News, Publications & Events

At the behest of the editors of the Conference on Consumer Finance Law Quarterly Report, Stephen Britt of the Firm’s Orange County Office co-authored an article with Rebecca Fuller of St. Mary’s School of Law on the impact of the Quarterly Report on consumer financial services.  The Article, Quarterly Report Impact Analysis, analyses empirical data of judicial citations of articles published… Read More

On September 30, 2020, the Firm’s DPO, Scott Hyman, sat on a panel entitled “Data Breach and Malware Insights” on with Steve Kerler, Steve Mejia, BSEE MMIS and Jeff Tutton, MSc., QSA, CCFE.   The Panel was the first of PrivacyOC’s Fall Series. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/stevekerler_cpra-ccpa-privacyoc-activity-6717239710797959168-QJws   Read More

In an effort to minimize the spread of COVID-19 and better track known cases, Governor Newsom recently signed A.B. 685, which goes into effect on January 1, 2021 and will require employers to immediately notify employees of any potential COVID-19 exposure at the employer’s worksite. When must written notice be provided? Within one business day after the employer is notified… Read More

The Diversity Committee and Severson community mourn the passing of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.  Prior to joining the court in 1993, she achieved many landmark legal victories, including before the Supreme Court, that brick by brick built legal precedent for the proposition that the 14th Amendment’s guarantee of equal protection applies not only to racial discrimination but also… Read More

In recognition of our commitment to diversity and inclusion, Severson & Werson has achieved Mansfield 3.0 Certification.  To be certified, the Mansfield Rule requires that at least 30% of the candidates considered for leadership and governance roles, equity partner promotions, formal client pitch opportunities, and senior lateral positions, be traditionally underrepresented lawyers – women, lawyers of color, LGBTQ+ lawyers, and… Read More

Employers have been facing unprecedented issues  with very little guidance from federal or state authorities. Although the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) have provided guidance for COVID-19 screening and business reopening protocols, inevitable wage and hour implications have been largely left out.  Moreover, courts provide… Read More

On May 1, 2020, plaintiff Hyde-Edwards Salon & Spa moved to create a multidistrict litigation (MDL) in the U.S. District Court, Southern District of California combining almost a dozen class actions over defendant JP Morgan Chase Bank N.A.'s handling of loans available through the federal Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) under the CARES Act. Another motion by plaintiff Cyber Defense Group seeks to transfer the cases… Read More

Employees who return to the workplace after months of teleworking in the comfort of their own homes will likely be anxious about working in close proximity with their co-workers and may draw inappropriate conclusions regarding which co-workers are more likely to contract or spread the virus to others in the workplace. In anticipation of these issues, employers must take reasonable… Read More

Labor & Employment In recent weeks the Small Business Administration (SBA) has taken important steps to clarify key, but otherwise not well understood provisions of the PPP enacted under the CARES Act. Most recently, the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act of 2020 (PFA) was signed into law. The PFA appears both to supplement and possibly supersede some of the prior… Read More

Financial Services On April 23, 2020, California Governor signed Executive Order N-57-20, which exempts garnishment for any individuals receiving federal, state or local government financial assistance in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including payments under the CARES Act. Executive Order N-57-20 was issued pursuant to the Governor’s powers to suspend regulatory statutes and agency rules during a state of emergency.… Read More