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.

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.

Artificial Intelligence Results in Layoffs in San Francisco

A recent study in San Francisco showed that artificial intelligence may have impacted jobs in tech-exposed areas. The most shocking part is that the statistics show that college-educated workers were heavily affected. Perhaps, in this new era, a college degree will not and cannot provide job security. Artificial intelligence adds a new factor to the mix: what employees (regardless of education level) can be replaced by AI?

New Bill Proposes a $25 Federal Minimum Wage

A new bill is making waves since it was introduced on April 28 of this year because it seeks dramatically increase the federal minimum for the first time since 2009. The new bill is named the Living Wage for All act and it would require employers to pay a minimum wage of $25 per hour. The fact that some legislators are even considering a bill that would raise federal minimum wage so drastically from $7.25 an hour to $25 an hour may be of interest to some employers. If the federal minimum wage is increased, employers will have a bigger burden to shoulder- especially in those areas where the current federal minimum wage is in fact the prevailing wage.

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