• posted: Apr. 15, 2015
• Tod C. Gurney
• Wage & Hour
• Wage & Hour

The superstore giant Walmart is facing a class action lawsuit in Alameda County under the allegation that the retailer has been engaging inwage theft with its employees. According to the Read More

• posted: Apr. 08, 2015
• Melinda Garcia
• Sexual Discrimination
• Sexual Discrimination

The recent verdict of a Californiasex discrimination and retaliation case for a female employee suing her venture capitalist employer has highlighted a number of potential problems that can arise with Read More

• posted: Apr. 02, 2015
• Tod C. Gurney
• Copyright Infringement
• Copyright Infringement

A federal judge in California will rule in the next few weeks whether or not to throw out the decades-oldcopyright for the song, “Happy Birthday to You.” The copyright’s current Read More

• posted: Mar. 18, 2015
• Tod C. Gurney
• Copyright Infringement
• Copyright Infringement

Last week, a jury in California ordered musicians Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams to pay $7.4 million total forcopyright damages plus profits attributable to infringement. Both escaped statutory damages as Read More

• posted: Mar. 10, 2015
• Melinda Garcia
• Business

What is a Severance Agreement? A severance agreement is a contract between an employer and employee that sets out the terms of termination of employment. It is also known as a Read More

• posted: Mar. 10, 2015
• Melinda Garcia
• Transportation
• Transportation

The U.S. Court of Appeals in the Ninth Circuit upheld a prior dismissal of a lawsuit brought by the California Construction Trucking Association (CCTA) against the California Air Resources Board’s Read More

• posted: Mar. 05, 2015
• Tod C. Gurney
• Wage & Hour

On July 1, California’s minimum wage went from $8 an hour to $9. Just days later, the San Diego City Council voted to raise the city’s minimum wage and mandated that companies Read More

• posted: Mar. 04, 2015
• Melinda Garcia
• Trade Mark
• trade mark

Macy’s Department Stores has been purchasing a multitude of other stores over the last few years, including Marshall Field’s, Filene’s, Abraham & Strauss, and Jordan Marsh. Many of these stores Read More

• posted: Feb. 26, 2015
• Tod C. Gurney
• Civil Litigation
• civil litigation

With the advent of companies like Uber and Lyft, the number of on-demand service companies has been increasing dramatically. However, lawsuits filed against these companies regarding the status of their workers Read More

• posted: Jun. 11, 2014
• Melinda Garcia
• Construction
• Construction

What Are Construction Defects? Almost any condition that diminishes the value of a home, condominium, or common area can be legally recognized as a construction defect. The flaw can be in Read More

• posted: May 28, 2014
• Melinda Garcia
• Real Estate
• best practices,  commercial real estate

An Overview of Real Estate Transactions For many businesses, commercial real estate transactions are among the most time-consuming and resource-intensive tasks they will ever encounter. Real estate transactions are governed by Read More

• posted: May 20, 2014
• Melinda Garcia
• Employment Issues
• Employment,  best practices,  employee,  employer,  Social media

Social Media Social media, which has taken over our personal lives, has also crept into the workplace. Because it is such a powerful force, employers and employees need to take precautions to Read More

• posted: Apr. 30, 2014
• Melinda Garcia
• Employment Issues

Sometimes, employers and employees part ways. Such is a part of business. But occasionally, you may find that your ex-employees are less scrupulous than you thought. They may poach employees, Read More

• posted: Apr. 09, 2014
• Melinda Garcia
• Employment Issues,  Employment Law,  Labor Law

Family and Medical Leave Act and California Family Rights Act: A Basic Overview of your Rights Under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), eligible employees are entitled to a job-protected Read More

• posted: Mar. 26, 2014
• Melinda Garcia
• Intellectual Property Rights

What is Intellectual Property? According to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Intellectual Property (IP) refers to “creations of the mind, such as inventions; literary and artistic works; designs; and symbols, names Read More

• posted: Mar. 14, 2014
• Melinda Garcia
• Employment Issues

What is a Whistleblower? A whistleblower is “an employee who discloses information to a government or law enforcement agency where the employee has reasonable cause to believe that the information discloses: 1) A Read More