Legal Advisor

Skell, Inc., dba Bug-A-Salt, has filed suit against the department store chain Dillard’s and its distributor, William E. Connor & Associates, for infringing on Skell’s 2013 patent for a “bug killing gun” according to BugA-Salt’s attorney, Liat Cohen. The complaint was filed in United States District Court of Delaware, case 1:20-CV-01567- UNA. In the suit, Loren Maggiore, the inventor of Bug-A-Salt, defines his invention as, “A ‘gun’ that uses table salt as particulate projectiles to stun or kill insects, particularly flies.”

In California Trade Secrets is a broad term which includes all proprietary information, financial records, client lists, manufacturing or production details, formulas, operational strategies and anything related to your particular business which is not common knowledge to the public or in the industry.

In the suit, Loren Maggiore, the inventor of Bug-A-Salt, defines his invention as, "A 'gun' that uses table salt as particulate projectiles to stun or kill insects, particularly flies." The patented Bug-A-Salt gun, which is safe around children and pets, has been on the market since 2013. More than three million Bug-A-Salt units have been sold; revenue from several versions of the product have resulted in sales in excess of $100 million.

Employers of all sizes should review their existing leave policies because small employers who never had to previously comply with CFRA/FMLA leave and large employers who have worksites in California will need to develop policies and procedures for these new leave requirements and provide CFRA leave to all employees in California.

Say goodbye to Covid-19 and hope it leaves the world in 2021
Notice the words you thought you knew. They now have A new MEANING:

• Social Distancing: Stay 6 feet away from other people.
• Quarantine: How many days you must stay inside.
• Face Mask: Wear one when outside or with other humans.

Put your business on the track to success by following this checklist - Review leases, vendor and services agreements and operating contracts, do they need revisions? An update? - Review your NDAs and modify where needed; is your Company's confidential information protected? - Is your Employee Handbook up to date? Does it include new Covid Rules?

The regulations require employers to provide COVID-19 testing to all employees if there is a workplace outbreak, which is defined as three or more COVID-19 cases in an exposed workplace within a 14-day period. Employers are also required to provide free masks and personal protective equipment to all workers, to identify a "competent employer representative to establish, implement, and maintain an effective written compliance action plan to protect employees" and to "share the plan with employees and employee representatives."

What are NDAs? NDAs are Non-Disclosure Agreements. These documents protect your business. Their purpose is to protect the trade secrets and confidential information of your business.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has provided guidance stating that Employers who accommodated employees by giving them permission to work remotely during the COVID crisis are NOT required to continue remote telework for employees.

Governor Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1867, which gives all California workers who test positive for COVID-19 or have been exposed to the novel coronavirus that causes the disease access to paid sick time for the rest of 2020

Covid 19 has changed doing business in new and sometimes challenging ways. The old face-to-face meeting has become history in many places, especially with legal matters.

Employee lawsuits are rising in California due to the new laws enacted related to the Coronavirus. In California employment is "at will" (unless you are under a contract) and employers may terminate employees with or without a reason at anytime with or without notice.

Every business should have a Document Retention Policy in place for their own use and in case of a lawsuit. Companies have a right to review emails and other communications exchanged between employees. This can only be done if the information is stored and kept.

As the country grapples with protests supporting groups like “Black Lives Matter” and their affiliates, Employers grapple with how to handle the protestors who are their employees.

As An Employer You Must Respond to a Variety of issues to Maintain and Re-Open Operations During the COVID-19 Outbreak Since this situation is unpredictable you, as an employer, must  take a number of actions to ensure your business practices follow local and state guidelines

As we start getting back into the workplace, most local and state rules mandate the wearing of masks outside, at stores, places of public accommodations and in the workplace.

As restrictions start easing and businesses are re-opened, business owners will be facing a new “normal” in the workplace and employees will find changes, which if business owners are not careful, could lead to lawsuits.

Recently I have been asked questions by people having work done on their homes. Sometimes it is a full remodeling, sometimes it is serious repairs or maybe a new water heater or air conditioning unit. My answer is always the same, for any project or purchase or workers hired

The situation surrounding the Covid-19 virus, stay at home orders, testing, and treating infected individuals along with rules related to quarantine, staying at home, closure of businesses, and the continued work of essential businesses are constantly changing.

In a situation that is constantly changing Employers and Employees need to adapt, use common sense, follow the law and remember to treat all similarly situated Employees in the same manner.