Lee Cheng

Why do more California lawyers choose CEB over competitors? As one user stated, “[CEB] is a “go to” source for answers to specific legal questions where a generalized Westlaw search is not sufficiently specific.” In a recent survey, 73% evaluated LexisNexis, 65% evaluated Westlaw and 64% evaluated Rutter before choosing CEB. Want to know why CEB is the trusted choice for legal professionals in California? Download the full infographic 👉 https://lnkd.in/gDc4YW6i #LegalProfessionals #CaliforniaLaw #CEB #LegalResearch #InHouseCounsel #LawFirmTools #LegalTechnology #LexisNexis #Westlaw #Rutter #Infographic #LegalInsights

36

2 Comments

Highlighting Elder Care Safety: Press Conference Recap Last month, our law firm took a significant step in addressing elder care safety by holding a press conference. We announced the filing of a lawsuit following the tragic death of Vera Plares, a 98-year-old great-grandmother, at a Santa Clara nursing home. Vera was allegedly beaten to death by her roommate, a known aggressive patient with a violent history. This devastating incident underscores the urgent need for better safety protocols in elder care facilities. Our founder and CEO, Paul Goyette, led the press conference. With over three decades of legal experience, Paul has been a tireless advocate for justice and client rights. He highlighted the nursing home’s failure to protect Vera, despite being aware of the risks posed by her roommate. Paul’s leadership in this case aims to bring much-needed attention to the safety of our elderly loved ones. We are committed to seeking justice for Vera and her family, and to ensuring that such a tragedy never happens again. You can watch the highlights from our press conference to learn more about this case and our ongoing efforts to protect vulnerable nursing home residents. If you or a loved one has experienced neglect or abuse in a nursing home, please contact us for a free consultation. Visit our website at https://grtlaw.com or call us at 916 851 1900. Together, we can work towards a safer environment for all. #JusticeForVera #ElderAbuse #NursingHomeSafety #LegalNews #ElderCareAwareness

4

Watch now 💼 https://lnkd.in/gdjC9Bp6 California's Burden-Shifting Framework in Whistleblower Retaliation Cases This program covers: - Key elements of California's burden-shifting framework - Insights from defense, plaintiff, and in-house perspectives - Practical strategies for handling whistleblower retaliation claims Watch now 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gdjC9Bp6 #WhistleblowerLaw #EmploymentLaw #RetaliationCases #CLE #LegalEducation

1

Work-Life Balance: Tips from Attorney Michael Wang Michael Wang, managing attorney at Wilner O'Reilly's Sacramento office, shares his routine for maintaining a healthy work-life balance. 1. Early Morning Exercise: Starting the day at 5:00 am with exercise helps Michael stay focused and energized for the rest of the day. 2. Structured Work Goals: Setting and completing work goals during office hours prevents him from bringing work home, allowing him to disconnect and enjoy personal time. 3. Family Time After Work: Evenings are dedicated to family, including dinner, homework with his son, and conversations, providing a refreshing contrast to his professional life. 4. Evening Relaxation: Watching mindless TV before bed helps him decompress and ensures a restful night's sleep. 5. Weekend Leisure: Fridays kick off with an adult beverage, and weekends are spent with friends and family, allowing him to rest and recharge for the upcoming week. Michael Wang's balanced approach enhances productivity and ensures he remains engaged in all aspects of his life. What are your tips for maintaining work-life balance? Share your thoughts in the comments!

