Presented by:
Angel Gomez, III, Esq., Epstein Becker Green

California is home to one of the largest economies in the world and to one of the world's best-educated and most productive workforces. Many employers find California to be an essential part of their strategic plan, but are not aware of the specifics of the state's evolving employment laws and policies.

We would like to invite you to a special lunch seminar with Epstein Becker Green attorney Angel Gomez, III, a Member of the Firm in our Los Angeles office, who concentrates in employment law. Mr. Gomez will provide tips for preventing and minimizing liability for companies with employees in California.

In California:

  • The average jury verdict in employment cases is nearly $1.4 million
  • It is illegal to require female employees to wear skirts
  • It is illegal to have a "use it or lose it" vacation plan
  • Terminated employees must be paid in full on their last day
  • Transvestites are a "protected class" in some cities
  • Overtime must be paid after eight hours of work in a day
  • Pregnant employees may take up to seven months of protected leave
  • Releases must contain California-specific language
  • Employees may use one-half of their sick time for family illnesses
  • The state's new disability discrimination law is broader than the ADA
  • Co-workers can be personally liable for unlawful harassment
  • Group insurance premiums may need to be paid indefinitely by the company for someone on workers' compensation leave
  • Termination of an employee on workers' compensation leave is risky and complex — even if the employee has been out for a year or more
  • There are important exceptions to many of the above

This lunch seminar is intended for senior personnel management, as well as in-house counsel, whose advice is sought concerning their California operations. Mr. Gomez will review the specifics of California employment law that may not be well known outside of California, as well as address strategic and long-range issues.

For example, Mr. Gomez will discuss:

  • How California juries assess employer termination decisions
  • How to structure terminations to increase your chance of success in California courts
  • What is required before a California court will enforce an arbitration agreement
  • How to avoid having that lawsuit against you decided by a jury

Mr. Gomez is a graduate of Harvard Law School, and the University of California at Berkeley. An experienced speaker and author, Mr. Gomez is the management co-author of California Employment Litigation, a widely read treatise on the subject, published by Bancroft-Whitney. He has spoken before such organizations as the National Employment Law Institute, Personnel and Industrial Relations Association, National Employment Law Council, among many others.

In an ever-changing California legal environment, increased knowledge can help you to protect against potentially significant liability and improve your company's overall productivity.

If you have any question about this briefing, please contact
Jacqueline Chavez at 404/923-9086 or JChavez@ebglaw.com.

Registration fee: $40

RSVP no later than February 11, 2010.

To register, please click here.

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