Amazon Settles $2 Million ‘Reference Pricing’ Consumer Protection Suit

A gaggle of California district attorneys were successful Thursday in forcing online retail giant Amazon to revise its “reference pricing” advertising alleged savings to consumers. A week after San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan was joined by district attorneys for Alameda, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Riverside and Yolo counties in suing Amazon over its advertised “reference pricing” scheme, Amazon agreed to...

The California Invasion of Privacy Act

One of the most important privacy protections in an era where our privacy has become more and more limited in this age we live in. One of the biggest areas of protection is in telephone conversations. This post is a brief explanation of a major case on consumer privacy rights which has come down today. A Quick Introduction of the...

California New Minimum Wage Increase

As of January 1, 2021, California’s minimum wage increases to $14.00 per hour for employers with 26 or more employees and $13.00 per hour for employers with 25 or fewer employees. Local ordinances may impose further increases to the minimum wage. Employers should review base salaries for all employees exempt from receiving overtime pay to ensure they still satisfy the...

Supreme Court Confirms Right to Sue Insurance Companies for Overcharges

Decision Rebuffs Industry Arguments Against Proposition 103 Enforcement Rights In a decision that will likely affect California motorists, homeowners, small businesses and even medical providers, the California Supreme Court has ruled that insurance companies are not immune from lawsuits by consumers who were overcharged for title insurance coverage as part of a home refinance or sale. The ruling in Villanueva...

AG Rutledge sues Walgreens, says company helped fuel opioid epidemic

Attorney General Leslie Rutledge filed suit Monday (March 15) against Walgreens under the Arkansas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, saying the drug retailer failed to report and prevent suspicious opioid purchases as it was required to do under the law. The complaint says the drug retailer failed to institute controls to prevent the diversion of drugs into the black market. Walgreens...

California Family Rights Act

The California Family Rights Act (“CFRA”) has been expanded through SB-1383. Effective January 1, 2021, it is unlawful for any employer with five or more employees to refuse to provide covered employees up to 12 workweeks of unpaid, job-protected leave during any 12-month period to bond with a new child or to care for their own serious medical condition or that...

Virginia lawmakers advance Consumer Data Protection Act

The General Assembly is advancing legislation that allows Virginia consumers more protection with their online data. Opponents say the measure does not include the ability for people to file private lawsuits against companies that breach the proposed law. The measure is known as the Consumer Data Protection Act in both chambers of the state legislature. The Senate version, sponsored by...

New California law would exempt employees who speak out about discrimination from NDAs

On Monday, California state Senator Connie Leyva introduced the Silenced No More Act, a bill that advocates say will protect employees who speak out about discrimination at work, even if they’ve signed nondisclosure agreements. “SB 331 will prevent workers from being forced to sign non-disclosure and non-disparagement agreements that would limit their ability to speak out about harassment and discrimination...

California Supreme Court throws out challenge to Prop. 22

The California Supreme Court threw out a constitutional challenge to Proposition 22, clearing the path for the voter-approved law allowing gig companies to keep treating their workers as independent contractors. The lawsuit that the state Supreme Court declined to hear was filed last month by a small group of app-based drivers and the Service Employees International Union, one of the nation’s...

California Supreme Court Expands Law License Pathway for Prior Examinees

The California Supreme Court on Thursday issued an order expanding the pathway to a California law license, allowing thousands more law school graduates with qualifying prior bar exam scores to work as fully licensed attorneys after completing supervised practice hours. The Provisional Licensure program will be expanded to include those who scored 1390 or higher on any California Bar Exam...