The Business Law Section serves its members and the public through its substantive Standing Committees and its Editorial Board. For more information, contact the officers for the committee in which you are interested, or contact Business Law Section Section at BusinessLaw@calawyers.org.
The Committees
Standing Committee Updates
To view our updates, click on one of the following:
- Agribusiness
- Business Litigation
- Commercial Transactions (formerly UCC)
- Consumer Financial Services
- Corporations
- Editorial Board
- Financial Institutions
- Franchise Law
- Health Law
- Insolvency Law
- Insurance Law
- Internet and Privacy Law (formerly Cyberspace Law)
- Nonprofit Organizations
- Opinions
- Partnerships and Limited Liability Companies
Apply to be on a Business Law Section Standing Committee
The Business Law Section (âBLSâ) serves its members and the public through its substantive Standing Committees (the âCommitteesâ). This letter is to urge you to consider applying for membership on one of the Committees. The committees are the Standing Committees on Agribusiness, Business Litigation, Commercial Transactions (formerly UCC), Consumer Financial Services, Corporations, Financial Institutions, Franchise Law, Health Law, Insolvency Law, Insurance Law, Internet and Privacy Law (formerly Cyberspace Law), Nonprofit Organizations, Opinions, Partnerships and Limited Liability Companies, and the Editorial Board of the BLS.
Membership on a Committee affords unique opportunities to participate in the creation of law in your practice area, to get to know and be known by other practitioners, to work with the recognized leaders in your field and to stay on the cutting edge of developments and practice techniques. It is a rewarding experience that keeps one ahead of and in touch with business law developments. Beyond a willingness to contribute, there are few eligibility requirements. All members of the BLS who have been in practice at least five years are eligible to be appointed to a Committee, and the requirement of five years of practice may be waived for members of the Editorial Board. The BLS strives to include members from solo and small practices as well as larger firms, geographical areas outside Californiaâs major urban centers, women and members of ethnic and racial minority groups and other under-represented categories of the BLSâs diverse membership base.
The Committees are relatively small (each has 16 to 30 members who are appointed for three- or four-year terms) and often have large workloads. Each member is expected to make a substantive contribution to the work of the Committee. Committees meet every four to six weeks, typically alternating between Los Angeles and San Francisco. However, many Committees also include telephone and video conference meetings during the year to reduce the amount of travel. Meetings generally last two to three hours. In addition to attending meetings, working on a Committee will require additional commitments of time, e.g., monthly reporting on case law or legislative developments, commenting on or drafting legislative proposals, or preparing and presenting educational materials and seminars. Travel costs are generally borne by the individual attorney or the attorneyâs employer, although reimbursement may be available for government, university and public benefit corporation employees.
To apply, print out, complete and return the Application Form. Applications will be accepted until all vacancies are filled. We look forward to hearing from you.
Sign Up to Receive Committee Email Notifications
Attention Business Law Section members! The Business Law Section and all of the standing committees send periodic e-mail bulletins to their constituencies. As a Business Law Section member, you can sign up to receive notifications in all areas that interest you.
BLS Section members are encouraged to sign up for Standing Committee Email Updates.
Agribusiness
The Agribusiness Committee serves those who practice in any of the many substantive areas affecting agribusiness and seek to grow their expertise in those areas, such as food safety, water, environmental, employment, intellectual property, tax, estate planning, corporate, contracts, marketing and distribution, or business litigation. Past speakers have addressed issues such as safe drinking legislation, the future of the Bay Delta and water conveyance, actions on Proposition 65, climate adaptation and healthy soils, air regulations, packaging and incentives, and more.
Business Litigation
The Business Litigation Committee focuses on issues facing litigators with broad commercial practices, including substantive areas such as trade secret law, and procedural matters such as discovery, e-discovery, privilege, ADR, and international litigation. The Committee publishes eBulletins addressing hot topic themes relevant to commercial and business litigation, with articles by Committee members and guest authors.
Commercial Transactions (formerly UCC)
The Commercial Transactions Committee (âCTCâ), formerly the California State Bar Uniform Commercial Code Committee educates California lawyers, the California State Legislature, and other groups on current issues, recent developments, current statutes, and proposed legislation in commercial law and secured transactions. Its venerable Hidden Liens Project and comments regarding revisions to the UCC, focuses on changes necessitated by emerging technologies such as bitcoin and other virtual currency, blockchain, and electronic documents.
Consumer Financial Services
The BLS Consumer Financial Services Committee (âCFSCâ) serves California consumer financial services attorneys. Recent presentations include (i) a review of pending bills making progress in the state legislature that present significant changes to the California lending landscape (SB 472, AB 539 and AB 642), (ii) the constitutionality of the FDCPA and Rosenthal Act, and (iii) changes to Californiaâs Homeowner Bill of Rights.
The CFSC and Financial Institutions Committee historically participate in joint Legislative Days at the California Legislature where the Committeesâ members have the opportunity to meet and discuss financial and lending issues with the Legislatureâs staff and legislators themselves.
