• October 27, 2023
  • Blog

Corporate Transparency Act (CTA)

In 2021, Congress passed the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) on a bipartisan basis. This law creates a new beneficial ownership information reporting requirement as part of the U.S. government’s efforts to make it harder for bad actors to hide gains through shell companies or other ownership structures. The reporting rule...

  • October 11, 2023
  • Blog

SB 699

On September 1, 2023, Senate Bill 699 was signed amending the California Business & Professions Code Section 16600. Under the California Business & Professions Code, noncompete agreements are generally unenforceable. Section 16600 says, “every contract by which anyone is restrained from engaging in a lawful profession, trade, or business of...

  • September 26, 2023
  • Blog

CA Updated Paid Sick Leave Law (S.B. 616)

There is currently no federal law requiring paid sick leave, but California’s Healthy Families Act of 2014 requires employers to offer a minimum of 24 hours or three days of paid sick leave per year. California’s paid sick leave law applies to employees who work in California for 30 or more days...

  • September 12, 2023
  • Blog

A New Los Angeles County Ordinance Aims to Protect Freelance Workers

A new ordinance in Los Angeles County that became effective July 1st of this year requires a written contract between hiring entities and freelance workers. The Freelance Worker Protections Ordinance aims to ensure freelance workers are treated fairly and receive the compensation they are due. This ordinance applies to work performed...

AI regulations
  • August 19, 2023
  • Blog

Whose Work Is It Anyway?

Due to the growing use of artificial intelligence (“AI”) technologies, the U.S. Copyright Office issued formal guidance on March 16, 2023 to address generative AI technologies capable of producing expressive material. A general question raised by generative AI use is whether the material produced is protected by copyright. According to...

CPRA
  • June 12, 2023
  • Blog

Adapting to the CPRA: Best Practices for Compliance

The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) provides consumers with greater control and transparency over the personal information and data that businesses collect. In November of 2020, proposition 24, the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), was passed to provide additional privacy protections for consumers. What is the CPRA? The California Privacy...

  • January 17, 2023
  • Blog

Proposed Federal Law Could Ban Non-Competes

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has proposed a rule that would ban all non-competes with very limited exceptions. If approved, the new rule would make it illegal for an employer to attempt to enter into a non-compete agreement with an employee, maintain an existing non-compete agreement, or advise an employee...

  • December 01, 2022
  • Blog

California’s 2023 Minimum Wage Adjustments

Effective January 1, 2023, the state-wide California minimum wage will rise to $15.50 per hour for all employees, regardless of the size of their employer. This accelerated increase is required by a provision in the state's existing minimum wage law that was triggered because inflation exceeded 7%. Certain counties and cities in...

  • November 18, 2022
  • Blog

2023 California Employment Law Updates to Add to Your Employee Handbook and Policies

2023 California Employment Law Updates to Add to Your Employee Handbook and Policies The new year comes with several changes in employment law that should be taken into account for the protection of your business and your employees. The new laws cover a wide range of areas in employment, including...

NFT
  • September 29, 2022
  • Blog

The Rise and Fall of NFTs

Non-Fungible Tokens give proof of ownership of a digital object. NFTs have unique qualities that cannot be exchanged for others of the exact same type. NFTs are primarily centered around digital art, but can also include collectables, trading cards, event tickets, music, digital video clips, and virtual fashion. Although digital...

Tax exemption
  • August 11, 2022
  • Blog

Annual Tax Fees Waived for New Business in California

If you are interested in starting a Limited Liability Company in California, there is no time like the present. In an effort to welcome new businesses to the golden state, California Governor Gavin Newsome signed legislation in 2020 to exempt startups from paying the LLC franchise tax during their first...

Comic Con
  • August 01, 2022
  • Blog

The Pros and Cons of Comic-Con

If you found yourself in downtown San Diego this past weekend, you may have encountered a variety of different people with costumes and extravagant props walking around. It does not come as a surprise for native San Diegans since Comic-Con takes place just down the street at the San Diego...