California has struggled for nearly forty years to address the housing crisis, which the State Supreme Court recently described as reaching “epic proportions.” Since the late 1970s, the legislature has enacted increasingly strict laws designed in part to limit local discretion from the… Read More
Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts Report (“FBAR”) is an annual report that provides the U.S. government with information regarding certain foreign financial accounts held by a U.S. person. Typically, a U.S. person who has a financial interest in or signature authority over at least one… Read More
In 2018, Employers have more restrictions on the interview process if they are hiring or conducting business in San Francisco. San Francisco just enacted a law that prohibits employers from asking applicants about their salary history. The law will become effective July 1, 2018. The “Parity in… Read More
In February we alerted you on the California State Legislature passing of AB 1732 which requires that, as of March 1, 2017, all single-user toilet facilities in any California business be identified as “all-gender.” As of July 1, 2017, the Fair Employment and Housing Council… Read More
A well drafted Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) can be used to protect your business’s trade secrets and other confidential information in a variety of different business related contexts, ranging from a nascent stage of development (e.g., when products, inventions, or ideas are presented to… Read More
The California Labor Code provides protected time off to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking. However, according to a study by the Legal Aid Society Employment Law Center, nearly 40% of survivors in the state reported being fired or fearing termination due to intimate partner… Read More
The U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) announced on June 7, 2017 that it is withdrawing its 2015 and 2016 informal guidance on the “joint employer” doctrine. The joint employer doctrine is used to determine whether a business can be said to effectively control the… Read More
Throughout 2016, housing advocates, developers, and local municipalities closely monitored the progress and eventual demise of Jerry Brown’s ambitious proposal to streamline the local approval process for residential projects. The Governor’s proposal would have set aside $400 million for… Read More
Currently the California state minimum wage is $10.00 for employers with 25 or fewer employees, and $10.50 for employers with 26 or more employees. Although the next increase in the California minimum wage is still six months on January 1, 2018, a number of local minimum wage hikes are set to take… Read More
To help make equality in business leadership a reality, Berliner Cohen proudly launches an innovative program that supports startups with women in senior executive roles. Read More
The proposed tax reform plans of Congress and President Trump call for a repeal of the Federal Gift Tax, Estate Tax, and Generation Skipping Transfer Tax, but not all of these proposals are necessarily calling for the same laws to be repealed. House and Senate Republicans. A tax publication released… Read More
Even though it is possible that the Estate Tax and other wealth transfer taxes may soon be repealed, such repeal remains uncertain, and it is still important for some people to consider the potential effects of these taxes when planning for the transfer of their wealth during life and upon death.… Read More
Employers got a win in the case of Mendoza v. Nordstrom. The Supreme Court ruled that “a day of rest is guaranteed for each work week,” rather than on a 7-day rolling basis. In California, the law prohibited an employer from causing his or her employees to work more than “six… Read More
In the wake of the recent election, employers and employees alike are confused regarding how an employee’s immigration status may affect the terms and conditions of his or her employment and what employers’ rights and obligations are if immigration officials show up at their… Read More
The laws affecting California businesses are ever changing and 2017 proves to be no different. Effective March 1, 2017, all California businesses will have to remove any labelling that designates a “single-user toilet facility” as either “male” or “female”.… Read More