5 Nov 2019
First Amendment rights continue to be an essential pillar of what makes the United States a free country. Not only does this amendment protect your rights in a public setting—it also protects you in employment settings as well. Political discrimination in work settings has been on the rise as social media gains traction and privacy...
2 Aug 2019
Many people work long hours in California, whether it’s a double shift at a restaurant or a late night at a top tech firm. Anyone who exceeds 40 hours of work per week should stop and consider whether their employer owes them any overtime for their extended work hours. Not everyone is entitled to overtime...
19 Jul 2019
“Trade secrets” are a form of intellectual property protection that is separate from patents, trademarks, and other formal protections. Trade secret protection can be beneficial in different ways, including it does not require the disclosure of the protected information (like a patent) and it can apply to many types of information that may not qualify...
9 Jul 2019
Passed up for a promotion because you are a woman? Getting paid less than your male counterparts? You may be entitled to damages! If you have been discriminated against because of your gender, you may be entitled to compensation to remedy the injuries, which you have incurred. According to the Equal Pay Act (California Equal...
9 Jul 2019
Employers regularly disregards the differences between an independent contractor and an employee. Employers be warned. Such disregard could spell trouble and prove extremely costly. First, if the misclassification is intentional, then there are hefty penalties upwards of $25,000.00 which the employer will incurr. Second, and perhaps more importantly, if a plaintiff’s attorney gets a hold...
25 Feb 2019
In some cases, unlawful sexual harassment is a single traumatizing event involving a supervisor or boss. However, in most situations, sexual harassment consists of multiple incidents that together, create a hostile work environment. Because these incidents can happen over time, many people may not be able to provide evidence of the exact dates and times...
8 Feb 2019
You may have an idea, and you want to protect ownership of that idea. Before you start the complex process of applying for a patent, you should carefully determine whether your idea is patentable. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has strict eligibility requirements when it comes to patents, and the following is just...
4 Jan 2019
For entrepreneurs, shopping an idea to investors can be an exciting step toward seeing a creation come to market. Unfortunately, investor presentations can also carry the risk that your intellectual property will be co-opted, adapted, or outright stolen. Luckily, there are legal mechanisms for protecting inventors from such risks. Inventors across Orange County trust the...
17 Dec 2018
The economy of California has always been greatly dependent upon the ideas of inventors and entrepreneurs. Entertainment, technology, fashion, and many other industries are dependent upon new ideas. These ideas are intellectual property. Their owners have legal property rights in them, and it is important for these property rights to be protected. For decades, inventors...
10 Dec 2018
Perhaps never before has American workplace sexual harassment been scrutinized as closely as it has in the past several years. New discussion forums, protest marches, and support groups have brought to light terrible workplace conduct that had been hidden for years. It is important for all employees across America to realize that they have the...
19 Nov 2018
When you registered a trademark for your brand, you likely did so to prevent others from misusing it and misleading consumers. So why do so many companies give others permission to use their trademark by issuing a trademark license? If the situation is right, licensing your trademark can be beneficial and lucrative, and the following...
12 Nov 2018
Many new and up-and-coming companies want to share their new goods, services, or technology with the world. However, there are mistakes that startups can make that can put their intellectual property at risk. For this reason, each startup should have a carefully considered intellectual property strategy tailored to your company’s goals and industry. Startup owners...