Fighting Eviction After Threatening More Lawsuits

The Guardian hits the jackpot — but don't count the money yet, Bruce.

Wheelchairs of Fortune

Attorney Tom Frankovich and his disabled clients sue small businesses to make them accessible - and make millions

Amazonian Quagmire

Big Oil, the rainforest, and sticky legal issues are stuck in a San Francisco courtroom

Tilting at Political Windmills

Some people, like attorney Paul Melbostad, just don't know when to quit. Bully for him.

House of the Accused

When priests within the Salesian order based in San Francisco were accused of sex abuse, the leaders chose to keep quiet.

Soft Firm

Too often, the S.F. law firm of Lieff, Cabraser, Heimann & Bernstein strikes settlements that give the firm millions of dollars in legal fees -- and its class action clients too little

Family Fortunes

Contractors accuse the Examiner's owners of not paying their bills

Old Wounds

News reports about the lawyers whose dog killed Diane Whipple have stirred unpleasant memories among a few of their former clients

Pants on Fire

How the San Francisco Fire Department turned a manageable house fire into a lethal disaster -- and then tried to cover up its firefighting mistakes

Slave Wages

Those forced to labor for Japan in World War II are now suing in California courts

Little Victories

Tenderloin residents win a lawsuit, lose a neighborhood store

South to the Future

Mexican Families to File Class Action Lawsuit Against U.S. Drug Consumers

Pirates at the Dock

Sony, Electronic Arts sue, alleging Bay Area residents were part of international video game piracy ring

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Pirates at the Dock

Sony, Electronic Arts sue, alleging Bay Area residents were part of international video game piracy ring

Smoke and Mirrors

Hype over the Laguna Honda bond issue hides some ugly facts

Drug Warfare

A Marin pharmacist sticks up for the little guys, and gets run over

Midway to Nowhere

The residents of Daly City's Midway Village wonder if their environmental concerns will ever be addressed

The Great Bank Thievery

The city and state say the Bank of America stole hundreds of millions -- even billions -- of dollars from the government. But didn't San Francisco finance officials know what was going on? And shouldn't B of A executives be under criminal investigation?

The Grid

The city and state say the Bank of America stole hundreds of millions -- even billions -- of dollars from the government. But didn't San Francisco finance officials know what was going on? And shouldn't B of A executives be under criminal investigation?

Thanks For Staying In San Francisco Levi's! Here's a Lawsuit.

Is that a lawsuit in your pocket? On the very day iconic San Francisco-born dungaree empire Levi Strauss said it was staying put in the city, the company received a legal kick in its 501s several hundred miles down the road. On July 13, a class-action lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles against J.C. Pe ... More >>

Disgruntled Showbiz Parents File Suit Against Kiddie Talent Agency

...But not for free​Not everyone can have the glamorous life of Lindsay Lohan or Macaulay Culkin. A mob of angry parents this week filed a federal class action lawsuit in San Francisco district court claiming  a talent agency called Be Productions -- which used to have an office location in E ... More >>

Lawsuit Says Sony PS3 Needs to Update Its Updates

​In a federal class action lawsuit filed in the San Francisco court Friday, thousands of Sony PlayStation 3 video game owners who downloaded a required software update claim that instead of helping the system run better, the update caused their system to crash -- and actually damaged hardware in s ... More >>

Fishermen, Seafood Company File $10M Suit Against Oil-Spilling Dubai Star Ship

An duck soaked with oil by the 2007 Cosco Busan spill​What happens when two incensed fisherman and a seafood company owner walk into a lawyer's office? The answer is no joke, but the intuitive -- a lawsuit. Crab fisherman Mark Russo, herring fisherman Ron Alioti, and seafood company owner Russell ... More >>

Cocoa Krispies' Bowl of Legal Troubles Runneth Over

A lawsuit in every box...​Last week we reported how the Kellogg's company was not immune to legal pressure. A sharply worded letter from San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera essentially saying "prove it" induced Kellogg's to cease advertising that their sugar-laden Cocoa Krispies cereal boos ... More >>

Kellogg's in More Trouble Over Immunity Claims for Cocoa Krispies

Definitely no immunity from lawsuits.​Uh-oh. After caving to pressure from S. F. City Attorney Dennis Herrera over claims that Cocoa Krispies is packed with disease-fighting pixie dust, maker Kellogg's faces further trouble. Our sister blog The Snitch reports today that a class-action lawsuit ... More >>

Partial Settlement in Carpenters' Racial Discrimination Case

Bob the Builder never had to call Bob the Lawyer...​Eight of the 28 plaintiffs in a lawsuit filed against companies at a Bayview construction site for alleged discrimination and labor law violations -- including running segregated work crews, turning away black workers in favor of Latinos, and ext ... More >>

Motel Hell

It took years for the city to move against an SRO that was full of pests. So one resident took her case to court.

