Paul Elias

November 14, 2007 | Corporate Counsel

Yahoo Inc., reeling from a growing backlash over human rights and its China operations, settled a lawsuit Tuesday that accused it of illegally helping the Chinese government jail and torture two journalists. The settlement has reopened debate over Internet companies cooperating with governments that deny freedom of speech and crack down on journalists.

By Paul Elias

4 minute read

November 18, 1999 | Law.com

The Network Associates stock-drop class action pending in San Francisco has already been marked by two influential California plaintiffs' firms trading charges of criminal acts and unethical behavior in their fight for control of the lucrative litigation. Even by the "no permanent friends, no permanent enemies" standards of securities litigation, the feud between Milberg Weiss Bershad Hynes & Lerach and Los Angeles' Weiss & Yourman is particularly nasty and noteworthy.

By Paul Elias

8 minute read

August 16, 2010 | The Legal Intelligencer

The federal judge who overturned California's same-sex marriage ban has more bad news for the measure's backers: He doubts they have the right to challenge his ruling that gay couples can begin marrying next week.

By Lisa Leff andf Paul Elias

6 minute read

July 26, 1999 | Law.com

Tony Serra, the famous San Francisco defense lawyer known for defending the likes of Black Panther Huey Newton and Ellie Nesler, the woman convicted of gunning down her child's molester, is taking up the case of Kevin Mitnick -- not a killer but the most revered martyr of hackerdom. Serra has never defended any cybercriminals. "I do dope and murder, man," he says. Luckily the hacker's call was fielded by one of two bright acolytes in Serra's office, who persuaded the 64-year-old lawyer to take the case.

By Paul Elias

14 minute read

March 03, 2000 | Law.com

California Gov. Gray Davis kicked over a hornet's nest called the California judiciary with his comments this week that his judicial appointees should resign if they can't "implement my vision" on such issues as the death penalty. Now, he's trying desperately to repair the damage. Davis touched off a similar firestorm in July when he told a newspaper that the state Legislature's job was to "implement my vision."

By Paul Elias

4 minute read

August 17, 2007 | The Legal Intelligencer

Government lawyers faced tough questioning from an appeals court asked to toss out two legal challenges to a Bush administration anti-terror program that allowed government spies to eavesdrop on Americans without warrants.

By Paul Elias

3 minute read

June 02, 2006 | Law.com

The FDA's approval of the generic form of a biotechnology drug has rekindled debate over how regulators should handle similar applications as patents expire on billions of dollars worth of drugs. At the heart of the conflict is disagreement over how to determine generic biotech drugs are as safe and effective as brand-name counterparts. "This is clearly a model for gaining approval of generic biologics," said Kathleen Jaeger, chief executive of the Generic Pharmaceutical Association, of the FDA's decision.

By Paul Elias

4 minute read

September 08, 1999 | Law.com

It's oil and water mixing to fight a common battle as California's Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati and Milberg Weiss Bershad Hynes & Lerach fight another firm over the legality of a new and lucrative client solicitation method: paying the expenses of brokerage houses to send mass mailings to investors informing them of pending litigation. The top firms are arguing in two separate venues that the method violates ethical canons, as well as state and federal laws.

By Paul Elias

5 minute read

November 15, 2007 | Law.com

Yahoo Inc., reeling from a growing backlash over human rights and its China operations, settled a lawsuit that accused it of illegally helping the Chinese government jail and torture two journalists. Neither side disclosed details Tuesday other than to agree Yahoo would pay the attorney fees of Shi Tao and Wang Xiaoning and the family member who sued on their behalf. Yahoo also said it would "provide financial, humanitarian and legal support to these families."

By Paul Elias

4 minute read

November 11, 1999 | Law.com

U.S. District Judge Ronald Whyte has yet to make up his mind on who will take charge of one of the largest securities class actions in the country. But he did make two decisions in what might be a $1 billion case against McKesson HBOC Inc. Whyte joined a trend among federal judges and ruled that so-called aggregation of plaintiffs into one group so as to win lead counsel status is verboten. And, Whyte barred an institutional investor from serving as lead plaintiff because it is a "professional plaintiff."

By Paul Elias

7 minute read