Whether in state or federal court, in arbitration, mediation, or before administrative agencies such as the Department of Labor (e.g., Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, and Wage & Hour), Munck Wilson’s employment litigation team fights for the rights of our clients and protects them in high-stakes litigation and labor matters.

Munck Wilson Mandala has a comprehensive team well-versed in employment litigation. We advise public and private companies, small businesses, nonprofit organizations, HR departments, and management on a full range of matters relating to employment litigation and our track record demonstrates a high level of success in protecting clients and helping them remain in compliance with federal and state employment laws.

At Munck Wilson Mandala, we know that one of your most valuable assets is your talent, and the administration and human resources elements of a business are vital to success. However, when disputes arise, you need a team of advisors who can quickly and accurately guide you through the complexities of employment law that can threaten your business.

Our attorneys have extensive experience litigating employment matters through verdict and on appeal, in court or before the myriad of governmental agencies with jurisdiction over the employment relationship.

We provide results-oriented representation in all aspects of employment litigation, including disputes concerning:

  • Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Claims
  • Discrimination Claims
  • Employee Classification Disputes
  • First Amendment and Defamatory Claims
  • Leave Issues
  • Noncompetition and Trade Secrets
  • OSHA and Workplace Disasters
  • Wage and Hour Litigation
  • Whistleblower
  • Workers’ Compensation
  • Workplace Privacy Matters

In a major test of the state’s anti-SLAPP statute, Dallas attorney Michael McCabe convinced the Texas Supreme Court in a 6-3 decision to dismiss the doctor’s defamation suit because the plaintiff could not prove the report was substantially false.

Texas Lawyer Jun. 20, 2016

Press Releases

MWM’s William A. Munck and Michael McCabe Listed among the 2022 Dallas 500; The Most Powerful Business Leaders in Dallas-Fort Worth

Dallas 500 is a special edition of D CEO Magazine that celebrates dynamic and influential leaders in North Texas. Each year, the editors of D CEO base their selection on extensive contacts and recommendations in local business circles and hundreds of interviews.  Dallas 500 provides a personal, engaging look at the leaders who make the North

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In the News

Munck Wilson Mandala is pleased to announce Lauren Mitchell as our newest litigation partner

Lauren received her J.D. from the Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law, graduating cum laude. While in law school, she was selected as an articles editor for the International Law Review Association and she worked as a student attorney in the SMU Civil Clinic where she represented clients in consumer law matters. A little

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Press Releases

Michael McCabe selected as a 2021 Benchmark Litigation Labor & Employment Star

Benchmark Litigation is considered the go-to resource for litigation rankings and analysis. Research is conducted through extensive interviews with litigators, dispute resolution specialists and their clients to identify the leading litigators and firms.  McCabe has been identified as one of the preeminent L&E litigation practitioners in the US. Board Certified by the Texas Board of

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Press Releases

Munck Wilson Mandala Welcomes Employment Litigation Team James H. Berry, Jr. and Kate LaQuay

“This is the kind of growth we have focused on in our LA office since opening in 2018,” said managing partner William A. Munck.  “We started with a strong litigation team, adding corporate and transactional lawyers, and now we have a dynamic team of employment litigators who bring decades of experience representing clients in LA

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Press Releases

9 Munck Wilson Mandala Lawyers Named to 2022 Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch

Lawyers recognized in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch are divided by geographic region and practice areas. They are reviewed by their peers on the basis of professional expertise and undergo an authentication process to make sure they are in current practice and in good standing. Munck Wilson Mandala would like to congratulate the following lawyers

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Press Releases

Nine Munck Wilson Mandala Attorneys Selected as Texas Rising Stars

Arvesen, Harden, and Plagens are newly honored this year as Texas Rising Stars and Lopano was recognized among the prestigious Up and Coming 50: 2021 Women in Texas Rising Stars.  The MWM attorneys were selected in the categories of intellectual property, business/corporate law, business litigation, employment litigation, and intellectual property litigation. Published by Thomson Reuters,

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Press Releases

MWM Partner Jenny Martinez Honored as a Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyer in America

Martinez is a trial attorney with a 22-year legal career representing both plaintiffs and defendants in a wide variety of business disputes. She has worked for large, midsized, and small firms, and she rose to the rank of name partner and executive vice president at a boutique litigation firm in Dallas before joining MWM. Known

