Senate Bill 600 expands the protections of the Unruh Civil Rights Act, a law designed to protect consumers. The Unruh Civil Rights Act already provides that all persons within the jurisdiction of this state are entitled to full and equal accommodations in all business establishments regardless of their sex, race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, or sexual orientation. SB 600 extends these protections by prohibiting discrimination by businesses based on citizenship, primary language or ...

The Department of Industrial Relations recently announced an increase in the minimum hourly wage required for certain computer software workers who are exempt from overtime under California Labor Code section 515.5. Specifically, the DIR raised the computer software employee minimum hourly rate of pay exemption from $41.27 to $41.85, the minimum monthly salary exemption from $7,165.12 to $7,265.43, and the minimum annual salary exemption from $85,981.40 to $87,185.14. The increases become effective on January 1, 2016 and are based on the 1.4% increase in the California ...

On October 15th, 2015, I was part of a panel/roundtable discussion regarding minimum wages. The panel was presented by the Government Affairs Committee of the Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce at the request of the City of Beverly Hills. The specific purpose of the panel was to discuss a potential increase in the minimum wage for the City of Beverly Hills in response to the recent ordinance passed by the City of Los Angeles, which ordinance will gradually increase the minimum wage for businesses with 26 or more employees to $15 an hour by July of 2020 (smaller employers and nonprofits have ...

Since last Thursday, the Internet has been buzzing with news of the National Labor Relations Board’s decision in Browning-Ferris Industries of California, Inc., which held that a Silicon Valley recycling center was a “joint employer” along with the staffing agency that provided the center’s workers. In so doing, the Board established a new standard for determining the existence of joint employers.

The Board began by stating that two or more entities may be joint employers of the same employees if they “share or co-determine those matters governing the essential terms ...

You’ve been approached by a wireless carrier to lease space on your building or property—now what? While rent is an important consideration, you should keep in mind other ways to generate revenue in the future, including limiting the carrier’s right to perform equipment modifications without your consent and requesting revenue sharing for future subtenants.

In addition to the rent, there are non-monetary terms to consider, such as Right of First Refusal provisions that limit your ability to sell the rental stream to a buyout company or automatic renewal terms that extend the ...

QUESTION:  Can a magistrate appoint a receiver?

ANSWER: While an arbitrator cannot appoint a receiver, Marsh v. Williams, 23 Cal. App 4th 238 (1994), a magistrate can.

A district judge may designate a magistrate judge to hear and determine any non-dispositive civil matter. 20U.S.C. § 636(b)(1)(A). With respect to dispositive motions, a district judge may designate a magistrate judge to conduct hearings, including evidentiary hearings, and to submit to the district judge proposed findings of fact and recommendations.28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1)(B). Dispositive motions include those ...

Global warming, a decaying infrastructure, budget problems, pollution, endangered species; these are all serious problems. In a world full of serious problems, lesser tragedies frequently go unnoticed. Like the plight of the American cheerleader. These men and women generally promote their teams for little or no pay, have no benefits, and are afforded none of the basic rights enjoyed by hourly employees. For a while it seemed as if no one would hear their choreographed cries for help. But fear not, readers, for the California Legislature has stepped in to save the day.

Assembly Bill ...

In CCA 201517006 (dated 10/9/14 and released 4/24/15), the general partner of a publicly traded partnership (PTP) had, in addition to its capital interest, a profits interest in the PTP called “incentive distribution rights” (IDRs). We know the IDRs are a profits interest because they “did not carry any interest in partnership capital [on the date of the issuance of the IDRs] but entitled [the general partner] to share in future partnership profits and quarterly distributions”. What is not clear in the CCA is why the IDRs received the benefits of the Safe Harbor of Revenue ...

The US Department of Labor recently revised the model Family and Medical Leave Act notices and medical certification forms to be given to employees in connection with the FMLA. The forms are not substantially changed from the prior versions, but do make clear that the employer is not seeking information about genetic tests, genetic services or the manifestation of disease or disorder in an employee’s family members. The forms and notices are accessible on the DOL website here and are set to expire on May 31, 2018.

California employers who use the form for employees requesting leave ...

QUESTION: I am a receiver and I have just learned that the defendant purported to sell property I am receiver over. I contacted counsel for the defendant and for the buyer and demanded that the property be returned to me. The buyer’s attorney said his client would not reconvey the property, that the sale was good, and that I should bring a contempt action against the defendant if the defendant violated my order of appointment by selling the property. Is this correct?

ANSWER: A recent case, In Re Domun Locis LLC, 521 B.R. 661 (Bankr. C.D. Cal. 2014), decided by bankruptcy Judge Kwan, dealt ...