2024 California Employment Law Update: New leave laws, non-competes, workplace violence, PAGA, cannabis, wage-hour litigation, arbitration, and remote workers

Lisa Peterson | Fisher Phillips

Lisa serves as a key advisor to employers across California in a diverse group of industries, from restaurants and hotels to public entities and healthcare facilities. Lisa represents employers on a full spectrum of labor and employment matters, from providing counseling and advice pre-litigation, and all the way through trial and arbitration. Her diverse practice includes defending against claims of wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and class and PAGA actions.

In 2024, Lisa was appointed to the Greater Irvine Chamber of Commerce (GICC) Board of Directors. GICC is a premier business member organization with over 800 businesses in the Greater Irvine area, aiming to promote an economic climate that strengthens the competitiveness of local services, programs, and information.

Lisa was named to Southern California Super Lawyers – Rising Star from 2020 to 2024. She was also recognized in the Orange County Business Journal Leaders of Influence: Women in Law in 2023.

Hilary Habib | Sheppard Mullin

Hilary Habib is a partner in the Labor and Employment Practice Group in Sheppard Mullin’s Los Angeles office. Hilary represents employers in employment-related litigation matters, including matters involving allegations of harassment, discrimination, retaliation, wrongful termination and defamation. A significant portion of her practice is devoted to defending complex wage and hour class actions and representative actions, including claims relating to overtime, meal and rest periods, time rounding, misclassification and inaccurate wage statements. Hilary also represents clients before state and federal administrative agencies, such as the Civil Rights Department, the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Ryan Krueger | Sheppard Mullin

Ryan Krueger is a partner in the Labor and Employment Practice Group in Sheppard Mullin’s Los Angeles office. Ryan leverages his significant trial experience and thought leadership to help California employers with all types of employment litigation and advice issues. He specializes in labor and employment matters on behalf of employers, including defending wage and hour class actions and PAGA matters, defending employment discrimination, wrongful termination, and sexual harassment claims, and counseling employers regarding California and federal employment law issues. He has experience in all aspects of employment litigation, including brief writing and oral argument, taking and defending depositions, and negotiating settlements. He has also handled multiple trials and arbitrations (including 6 jury trials), and argued before the California Court of Appeal.

Ryan also provides advice and counsel to clients regarding a wide variety of employment issues, including wage and hour issues, terminations, employee handbooks and other policies, employment agreements, and separation agreements.

Ryan has also authored several articles and publications, including a book recently cited by the California Supreme Court.

Session I – 2024 Employment Law Legislative Updates and Change | 2:00pm – 3:00pm

• Expansion of leave laws: Updates to paid sick leave, reproductive loss leave
• Workplace violence prevention standards
• Updates to non-compete laws
• PAGA Reform
• Cannabis and drug test results

Break | 3:00pm – 3:10pm

Session II – Recent Employment Legal Updates and Emerging Trends | 3:10pm – 4:10pm

• Updates in wage-hour litigation, including trends in wage-hour class actions
• Recent case law involving arbitration agreements
• Emerging issues with a remote workforce