Recent News

• Firm Scores Big Trade Secrets Trial Victory:

  Jury Mostly Backs Employees Who Broke Away from Bike Company
  In August, a jury returned a $310 million verdict in litigation over the Bratz doll. A month later, an L.A. hedge fund manager won $60 million in his still-unfinished feud with the hedge fund he left to start his own firm.

• The Supreme Court of California, in California Grocers Association v. City of Los Angeles, recently held, by a 6-to-1 vote, that the National Labor Relations Act ("NLRA")1 does not preempt a local worker retention ordinance, despite the law's obvious effects on "successor" employers' traditional rights. - PDF

• At our September 13 Hot Topics Workshop, Tyler Paetkau and Jim Hartnett, Hartnett, Smith and Paetkau, Attorneys at Law shared their expertise with members of our Chamber over lunch about the "Top Ten Hot Employment Law Issues for Employers".

• The Supreme Court of California, in Reid v. Google, Rejects and Redefines the Federal 'Stray Remarks Doctrine': Everything That the Employer Wishes Had Not Been Said

• Silicon Valley Giants, Victims of their Own Success: DOJ Claims Otherwise Lawful "No Cold Calling" Agreements Among Tech Heavyweights Violate the Sherman Antitrust Act - PDF

• California Hiring and Firing Update 2011: New Traps, New Laws

  Live Seminar

  • Mar. 14, 2011 San Francisco, CA

  Webcast

  • Mar. 14, 2011 Webcast

• Speaking Engagements:
  Minimum Continuing Legal Education Seminar January 6, 2011- What Do Shrinks Have to Do with It?

• Trade Secrets:
  HP Faces Uphill Battle to Stop Hurd From Taking Oracle Job

• San Francisco
  http://www.pli.edu/?t=KTK7_8CAP1&SURL=/product/seminar_detail.asp?id=63410
  Practicing Law Institute Webinar March 15,2010
  
  Live Webcast
  http://www.pli.edu/?t=KTK7_8CAP1&SURL=/product/webcast_detail.asp?id=63413



• Guest Editorial,Getting Silicon Valley Ready for the Recovery, written by Jim Hartnett for The Daily Journal.

• Partner Chuck Smith obtained a unanimous jury verdict in his clients favor on March 1, 2010 after a six week trial in San Mateo County in the matter of Moncayo v. Holiday Inn. Chuck successfully defended Holiday Inn against an eight cause of action complaint alleging wrongful termination, sex harassment, national origin discrimination and wage and hour claims relating to overtime, meal breaks and rest breaks. The demand in the case was more than $800,000. The jury foreperson wrote Chuck the following e-mail:
  
  ‘I want you to know with certainty the Jury agreed your clients to be of moral, ethical and legal truth. All noted the unfortunate circumstances around this case and what it has put all the defendants through personally as well as professionally.
  
  I asked Mr. Davis to pass the message (speaking for myself) to all of the defendants my well wishes, just in case please pass it on to each of them. On closing, thank you for being organized, concise and professional.
  
  Regards Juror #7 Forewomen’

• Partners Chuck Smith and Tyler Paetkau volunteered their time to coach the South San Francisco High School mock trial team to a semi-final berth in the County in the California State High School Mock Trial competition, besting fourteen other schools in the County. South San Francisco lost to the ultimate County champ, Hillsdale H.S., who will represent the County in the state finals.