News & Insights

Federal Courts Will Not Uphold Jury-Trial Waivers in Contracts Signed Under California Law

June 23, 2015

In April, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that federal courts sitting in diversity will not uphold jury-trial waivers in contracts signed under California law, even where each party waived its rights “knowingly and voluntarily.”  The court held that federal courts sitting in diversity must apply the underlying state law to…

REMINDER: California Employers Are Required to Provide Paid Sick Leave Beginning July 1

June 19, 2015

Beginning July 1, state law will require all California employers to annually provide at least 3 days of paid sick leave to their employees.  The Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act of 2014 (AB 1522) applies to all California employees (including part-time) who work at least 30 days a year, regardless of the employer’s size.  In…

Blue Shield Loses Tax-Exempt Status, Comes Under Scrutiny for Care1st Acquisition

April 30, 2015

Non-profit health insurer Blue Shield of California has come under public scrutiny for its huge cash reserves, history of large rate increases, and lack of disclosure to the taxpayers.  The California Franchise Tax Board punished Blue Shield by stripping the insurer of its tax-exempt status at the end of 2014.  Today, Blue Shield remains controversial. …

Airline Servicer Crashes in Overtime Case: Employers Cannot Define Workday to Avoid Payment of Overtime

April 24, 2015

Generally, employers in California are free to define their workdays and workweeks as they see fit, with at least one major caveat: they may not structure the workday or workweek in a way that systematically prevents employees from earning overtime pay. A recent case, Jakosalem v. Air Serv Corp., highlights the risks inherent in this…

State Governing Boards Face Antitrust Risk after Supreme Court Ruling in North Carolina Dentists Case

April 16, 2015

The U.S. Supreme Court recently agreed with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) when it ruled North Carolina’s custom of practicing dentists serving on the state regulatory board was anticompetitive.  The decision in North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners v. Federal Trade Commission could subject thousands of similarly structured boards to antitrust liability, and brings into…

Carlson & Jayakumar Attorneys Shut Down Manufacturing Employees’ Rest Break Lawsuit and Achieve Important Victory for Employers: Court Affirms Legality of Combined Rest Periods

March 26, 2015

Newport Beach, CA — March 26, 2015.  On February 23, 2015, a Los Angeles Superior Court granted a motion for summary judgment filed by aerospace metal finishing company, EME, Inc., against a class of hourly workers who claimed, among other things, that EME’s practice of combining rest breaks was per se illegal.  The court entered…

PAGA and Arbitration Agreements in California

March 6, 2015

Background: What is PAGA? The Private Attorney General Act of 2004, or PAGA, allows a private citizen to pursue civil penalties on behalf of the State of California Labor and Workforce Development Agency (LWDA). PAGA gives the private citizen the unique ability to act as an attorney general, as he or she has the right…

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