In a November 23, 2022, published decision, DeLeon v. Juanita’s Foods, B315394, the Second Appellate District upheld a Los Angeles Superior Court’s strict interpretation of the California legislature’s 2019 amendments to the California Arbitration Act that a failure by a drafting party to pay arbitration fees timely constitutes a material breach of the arbitration agreement and allows the employee-claimant to (among other things) withdraw from arbitration and pursue their claim in court. This applied not just to the initial filing fee, but also subsequent invoices.

Scali Rasmussen announced today that Principal Colleen O'Brien has been selected as a nominee by the Los Angeles Times for its 'Inspirational Women Awards.' The awards recognize female business leaders in Los Angeles for their noteworthy success and accomplishments during the last 24 months.

In California, another year means another set of new employment laws that impose burdens on employers. The 2022 legislative session was no exception, with new laws passed and signed that address employment-related pay disclosure requirements on job postings, required bereavement leave, extended COVID-related leave, and family medical leave, to name a few areas. The good news for California employers is that none of the new laws make revolutionary changes to employee rights or employer responsibilities, but employers nonetheless need to understand these changes and adjust their practices to avoid potential liability in the future. Some laws passed do not go into effect for another year or two, allowing additional time for compliance (such as the cannabis anti-discrimination law).

The primary changes this year address and limit the availability of GAP waivers- for service members, and limiting the cost of GAP as well as the loan-to-value ratio for applicable vehicles. The legislature also passed a number of bills that continue to move the state towards a zero-carbon transportation sector, including requiring 35% of new car sales to be ZEVs (zero-emission) by 2026, which may not be a feasible goal. Dealers will need to keep an eye on these issues moving forward as it will affect inventory and demand.

The 2022 legislative session focused on various forms of debt and income relief available to small and family-owned businesses. While all of these forms of relief may not apply to every business, they are worth your attention since the economic crunch may worsen and it would be helpful to be aware of these, or other new forms of relief.

When the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) amended the Safeguards Rule (16 CFR Part 314) in 2021, some of the new provisions were set to become effective December 9, 2022 (16 CFR 314.5). In light of economic disturbances from the COVID-19 pandemic that exacerbated supply chain issues and caused delays in the availability of information security systems, as well as a shortage of qualified information security workers to implement such systems, the FTC has announced they will extend this deadline until June 9, 2023.

This article, by John Roemer, originally appeared in the Daily Journal, on October 19, 2022, when Scali Rasmussen was named a Top Boutique Law Firm.

Scali Rasmussen announced today that it has been recognized as a "Top Boutique" in a special feature by the Daily Journal, the foremost legal publication in California.

Governor Newsom signed SB 1162 into law, effective January 1, 2023, requiring companies with 15 or more employees to disclose pay ranges on all job postings for in-state jobs.

Governor Newsom recently signed AB2188, a bill barring employers from discriminating against job applicants or taking adverse action against employees for their use of cannabis off the job and away from the workplace.