• posted: Apr. 11, 2017
• Melinda Garcia
• Employment Law,  Business,  Wage & Hour,  Healthcare Workers,  Employee Rights
• Employment,  Business,  Labor law,  Wage & Hour,  Healthcare Worker

On October 5, 2015, California Governor Jerry Brown signed into law a bill confirming that hospital employees and other employees in the healthcare industry can continue to waive one of Read More

• posted: Mar. 28, 2017
• Melinda Garcia
• Business,  Contractor vs Employee,  Employee Rights,  Independent Contractors
• Business,  Employee Classification,  Independent Contractors

Many business owners hire independent contractors because it reduces overhead costs and liability. At least, that is what many business owners believe. While it is true independent contractors are not Read More

• posted: Jan. 26, 2017
• Melinda Garcia
• Employment Issues,  Employment Law,  Labor Law,  Business,  Applying for a job,  Discrimination,  Employee Rights,  Disabilities Act,  Family Responsibilities,  FMLA
• Employment,  Employment discrimination,  employee,  employer,  Business,  Labor law,  FMLA

Family responsibilities discrimination (FRD) is a common type of employment discrimination that occurs in the workforce, especially towards pregnant women and mothers. However, FRD is not a type of discrimination Read More

• posted: Jan. 25, 2017
• Tod C. Gurney
• Business,  Employee Rights,  Invasion of Privacy,  Company property
• employee,  employer,  Business,  Managing Risks,  Company Cell Phones

In City of Ontario v. Quon, the Supreme Court ruled that employers have the right to read employees’ text messages – including personal ones – if they believe that the Read More

• posted: Jan. 19, 2017
• Melinda Garcia
• Business,  Business Partnerships,  Board of Directors
• Business,  Board of Directors

A California board member may be asked to step down for any number of reasons, ranging from conflict of interest to unethical behavior. If you and the rest of the Read More

• posted: Oct. 13, 2016
• Melinda Garcia
• Uncategorized,  Business,  Business Partnerships,  Buyouts
• Business,  Business Partnerships,  Buyouts

Going into business with someone has many rewards, the greatest of which include having someone to share the responsibility with, having a second perspective, and having someone to swap ideas Read More

• posted: Aug. 24, 2016
• Melinda Garcia
• Employment Issues,  Business,  Trade Secrets,  Managing Risks
• Employment,  employee,  employer,  Business,  Trade Secrets

We see it in movies all the time—a key employee is enticed away from his or her current position by a competitor who promises a bigger salary, better benefits package, Read More

• posted: Aug. 09, 2016
• Melinda Garcia
• Business,  Product Liability Lawsuits,  Risk Management
• Business,  Product Liability Lawsuits,  Risk Management

In 1998, Dow Corning was sued for $4.2 billion by 170,000 customers claiming that their silicone breast implants ruptured, causing bodily harm, scleroderma, or death. Because of the outstanding number Read More

• posted: Jul. 12, 2016
• Melinda Garcia
• Business,  Business Partnerships,  Mergers & Acquisitions
• Business,  Mergers,  Managing Risks

  Starting a business is a new and exciting adventure, but it is also one that requires asking a lot of important questions and making a lot of important, often irrevocable Read More

• posted: Jul. 05, 2016
• Melinda Garcia
• Uncategorized,  Employment Issues,  Business,  Wage & Hour,  Buyouts,  Employee Rights
• Employment,  employee,  employer,  Business,  Wage & Hour,  Employee Rights

As the economic outlook becomes more stable in the U.S., more and more corporate mergers are taking place, with 2015 seeing a record high of $5 trillion in deals (Harvard Read More

• posted: Jun. 28, 2016
• Melinda Garcia
• Employment Issues,  Employment Law,  Business,  Wage & Hour,  Contractor vs Employee
• Employment,  employee,  Business,  Wage & Hour

Many companies hire independent contractors to do any number of tasks, from running weekly payroll to providing copywriting services. Typically, independent contractors are a lot cheaper to hire than full-time Read More

• posted: Jun. 22, 2016
• Tod C. Gurney
• Uncategorized,  Employment Issues,  Employment Law,  Business,  Healthcare Workers
• Employment,  employee,  employer,  Business,  Labor law,  Healthcare Worker

  In the town of Chico, California, a local hospital has demanded change as a result of their failing union. The healthcare workers, expressing their grievances towards the union system at Read More

• posted: Jun. 21, 2016
• Melinda Garcia
• Employment Issues,  Employment Law,  Labor Law,  Business
• litigation,  Employment,  Employment discrimination,  harassment,  employee,  employer,  Wrongful Termination,  Business,  Labor law,  Sexual Discrimination,  workplace discrimination

California is an “at will” state, meaning that employers have the right to hire and fire individuals at will, without any real reason or explanation (so long as the reason Read More

• posted: Jun. 14, 2016
• leslieburkhammer
• Business

Much like when individuals enter into a marriage, when two individuals enter into a business partnership, they do so with starry-eyes and visions of success. What they do not foresee Read More

• posted: Jun. 14, 2016
• Melinda Garcia
• Business,  Succession,  Mergers & Acquisitions
• Business,  Succession,  Mergers

Much like when individuals enter into a marriage, when two individuals enter into a business partnership, they do so with starry-eyes and visions of success. What they do not foresee Read More

• posted: Jun. 01, 2016
• Melinda Garcia
• Uncategorized,  Business,  Bad Faith,  Breach of Loyalty
• Business,  Managing Risks,  Business Judgment Rule

The business judgment rule is an important aspect of business, and an essential instrument in a high-level executive’s toolbox. Corporate directors are required to make important business decisions on a Read More