California Supreme Court Clarifies Proper Way to Pay Meal Period and Rest Break Premiums

The California Supreme Court, in the case of Jessica Ferra v. Loews Hollywood Hotel, LLC recently clarified the correct way to calculate meal period and rest break premium pay . . . and it’s not how most California businesses were calculating it.  What are Meal Period and Rest Break Premiums? California Labor Code Section 226.7 requires employers to pay employees “one additional hour of pay at the employee’s regular rate of compensation for each workday” that an employee was not provided with a meal or rest period.  Unfortunately, many employers are not aware of this requirement to pay a meal and rest period premium if employees are not able to take their meal breaks and rest breaks. Before we discuss the correct way to pay the premiums, let’s review the basic meal and rest break rules in California. What are the Rest Break Rules in California? In California, the Wage Orders require employers to authorize and permit non-exempt employees to take a 10-minute, uninterrupted, rest period for each four-hour work period or major fraction thereof. The Division of Labor Standards … Continue reading

In: California Civil Litigation, Employment Law, New Laws, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Do I Need a Lawyer? What to Look for When Hiring a Lawyer

You didn’t see it coming and it knocked the wind out of you.  You were furloughed.  You were fired. Your employee sued.  You did exceptional work and your client refuses to pay. Someone took advantage of your kindness, your flexibility, your willingness to help.  You were sexually harassed.  You were fired.  You were treated poorly, taken advantage of, and it shook you to the core. Your emotions cycle between confusion, hurt, and anger. You may even feel shameful and embarrassed that you found yourself in this situation. At some point you wonder if it’s your fault and how could you have kept this from happening? But then you realize it’s not your fault and that you should do something; you need to do something.  But you don’t know what to do.  Someone you trust, perhaps your father, your spouse, sibling, or a friend, said you should talk to a lawyer. But you’ve never hired a lawyer before and you don’t see yourself as the type of person who hires a lawyer. It feels so aggressive and just the thought of … Continue reading

In: California Civil Litigation, Employment Law, Hiring a Lawyer, Starting a Business, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Arbitration Agreements and Class Action Waivers Post-Epic Systems

When business owners call my office looking for guidance because their accountant, fellow business owners, colleagues, or friends told them they should talk to an employment lawyer about their fears and concerns surrounding an employee issue, I ask a series of questions to get a better understanding of what is going on in the business.  One of the questions I ask is: Do you have an arbitration agreement?   9 out of 10 times there is a pause and a response that ranges from “can you tell me what that is” and “I’m not sure.” It’s understandable because unless you’re a doctor’s office, arbitration agreements aren’t part of your everyday life.  However, these businesses are missing out on a great tool that could be used in their favor if they value privacy, expediency, and cost-savings should a dispute arise with an employee.  Especially given the Supreme Court’s decision in Epic Systems Corp. v. Lewis.  Below is an article I wrote on the decision that was recently published in the Orange County Lawyer’s Magazine.  Although aimed at attorneys, it gives employers a better … Continue reading

In: California Civil Litigation, Employment Law, Starting a Business, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Three Ways to Transfer the Family Business

I’ve had clients who have had to deal with business succession issues and so I invite John L. Wong to provide some insight into what business succession planning is and why business owners should think about it.   As an Orange County Estate Planning Attorney, many of my clients own some form of small business. One of the first questions I ask is: “What’s going to happen to your business when you retire or pass away?” There are two very common responses: I’m going to transfer the business to my children; or I’m going to sell the business. I could certainly go through a bunch of hypotheticals to poke holes in these two responses, but often times, if the question was phrased differently, the issue becomes much clearer. “What would happen to your business if you died today?” After some reflection, common responses are: The business would fail; The business would be taken over by an employee. So how do ensure your business is transferred under the first set of scenarios instead of the second set? How do you ensure … Continue reading

In: Contracts, Estate Planning, Guest Blogger, Hiring a Lawyer, Uncategorized, What to Do | Leave a comment

Defamation Lawsuit and Online Reviews

Your business may have an entry at online platforms such as Yelp and Glassdoor (or Avvo for attorneys).  You may have even used it to write reviews, both positive and negative, yourself.  These online review sites generally provide useful information while some posts are obviously angry rants by someone who has a bone to pick, a personal vendetta, or posted by a business competitor in some instances.  The veil of anonymity on the internet allows many people to say things they would never say in public or if their names and faces were attached the statement.  Thus, it is not uncommon for people to make blatantly false statements online that often times spells financial or reputational ruin to the recipient. One legal remedy that businesses and individuals may have to combat these false statements is to bring a defamation lawsuit against the person who made the false statements.  However, it bears noting that not all false statements are defamatory and California law has specific requirements in order for someone to win a defamation lawsuit. What is defamation? If you’ve ever … Continue reading

In: California Civil Litigation, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Emoji and Deciphering Intent in the Digital Age

