Employee Handbook Compliance Review for Employers & Business Owners
Please contact us to schedule an appointment to review your existing employment Handbook, and/or company policies & procedures to ensure your business is California labor law compliant.
Welcome to the Law Offices of Chauvel & Glatt, LLP!
We are based in San Mateo, California, and serve the Peninsula and surrounding communities, including San Francisco to San Jose, as well as clients throughout Los Angeles, San Diego and San Bernardino Counties and the State of California. We’ve been providing legal services for more than 3 decades and specialize in the fields of Business Law, Real Estate Law, Employment Law, Estate Planning/Probate, Transportation Law, and Intellectual Property Law. We bring a wide range of knowledge and experience, with members of our team speaking English, Spanish and Tagalog.
Practice Areas
Our Team
Our attorneys enjoy working collaboratively and strive to keep matters as simple as possible. We share a desire to give you unparalleled customer service by being proactive and responsive to all your needs.
April Glatt
April Glatt
Natalia Cañas
Natalia Cañas
Derek Myers
Derek Myers
Joe Newman
Joe Newman
Ken Weinfield
Ken Weinfield
Our Expertise
- We handle business formation and commercial transactions, as well as commercial litigation.
- We provide legal advice relative to the myriad of employment-related requirements and rules that apply to employers under California labor law.
- We guide our clients through the creation of individual and family trusts, wills, trust administration and the probate process.
- Our firm advises established companies as well sole proprietors, start-ups, and independent contractors in relation to protecting their rights.
- We are well-versed in a wide variety of commercial and residential real estate matters to provide you full-service representation for all your property needs.
- Our attorneys specialize in the transportation and logistics fields and have a thorough understanding of carrier regulations and compliance issues.
Chauvel & Glatt Brings You The Latest Updates.
- Estate Planning
Posted in: News
Zappos.com is the largest shoe retailer in the world. In 2009, Amazon acquired the company for $1.2 billion which made Zappos’ visionary founder Tony Hsieh very wealthy. The entrepreneur, who grew up in the Bay Area and spent 21 years building Zappos to become a widely successful brand, retired in 2020. Only three months later, he tragically died in a house fire at the age of 46. When he passed away, the value of his estate was estimated to be approximately $840 million.
Hsieh’s untimely death was even more devastating as he never created an estate plan to manage his vast fortune. This caused tremendous chaos and uncertainty for his family, friends, and business partners. Without a properly executed and functioning estate plan, his affairs would be subject to the intestate laws of Nevada, his state of residence.
Hsieh never married, nor had children. So, there was also the possibility that with no heirs, the state law would dictate that the State of Nevada claims his property. Fortunately, his parents were alive and he had siblings. Hsieh’s estate eventually passed to his parents, but the process was painful, expensive, time-consuming, and embarrassing. Others close to Hsieh, who believed he would have channeled some assets to them, were left empty handed.
Nearly his entire estate was likely subject to the onerous federal estate tax of 40%, which would be hundreds of millions of dollars, but with proper planning could have been mitigated.
Whether his lack of planning is due to his feeling of invincibility, fear, or general procrastination, we’ll never know. However, Hsieh would certainly have preferred to have a say in the disposition of his assets, instead of being subjected to intestate laws.
While the financial consequences of Hsieh’s poor planning were significant, his situation is not unique. More than half of adults in the United States don’t have Estate Planning. They do not have a Will, Trust or Powers of Attorney.
Most people do not have an estate value comparable to Tony Hsieh’s, however the effects of poor planning can be as devastating to your family should you fail to adequately prepare. Contact the lawyers at Chauvel & Glatt to put a plan in place.
