PAGA Reform Webinar
California recently enacted the most significant reforms to the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) since the law’s original enactment in 2004. This webinar will review the changes to PAGA, outline proactive steps contractors can take under the law to reduce penalties, and discuss how these changes impact contractors on a day-to-day basis.
California recently enacted the most significant reforms to the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) since the law’s original enactment in 2004. These changes overhaul PAGA in a way that could significantly limit PAGA exposure for California contractors and narrow the scope of PAGA litigation. Among other things, the reforms limit the types of employees that can bring claims, reduce possible penalties, give contractors a better chance to cure mistakes, and boost procedural mechanisms that will reduce claims in court. This webinar, led by AGC of California’s very own Legal Advisory Committee members, will review the changes to PAGA, outline proactive steps contractors can take under the law to reduce penalties, and discuss how these changes impact contractors on a day-to-day basis. This webinar will also provide updates on the status of the PAGA carve-out for contractors subject to a collective bargaining agreement.
About the Instructors
Collin Cook is a partner in Fisher Phillips’ San Francisco and Irvine offices and co-chair of the Construction Industry Group. Collin’s practice focuses on employment litigation, including the defense of discrimination, retaliation, harassment and wrongful termination actions. He also routinely represents employers in wage and hour class and representative actions and litigates restrictive covenant and trade secret disputes. Collin has broad experience in prevailing wage and workplace safety matters. In addition, he regularly partners with human resource professionals, corporate counsel and business owners to solve challenging employment issues that arise in the workplace.
Benjamin M. Ebbink is a Partner in the Sacramento office of Fisher & Phillips LLP and Co-Chair of the firm’s Government Relations Practice Group. He is also a Legislative Advocate and Principal of FP Advocacy LLC.
For nearly 15 years, Benjamin served as Chief Consultant to the California Assembly Committee on Labor and Employment where he was the primary policy expert on labor and employment matters for the California State Assembly. Benjamin played a key role in virtually every major labor and employment issue to come before the Legislature during his tenure, and personally drafted hundreds of legislative proposals.
Lonnie Giamela is a partner in both the Los Angeles and Irvine offices and a co-chair of the firm’s Pay Equity practice group. He represents a broad range of clients, from small businesses to national companies, in all sectors of manufacturing, retail, wholesale distribution, hospitality, education and the automotive industries.
Lonnie has handled a full range of labor and employment matters, from single-plaintiff to multi-plaintiff, in both federal and state courts in California, the California Court of Appeals, the California Supreme Court and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Lonnie has also handled arbitrations venued at the National Labor Relations Board, payroll tax audits before the Employment Development Department, unemployment insurance eligibility claims in the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board, administrative hearings before the Fair Employment and Housing Commission and multiple hearings at the California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement.
