Articles/News
California Supreme Court Increases Potential Penalties for Unpaid or Unreported Missed-Break Premiums
What are waiting time penalties? Upon separation, employees must be paid all unpaid wages by the applicable statutory deadlines. When the final paycheck is not paid on time, or does not include all wages owed, an employer can be liable for waiting time penalties. Waiting time penalties are a sort of statutory “interest” on unpaid […]
Partner David D. Little Joins Donahue Fitzgerald
David joins Donahue Fitzgerald’s Trusts and Estates and Litigation practices. David has over 20 years’ experience practicing law and is a Certified Specialist in Probate, Estate Planning & Trust Law from the California Board of Legal Specialization, State Bar of California. He has prepared estate plans ranging in size from $5 million to over $75 […]
Client Success: mxmtoon x The Sims™ 4
mxmtoon is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and streaming sensation. She is known for singing and playing the ukulele, and is from Oakland, California. In this collaboration, The Sims™ 4’s partnered with mxmtoon “to encourage players to discover what happens when day turns to night, and they’re able to transform into new and exciting versions of […]
Supreme Court Rules California Arbitration Agreements Between Employers and Employees Are Enforceable as to Employees’ Individual PAGA Claims
In Viking River Cruises, a sales representative accused her employer of violating the California Labor Code and filed a PAGA action in court. But the employer sought to enforce an arbitration agreement they had signed, which contained a class action waiver (waiving the right to litigate PAGA actions in court) and a severability clause (specifying […]
Dawn Newton Appointed to the NASAA Franchise and Business Opportunity Advisory Committee
Dawn has been selected as one of 12 attorneys from across the country to serve on this newly formed Advisory Committee. The Committee will provide advice, assistance, and recommendations to NASAA’s Franchise and Business Opportunity group, which consists of regulators who oversee franchising on behalf of their states throughout the U.S., including deputy attorneys general […]
Do the royalties go on? Asks judge in Sonny & Cher copyright case
Excerpted from the article: “Bono’s attorney Daniel Schacht of Donahue Fitzgerald said Monday that the heirs are not bound to the divorce agreement, “a contract that they didn’t sign,” and that it did not affect the termination rights they inherited. Cher’s attorney Peter Anderson of Davis Wright Tremaine argued that the royalties are different from […]
Cher’s $1 Million Royalty War With Sonny Bono’s Widow Tested in Court
Excerpted from the article: “Judge Kronstadt questioned terminating a hypothetical divorce agreement where, “like here,” a spouse agreed to share royalties in exchange for not having to pay spousal support. “Do you think that spouse would be remedy-less?” Judge Kronstadt asked. Daniel Schacht said, “the court’s hypothetical raised a “fairness” question that seemed to work […]
Associate Katharine L. Malone Joins Donahue Fitzgerald
Katharine joins Donahue Fitzgerald’s Litigation practice. Her practice focuses on complex commercial litigation. She represents both plaintiffs and defendants in state and federal trial and appellate courts in matters involving fraud, breach of contract, product liability, false advertising, and unfair business practices as well as privacy, antitrust, and employee mobility issues. Katharine earned her J.D. […]
Dawn Newton Recognized as 2022 Franchise Times Legal Eagle
The Legal Eagles distinction is reserved for top franchise lawyers who “live and breathe franchising and truly understand the nuances of the unique business model.” To determine its list of Legal Eagles, Franchise Times considers nominations and recommendations from clients, peers and other legal professionals. Read more about this recognition here. About Donahue Fitzgerald Donahue Fitzgerald […]
Legal Topics You Need to Know
“Music copyright laws. For businesses using music, particularly fitness facilities but also other businesses that may periodically play or perform music as part of their business, the rules on the required licenses can be complicated, can vary across countries, and can carry significant penalties. Compliance requires understanding the laws and educating franchisees to avoid playing […]