7

Two nights ago, NACD Northern California Chapter and Foley & Lardner LLP welcomed a group of globally-focused board directors to a private dinner. My partners Christopher Swift, who runs our firm’s national security team, and freshly joined Brian Wheeler, led a discussion around geopolitical threats, enforcement trends, and practical consequences to the phenomena relating to “securitization” of international trade and investment. Dr. Swift set the stage with three key paradigm shifts: 🔸 Economic: globalization to regionalization 🔻 Political: integration to fragmentation 🔺 Sociological: comprehension (fact-based decision making) to apprehension (emotion-based decision making) The practical consequences, as we see them, are that: 🔷 There are increasing restraints on cross-border trade and investment 🔵 More decisions are based on perceptions and posturing rather than facts (subjective vs. objective decision making) ☑ There is a growing tendency to turn commercial issues into security issues (that do not actually implicate national security) Our discussion highlighted the necessity for directors to prompt management to evaluate the potential risks and vulnerabilities stemming from geopolitical threats and regulatory enforcement actions. This process includes actively identifying areas of exposure, assessing the likelihood and impact of different scenarios, and creating strategies to mitigate risks and strengthen resilience. Here are several questions to consider asking at your next board meeting: ❓ How does the company gather and analyze intelligence on geopolitical developments?   ❔ What crisis planning has been done to manage various worst-case scenarios and how often is management reviewing this?   ⁉ How is management staying apprised of regulatory changes or compliance requirements related to geopolitical risks and international trade?    ⭕ How are we ensuring that our operations remain compliant in volatile markets? ❌ How resilient is our supply chain when it comes to geopolitical disruptions? Do we know who our suppliers' suppliers are? Do we have alternate suppliers on standby in the case of a geopolitical crisis?   ✖ How can the board support management in addressing these geopolitical challenges?   ✴ How may geopolitical issues affect the culture of the business and the employees/offices worldwide? Thank you 🙏 to Brian Wheeler for co-hosting the event with me, and Christopher Swift for leading the night's discussions. Special thanks 🙏 to our NACD directors Lisa Spivey 史白薇 and Kate Azima for bringing us all together. They do such an incredible job for us! 🙌 #techlaw #boardofdirectors #corporategovernance #venturecapital #foleyforward #garage2global #internationaltrade, #internationalsecurity, #doingbusiness, #china, #russia, #europeanunion, #unitedstates

59

13 Comments

In Washington State, employers can be liable for double damages when they fail to pay their employees, whether you’re an employer or employee, it is important to know if the employer is liable for double damages as it can fundamentally alter the amount of damages in the matter. Under RCW 49.52.070, employers are generally liable for double damages in wage and hour disputes. There are two exemptions to the willfulness element of the double damages provision of RCW 49.52.070 for wage and hour dispute; firstly, that the employer was not willful if the failure to make the payment was because “the employer was careless or erred in failing to pay, or [secondly] a ‘bona fide’ dispute existed between the employer and employee regarding the payment of wages.” Morgan v. Kingen, 166 Wn.2d 526, 534, 210 P.3d 995, 998 (2009), (citing Schilling v. Radio Holdings, 136 Wash.2d 152, 160, 961 P.2d 371 (1988)). Whether or not an act was willful or is exempt is a fact determination. Zimmerman v. W8LESS Products, LLC, 160 Wn. App. 678, 695, 248 P.3d 601, 609 (2011). Courts use a two-part test for establishing whether or not an employer has a bona fide wage and hour dispute which negates the willfulness element of the double-damages provision of RCW 49.52.070, firstly whether the employer has a subjective belief that there is a dispute (this is fact determination generally reviewed under a substantive evidence standard), and secondly whether there is an objective “fairly debatable” element present which is a legal question focusing on the “reasonableness or frivolousness of an argument.” Hill v. Garda CL Nw., Inc., 191 Wn.2d 553, 562, 424 P.3d 207, 212 (2018) (quotations and citations omitted); Schilling,136 Wash.2d at 167 (Alexander, J., dissenting); Pope v. Univ. of Washington, 121 Wn.2d 479, 490, 852 P.2d 1055, 1061 (1993); Lillig v. Becton-Dickinson, 105 Wash.2d 653, 660, 717 P.2d 1371 (1986). Whether or not a bona fide dispute exists is a question of fact, “[b]ut where reasonable minds could not differ, the court may decide the question as a matter of law.” Moore v. Blue Frog Mobile, Inc., 153 Wn. App. 1, 8, 221 P.3d 913, 916 (2009) (citing Dice v. City of Montesano, 131 Wash.App. 675, 687–88, 128 P.3d 1253 (2006)).

1

For years, retailers have braced and prepared for the next wave of litigation under California’s Song-Beverly Credit Card Act of 1971 (Song-Beverly). While activity under Song-Beverly and the 14 other states with similar laws has been largely dormant for several years, it seems the next wave of litigation is here. This time, the lawsuits focus on the collection of IP addresses in connection with online credit card transactions. Song-Beverly was originally designed to limit the collection of personal information on the paper credit card transaction form. Plaintiffs’ attorneys now seek to extend that law to apply to online transactions and discrete pieces of information. Read our Client Alert here: https://ow.ly/YVZG50T3p68

4