On Friday, May 13, a California Superior Court judge struck down Senate Bill (“SB”) 826—California’s landmark gender diversity law regarding the representation of women directors on the boards of publicly held corporations based in California.  In passing SB 826 in September 2018, California became the first state in the nation to pass such a bill, followed by several other states proposing and passing various bills to increase board diversity in the years since.  In its May 13th decision, the court found that the State failed to offer a compelling interest for the law, rendering the law unconstitutional under the Equal Protection Clause of the California Constitution.  Crest v. Padilla (Cal. Super. 2022), No. 19STCV27561, at 1.