What is PAGA? Since 2004, California’s Private Attorneys General Act (“PAGA”) has allowed an individual employee to “stand in the shoes of” the State to recover civil penalties from an employer for Labor Code violations—not only for violations against the single employee bringing suit, but for...

Maintaining wine balance in a changing climate Climate change is reshaping the wine industry. In many wine regions, each year seems to set new records for the hottest or driest growing season, followed by the earliest harvest dates yet. Such accelerated ripening is disrupting grape physiology;...

Award Recognizes That Each Family Has Continuously Farmed Local Land for More Than 100 Years Multiple generations of eleven longtime Sonoma County farming families, all winegrape growers today, gathered to be recognized as the newest members of the “Century Club.” The honor recognizes families who...

Wine Road Elects Six New Board Members, Including New President Infusion of leadership marks one of the largest board transitions in recent years Healdsburg, CA, May 30, 2025 — Wine Road, the premier association of wineries and lodgings in Northern Sonoma County, is pleased to announce the election...

On May 23, 2022, the California Supreme Court issued a decision in Naranjo v. Spectrum Security Services, Inc., finding that meal period and rest break premium pay are considered wages. This is in accordance with the purposes of the California Labor Code’s provisions regarding timely wage payment...

What Could be the Impact on Your Business? Is an arbitration agreement that purports to waive the right to bring a Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) claim unenforceable under California law, as the California Supreme Court held years ago in Iskanian v. CLS Transportation Los Angeles, LLC, 59...

Major changes in 2025 include: Increasing minimum wages and exempt salaries. Wage and hour (PAGA) reform. Crime victims leave expansions. Indoor and outdoor heat illness standards. And many more! Speakers Arif Virji, Esq. Samantha Pungprakearti, Esq. Justin Hein, Esq. Sarah Hirschfeld-Sussman, Esq....

Happy New Year! It is time to dust off the employee handbook, review your policies and procedures, and make sure they comply with all the new laws, regulations, and interpretations that have either already gone into effect or will in early 2024. Below, we have identified our “top 10(ish)” changes....

With the start of the new year, it is time to dust off the employee handbook, review your policies and procedures, and make sure they comply with all the new laws, regulations, and interpretations that have either already gone into effect or will in early 2023. Below, we have identified our “top...

Arbitration Agreements May Be Your Friend Overview: On June 15, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court issued an 8-1 decision on the Viking River Cruises, Inc. v. Moriana case. As anticipated, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of forcing employees to bring claims against their employers on an individual...