Slovak, Baron, Empey, Murphy & Pinkney

In a recent interview with KESQ News, SBEMP Partner Shaun Murphy discusses the tentative opinion in a case he handled that could affect short-term rentals inside HOA communities. To watch the full interview, please click the link below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVewD1azmwU

GPS Business Insider’s latest article addresses SBEMP Partner Shaun Murphy’s success in a high-profile appeal that will protect short-term rental rights. This tentative court decision, upon being finalized, will be beneficial for homeowners who rent their properties on a short-term basis throughout the desert. To find out more details about the case and read the full article, please click the link below. https://marraintel.com/sbemp-attorneys-prevail-in-high-pro/

SBEMP is thrilled to have two new additions to the team, Nancy Tragarz and Misty Calder. Nancy will be working in the Trusts, Estates & Probate Department and Misty will be working in the Litigation Department. Welcome to the firm, Nancy and Misty! https://conta.cc/3nI0viR

In this recent interview with KESQ News, Partner Vee B. Sotelo discusses whether employers can require workers to get vaccinated, and answers many of your questions about returning to the office. Click the link below to watch the full interview. https://kesq.com//discussion-on-whether-employers-can-req/

Can Employers Require Workers to Come Back to the Office? As different sectors of the economy in California are reopening and COVID-19 vaccines encourage a return to pre-pandemic standards, many employers will face the task of calling employees back to the office. SBEMP partner Vee Sotelo has reported that an influx of inquiries to the firm’s Labor and Employment Department raise two important questions: Can employers require workers to come back to the workplace, and can emp...loyers require vaccinations? According to Sotelo, the short answer to both questions is Yes. To break down the issue completely, she explains what employers can require by law, what constitutes a valid reason for refusing the vaccine, and how to safely implement a return to the workplace. To continue reading this article, click below. https://marraintel.com/can-employers-require-workers-to-co/

NEW PAID SICK LEAVE UPDATE Governor Newsom signed legislation that mandates the addition of up to 80 hours of employer-paid COVID-19 sick leave, retroactive to January 1, 2021. The new law goes into effect on March 29, 2021, and applies to employees who work for a public or private employer with more than 25 employees. For questions on this topic, or any other employment matter, please contact the Labor & Employment Department at SBEMP.

From the Labor & Employment Department: The California Supreme Court recently ruled that employers cannot round time in the meal period context. In Donohue v. AMN Services, LLC, the employer used an electronic timekeeping system that rounded time punches to the nearest 10-minute interval. For instance, if an employee clocked out at 12:02 p.m. and clocked back in at 12:29 p.m., the system rounded down the clock-out time to 12:00 p.m. and rounded up their clock-in time to 12...:30 p.m. A non-compliant 27-minute meal break was now recorded as 30 minutes. The plaintiffs alleged that the employer’s rounding policy violated California’s meal period law, and the California Supreme Court agreed. In light of Donohue, employers should review their time keeping policies to ensure that they do not round time in the meal period context. Employers should also check to make sure that employees are receiving compliant and timely meal breaks as allowed by law. For questions on this topic, or any other employment matter, please contact the Labor & Employment Department at SBEMP.

From the Labor & Employment Department: With limited exceptions, all California employers are required to implement a written COVID-19 prevention policy that addresses COVID prevention, COVID outbreaks in the workplace, COVID recording and reporting requirements, and prevention in employer-provided housing and transportation. If you do not have your written COVID policy, please contact us.