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In the News

MWM Labor and Employment Client Alert – Coping with COVID-19

Business Closing Mandates Check websites for your local (city and county) and state governments to identify which businesses have been told to shut down and whether residents are being told to “shelter in place.” Is it an executive order or mandatory restriction or merely a recommendation? Restaurants and bars have been the focus of mandates

8 minute read

Press Releases

18 Munck Wilson Mandala Attorneys Named Texas Super Lawyers

The 2020 list of Texas Super Lawyers will be published in the October issue of Texas Monthly. The annual Texas Super Lawyers list honors Texas’ top lawyers based on surveys of more than 57,000 active attorneys across the state. The final list is estimated to be only five percent of Texas’ licensed attorneys. Several MWM partners

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Press Releases

Munck Wilson Mandala Named a 2020 Inc. Best Workplace; Only Full-Service Law Firm Recognized in the Nation

Collecting data from more than 3,000 submissions, Inc. singled out 395 finalists nationally for this year’s list.  Each nominated company took part in an employee survey on topics including trust, management effectiveness, perks, and confidence in the future.  Inc. gathered, analyzed, and audited the data. The strongest engagement scores came from companies that prioritize the

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Press Releases

Munck Wilson Mandala’s Michael McCabe and Jenny Martinez Named Co-Chairs of Award-Winning Litigation Section; Martinez Elected to Executive Committee

McCabe will continue his position as Co-Chair of MWM’s Employment and Labor Law Section, leading MWM’s employment litigation practice.  Board Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in Labor and Employment Law, McCabe is a skilled trial lawyer known for breaking down the facts in complicated cases and connecting with juries. McCabe represents high

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Press Releases

13 Munck Wilson Mandala Attorneys Recognized as Best Lawyers in America©; 8 Recognized as Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch

The MWM attorneys recognized as Best Lawyers in America© are managing partner William Munck, who has been recognized annually since 2011, chair of the litigation practice Jamil Alibhai, litigation partner Kelly Chen, IP partner Greg Howison, chair of the corporate law practice Larry Mandala, co-chair of the employment and labor practice Michael McCabe, chair of

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Press Releases

Munck Wilson Mandala Shortlisted for Several Honors in Upcoming Chambers Diversity & Inclusion Awards: North America 2020

MWM is on the shortlist for Outstanding Firm for Furthering Diversity and Inclusion and Inclusive Firm of the Year.  MWM’s managing partner William A. Munck is shortlisted for Outstanding Contribution.  MWM partner Amanda Greenspon is shortlisted for Outstanding Ally Award and MWM associate Tasha Schwikert is shortlisted for Future Leader – Diversity and Inclusion. Munck

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Press Releases

Munck Wilson Mandala and Five Partners Honored in the 2020 IAM Patent 1000 Publication

Online and in its printed version, the IAM Patent 1000 is commonly regarded as one of the definitive ‘go-to’ resources for those seeking to identify world-class, private practice patent expertise and leading expert witnesses in the US. IAM listings are the result of an exhaustive qualitative research process to identify outstanding firms and individuals across

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Press Releases

Jenny Martinez selected as a 2020 Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyer in America

Martinez is a senior litigation partner with a 21-year legal career representing both plaintiffs and defendants in a wide variety of business disputes. She has worked for small, large, and midsized firms, and she rose to the rank of name partner and executive vice president at a boutique litigation firm in Dallas before joining MWM. 

2 minute read

Press Releases

Munck Wilson Mandala Honored as a 2020 Inc. Best Workplace

Collecting data from more than 3,000 submissions, Inc. singled out 395 finalists nationally for this year’s list.  Each nominated company took part in an employee survey on topics including trust, management effectiveness, perks, and confidence in the future.  Inc. gathered, analyzed, and audited the data. The strongest engagement scores came from companies that prioritize the

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Press Releases

Eight Munck Wilson Mandala Attorneys Honored as Best Lawyers in Dallas

Mandala, Ray and Kaliser are members of MWM’s corporate practice.  Mandala is a name partner and member of the executive committee and chairs MWM’s corporate practice. Ray and Kaliser are both partners in the corporate practice. Martinez is a senior partner in MWM’s complex litigation/dispute resolution practice. She is a trial attorney with a versatile

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Press Releases

Seven Munck Wilson Mandala Attorneys Selected as Texas Rising Stars

Seven Munck Wilson Mandala attorneys have been recognized as Texas Rising Stars for 2020.  The attorneys were selected in the categories of intellectual property, business/corporate law, business litigation, employment litigation, and intellectual property litigation. Published by Thomson Reuters, the Texas Rising Stars listing recognizes the top young lawyers in the state based on a multiphase

