California businesses routinely pay per diems to cover lodging, meals, and other incidental expenses for their employees who travel for work. A recent decision from the Federal Court of Appeals in California serves as an important reminder to those businesses about a...
Month: July 2016
Possible consequences of letting go a pregnant employee
The sad reality of business is that sometimes you have to terminate the employment of your staff for various reasons. Whether they engaged in misconduct, were incompetent at their job or even simply because you need to downsize, you’re eventually going to have to let...
Noncompete agreements protect employers’ investments
A newly hired employee is trained by their employer and provided valuable resources to ensure his or her success in their new job. Employers invest money and time in their hires, and depending on their work description, they also share business strategy, client...
Former Apple employee sued for alleged trade secret violations
California companies that rely on innovation as a foundation for their business will want to be fully protected from illegal behaviors on the part of employees and contractors who might have valuable knowledge. It is unfortunate that some people will try to use...
Dealing With Patent Trolls In IP Litigation
In the fast and furious world of Intellectual Property (IP), the looming shadow of the patent troll is enough to halt innovation in any number of fields--technology, pharmaceuticals, clean energy. Small businesses fear they don't stand a chance when a patent troll...
In a dispute with a foreign state-run enterprise? Maybe you can BIT(e) back.
Southern California businesses do a substantial amount of overseas trade and commerce. They source raw materials in Africa and manufacture products in the Pacific Rim. They entrust their back-end and call center operations to subcontractors everywhere from Brazil to...
Auto dealership law specialists
Many auto dealerships think that their legal issues are so unique that no attorney has experience with it. However, Burkhalter, Kessler, Clement, & George, LLP, is here to represent auto dealers throughout our state. We have that specialized experience auto...
What should I do if a business contract is breached?
A contract is an agreement where at least two individuals or entities who have a mutual obligation against each other pledge to undertake their expected responsibility. Once it is signed by the parties, the anticipation is that it will be fulfilled as stipulated....
Defending against wrongful termination lawsuits
Getting fired by an employer can be a devastating experience. But much like an employee has the right to quit a job at any time for any reason, an employer also has the right to terminate an employee’s employment for any legal reason (with a couple of exceptions),...
Businesses entangled in tax disputes should know their options
Established California businesses know that taxes, both paying them and taking the steps to calculate them correctly, are just part of the cost of running an operation. Those in sales, for instance, will have to be sure to remit the correct amount of California sales...