Congratulations to GPS Business Insider for the launch of their new blog which offers insight on issues affecting the Greater Palm Springs economy. This blog features articles from guest writers throughout the Coachella Valley, and includes Legal Updates from attorneys within practice areas such as Labor & Employment, Trusts, Estates & Probate, Litigation, and many more, to help you make informed business decisions. To learn more about GPS Business Insider, please visit the link below. https://marraintel.com/blog/

SBEMP Partner Valerie Powers Smith’s session covers the art of negotiation in business and personal matters. We’re grateful for another CW3 Summit to start off the year strong! #CW3ConfidenceSummit

The 3rd Key to Financial Wellness: Negotiation by Valerie Powers Smith https://bit.ly/CW3-2021-Tickets This topic is important to Valerie because she sees it as... critical to everyday functioning whether it be personal or professional. She believes we negotiate with ourselves from the moment we wake up to the moment our heads hit the pillow at night, that we negotiate with ourselves as to our lifestyle (what we eat, how we workout, who we socialize with, to what events or obligations we will commit ourselves,) and that we negotiate with our spouses/partners, and even with our kids (furry or human). And, for some of us, our jobs (like hers) are all about the art of negotiation to get the best result for our clients. Learn more about Valerie at https://sbemp.com/ https://bit.ly/CW3-2021-Tickets ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A warm BIG thank you to our SPONSORS: Blanke Schein Wealth Management @blankescheinwm The Berger Foundation #bergerfoundation VANMAR Lending Vanmar Lending Billy Thoman COMPASS Realty @myhomeinthedesert SBEMP Attorneys sbemp.com You&Yours Distillery, Co. Mark Roberts Catering Desert Health News @deserthealthnews Alpha Media #alphamediapalmsprings Vent Dance CoachellaValley.com Desert Charities CW3 Summits are Presented by The FEW, a 501c-3 Non-Profit Organization @TheFinanciallyEmpoweredWoman #cw3confidencesummit #getempowered #womenempowerment #financialeducation #selfcare #womenandwealth #womenandmoney #wealthandwellness #confidence

Valerie Powers Smith CW3 Speaker Partner at SBEMP with over twenty-one years of experience, practicing in the area of Trusts, Estates & Probate and Special Ne...eds & Elder Law; and Chairs those Departments within SBEMP. Valerie has written extensively, co-authored several publications, and lectured throughout California, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and D.C. Valerie has served on a variety of Boards and currently sits on the Board of Directors for Leadership Coachella Valley and the Desert Estate Planning Council. @vapsesq About Valerie’s Session: The 3rd Key to Financial Wellness: Negotiation This topic is important to Valerie because she sees it as critical to everyday functioning whether it be personal or professional. She believes we negotiate with ourselves from the moment we wake up to the moment our heads hit the pillow at night, that we negotiate with ourselves as to our lifestyle (what we eat, how we workout, who we socialize with, to what events or obligations we will commit ourselves,) and that we negotiate with our spouses/partners, and even with our kids (furry or human). And, for some of us, our jobs (like hers) are all about the art of negotiation to get the best result for our clients. Learn more about Valerie at https://sbemp.com/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A warm BIG thank you to our SPONSORS: Blanke Schein Wealth Management @blankescheinwm The Berger Foundation #bergerfoundation VANMAR Lending Vanmar Lending Billy Thoman COMPASS Realty @myhomeinthedesert SBEMP Attorneys sbemp.com You&Yours Distillery, Co. Mark Roberts Catering Desert Health News @deserthealthnews Alpha Media #alphamediapalmsprings Vent Dance CoachellaValley.com Desert Charities CW3 Summits are Presented by The FEW, a 501c-3 Non-Profit Organization @TheFinanciallyEmpoweredWoman #cw3confidencesummit #getempowered #womenempowerment #financialeducation #selfcare #womenandwealth #womenandmoney #wealthandwellness #confidence

Don’t forget to join us for this year’s CW3 Confidence Summit, coming up this January 21st! Start 2021 feeling Empowered and Confident with seventeen financial and self-care sessions that are relevant to women of all age groups. The Summit Team also offers ticket scholarships to those who would like to attend but cannot afford it on their own. To apply for the scholarship, please visit https://cw3confidencesummit.com/scholarships/ To purchase a ticket, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2021-cw3-confidence-summit-tic

