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Latest Articles

NLRB Ruling on Severance Agreements

March 3, 2023 |

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) recently ruled that employers may not offer employees severance agreements that contain broad confidentiality and non-disparagement provisions. In McLaren Macomb, the NLRB ruled that an employer violates the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) when it offers… Read More

2023 Estate and Gift Tax Update

March 1, 2023 |

The Internal Revenue Service has announced the 2023 inflationary adjustments to the estate and gift tax applicable exclusion (from $12.06 million in 2022 to $12.92 million in 2023) and to the annual gift tax exclusion (from $16,000 in 2022 to $17,000 in 2023).[1] Currently (2023), the applicable… Read More

Victory For California Employers with Arbitration Agreements

February 16, 2023 |

On February 15, 2023, a federal appeals court for the Ninth Circuit ruled that the Federal Arbitration Act preempts California State Assembly Bill 51, a bill that limited the use of employment arbitration agreements. With this decision, California employers can require employees to sign arbitration… Read More

Are PG&E Settlement Proceeds Paid by the Fire Victim Trust Excluded from Gross Income?

February 8, 2023 |

In September of 2022, the California State Senate approved SB 1246 excluding from gross income amounts received from the Fire Victim Trust in connection with the California Wildfires that occurred in 2017 and 2018. The Fire Victim Trust was established and funded on July 1, 2020, after being… Read More

Introducing Alan Law to Our San Jose Office

January 24, 2023 |

Berliner Cohen would like to welcome Alan Law to the firm’s Litigation department in San Jose. Alan graduated from the University of San Francisco School of Law and was accepted to the California Bar in 2009. He specializes in complex civil litigation and has previously practiced class… Read More

Reimagining Commercial Zoning

December 28, 2022 |

The California Legislature passed a flurry of housing-related bills at the end of the 2021-22 California Legislative Session. AB 2097, SB 6, and AB 2011 are three of these bills that have received a lot of attention because of how dramatically they will change the way Californians view and interact… Read More

Introducing Julia L. Covello to our San Jose Office

December 15, 2022 |

We are pleased to welcome Julia L. Covello to Berliner Cohen's Litigation department in our San Jose Office. Julia received her Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of Chicago. She then worked for a financial investment advisor before pursuing her J.D. at the… Read More

Berliner Cohen Recognized as a Top Corporate Philanthropist by the Silicon Valley Business Journal

December 7, 2022 |

At the 2022 Corporate Philanthropy Awards hosted by the Silicon Valley Business Journal, Berliner Cohen received recognition as one of the top 50 corporate philanthropists in Silicon Valley. Since our founding, we have built our culture on supporting and giving back to the communities which we… Read More

Introducing Maysa Saeed to Our San Jose Office

November 30, 2022 |

We are pleased to welcome Maysa Saeed to Berliner Cohen’s Labor & Employment department in our San Jose office. Maysa's practice focuses on litigation and general advice and counsel in all aspects of employment law. Her litigation practice includes, but is not limited to, Private… Read More

Definition of Family Is Expanded Again Under CFRA

October 12, 2022 |

California has been steadily redefining the definition of family under the California Family Rights Act and the California’s Healthy Workplaces Healthy Families Act (HWHFA) over the last three years. In the last three years, CFRA was amended to expand who is eligible for leave while removing… Read More

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Latest Events

Webinar: Leaves of Absence: The Interplay of FMLA, CFRA, PDF, ADA and COVID PSL

December 8, 2022

Join Berliner Cohen Partner Christine Long and the California Restaurant Association for a complimentary webinar on Dec 13th, discussing leaves of absence and how to navigate the leave "maze". This seminar will go over hypothetical situations and what types of leave may apply to those different… Read More

Webinar: 2023 Employment Law & Benefits Update

November 10, 2022

Over the course of the year, we do the research, we monitor the court decisions, we analyze the new laws, and then we educate employers. The legislature and the courts had a robust year in 2022, instituting new rules and regulations regarding COVID-19, in addition to legislating business as usual.… Read More

Webinar: How to Manage Leaves of Absence and Other Time Off When It’s not Related to Disability

October 21, 2022

Join us for a webinar with Berliner Cohen Partner Susan Bishop and the Santa Clara County Employer Advisory Council about How to Manage Leaves of Absence and Other Time Off When It’s not Related to Disability. This webinar will review various State and Federal leaves and other time off… Read More

Partner Eileen Kennedy To Speak at the Western Foodservice & Hospitality Expo

August 25, 2022

Berliner Cohen Partner Eileen Kennedy will be speaking at the California Restaurant Association's Legal Center Live panel at the 2022 Western Foodservice & Hospitality Expo. The panel will be held on Monday, August 29th from 12:30pm - 1:15pm. Join Eileen and her fellow speakers for… Read More

Webinar: Tip Pools – Do’s and Don’ts

July 19, 2022

Join Berliner Cohen Partner Christine Long and the California Restaurant Association for a complimentary webinar on July 27th, discussing the do's and don'ts of tip pooling. This seminar will cover the essentials around tip pooling to ensure restaurants stay in accordance with California… Read More

Webinar: Navigating Leaves of Absence: Recent Developments and Trends

April 21, 2022

Join us for a webinar with Berliner Cohen Partner Susan Bishop and the Santa Clara County Employer Advisory Council about Navigating Leaves of Absence: Recent Developments and Trends. There are multiple laws protecting employees who request time off and working through them can be extremely… Read More

Webinar: Employee Onboarding

February 7, 2022

Join Berliner Cohen Partner Christine H. Long with California Restaurant Association and Workstream to cover the essential forms and documents you need to ensure you are onboarding your employees in accordance with California law. Our team will go over the following: • Job Applications and… Read More

Webinar: Employee Handbooks – What do you need to update for 2022?

January 3, 2022

What employers do in practice often varies what they put in writing. California has very specific requirements about what information must be disclosed to employees via the employee handbook, and recent changes to California law require that these handbooks be updated. This webinar will cover the… Read More

Webinar: 2022 Law Updates presented by Berliner Cohen’s Labor & Employment Team

November 8, 2021

Over the course of the year, we do the research, we monitor the court decisions, we analyze the new laws, and then we educate employers. The legislature and the courts had a robust year in 2021, instituting new rules and regulations regarding COVID-19, vaccine mandates and the workplace, in… Read More

Webinar: To Mask or Not Mask? That is the Question.

August 11, 2021

Do you have questions about the return of the mask mandate and when masks must be worn in the workplace? Berliner Cohen, LLP’s experienced attorneys will walk you through masks and vaccination status in the workplace, and answer your specific questions in this live webinar, in partnership with… Read More

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