First, RPNA wants to express its sympathy and concern for those who have been evacuated or are less fortunate and have lost their homes or loved ones. Some of us personally have been evacuated, yours truly included, and some other RPNA employees. This is all such a tragedy and, sadly, is unlikely to be a one-off. Times…
RPNA is thrilled to announce as of January 2025, the elevation of one of its Senior Attorneys, Muhammed Hussain, to Partner! Since joining RPNA, Muhammed has excelled primarily in employment and business litigation, representing employers in federal and state courts across complex class actions and individual employee claims. Muhammed recently second chaired a jury trial…
The California Court of Appeal’s decision in Chavez v. California Collision, 2024 WL5064368, has significant implications for wage and hour claims, particularly in the context of settlement offers and attorney’s fees. While Code of Civil Procedure § 998 typically allows cost recovery if a settlement offer is rejected and a worse judgment is obtained, this case clarifies that…
The ripple effects of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to shape our legal landscape. A recent ruling in California might have a significant impact on how employers manage furloughs. By: Muhammed T. Hussain Key Takeaways from Hartstein v. Hyatt Corp. The Situation: Employees were furloughed in March 2020 and terminated in June 2020. They argued that Hyatt…
As most employers in California are aware, in June of 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court held in Viking River Cruises, Inc. v. Moriana (“Viking River”) that Private Attorney General Act (“PAGA”) actions could be split into individual and non-individual claims and the individual claims could be subject to arbitration. The Court expressed its view that…
RPNA Partners Drew Pomerance and Vince Gannuscio last week won a jury trial against a major workers’ compensation insurance carrier, when the jury rendered its verdict in favor of RPNA’s employer client. The carrier originally sued RPNA’s client, a nurse staffing company, back in 2015, alleging that the employer failed to properly report all of…
Author: Joseph C. Gjonola Recently, the California Supreme Court accepted a Petition for Review filed by RPNA on behalf of our extraordinary client SANTA YNEZ BAND OF CHUMASH MISSION INDIANS, in their lawsuit against Lexington Insurance Company for business injury coverage triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. In the face of extensive documentary and expert…
Author: Burton E. Falk Last week the California Supreme Court made a pivotal ruling that could have significant implications for your responsibilities as employers during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The Court clarified that employers do not owe a tort-based duty to non-employees to prevent the spread of COVID-19 to family members under workers’ compensation laws.…
By Trevor Witt An upcoming ballot measure could significantly affect your business and provide some much needed relief from costly and frivolous lawsuits for employers. The November 2024 ballot will contain a measure titled “Fair Pay and Employer Accountability Act,” which proposes to repeal the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) in California. PAGA was initially…
By Burton E. Falk In the workers’ comp world, applicants and defense attorneys try to reject med-legal reports and disqualify the medical evaluators, including QMEs and AMEs when they don’t like a doctor’s opinion. There are techniques to avoid disqualification that will help preserve your reputation and ensure that you get paid for your med-legal…