NEW LABOR & EMPLOYMENT LAWS TAKING EFFECT IN 2021 SB 1383 This bill represents a significant change in existing California law. It expands the California Family Rights Act (CFRA) employer coverage to include all employers with 5 or more employees. Previously, the CFRA’s leave requirement applied only to employers with 50 or more employees. Small businesses will now have to provide 12 weeks of job-protected leave within a 12-month period so that employees may tend to thei...Continue reading

For those who are unable to join us live, all webisodes for The Economic Future of the Coachella Valley Webinar Series will be posted on our website. Please visit the link below for the full recap. https://sbemp.com/blog/

SBEMP is proud to announce the addition of Oscar A. Verdugo to our legal team! Oscar is a Coachella Valley native and Notre Dame Law School alumni. Welcome to the team, Oscar. https://conta.cc/2TeIE4y

In Webisode 3 of our series with Palm Springs Life, SBEMP Partner Valerie Powers Smith discusses the importance of arts, culture, and entertainment for the economy with local leaders in the arts. Joining her in this episode are: Louis Grachos, Executive Director and CEO of the Palm Springs Art Museum, Chris Mobley, Chief Executive Officer of Modernism Week, and Ron Celona, Founding Artistic Director of Coachella Valley Repertory. Click the link below to watch the full webisode. https://sbemp.com/the-economic-future-of-the-coachella-val/

From the Labor & Employment Department: AB 1947, signed by Governor Newsom on September 30, 2020, lengthens the time in which employees can file complaints with the DLSE alleging retaliation and/or discrimination in violation of any law enforced by the Labor Commissioner (from 6 months to 1 year) and allows the court to award attorneys fees to a plaintiff that prevails in a whistleblower action under Labor Code Section 1102.5. For more information, please contact the Labor & Employment Department at SBEMP LLP.

From the Labor & Employment Department: Newsom Provides More COVID-19 Relief For California Workers Late last week, Governor Newsom signed off on 3 employment related bills. AB 685, which will not take effect until January 2021, places new notice requirements on employers who experience a coronavirus outbreak. AB 685 requires employers to notify workers within 1 business day of receiving notice of a potential exposure to... COVID-19. Employers must also notify local public health officials within 48 hours if the number of cases they have meets the state's definition of an outbreak. SB 1159, which takes effect immediately as an urgency statute, extends a policy which makes it easier for frontline workers to receive workers' compensation if they get COVID-19. SB 1159 creates a presumption that a covered worker's illness or death from COVID-19 is work-related and entitles them to workers' compensation. This puts the responsibility on the employer to disprove the presumption. Finally, SB 1383 will require companies with as few as five employees to hold employees' jobs for 12 weeks while they take family or medical leave. For more information, please contact the Labor & Employment Department at SBEMP.

After completing a thorough RFP process, the Greater Palm Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) has selected the law firm of Slovak Baron Empey Murphy & Pinkney (SBEMP) as its legal representation. SBEMP will provide all manner of legal support to the CVB from the Joint Powers Authority (JPA) to advice and guidance on day-to-day legal operations. Congratulations Lena Wade, for being selected as General Counsel, and Robert Patterson, for being selected as Assistant General Counsel! To read the full press release, please click the link below. https://sbemp.com/sbemp-partner-lena-wade-selected-as-gene/

Valerie Powers Smith featured on Media Spur.

We are proud to announce that SBEMP Partner Lena Wade has been elected to the Desert Bar Association Board of Trustees. Congratulations Lena! We look forward to all that you will accomplish as a Trustee.

This year’s Women Who Lead Virtual Event offered an insightful discussion about the critical role of leading women within the Coachella Valley, as well as the importance of networking, branding, and community. To watch the full event recap, please click the link below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qg7uFItCeKQ

In a recent interview with Palm Springs Life, Partner Valerie Powers Smith discussed some of the topics which will be addressed during the virtual event, A Conversation With This Year’s Women Who Lead, and what it’s been like getting to know the honorees. For the full interview and more information about the event, please click the link below.