More Companies Join Class-Action Lawsuit against Yelp

There are nine new plaintiffs in the case against S.F.-based Yelp.​Nine companies have joined the proposed class-action lawsuit against Yelp, the San Francisco-based Internet giant, attorneys in Miami and California announced this morning. The new plaintiffs are located everywhere from Tujung ... More >>

Mariah Carey Sued in S.F. Court by Outraged Songwriters

Okay, checking ... left, right ... both there. Lawsuit? Got that too. ​Chanteuse Mariah Carey has been named in a San Francisco lawsuit -- and not because of any ruptured eardrums caused by her dog whistle vocal range. Instead a pair of Oakland songwriters filed suit against Carey and a bevy of ot ... More >>

iPhone 4 Hit With Class Action Lawsuits -- First of Potential Cavalcade

​Pair of San Francisco suits regarding iPhone 4 join Maryland Suit.  Those holding their breath until a lawsuit was filed over the propensity of the new iPhone 4 to get poor reception or even drop calls due to a supposed antenna problem can finally exhale. Apple and AT&T were yesterday hi ... More >>

iPad Owners Sue Apple In Class Action Suit

Steve Jobs -- and vampires -- need not worry about taking the iPad out in the sun...​If Steve Jobs has been slamming his head into the wall over the iPhone 4 "Antennagate" debacle, here comes another legal slap from unsatisfied customers: A trio of iPad owners are suing Apple in a class action law ... More >>

Lawsuit Claims S.F. Juvy Guards Beat Young Inmates

What we have here is failure to communicate...​A counselor working for the San Francisco Juvenile Probation Department claims in a federal lawsuit that guards for years mistreated youthful inmates, then conspired to hide the abuse."There's kicking, beating, all those things, and those are only the ... More >>

Froot Loops Lawyers Now Going After Snapple

If this doesn't work, take 150mg of Penicillin​Howard Rubinstein and Hal Hewell, whose clients have unsuccessfully claimed in federal lawsuits filed here that Crunchberries and Froot Loops cereals tricked consumers into believing the products contained at least some sort of fruit, have moved on to ... More >>

iPad and iPhone Users Sue AT&T for Overbilling Customers

Small phone, huge bill​iPad and iPhone users might want to take a quick look at their phone bills -- they could be getting ripped off. In a class action lawsuit filed last week in San Francisco, millions of iPad and iPhone users are suing AT&T for overbilling customers and overstating web traf ... More >>

Wells Fargo Bank Sued for Fraud, Freezes Woman's Bank Account

Running over customers​It's hard to say whether Americans are more disgusted with insurance companies or financial institutions. Wells Fargo Bank is at the center of a class action lawsuit where the lead plaintiff claims the bank froze personal accounts, keeping her from accessing money to pay for ... More >>

Internet Businesses Sued for 'defrauding' Online Shoppers

Just one click ​Daniel Cox was just trying to buy flowers from ProFlowers.com when an ad popped up , offering him free shipping. Great, who wouldn't want free shipping?So he clicked on the ad, beginning what has now turned into a major class action lawsuit against two online companies. Thousands o ... More >>

Playstation 3 Owners Lose Court Battle Against Sony

This does not resemble a personal computer​Playstation 3 owners who have been grousing over their video game gadgets have something more to complain about.A federal judge has dismissed most their claims filed in a class action lawsuit against Sony last year. A group of gamers accused the entertain ... More >>

BP Accused of Manipulating Gas Prices and Fuel Supplies

Gasholes are everywhere!​Last week, we told SF Weekly readers about Safeway being accused of predatory pricing when selling fuel. Now gas stations are suing BP, accusing the oil giant of manipulating supplies for a bigger profit. In the class action lawsuit filed last week in San Francisco, the le ... More >>

Ben and Jerry's 'Natural Ice Cream' Isn't So Natural After All, Consumers Say

Ben and Jerry vs. healthy people ​A group of health nuts can continue litigation against Ben and Jerry's as well as Breyers, claiming the ice cream makers falsely advertised the creamy deliciousness as "all natural" when it really isn't. Initially, Breyers and Ben and Jerry's assumed upset consum ... More >>

Tyler Florence, Celebrity Chef, Sued for "Bailing" on Business Partners

An unsavory deal ​Here is something for celebrity Chef Tyler Florence to chew on. His ex-business partners filed a lawsuit yesterday, accusing Florence of pushing them out of a deal to open an upscale restaurant in downtown San Francisco. According to the lawsuit, Florence, who has appeared on The ... More >>

24 Hour Fitness Faces Racketeering Charges

Racketeering charges should get your heart rate pumping​While your body might be in good shape after joining 24 Hour Fitness, your bank account might not be quite as healthy. A class action lawsuit accuses the ubiquitous workout business of taking an extra month of fees from members when they canc ... More >>

South Bay Students Lose Court Battle Over "Incendiary" American Flag T-Shirts

You are not free to wear this t-shirt in Morgan Hill schools​Three Morgan Hill students got a crash course in American civics this week when they lost a lawsuit against high school officials who sent them home for wearing American Flag t-shirts to school. A judge dismissed the case against Live Oa ... More >>

Brazilian Gaming Company Vostu Settles Lawsuit with Zynga

​It's been a tough fall for social-gaming company Zynga, what with plenty of bad press and an IPO valuation that came in at less than half of what some had expected. But today's news cycle offers one piece of positive information: Zynga has apparently resolved its lawsuit against Brazilian gaming ... More >>