Courts
California Ranks as No. 1 ‘Judicial Hellhole’
California has landed atop the “Judicial Hellholes” list again, according to the latest ranking of the “most unfair” civil litigation courts by the American...
State Supreme Court Ruling Protects Employers, Preserves Workers’ Comp Exclusivity
The California Supreme Court recently ruled in favor of employers, finding that an employee’s tort claims against a doctor who reviewed workers’ compensation cases...
High Court Ruling Raises Questions on Passage of Local Special Taxes
How many voters does it take to pass a local special tax?
Since Proposition 13 in 1978, voters have had the final say on local...
California Court of Appeal Upholds Lead Safe Harbor Under Proposition 65
The legal fight over the validity of the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) “safe harbor” for lead may finally be over for...
California Supreme Court Adopts New Test for Deciding Independent Contractor Status
The California Supreme Court has issued its much-anticipated decision on which test should be applied when determining whether an individual is an employee or...
High Court Decisions Leave Employers with Uncertainty
California employers are once again left with uncertainty regarding the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE) Enforcement Policies and Interpretations Manual following a California...
State of Judiciary Address Highlights Civil Justice Reforms
The funding boost proposed in the state budget plan for the coming year will help the judicial branch continue reforms to provide access and...
California Supreme Court Issues Worker-Friendly Overtime Ruling
Overtime pay in California is based on the employee’s “regular rate of pay,” which is not always an employee’s normal hourly wage and must...
DACA Decision: California Employer Update
The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent denial of a Trump administration bid to expedite a legal challenge to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)...
Is Worker an Employee or Independent Contractor?
Properly classifying an individual as an employee versus an independent contractor has always been a daunting task for any business/employer, especially in California. A...