This material in this article, provided by Chauvel & Glatt, is designed to provide informative and current information as of the date of the post. It should not be considered, nor is it intended to constitute legal advice. For information on your particular circumstances, please contact Chauvel & Glatt at 650-573-9500 for legal assistance near you. (photo credit: Depositphotos.com)
- Employment Law
Posted in: News
Today, April 1, 2024, the minimum wage for employees working for National Fast Food Chains has increased to $20 per hour. Under this law (AB 1228), National Fast Food chains are defined as limited-service restaurants consisting of more than 60 establishments nationally, that share a common brand, or that are characterized by standardized options for decor, marketing, packaging, products, and services, and which are primarily engaged in providing food and beverages for immediate consumption on or off premises where patrons generally order, or select items, and pay before consuming, with limited or no table service.
This is not the last time we will see the minimum wage increase for fast food employees. The minimum wage for fast food employees will likely increase each year on January 1st moving forward by no more than 3.5%. Any minimum wage increase will be determined by the Fast Food Council. The Food Council is made up of 9 voting members, including representatives from various sectors of the fast food industry, fast food restaurant franchisees or restaurant owners, fast food restaurant employees, advocates for fast food restaurant employees, and a neutral chairperson. In addition to the increases to minimum wage, the Fast Food Council will also provide recommendations to the Department of Industrial Relations related to workplace standards.
While there are exceptions to this law, the question is why only fast food chains, like McDonalds? Why not a Panera (well they fall under one of the exemptions due to their classification as a “bakery”)? But really, how do you pick one employer over the over. This is just another reminder that the arbitrary and challenging employment laws in California make it difficult for Employers to run their businesses California Labor compliant. It also makes California companies breeding grounds for wage & hour lawsuits. As a result, it is crucial for employers who have National Fast Food Chains in California to stay up to date with minimum wage requirements and other workplace recommendations made by the Fast Food Council to ensure CA Labor Law Compliance. For more information, contact the Employer Lawyers at Chauvel & Glatt.
This material in this article, provided by Chauvel & Glatt, is designed to provide informative and current information as of the date of the post. It should not be considered, nor is it intended to constitute legal advice. For information on your particular circumstances, please contact Chauvel & Glatt at 650-573-9500 for legal assistance near you.
- Employment Law
Posted in: News
The California Division of Occupational Safety & Health (CAL/OSHA) exists to protect and improve the health & safety of workers across companies, no matter the industry. As you should already know if you run a business, violating CAL/OSHA standards can create expensive problems for your business.
If your business involves your employees working outside for any amount of time, CAL/OSHA has required Employers to have rules in place to ensure that your employees are protected. Since approximately 2006, Employers have been required to have a Heat Illness Prevention Plan in place (which may be part of your Illness & Injury Prevention Plan – required for all companies). Whether it be providing shade, ensuring fresh and suitably cool water is available free of charge or cool down periods, as just some examples, Employers need to know these rules, especially as summer is soon approaching.
But did you know that since 2016, while California passed legislation for indoor workers, CAL/OSHA has only finally drafted clear standards and rules to ensure the temperatures indoors also meets certain standards. These standards would apply across all industries but specifically hit industries such as restaurants (think of those hot kitchens) or warehouses just as examples. Why? As global warming increases the temperatures, there are more reported cases of heat illness indoors. We are seeing companies on their own, implement air conditioning or cooling stations.
Still, at a meeting last week CAL/OSHA is still seeing pushback from the Department of Finance, due to costs of cooling indoor facilities to the state, think correcotional facilities or other indoor state run facilities. So while CAL/OSHA is finally ready to move forward, it is unclear when these regulations will actually be voted on and move forward toward enforcement. But do not wait. We are seeing companies, on their own, implement air conditioning or cooling stations indoors as well. Your workers need to be protected and there is significant liability for you, the employer, for not doing so.
If you run a business and are unclear how to protect your workers, or you do not know, or have, an Illness & Injury Prevention Plan, contact the Employer Lawyers at Chauvel & Glatt.
This material in this article, provided by Chauvel & Glatt, is designed to provide informative and current information as of the date of the post. It should not be considered, nor is it intended to constitute legal advice. For information on your particular circumstances, please contact Chauvel & Glatt at 650-573-9500 for legal assistance near you.
