Liat Law

03/03/2022

Every successful business needs legal counseling and protection. LiatLaw has helped many companies across Southern California with all their legal and employment needs. LiatLaw is the legal team you need behind you. Connect with us today.

04/26/2021

Virtual Jury Duty - Pros & Cons

You may be asked to report for jury duty at anytime. With COVID dominating our “normal” activities, many court related actions have been transformed to “virtual” format. This means that instead of attending Jury Duty in person in an actual courtroom we attend virtually via ZOOM, FACETIME, LACourt System, or WebX . There are Pros and Cons to Virtual Jury Service.

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Visit our blog for the full article.
https://liatlaw.com/virtual-jury-duty-pros-cons/

03/15/2021

Data Breach can cause irreparable harm to Businesses

Data breaches are on the rise and whether you are a large or small business it is important to take preventative action to protect your confidential information. Recently data breaches, even in law firms, have occurred through the hacking of outside vendors who perform services for a business.

When hiring vendors it is important to limit their access to information that they need in order to perform their services, and if this information is confidential to your business it is not sufficient to just have them sign a non-disclosure agreement.

You may need to find out what their cyber security protocols are in order to assure yourself that your business information is safe.

Additionally, there are the internal threats to data theft that come from disgruntled or just careless employees. There should be strict rules in the workplace about passwords and encryptions such that if an unwanted visitor attempts to hack in or just open a computer sitting on a desk, they do not obtain any information.

Nowadays it is easy to set up systems which require change of passwords every 90 days, which do not allow for downloading information to flash drives, and which require multiple path verifications to obtain data.

In the event of a breach, it is important to notify the clients or customers whose information was taken, hire a forensic computer analyst to determine what happened and how, and shut the door permanently on future such intrusions. You may also wish to follow up with criminal or civil action if the hacker/thief is known.

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Visit our blog for the full article.
https://liatlaw.com/data-breach-can-cause-irreparable-harm-to-businesses/

02/22/2021

Protect Your Business

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.

Trade Secrets are not limited to patents or intellectual property but they should be guarded and protected because many times they are just as valuable.

Recently I have come across several cases wherein a former employee opened a competing or related business to a former employer and was accused of violating Trade Secrets by using confidential and proprietary information.

In some cases, the proof is easy, like using a former employer’s client list and soliciting those clients.
In other cases, proving violation of trade secrets becomes more difficult and requires extensive discovery and review of thousands of documents.

In the best of cases employers take preventative action by having employees sign confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements when they are hired.

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Visit our blog for the full article.
https://liatlaw.com/protect-your-business/

02/18/2021

Skell, Inc., dba Bug-A-Salt, Files Patent Infringement Suit Against Dillard’s Inc.

By: Christopher Simmons

LOS ANGELES, Calif. /California Newswire/ — 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 Bug-A-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."

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.

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Visit our blog for the full article.
https://liatlaw.com/skell-inc-dba-bug-a-salt-files-patent-infringement-suit-against-dillards-inc/

12/10/2020

YEAR-END CHECK LIST

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?

• Consult with an attorney regarding Furloughs versus Layoffs ... Important IF you downsize your staff

• Is it time for employees to get back to work at your business? What are the rules?

• Has your physical workspace been modified to meet Covid standards?

• Inform your employees of any procedures and rules that will become effective in 2021

• Create a plan for Sales and Marketing Strategy for 2021

• Prepare any items that your accountant will need for income taxes

• Think of networking opportunities for 2021 in the new age of Covid.

• What actions have you taken to help your local community survive Covid during 2020? Will these continue in 2021?

• Specify and update any changes you will make in product/service, pricing, or delivery.

AND most importantly, be sure your Business attorney, Liat Cohen, looks over any documents where modifications are required.

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Visit our blog for the full article.
https://liatlaw.com/year-end-check-list/

12/07/2020

Calif. Emergency COVID-19 Workplace Rules Take Effect
By: Craig Clough

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.”

The regulations also require the plan to identify specific workplace hazards that may expose employees to COVID-19 and “adopt and implement feasible preventive measures to eliminate or minimize transmission risks.”

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Visit our blog for the full article.
https://liatlaw.com/new-osha-covid-guidelines/

11/26/2020

Giving Thanks with a Grateful Heart to our Clients and Employees and our sincere appreciation for your confidence & loyalty in LiatLaw. We extend to you our best wishes for a happy and healthy Thanksgiving Day.

11/18/2020

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.

Who needs a NDA?
Businesses that have confidential information or trade secrets like financial documentation; client lists; formulas; patents; marketing plans and other proprietary strategies related to business operations that the Business wants to keep confidential require a NDA.

What Should Be Included in a NDA?
That depends on who is signing the NDA. NDAs and confidentiality provisions signed by employees are different than those signed by vendors or by potential buyers of your business.
Whether you have them signed by employees, vendors, service providers, potential buyers or customers, of your business, NDAs are important.

While many NDAs are similar in nature it is the customization of the NDA that protects your interests best.

How can Liat Cohen Help?
I have drafted over 100 NDAs of all sorts and kinds and reviewed even more. I can tailor a NDA to suit your particular needs and protect your interests. It can be as simple or as complex as the situation requires all to protect your business confidential and proprietary information.

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Visit our blog for the full article.
https://liatlaw.com/important-info-on-ndas/

11/11/2020

EXPANDED PAID SICK LEAVE

Newsom Passes New Sick Leave Law
New Law Expands Paid Sick Leave in California*

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. This new bill expands on one from April which gave California workers paid sick time for a limited few months.

The law provides workers two weeks – up to 80 hours – off at full pay if they are sick or have to quarantine, and the same allotment at partial pay if workers have to care for sick family members or homebound children.

The law also provides two weeks of unpaid time off followed by 10 weeks at partial pay to workers who can’t work because their child’s school or day care provider has closed.

The law applies to all sizes of businesses and must be followed in conjunction with the Family First Coronavirus Response Act passed in March by the Federal Government.

The California bill closes loopholes and makes sure that employees who test positive get paid time off to recuperate from the disease.

More changes are on the way.

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Visit our blog for the full article.
https://liatlaw.com/expanded-paid-sick-leave/

11/03/2020

TELEWORK NOT FOREVER

EMPLOYERS NOT REQUIRED TO CONTINUE TELEWORK FOR EMPLOYEES

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.

Employers have the right, once the danger passes and the “coast is clear” to require employees to return to the office for regular pre-Covid work on site.

This also applies to employees with disabilities. The Americans with Disabilities Act mandates that employers provide workers “reasonable accommodations” to allow them to do their job, and while telework sometimes fits the bill, the EEOC has made clear that a temporary shift to telework amid the health crisis doesn’t force a company to accept all remote work requests down the road.

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Visit our blog for the full article.

https://liatlaw.com/telework-not-forever/

09/26/2020

LAWSUITS ON THE RISE – Caveat Employers
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.

However, during these unprecedented Covid 19 times, Employers must be particularly careful in how they treat employees.

Examples:

A recent lawsuit brought by a pregnant worker who was laid off due to the Coronavirus claims she was replaced with a non-pregnant employee.

Other lawsuits claim the Employers violated the new Families First Coronavirus Response Act by failing to pay sick leave provided for under the Act for sick and/or quarantined individuals.A recent lawsuit was filed by an employee who was sent home and then laid off because he had a fever although he tested negative for Covid-19.

It is more than simply, “Is the employee performing as they should?”

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Visit our blog for the full article.

https://liatlaw.com/legal-advisor-trending-lawsuits-increase/

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.