California firm

A California company has licensed potent anti-measles antibodies from Vanderbilt Health to develop them for clinical testing. The agreement moves laboratory research on measles-fighting antibodies toward potential treatments, at a time when measles cases have been resurging in parts of the United States and abroad and health officials are pressing for stronger tools to prevent and treat outbreaks.

HGGC is a private equity firm based in Palo Alto, California, that invests in middle-market companies, with a particular focus on technology and services businesses. The firm pursues buyouts and growth investments in mid-sized companies across these sectors, positioning itself as an active investor in the middle-market technology and services space.

The comment period has closed on California's Office of Health Care Affordability's proposed emergency regulations, which would expand reporting requirements for health care transactions involving private equity firms, hedge funds, and management services organizations. The rules would require more disclosure of financial backers behind deals in the state's health care market. Stakeholders in health care and investment communities are weighing the impact on deal activity and oversight.

California has introduced new professional guidance setting guardrails on how lawyers may use artificial intelligence in their practice. The rules, reported by Reuters, aim to ensure attorneys who rely on AI tools still meet duties of confidentiality, competence and supervision. The state is among the first to formalise expectations for legal AI use, and the move is being watched by bar associations and law firms across the country.

Blackstone has sold a retail center in Huntington Beach, California, just about a year after acquiring it. The quick turnaround by the private equity giant is drawing attention from real estate observers, who are watching how major investors reposition their retail holdings amid shifting market conditions in Southern California commercial property.

Burns & McDonnell has appointed Shane Flanagan to support its life sciences and technology design and construction work in California. The announcement indicates the engineering firm is expanding its team in a state with heavy demand for lab and advanced technology facilities. Flanagan's remit will cover design and construction efforts for clients in those fast-growing sectors.

Regulators and companies are examining how California's climate disclosure laws and the EU's sustainability reporting requirements can be aligned, as both impose mandatory emissions and climate-risk reporting on large businesses. Accounting and compliance professionals note that overlapping but differing mandates create complexity for multinational firms, prompting calls for greater interoperability between the two regimes to reduce duplicative reporting burdens.

Autonomous vehicle company Zoox is training its self-driving technology on the streets of Denver, according to CBS News. The Amazon-owned robotaxi firm has been expanding testing beyond its existing California, Nevada and other markets, and Denver's urban road conditions will help its vehicles adapt to new environments. The move marks another step in Zoox's push toward offering driverless ride services to the public.

Investment brokerage Marcus & Millichap has arranged the $7 million sale of a retail center in San Jose, California. The deal, reported by Shopping Center Business, adds to a steady stream of retail property transactions the firm handles across the western United States. Details on the buyer and the specific center were not disclosed in the initial report.

Private equity real estate firm Sterling Organization has acquired a portfolio of grocery-anchored retail centers totaling 277,057 square feet across California and Hawaii. The deal adds supermarket-anchored properties to the firm's holdings, a segment investors often favor for steady traffic and resilience. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Varda Space Industries launched two vehicles into orbit at the same time, a first for the California-based space manufacturing company. The dual launch marks a step up in cadence for the firm, which builds reusable reentry capsules for producing materials in microgravity. Further details about the missions, their payloads and intended landing sites have not yet been released.

California Governor Gavin Newsom has vetoed a bill that would have imposed privacy restrictions on internet-connected smart glasses. The measure targeted devices that can record people in public, prompting debate between privacy advocates and tech firms. Newsom's veto means no new state restrictions for now, and the decision has drawn criticism from supporters of the bill.

Marcus & Millichap has arranged the $7 million sale of a retail center in San Jose, California. The commercial real estate brokerage announced the transaction, which adds to recent deal activity in the Bay Area retail property market. The buyer and seller were identified in the firm's announcement, and the sale reflects continued interest in neighborhood retail assets despite broader market uncertainty.

A California governor debate drew takeaways centered on Democrats repeatedly invoking President Trump and on the party's firm hold on the state. Analysts highlighted how candidates framed the race around Trump rather than state issues, underlining California's role as a Democratic stronghold and a counterweight to the White House's agenda.

A publicly traded battery company has moved its headquarters from California to Dallas' Arts District. The relocation marks another example of a California firm shifting operations to Texas, adding a corporate tenant to the downtown arts neighborhood. The move may reflect Texas's lower costs and business-friendly climate, though the company's specific reasons have not been detailed in available coverage.

New rules in California will soon require employers to notify the state when artificial intelligence is a factor in mass layoffs. Employment law firm Fisher Phillips has published guidance outlining five steps companies should take to prepare for the disclosure requirements.