In serious-accident litigation arising out of contractor-heavy supply chains, plaintiffs rarely stop with the driver and the motor carrier. They look upstream—often at a broker, platform, or logistics intermediary—and try to reframe that entity as the party that actually controlled the work. Hu v. XPO Logistics, LLC is a helpful company-side decision because it keeps the inquiry grounded: the Court …
California Specific Personal Jurisdiction After Ford Motor: Climate Litigation Comes for the “Middleman”
California’s latest climate decision, In re Fuel Industry Climate Cases, pushes the law of specific personal jurisdiction another step forward—and national businesses that sell, brand, or market into the state should pay attention. The First District Court of Appeal held that California courts can exercise specific jurisdiction over Citgo Petroleum, an out-of-state company, based on decades of branded gasoline …
Rodriguez v. WNT: When Years of Discovery Abuse Kill Your Case, Section 473(b) Can’t Bring It Back
When a case gets dismissed as a discovery sanction, the first instinct for many litigants—and many lawyers—is to reach for Code of Civil Procedure section 473(b). The “mandatory relief” provision is often treated like a safety net: file an attorney affidavit of fault, and the court must undo the damage. But Rodriguez v. WNT, Inc. (Dec. 4, 2025, D084642) …


