Ninth Circuit Finds that California Class Action Lawsuit Against Tesla Cannot Move Forward

The Ninth Circuit made clear that in order to certify this class of Tesla car owners, the Plaintiffs would need to show that each and every class member (thousands of them) had seen Tesla’s claim that its cars had the hardware to enter a full self-driving mode. We cannot assume that consumers had seen claims published on a website or claims made by the company during a press conference. In Tesla’s case, the court’s decision to not allow a class action to continue means that each person who wants to sue Tesla must do so individually on their own dime. This could be a huge deterrent for some Tesla owners.

Governor Newsom Signed a New Law Preventing Companies from Engaging in Monopoly Behavior

A bill was recently signed into law by Governor Newsom on September 30, 2026, and this new law is already causing many business owners to raise their eyebrows. The new law prohibits companies from monopolizing or monopsonizing trade or commerce. Even conspiring to or trying to monopolize or monopsonize is prohibited. If your business grows (which many business owners hope and pray for), you may have to consider the monopoly scrutiny as a necessary evil of your growing pains.” For business owners, perhaps you should do your job well - but not too well- because avoiding monopoly scrutiny is now on your radar.

Business Owners, Employee, Employers, EmploymentKathleenOctober 20, 2026Cartwright Act, monopoly, monopsony, Small Business

New Law Requires Employers to Engage in More Pay Transparency and Provides More Employee Protections for Pay Equity Violations

New law expands the employee protections previously established in California’s Equal Pay and Pay Transparency laws. Employers with 15 or more employees should now be sure to include pay scale information in all their job postings. Employers should also conduct their due diligence and prepare pay scale information for all positions in which they are hiring, may be hiring, and have already hired (current employees). These pay scales are required upon request. Further, employers should take steps to ensure that their pay policies and practices do not result in any pay inequities between employees.

In-n-Out Sued for Religious Discrimination and Wrongful Termination by Christian

In-n-Out, a California burger joint famous for its burgers and commonly known to be a Christian company, is now being accused of discriminating against former employee Arianna Rodriguez for her Christian faith. This case is interesting because In-n-Out’s owner is very vocal about her Christian faith, and the company even prints Christian Bible verses on its cups, food wrappers, and fry boats. California employers should keep a close eye on this case because this is a case where a Christian company is being sued for allegedly discriminating against a fellow Christian.

Non-Profit Employees May Volunteer for Their Employers

It is important for employers to remember that simply labeling work as “volunteer work” does not make it so. There are three specific requirements that must be met before the work can be considered true “volunteer work.” If the three requirements are not met, the non-exempt employee’s “volunteer hours” will be counted as work hours and require the employer to provide additional compensation. In such cases, the employer may be subject to significant liability for back wages and overtime, liquidated damages, attorneys’s fees, etc. Likewise, if the three requirements are not met for exempt employees, the “volunteer hours” will simply be counted as hours worked as long as the exempt employee meets all the other requirements for exemption.

Can Big Companies Control the Use of an Animal in Advertisements?

Buc-ee’s, a large Texas based chain of convenience stores, is suing a mom and pop convenience store from Beavercreek, Ohio named “Beaver’s Mini Mart” because it also uses a cartoon beaver in its logo. Buc-ee’s takes issue with the fact that Beaver’s trademark contains a cartoon beaver with a similar facial expression and that the words used in its trademark are in red coloring. It will be interesting to see what comes of this lawsuit, especially because Beaver’s Mini Mart is located in a town called Beavercreek, Ohio where beavers are celebrated everywhere: the town’s name, business signs, park signs, the high school, and even Beaver Creek.

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