Courts

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...

Timely Economic Analysis of Major Regs Upheld in Unanimous Appeal Court Ruling

State agencies must take seriously the requirement to conduct a timely, accurate economic analysis of major regulations, according to a just-released opinion by the...

Swift Action Needed in Prop. 65 Case to Avert Disruption in Multiple Sectors

The California Chamber of Commerce is urging the Fifth District Court of Appeal to expedite its decision and reverse the erroneous listing of a...