Stephanie Gleason

1 week ago | news.bloombergtax.com | Maia Spoto |Stephanie Gleason |Patrick Gregory

California State Bar investigators are in touch with former clients of L.A. attorney Gloria Allred’s firm—famous for taking on high-profile, feminist cases—the first step of a winding, secretive attorney discipline process that has drawn legal and regulatory scrutiny in other instances. The allegations against Allred come against the backdrop of cases against former lawyers Tom Girardi and Michael Avenatti, who have each been convicted and disbarred.

1 week ago | news.bloombergtax.com | Stephanie Gleason

A Biden administration rule prohibiting health care providers from sharing reproductive healthcare information with law enforcement was invalidated by a federal judge Wednesday. Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk ruled that the US Department of Health and Human Services’ rule was contrary to law since it illegally limits state public health laws, impermissibly re-defines “person” and “public health,” and oversteps the authority delegated by US Congress, he said in an opinion.

1 week ago | news.bloombergtax.com | Ryan Autullo |Stephanie Gleason

Texas’ nine-month-old business court system handed down its first final judgment in a case this week, resolving a dispute it took on in the fall and signaling that the nascent court could prove an efficient alternative to others. Judge Bill Whitehill’s order dismissing claims against Primexx Energy Corp. wrapped up a case that had been lingering for two years in a state district court before his Dallas business court took it over in September.

1 week ago | news.bloombergtax.com | Maia Spoto |Stephanie Gleason

Former celebrity lawyer Michael Avenatti asked the Ninth Circuit to review his revised 11-year criminal sentence, after a federal judge turned down his request for a significantly more lenient sentence. Judge James V. Selna in the US District Court for the Central District of California declined to take the 14-year criminal sentence down to the three years as Avenatti had requested. He instead imposed a 135-month sentence with a credit of 40 months for time he’s already served.

1 week ago | news.bloombergtax.com | Stephanie Gleason

A court order preventing the Trump administration from enforcing its passport policy requiring sex listed on passports to be based on a person’s birth certificate was expanded to cover a nationwide class of transgender citizens. Judge Julia E. Kobick granted and modified a preliminary injunction Tuesday to expand the relief beyond the six people initially included and granted class certification.