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In the News

Litigation Department of the Year 2018: Munck Wilson Mandala

Finalist in the Midsize Firm Category In the mid-1990s, Bill Munck went on the hunt for the perfect place to set up a high-tech litigation firm. After visiting Silicon Valley, Washington, D.C., and New York, where most IP firms were concentrated at the time, he ended up rejecting both the East and West coasts and staked his

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Press Releases

Munck Wilson Mandala Welcomes Litigation Associate Julie Christensen

Christensen received her J.D. from Baylor Law School. She holds a B.A. in international studies from Baylor University.  Prior to joining the MWM team, Christensen worked as an associate at Thompson, Coe, Cousins, & Irons, L.L.P. Munck Wilson Mandala is a technology-focused law firm with offices in Dallas, Austin and Marshall, Texas, and Los Angeles,

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Press Releases

18 Munck Wilson Mandala Partners Named Texas Super Lawyers

The 2019 list of Texas Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters) will be published in the October issue of Texas Monthly. The annual Texas Super Lawyers list honors Texas’ top lawyers based on surveys of more than 57,000 active attorneys across the state. The final list is estimated to be only five percent of Texas’ licensed attorneys. The following

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Press Releases

Eight Munck Wilson Mandala Attorneys Named Best Lawyers in America

The Best Lawyers in America© list is compiled annually through peer-review surveys among tens of thousands of leading lawyers. If the votes for an attorney are ample for inclusion in The Best Lawyers™, that attorney must maintain those votes in subsequent polls to remain on the list for each edition. Lawyers are not permitted to pay

3 minute read

Press Releases

Munck Wilson Mandala Welcomes Okon Hannagan Attorneys and Staff

“Melanie and Susan have impressive litigation experience and they embody our goal of attracting the best legal talent to represent our clients,” said managing partner William Munck.  “We are excited to have the entire OH team join us and know they will bring fresh perspectives and energy that will enhance our complex litigation and employment

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Press Releases

Five Munck Wilson Mandala Partners Honored as Best Lawyers in Dallas

Munck is the managing partner of MWM, a member of the executive committee, and he chairs the firm’s intellectual property practice.  He has led MWM since the late 90s and grown the firm from six lawyers to 70 lawyers with three offices in Texas—Dallas, Austin, Marshall, and a Los Angeles office.  Munck received his J.D.

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Press Releases

Seven Munck Wilson Mandala Attorneys Selected as Texas Rising Stars

Published by Thomson Reuters, the Texas Rising Stars listing recognizes the top young lawyers in the state based on a multiphase process that includes nominations, an independent research evaluation of candidates and peer reviews by practice area. Three of the recognized Rising Stars, Sarah Lopano, Lauren Mitchell and Jordan Strauss, will be included in the

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Press Releases

Munck Wilson Mandala Honored as a Litigation Department of the Year; Kelly Chen Honored as a Lawyer on the Rise in the 2018 Professional Excellence Awards

Ranked the third largest patent law firm in North Texas and the 10th largest in Austin, MWM is one of the most recognized litigation teams in Texas, representing clients in patent infringement, trade secret, employment, technology, securities, construction, and oil and gas disputes. The MWM litigation team is repeatedly recognized by a wide range of

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Press Releases

Munck Wilson Mandala’s Litigation Team Successfully Defends Client Valtech in a Fraud Case

Earlier this summer in the first trial, MWM represented Valtech as plaintiff in a dispute against Cornerstone over an earn out payment due under an asset purchase agreement. Cornerstone refused to pay and countersued Valtech for fraud, breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty. MWM’s Michael McCabe gave a great cross-examination of Cornerstone’s corporate

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Press Releases

16 Munck Wilson Mandala Partners Named Texas Super Lawyers

The 2018 list of Texas Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters) will be published in the October issue of Texas Monthly. The annual Texas Super Lawyers list honors Texas’ top lawyers based on surveys of more than 57,000 active attorneys across the state. The final list is estimated to be only five percent of Texas’ licensed attorneys. The following

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Press Releases

Munck Wilson Mandala’s Michael McCabe Selected as a Best Lawyer in Dallas

Among his peers, McCabe is consistently honored as a top lawyer in employment law and litigation.  Annually he is selected as a Texas Super Lawyer and he has been listed among the Top 100 Super Lawyers in Texas and Top 100 Super Lawyers in DFW since 2014.   McCabe has also been listed as a Best

