# Apple's OpenAI Lawsuit Reassigned to New Judge Trade secrets case will now be handled by a new judge. - **Source:** [9to5Mac](https://brifing.si/source/59447403-ce5b-427c-8132-8614f549929a) - **Published:** 2026-07-24 - **Topic:** [Business](https://brifing.si/c/business) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/49d5a41b-d557-49bd-b1c9-149873b46360 ## Judge Change in the Case Apple's trade secrets lawsuit against OpenAI has been reassigned from the initially appointed judge to U.S. District Judge Edward Davila. This change marks a development in the process of determining who will oversee the case. ## How the Court Process Works Lawsuits filed in Northern California are randomly assigned to either a district judge or a magistrate. If assigned to a magistrate, parties must indicate whether they consent to that judge overseeing the case. Apple declined magistrate jurisdiction in this instance. ## Apple's Stance Apple did not consent to the magistrate initially assigned to oversee its lawsuit against OpenAI and former employees. The company formally communicated this decision, triggering the process to reassign the case to a district judge. ## New Judge and Process The case will now be overseen by U.S. District Judge Edward Davila, while discovery matters will be handled by Magistrate Nathanael Cousins. This reassignment has also led to the cancellation of the October hearing. ## Key Dates in the Case The parties must discuss settlement options and plans for exchanging evidence by September 22. They are also required to make initial disclosures and file a joint case management statement by October 6. ## Importance of the Case Apple's lawsuit against OpenAI highlights the sensitivity of tech giants regarding trade secrets and competition. The reassignment to a new judge raises questions about how the process will unfold. ## Sources covering this story - https://9to5mac.com/2026/07/23/apples-trade-secrets-lawsuit-against-openai-reassigned-to-new-judge/ — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._