RECENT POSTS
Easy to Swallow: New California Beer Legislation Benefits Craft Brewers
by Lewitt Hackman Good news for craft brewers: California law seems to be loosening up a bit when it comes to beer. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr: 2014’s Growler Law Roars Along Last year the state eased up on
No Room at Nut Tree. But Why?
Environmental & Business Litigation Attorney by Stephen T. Holzer 818.907.3299 A pregnancy clinic that offers ultrasounds and counseling to expectant mothers signed a lease last October at the Nut Tree Road Medical Arts Center in
Bay Area Blues: San Francisco’s Employers/Franchisees Face Retail Workers Bill of Rights
by Lewitt Hackman Doing business in San Francisco can be difficult, to say the least. At $10.74/hour, the city already had the highest minimum wage in the country at the end of 2014. On January
Assembly Bill 802 Makes Arbitration Less Confidential
On September 30, 2014, Governor Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 802 (AB 802) into law, amending Section 1281.96 of the Code of Civil Procedure, relating to consumer arbitration. Effective January 1, 2015, AB 802 requires
U.S. Supreme Court Pulls Plug on Aereo
Copyright Attorney by Tal Grinblat 818.907.3284 For eight dollars a month, customers in 10 metro areas could watch real-time television broadcasts or record programming via computer and smart devices, courtesy of a company called Aereo.
Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act: California Court of Appeal
Real Estate Litigation Attorney by Nicholas Kanter 818-907-3289 Five years after the Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act was passed, the California Court of Appeal recently published its first opinion interpreting the Act in depth. The PTFA,
“She’s Crafty”: GoldieBlox, Beasties, Copyrights and Codicils
Co-author Nicholas Kanter November 27, 2013 In 1986, New York hip hoppers the Beastie Boys released Licensed to Ill, the first rap LP to top the Billboard album chart, selling over 9 million copies in
Government Shutdown & How It Affects Your Business
by Tal Grinblat & Stephen T. Holzer 818.990.2120 About 800,000 non-critical federal employees are out of the office today, and will remain out until Congress overcomes the impasse regarding the Affordable Care Act. In the meantime, the
Lessons in Commercial Lease Charges: Incorrect Estimates Could Lead to Fraud Claims
Real Estate Litigation Attorney by Nicholas Kanter 818-907-3289 A recent decision from the California Court of Appeals should give commercial landlords pause before providing estimated common area maintenance charges (CAM) and other lease expenses to prospective tenants.
Franchising: A Big Portion of Today’s Economy
by Lewitt Hackman By year’s end more than 750,000 franchised outlets will be operating in the United States, employing more than 8.2 million people, generating over $800 billion in sales and comprising 3.4 percent of United