2 minute read

Press Releases

16 Munck Wilson Mandala Partners Named Texas Super Lawyers

Dallas, TX, Sep. 5, 2017 —–  16 partners from law firm Munck Wilson Mandala have been selected as Texas Super Lawyers for 2017.  Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.  Produced and managed by Thomson Reuters, the selection

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Press Releases

Six Munck Wilson Mandala Partners Named Best Lawyers in America

The Best Lawyers in America list is compiled annually by conducting peer-review surveys among tens of thousands of leading lawyers. If the votes for an attorney are ample for inclusion in Best Lawyers, that attorney must maintain those votes in subsequent polls to remain on the list for each edition. Lawyers are not permitted to pay

2 minute read

Press Releases

Munck Wilson Mandala Welcomes Litigation Attorney Jane Davidson

Davidson represents a wide variety of clients in intellectual property disputes, product liability, employment law, entertainment, and real estate matters. She has an impressive record of handling litigation for trademark and copyright infringement suits for large portfolios held by music festivals, sports teams, and jewelry designers. Davidson is also known for her sound counsel on

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Client Alerts

California Weighs Making Fast Food Franchisors Liable for Employment Law Violations Affecting Employees of Franchises

If signed into law, Assembly Bill 1228 (the “Fast Food Franchisor Responsibility Act”) would add to the Labor Code Section 2810.9, making covered fast food franchisors jointly responsible (with the franchisee) for the franchisee’s violations of specified laws, rules, and regulations. For example, the franchisor would share liability for violations of the state’s Fair Employment and Housing

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Client Alerts

California Compliant: Countdown to California Minimum Wage Increases

On January 1, 2023, California’s statewide minimum wage increased to $15.50/hour for all employers.  But starting July 1, 2023, employers in every city and municipality listed below will be required to pay more than the state’s required minimum ($15.50/hour) due to local laws requiring higher hourly rates. Employees in the city of West Hollywood, for example, must be

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Client Alerts

California Compliant: Court Orders Delay in Enforcement of the CCPA

The CCPA (Civil Code Section 1798.100, et seq.) requires California businesses to inform consumers about the collection and use of the consumer’s personal information. The Act prohibits businesses from collecting, using, retaining, or sharing such information except to the extent “reasonably necessary and proportionate to achieve the purposes for which” the information is obtained. The legislature

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Client Alerts

California Compliant: Are California’s Wage Orders About to Be Re-Written?

Many of the specific wage and hour requirements that California employers must follow are set forth in industry-specific “Wage Orders.” The current Wage Orders, which are available at https://www.dir.ca.gov/iwc/wageorderindustries.htm, were drafted more than 20 years ago by the IWC. The IWC, which was created by the Legislature as part of the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR),

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Client Alerts

CALFORNIA COMPLIANT: Top Ten New Year’s Resolutions for California Employers in 2023

California employers may be challenged to fulfill their New Year’s resolutions in 2023, which has brought significant changes in various California labor and employment laws. Some of the most widely applicable new laws that will impact the workplace in 2023 include: Given that California law provides that overtime-exempt employees must receive a salary of at

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Press Releases

23 Munck Wilson Mandala Lawyers Named to 2024 Best Lawyers List

Munck Wilson Mandala is pleased to announce that 23 lawyers have been included in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Lawyers on The Best Lawyers in America list are divided by geographic

2 minute read

Press Releases

18 Munck Wilson Mandala Attorneys Named Texas Super Lawyers 2023

Munck Wilson Mandala congratulates 18 attorneys who have been recognized as Texas Super Lawyers for 2023. Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. Produced and managed by Thomson Reuters, the selection process involves independent research,

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In the News

As the Heat Index Rises, Standards for Keeping Employees Cool May Also Change

Written as a column for Daily Journal by MWM’s Kate LaQuay and Sahar Shiralian The dog days of summer are almost over, which is cause for celebration for many Californians. Recent historic heat wave were likely the sizzling inspiration for a new proposed regulation establishing a heat illness standard for indoor work areas. On Aug.

