As we reported here, a split in authority has developed in the California Court of Appeal regarding what to do when an employer moves to compel arbitration of a Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) that is “headless”—that is,...more
In the final installment of our AI at Work series, partner Guy Brenner and senior counsel Jonathan Slowik tackle a critical issue: mismatches between how artificial intelligence (or AI) tools are designed and how they are...more
As we have reported time and again, California courts have applied extra scrutiny to employee arbitration agreements in recent years, and have not hesitated to deny arbitration where there is a reasonable basis for doing so. ...more
4/2/2025
/ Arbitration ,
Arbitration Agreements ,
California ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Employment Contract ,
Employment Litigation ,
Federal Arbitration Act ,
Motion to Compel ,
Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) ,
State Labor Laws ,
Viking River Cruises Inc v Moriana
On February 26, 2025, in Parra Rodriguez v. Packers Sanitation, Inc., the California Court of Appeal (Fourth Appellate District) issued the latest published decision addressing the practice of filing so-called “headless”...more
In part three of our series on potential pitfalls in the use of artificial intelligence (or AI) when it comes to employment decisions, partner Guy Brenner and senior counsel Jonathan Slowik dive into the concept of “black...more
The California Court of Appeal recently reminded employers in an unpublished (but nonetheless chastening) opinion of the importance of carefully drafting arbitration agreements. In Pich v. LaserAway, LLC et al, the court...more
In the final installment of our AI at Work series, partner Guy Brenner and senior counsel Jonathan Slowik tackle a critical issue: mismatches between how artificial intelligence (or AI) tools are designed and how they are...more
On January 23, 2025, President Trump issued an Executive Order entitled “Removing Barriers to American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence.” The Executive Order seeks to maintain US leadership in AI innovation. To that...more
Wildfires continue to rage across Southern California, leveling entire neighborhoods, forcing evacuations for tens of thousands of people, and posing incredible hardship on businesses and their employees...more
1/14/2025
/ Anti-Retaliation Provisions ,
California ,
Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA) ,
Compliance ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employees ,
Employment Contract ,
Exempt-Employees ,
Natural Disasters ,
Non-Exempt Employees ,
Paid Leave ,
Pre-Employment Agreements ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour ,
Wildfires
In yet another attempt to avoid arbitration agreements, plaintiffs’ lawyers in the wake of the blockbuster court decisions in Viking River Cruises, Inc. v. Moriana and Adolph v. Uber Technologies, Inc. began filing so-called...more
1/8/2025
/ Appeals ,
Arbitration Agreements ,
California ,
Civil Monetary Penalty ,
Class Action ,
Employee Rights ,
Employment Contract ,
Employment Litigation ,
Independent Contractors ,
Labor Code ,
Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) ,
State Labor Laws ,
Viking River Cruises Inc v Moriana
As 2024 came to a close, yet another California jury delivered a massive award to an individual plaintiff in an employment discrimination case. This time, it was an award of over $11 million by a San Diego jury to a medical...more
In part two of our insightful artificial intelligence series, partner Guy Brenner, who leads Proskauer’s D.C. Labor & Employment practice and is co-head of the Counseling, Training & Pay Equity Group, and Jonathan Slowik,...more
On November 8, 2024, the California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA) voted 4-1 to proceed with formal rulemaking regarding automated decision-making technology (“ADMT”), which the draft regulations define as “any technology...more
11/26/2024
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Audits ,
Automated Decision Systems (ADS) ,
Bias ,
California ,
California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA) ,
Cybersecurity ,
Employment Policies ,
Opt-Outs ,
Proposed Regulation ,
Risk Assessment ,
Software
In the nearly four years since Joe Biden was sworn in as President in 2021, groundbreaking advances in artificial intelligence (AI) became widely available that offer the potential to revolutionize employment-related...more
The California Labor Workforce Development Agency (LWDA) recently refreshed its Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) regarding Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) claims processing in light of the recent legislative reforms....more
In this episode of The Proskauer Brief we are joined by partner Guy Brenner, who leads Proskauer’s D.C. Labor & Employment practice and is co-head of the Counseling, Training & Pay Equity Group, and Jonathan Slowik, senior...more
The United States Department of Labor (“DOL”) recently published “Artificial Intelligence and Worker Well-Being: Principles and Best Practices for Developers and Employers,” which is intended to inform employers’ use of...more
On September 24, 2024, the United States Department of Labor (“DOL”) announced the publication of an AI & Inclusive Hiring Framework (the “Framework”). As discussed below, the Framework sets forth ten “Focus Areas” for...more
On August 9, 2024, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed into law HB3773, a bill amending the Illinois Human Rights Act to address employers’ use of artificial intelligence (AI). The amendment clarifies that it is a civil...more
The “Summer of PAGA” continued last week when the California Supreme Court ruled in Turrieta v. Lyft, Inc., Case No. S271721, that a plaintiff in a Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) action does not have standing to...more
On June 27, 2024, the California Legislature passed AB 2288 and SB 92, compromise legislation that reformed the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) and averted a ballot measure that threatened to repeal the law entirely this...more
For the past 40 years, federal administrative agencies have enjoyed broad latitude in interpreting statutes passed by Congress. Known as “Chevron deference,” courts have routinely deferred to the agencies’ often politically...more
On June 27, 2024, by near-unanimous vote, the California Legislature passed two bills enacting much-needed reform to the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA). We previously reported on the legislative compromise last week,...more
7/2/2024
/ Anti-Stacking Provisions ,
Audits ,
California ,
Compliance ,
Injunctive Relief ,
Labor Code ,
Labor Law Violations ,
New Legislation ,
Penalties ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) ,
Standing ,
Statute of Limitations
Inspired by a push to repeal the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) by ballot measure (which we previously covered here and here), and at the urging of Governor Gavin Newsom, stakeholders have reached an agreement in...more
The California Supreme Court handed employers a consolation prize this week, holding that an employer does not incur monetary penalties if there is a reasonable, good faith dispute over whether the employer violated the wage...more