JMBM Articles

Corporate and Labor & Employment Navigating California’s New Fast Food Minimum Wage Law: Does it Apply to Your Restaurant?

by Taylor Burras, Labor & Employment Partner and Devin Yaeger, Corporate Law Clerk Starting April 1st , 2024, California’s new minimum wage for fast food restaurant workers takes effect throughout the state. Under AB 1228, the minimum wage for fast food workers will increase to $20 per hour. The new law also establishes a “Fast […]

Labor & Employment Recent and Upcoming Legislation Impacting Employers in 2024

This article is part of our 2024 Labor & Employment Roundup. To read the other articles, click below: Recent National Labor Relations Board Rulings Developments in PAGA Litigation Employers should make sure they’re familiar with the wide range of California employment laws that go into effect next year. Workplace issues including non-compete agreements, marijuana use, […]

Labor & Employment Recent National Labor Relations Board Rulings

This article is part of our 2024 Labor & Employment Roundup. To read the other articles, click below: Recent and Upcoming Legislation Impacting Employers in 2024 Developments in PAGA Litigation A number of National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) rulings made in 2023 may impact union bargaining, work rules, elections, severance agreements and litigation; employers with […]

Labor & Employment Developments in PAGA Litigation

This article is part of our 2024 Labor & Employment Roundup. To read the other articles, click below: Recent and Upcoming Legislation Impacting Employers in 2024 Recent National Labor Relations Board Rulings Ever since California enacted the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) in 2004, employers have faced a barrage of PAGA lawsuits, either as stand-alone […]

Intellectual Property McCarthy on Trademarks and Unfair Competition: Inconsistency and Confusion in the Judicial Treatment of Counterfeiting Claims

An article by Rod Berman and Jessica Bromall Sparkman titled, “Inconsistency and Confusion in the Judicial Treatment of Counterfeiting Claims,” was discussed at length in the December 2023 update of McCarthy on Trademarks and Unfair Competition, Fifth Edition. This seven-volume publication is a comprehensive resource that provides authoritative information and analysis essential for effectively representing […]

Intellectual Property Protect your novel graphical user interfaces and computer-generated icons from unauthorized use or theft using U.S. design patent protection

The Patent and Trademark Office recently published “Supplemental Guidance for Examination of Design Patent Applications Related to Computer-Generated Electronic Images, Including Computer-Generated Icons and Graphical User Interfaces” in the Federal Register (PTO-P-2023-0047). There, the Patent Office confirmed that both a graphical user interface (GUI) and a computer-generated icon can be covered by design patents. Design […]

Intellectual Property IPWatchdog: Is It Time to Ditch the Requirement That Counterfeits be ‘Stitch-for-Stitch’ Copies?

An article by Jessica Bromall Sparkman, Rod Berman, and Celine Ohanian titled, “Is It Time to Ditch the Requirement That Counterfeits be ‘Stitch-for-Stitch’ Copies?” was published on IPWatchdog.com. Read it here.

Taxation and Trusts & Estates Preparing for the Corporate Transparency Act / Disclosure of Beneficial Ownership Information to FINCEN

New federal disclosure requirements for your businesses and entities will become effective January 1, 2024 – the reporting requirements are burdensome, can be triggered multiple times in a single calendar year and are subject to both civil and criminal liability. Accordingly, you should prepare to comply with the new law now. Specifically, in 2021, Congress passed […]

ADA Representation New California Website Accessibility Bill, If Passed, Would Expose Your Business to ADA and Unruh Act Liability

Recently, the California Assembly quietly instituted a bill that would dramatically change the landscape of ADA website litigation. If you think the recent wave of ADA website lawsuits has been alarming, buckle up – because you haven’t seen anything yet. The Assembly re-drafted an existing bill, AB1757, which if passed would include the adoption of […]

White Collar Defense & Investigations Federal Sentencing Update: New Guidelines May Offer Post-Conviction Relief for White Collar Offenders with No Criminal History

In August 2023, the U.S. Sentencing Commission announced that it would allow for the retroactive application of Amendment 821, which provides (in Part B) a decrease of two offense levels for “Zero-Point Offenders” whose crime did not involve aggravating factors. As a result, certain currently incarcerated individuals may be eligible for reduced sentences, effective February […]