CalChamber to Host MCLE Course on PAGA Landscape
On January 31, at 10 a.m., a virtual MCLE course hosted by the California Chamber of Commerce, in coordination with the Stop Small Business Shakedowns committee and Fisher Phillips LLP, will look at businesses’ Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) liability landscape in 2023 and beyond.
This course will specifically focus on the impact PAGA has had on California businesses and the landscape for the next year. PAGA, which has provided a litigation tool for attorneys to file costly lawsuits against California employers to recover significant penalties for alleged Labor Code violations, has forced businesses to settle more than $8 billion collectively in just the last seven years — and that number likely will double over the next five. These settlements primarily benefit attorneys, leaving little financial recovery for employees.
Although the U.S. Supreme Court’s Viking River Cruises case gave some temporary reprieve for companies with valid arbitration agreements in place, the California Legislature and courts may change that, potentially increasing liability exposure for all California employers.
In this one-hour virtual course, CalChamber President and CEO Jennifer Barrera, along with four partners from Fisher Phillips LLP — Benjamin Ebbink, Anet Drapalski, Tyler T. Rasmussen, and Hannah Sweiss — will cover the following:
• The current litigation landscape and how cases currently are playing out in the courts.
• How Viking River Cruises has affected PAGA cases with arbitration agreements in place.
• What is on the horizon for PAGA and how that will affect businesses (court rulings, legislation, and a relevant 2024 ballot measure).
CalChamber members, employers, and attorneys representing businesses in California are encouraged to register for this important free webinar.