Hospitality Santa Barbara recently hosted an Elected Officials Reception. This event introduced new city officials to hospitality business owners and the Santa Barbara community. BFAS Partner, Trevor Large is Board President of Hospitality Santa Barbara. He and the board invited elected officials to come and talk about legislation that impacts the Santa Barbara community. KEYT [...]
The current legislative session is now at a close. Governor Brown has approved or vetoed the bills sent from the legislature. Unfortunately for employers, this year was fairly active for labor and employment laws. Below is a partial list, not exhaustive, of the biggest developments from this year’s new laws. Unless otherwise noted, these laws [...]
Does a shark decide to roll with BFAS client Brazyn Life? Find out by watching the latest episode of ABC's Shark Tank – they appear around the 32 minute mark: http://abc.go.com/shows/shark-tank/episode-guide/season-09/6-episode-6
We're excited to congratulate BFAS Partners Michael S. Fauver and Trevor D. Large for being named in the Pacific Business Coast Times "Who's Who in Professional Services" list this year!
At the end of September, California enacted a number of new bills intended to make it easier for developers to build affordable housing projects throughout the state. What do these mean for central coast residents, developers, and investors? SB 35 - Streamlined Local Approvals for Affordable Housing California requires local jurisdictions to develop long term [...]
As The Weinstein Company will soon learn, it is a serious mistake to allow a culture of "anything goes" to exist in your workplace. Whether the vice is sexual harassment, discrimination or retaliation, ignoring the problem will eventually result in litigation to set things right. These matters need prompt attention, not a blind eye, if [...]
When real property changes hands, California imposes two separate taxes – the annual real property tax and a documentary transfer tax. The annual real property tax is reassessed to fair market value when a property changes ownership. The transfer tax allows a county or city, or both, to charge a tax when real property is [...]
This case revolves around whether a trademark can be registered before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) even though the mark is disparaging. The Lanham Act prohibits the registration of many kinds of marks, but in this case, preventing the registration of disparaging marks directly challenges the First Amendment’s Free Speech Clause. During [...]
Every January, employers must become familiar with new employment laws that have been passed at the state and local level. Below is a brief summary of some of the most relevant, in my opinion. Should you have questions about any of these new requirements, please contact any member of our Labor and Employment Practice Group [...]
November 2016 Twenty years ago, California voters were the first to decriminalize the use of medical marijuana. Tuesday, those voters approved Proposition 64, making California the largest single market for “legal” recreational marijuana use in the United States. With certification of that vote by the Secretary of State, the Adult Use of Marijuana Act will [...]