Corporations
Corp Com members confer on the cutting edge of Californiaâs evolving and growing business laws and regulations. Corp Com meets regularly with by liaisons from the SEC, the California Department of Business Oversight, the California Secretary of State, and the business law bar in Delaware. CorpCom members also act as liaisons to the Internet & Privacy Law, Financial Institutions, and Partnerships and Limited Liability Companies Committees. CorpCom publishes its Blue Sky Guide, organizes events and tracks legislation and rulemaking by sponsoring bills, providing input on pending legislation, and commenting on federal and state rules.
Editorial Board
ââThe Business Law News, circulated to approximately 43,000 readers, publishes articles analyzing legal developments and trends and offers practical information for business lawyers. Joining the editor board offers members the opportunity to publish, to collaborate with practitioners, and to strengthen their research and writing skills.
The Editorial Board is responsible for all editing and publication activities for the quarterly Business Law News, and the Annual Review of Recent Developments and Legislation. The Board reviews and selects articles for the two publications and supervises the production staff. For more information, see Editorial Board.
Financial Institutions
The BLS Financial Institutions Committee (âFICâ) tracks legislative and case law developments affecting financial institutions and presents cutting-edge programming to financial institutions and their counsel. The FIC historically co-sponsors an annual bank regulatory update with the Financial Women of San Francisco and San Francisco Bank Attorneys Association, held at the San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank.
The FIC and CFSC historically participate in joint Legislative Days in the California Legislature where the Committeesâ members have the opportunity to meet and discuss financial and lending issues with the Legislatureâs staff and legislators themselves.
Franchise Law
The Franchise Law Committee (âFLCâ) is extremely diverse, with members representing franchisees, area developers, franchisors, manufacturers, and distributors in disputes, regulatory investigations, administrative actions, and transactions. The FLC advises practitioners in private practice, government and in-house positions about laws and regulations that govern franchises throughout California and other states. The FLC prides itself on keeping its constituency updated and at the forefront of their practice. The FLC also has a strong relationship with the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI), and enjoys the participation of a DFPI liaison at its meetings to provide DFPI insights and commentary on the FLCâs discussions.
Health Law
The BLS Health Law Committee (âHLCâ) members represent clients in all segments of the healthcare industry, including physicians, hospitals and other institutional providers. The HLC provides network opportunities and participation in influencing the healthcare laws by proposing and commenting on new and existing laws.
Insolvency Law
The Insolvency Law Committee (âILCâ) provides a forum for attorneys specializing in debtor/creditor rights, restructuring and bankruptcy law to collaborate in the presentation of educational programs, publications, proposed legislation and comments on legislative proposals. The core strength of the ILC is in addressing insolvency-related issues that are specific to California, and which would benefit from dialogue and/or action on a state-wide basis. The ILCâs membership is diverse, with members representing debtors, creditors, trustees and receivers, in a mix of consumer and commercial bankruptcy and insolvency matters.
The ILCâs updated 2014 ABC Desk Guide with a 2019 edition is a result of Californiaâs finest insolvency law practitioners. This convenient desk reference gathers together and outlines the provisions of each of the relevant statutes affecting the operation of assignments for the benefit of creditors under California law.
Insurance Law
The Insurance Law Standing Committee serves as a forum to educate BLS members, members of the State Bar of California and the public in general on current issues and developments in insurance law. Insurance Law Standing Committee members practice in all areas of insurance law from regulatory and transactional issues to coverage and litigation. The Committee holds regular meetings that typically include case law, regulatory and legislative updates, as well as occasional guest speakers providing insight on particular hot topics in insurance law or regulator perspectives. The Committee also communicates with the California State Legislature and other groups concerning proposed legislation and regulations affecting insurance, and sponsors and co-sponsors insurance industry relevant symposiums, webinars, and other programs.
Internet & Privacy Law (formerly Cyberspace Law)
The IPLC examines legal issues pertaining to the Internet and mobile applications, privacy concerns, security and enforcement and the protection of data by providing updates and education and co-sponsoring numerous symposiums and programs with other organizations, including BLS Standing Committees, CLA sections. Notably, as privacy interests crystalize in the national consciousness, the IPLC provides guidance to practitioners through the establishment of the CLA Privacy Section and the passage of CA Prop 24.
Nonprofit Organizations
The Nonprofit Organizations (âNPOâ) Committee serves nonprofit lawyers addressing the legal problems of not-for-profit corporations and other nonprofit organizations, including corporate formation, federal and state tax issues, lobbying and political involvement, trustee duties and liability, charitable solicitations, and investments of financial assets. The NPO Committee is known for its informative and timely topical presentations during its meetings; most recently, the Committee presented on California campaign finance rules for multipurpose organizations. The Committee often presents programs with the Taxation Section of the CLA, given the overlapping nature of their practice.
Opinions
Partnerships and Limited Liability Companies
The Partnership and LLC Committee (also known as âPLLCsâ) is a tight-knit group of new and experienced attorneys who focus on recent developments and current issues in the areas of general and limited partnerships, limited liability partnerships, and limited liability companies. Diverse opinions and diverse backgrounds drive PLLCs. The Committee is currently escalating its ambitions to include proposing clean-up legislation to the Revised Uniform LLC Act, concluding an LLC formation handbook, and expanding our continuing education services. PLLCs also disseminates monthly eBulletins with useful updates on various aspects of entity law practice.