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Client Alerts

California Compliant: Imminent Increase in Requirement to Provide Paid Sick Leave to California Workers

Employees’ Accrual & Use of Paid Sick Time, Historically Since 2015, California has required employers to provide employees a limited amount of paid sick leave. The entitlement to paid sick leave is set forth in Labor Code Sections 245.5, 246 and 246.5. These statutes broadly define “employer,” for this purpose, as including any person (or

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Client Alerts

California Compliant: New Rules to Record and Investigate Violence in California Workplaces

What is “Workplace Violence”? SB 553 defines “workplace violence” as “any act of violence or threat of violence that occurs in a place of employment.” Workplace violence can include, for example: use of, or threats of, physical force against an employee; and use of, or threats of, a firearm or other “dangerous weapon.” It does

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Client Alerts

California Compliant: Don’t Forget the Freelancers: Los Angeles’ Expanded Protections for Freelance Workers

Who is Covered? Hiring Entities and Freelance Workers The Ordinance applies to “hiring entities,” which are entities regularly engaged in business or commercial activity. Specifically, a hiring entity “owns or operates any trade or business, including a not for profit business, or represents itself as engaging in any trade, or business.” The Ordinance carves out

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Client Alerts

California Compliant: Governor Declares That FEHA Already Prohibits Discrimination Based on “Caste” and Therefore Vetoes SB 403

Co-sponsors of SB 403 argued that “[c]aste may not be as visible as race to the California legislature, but it is a longstanding system of exclusion…”. Notably, the Legislature declared that SB 403 should not “be construed to mean that discrimination on the basis of ancestry does not already include discrimination on the basis of

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Client Alerts

California Compliant: California Workers Entitled to Leave for “Reproductive Loss” Beginning January 1st

Employees’ Existing Right to Take Bereavement Leave Last year, the Legislature amended the California Family Rights Act (CFRA, Government Code Section 12945.2, et seq) to grant eligible workers the right to take unpaid leave after the death of a family member. Government Code Section 12945.7, which became effective on January 1, 2023, requires companies employing

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Client Alerts

California Compliant: California Adds Teeth to Prohibitions Against Non-Competes

What Is a Prohibited Non-Compete Agreement? As a matter of public policy, California favors an open market for workers, so that they may move from one business to another as they choose. Although some states (at least for now) permit individuals and businesses to enter into contracts that “reasonably” restrict the individual’s right to work

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Press Releases

Munck Wilson Mandala Ranked Among 2024 Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms”

In Dallas, MWM ranked as a Best Law Firm® in commercial litigation, copyright law, corporate law, employment law/management, insurance law, labor law/management, litigation/construction, litigation/intellectual property, litigation/labor and employment, litigation/patent, mergers and acquisitions law, patent law, sports law, technology law, trademark law, and venture capital law. In Austin, MWM ranked as a Best Law Firm® in

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Client Alerts

California Compliant: When Workplace Rules May Be “Unfair Labor Practices”

Subjects Often Covered by “Workplace Rules” Most employers develop and distribute standards, rules, or a code of conduct applicable to their employees. Communicating written expectations for workplace conduct (whether as part of an Employee Handbook, or a standalone document) benefits both employees and employers. In a perfect world, employees understand (and avoid) behavior that might

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Client Alerts

California Compliant: California Trailblazes with Two New Employment Laws Protecting Employees’ Off-Work Use of Cannabis

Assembly Bill 2188 / Prohibition of Employment Discrimination Based on Off-Work Use Until now, California employers have been permitted to reject applicants, or discipline employees, based on their use of marijuana – even if that occurred during non-work hours and away from the workplace. The state Supreme Court confirmed in 2008 that voters’ efforts to

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Client Alerts

California Compliant: The Year in Review – Changes to California’s Employment Laws

1. Expansion of the Entitlement to Paid Sick Leave. Beginning in 2024, California workers will be entitled to take more days of paid sick leave each year. Senate Bill 616 amended Labor Code Sections 245.5 and 246 to increase employees’ minimum rate of accrual of paid sick time to 40 hours, or five days, each

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Press Releases

Munck Wilson Mandala Welcomes Principal Attorney Georgiana Nikias

Munck Wilson Mandala welcomes commercial litigation attorney Georgiana Nikias to the firm’s Los Angeles office. Nikias joins MWM as a principal attorney representing clients in copyright and trademark litigation, business litigation, commercial real estate litigation, employment law, products liability, and art law in both State and Federal Court. She also reviews and structures a broad

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Client Alerts

California Compliant: New Resources for Drafting Workplace Violence Prevention Plans

Background – Senate Bill 553 Senate Bill 553 (SB 553) amended Labor Code Section 6401.7 and added new Labor Code Section 6401.9. The bill expanded employers’ obligations with respect to the prevention of workplace injuries by adding a requirement to create a written plan specifically designed to prevent and record instances of “workplace violence.” A

2 minute read