Business Law

In Zac Fancher v Tulare County, the BAP affirmed dismissal of Plaintiff’s claims, ruling that claim preclusion barred re-litigation of issues already decided in state court and that the abatement lien was valid as it attached by operation of law, regardless of recordation timing, upholding the county’s abatement actions in bankruptcy. Read more

California Assembly Bill 483 caps early termination fees on fixed-term installment contacts at 30% of the remaining contract amount. Signed into law by Governor Newsom on October 10, this legislation requires clear disclosure of these fees. It goes into effect for contracts entered into or modified on or after August 1, 2026. Read more

The California Combating Auto Retail Scams (CARS) Act was signed into law by Governor Newsom on October 6. Effective October 1, 2026, the law is designed to increase transparency and consumer protection in the car buying process by holding automobile dealers to stricter requirements. Read more

The following is a case update written by ILC Advisor Lieb M. Lerner analyzing In Re Svenhard's Swedish Bakery,  ___ F. 4th ___, 2025 WL 2627837 (9th Cir. Sep 12, 2025), a recent case of interest. Read more

On October 8, 2025, the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), in collaboration with the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the National Credit Union Administration, and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, issued several frequently asked questions (FAQs) concerning suspicious activity reports (SARs). These new FAQs clarify SAR obligations related to potential structuring, continuing activity reviews, and decisions to not file a SAR. Read more

The following is a case update written by Hale Andrew Antico, Chief Counsel of Antico Law Firm, analyzing FAB 5 LLC v. Dye (In re FAB 5 LLC),  2025 WL 2556098 (B.A.P. 9th Cir. Sep 5, 2025). Read more

In Fancher, the bankruptcy court held unpaid music royalties nondischargeable under Bankruptcy Code § 523(a)(2) based on fraudulent accounting omissions but held that no fiduciary duty existed under § 523(a)(4) due to lack of entrustment to the manager, as a nonowner. Read more

The following is a profile of the Honorable Magdalena Reyes Bordeaux, the latest in a series of profiles of Ninth Circuit bankruptcy judges.  Judge Reyes Bordeaux and members of the Insolvency Law Committee and Business Law Section Executive Committee met at the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building and United States Courthouse and discussed her personal and professional background, observations from the bench, and other issues of interest. Read more

Courtesy of CEB, we are bringing you selected legal developments in areas of California business law that are covered by CEB’s publications. This month’s feature is a preview of the December 2025 update of Forming and Operating California Limited Liability Companies. References are to the book’s section numbers. Read more

The California Lawyers Association held its annual meeting in Universal City on September 11-13, 2025.  A heartfelt thank you to everyone who attended this year’s Annual Meeting! Your energy, insights, and participation made it an inspiring and impactful event. Read more