[Originally published as Emoji and Deciphering Intent in the Digitial Age, by Tanya Kiatkulpiboone and Andrea W. Paris, in Orange County Lawyer Magazine, June 2017, Vol. 59 No.6 on page 42.] An emoji known as “Face with Tears of Joy” was named the Oxford Dictionaries’ 2015 Word of the Year. See Figure 1. Caspar Grathwohl, President of Oxford Dictionaries, explained that “Emoji are becoming an increasingly rich form of communication, one that transcends linguistic borders[.]” Katie Steinmetz, Oxford’s 2015 Word of the Year Is This Emoji, Time (Nov. 16, 2015, 2:08 PM), http://time.com/4114886/oxford-word-of-the-year-2015-emoji/. Nevertheless, Oxford Dictionaries have yet to add any emoji to the dictionary, not even their Word of the Year, thereby acknowledging their expressive abilities without defining them. What Are Emoji? Emoji are small images or icons used to express emotion, ideas, or things in electronic communications. They were created in Japan in the 1990s by Shigetaka Kurita, who worked for one of Japan’s largest mobile phone operators. The name originates from the Japanese terms for picture (“e”) and written character (“moji”).  Frequently Asked Questions: Emoji and Pictographs, … Continue reading

In: California Civil Litigation, Contracts, Employment Law, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

What to Do: Employee Leaves With Trade Secrets

Losing an employee, especially a key employee, is difficult for any business. You’ve invested time, know-how, and resources in your employees and they in turn are the lifeblood of your business. Unfortunately, people leave and when they leave, it is usually to work for a competitor or even to start a competing business. If that employee had access to your company’s confidential information such as customer lists, customer preferences, pricing formulas, and any other information that gives you a competitive edge, you want to make sure that the employee can’t take that valuable information to a competitor. How do you protect trade secrets from a competitor when an employee leaves? I have good news and bad news for you. The bad news: If the first time you think about protecting your company’s confidential information is after a key employee leaves, it may be too late. One of the fundamental requirements under California and Federal laws that protect trade secrets is the requirement that you made reasonable efforts to keep that information a secret. Thus, if you haven’t thought about how … Continue reading

In: California Civil Litigation, Contracts, Employment Law, What to Do | Leave a comment

What Lawsuits and Disneyland Have In Common: The Emotional Costs of a Lawsuit

Whether you came to the decision to look for an attorney because you’ve been served with a lawsuit and have no choice but to defend yourself, or if you have reached an impasse in a dispute and have no choice but to say “see you in court,” what happens after this point is likely a mystery for you. If that’s the case, this is what a lawsuit looks like. But there’s also an emotional part of a lawsuit. Therefore, in addition to the obvious considerations of finding a capable attorney that you like and trust and the financial costs, you should also prepare for the emotional costs of a lawsuit. Since Disneyland’s just up the freeway, I’ll liken it to a day at Disneyland. It’s a Long Process If you’re traveling into town specifically to visit Disneyland with the kids, you expect to get there when the park opens, stay for the parade and fireworks, and even until the park closes. You may expect to do that for 3 days in a row. Why? The Lines are Long If Disneyland … Continue reading

In: Anatomy of a Lawsuit, California Civil Litigation, Hiring a Lawyer, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Arbitration Agreement: Do I Want It?

You probably signed an arbitration agreement at your last doctor’s visit, when you signed up for your gym or yoga studio membership, or when you signed a listing agreement with your realtor. The ubiquity of these agreements makes it especially important for us to understand them as consumers, business owners, employers, and employees. What is an arbitration agreement? Arbitration is one of the alternative means of resolving disputes (alternative to filing a lawsuit that is). Thus, an arbitration agreement is an agreement to take disputes out of the court system to be decided by a private arbitrator (or a panel of arbitrators) usually following a different set of procedural rules than the court. People and companies choose to arbitrate for various reasons. The process is generally more streamlined and allows for a quicker resolution of disputes. It is often times cheaper than litigating in court, and the proceedings are typically not part of the public record. Lastly, the conventional wisdom is that you reduce the risk of a run-away-jury. Do you want to arbitrate? Whether agreeing to arbitrate potential disputes … Continue reading

In: California Civil Litigation, Contracts | Leave a comment

What to Do When a Client Doesn’t Pay

This is the first post in a new series called “What to Do” where I will discuss “what to do” in various common situations that come up in small and medium sized businesses. Feel free to send me your “what to do” question. Today’s topic is what to do when a client doesn’t pay. This is a common problem that businesses big and small face and if you’re in business, you’re selling services or products in exchange with the expectation that you will be paid for those services or products. The cost to your business of unpaid invoices is not just the dollar amount on each invoice but the opportunity cost of the investment you could make in your business from that income. Additionally, it costs your business time and money to collect on unpaid balances. Thus, the cumulative effect of multiples unpaid invoices, even for small outstanding amounts, is detrimental to your business’s viability and growth. Before starting work: For the proactive business here are some tips to help you avoid or minimize the change of having a client … Continue reading

In: California Civil Litigation, Contracts, Starting a Business, Uncategorized, What to Do | Leave a comment