Employers love a good investigation story—prompt response, outside counsel, thorough interviews, the whole compliance greatest-hits album. But the California Court of Appeal’s recent decision in Paknad v. Superior Court is a sharp reminder that if you plan to rely on
Effective July 1, 2026, the minimum wage rate for the Los Angeles metropolitan area will increase to $18.42. Los Angeles employers are accustomed to minimum wage increases based on the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers
The recent court opinion in Lively v. Wayfarer Studios LLC et al involves quite literally a Hollywood drama, but it’s chock-full of practical lessons for employers in and outside Tinseltown —particularly those with connections to California. The case touches on
The Ninth Circuit delivered a significant win for employers involved in arbitration in O’Dell, et al. v. Aya Healthcare Services, Inc., holding that employees cannot sidestep arbitration agreements by selectively relying upon past rulings of other arbitrators in cases
We invite you to review our newly-posted, March 2026 California Employment Law Notes, a comprehensive review of the latest and most significant developments in California employment law. The highlights include:
Ratha v. Rubicon Resources, LLC, 168 F.4th 541 (9th Cir. 2026) (en banc)
Plaintiffs are villagers from rural Cambodia who allegedly were forced to work at seafood factories in Thailand and who alleged that Rubicon marketed in the United States
Parsonage v. Wal-Mart Assocs., Inc., 118 Cal. App. 5th 399 (2026)
Before beginning employment with Wal-Mart, Tina Parsonage executed a “Background Report Disclosure” form that authorized Wal-Mart to conduct a background check on her. Three years later, Parsonage sued Wal-Mart
De Paolo v. Rosales, 118 Cal. App. 5th Supp. 1 (2026)
John R. De Paolo is the owner and trustee of the real property for which Jenny Rosales was the property manager/tenant. After De Paolo terminated Rosales’s employment, he served
Sorokunov v. NetApp, Inc., 2026 WL 590943 (Cal. Ct. App. 2026)
Alexander Sorokunov sued NetApp for various Labor Code violations, including PAGA. NetApp filed a petition to compel arbitration of Sorokunov’s individual claims, which the trial court granted. After the
Avery v. TEKsystems, Inc., 165 F.4th 1219 (9th Cir. 2026)
More than 22 months after the commencement of a putative class action alleging various wage and hour law violations, TEK rolled out a new, mandatory arbitration agreement that automatically applied
