eNews

Naranjo v. Spectrum Security Services, Inc.
(CA2/4 B256232 9/26/19)
Wage and Hour Class Action. In a wage and hour class action alleging violations of Labor Code sections 203, 226.7 and 226, the court of appeal held in part: “(1) at-will, on-call, hourly, nonexempt employees who are paid for on-duty meal periods are also entitled to premium wages if the employer does not have a written agreement that includes an on-duty meal period revocation clause (§ 226.7); (2) unpaid premium wages for meal break violations accrue prejudgment interest at seven percent; (3) unpaid premium wages for meal break violations do not entitle employees to additional remedies pursuant to sections 203 and 226 if their pay or pay statements during the course of the violations include the wages earned for on-duty meal breaks, but not the unpaid premium wages; [and] (4) without section 226 penalties, attorney fees pursuant to section 226, subdivision (e) may not be awarded.” Read more

LPMT Executive Committee New Members on the LPMT Executive Committee The following members will be joining the Executive Committee following the CLA Annual Meeting.  They have been selected to serve a 3-year term. Chad Morgan | Attorney, Los AngelesJeremy Salvador | Public Member, ValenciaMark G. Griffin | Attorney, San FranciscoKai Ellis | Public Member (paralegal), Los AngelesThomas A. Richard | Attorney, OaklandPerry Segal | Attorney, Redwood City These new members will join the following continuing members on the Executive Committee: … Read more

Time truly has flown quickly by as my chairmanship comes to an end, I must say it has been a great journey and learning experience for me. Read more

The public and attorneys have an opportunity to submit written comments about policy issues before the Board of Trustees. These issues include formal opinions regarding ethical obligations when departing firm and advising a cannabis business; and rules of procedures setting forth guidelines for imposition and collection of monetary sanctions, appointment and authority, and file release and retention duties. Read more

The Tenant Protection Act of 2019, a.k.a. AB 1482, has drawn a lot of attention in recent weeks and months. Often referred to as statewide rent control, our legislators prefer to wrap it in the softer title of a “rent cap.” It translates to the same thing. Read more

After a summer of lobbying and debating, the California Assembly adopted AB 5, a headline-grabbing law purporting to transform the status of gig-economy workers at companies like Uber, Lyft, and DoorDash. Proponents of the law assert that it will force those companies to treat those persons performing work as independent contractors like employees, with all of the legal protections that entails – minimum wage, overtime, workers’ compensation, paid sick leave and reimbursement of expenses just to name several. Read more

What greeting do your clients receive when they contact your office? Do clients feel that they’re welcome? Or are they ever left with the impression that they’re interrupting something more important? Read more

My first few years out of law school, you could not keep me out of the courtroom. I was motivated by justice — or at least my clients’ sense of justice — and truly believed that filing a motion was the best way to resolve a dispute. My early mentor instilled “finality” in me as the one and only value: “Some people just can’t work out their disagreements. You could let their matter drag on and on or you can get ‘er done — bring the issue to trial and have the court make a ruling.” And so, I eagerly followed and did just that. For a long time. Too long. Read more

Social media is changing how legal professionals recruit, job hunt, locate and investigate witnesses, manage their careers, connect with industry influencers, and interact with prospects as well as clients. However, many legal professionals aren’t sure exactly how they should pursue this new way of practice law. Read more

By Deborah Tennen—Zapier This editor has a rule to spend no more than five minutes on an email. Here’s how she makes it work. We’re all drowning in email. And if you’re spending 15 minutes on every reply, no productivity system is ever going to save you. Not inbox zero, not batching, not turning off notifications—nothing. Your only hope is retirement. My rule: I never spend more than five minutes writing a work email. And when I manage other people,… Read more