Can the selection of a roommate give rise to a legal claim for discrimination? The Ninth Circuit recently weighed in.

Arbitration agreements in employment agreements may not be enforced, absent special care given by employers when hiring employees.

Although it is common practice among retailers to use form contracts presented to consumers for signing without explanation and without an ability to negotiate any of the terms, a court recently held that an arbitration clause in a form contract for the purchase of a used vehicle was unenforceable.

Homeowners sued their lenders, creatively claiming that the lender had a separate duty to disclose to each of them the lender’s intent to defraud them on their loans.

A California Court of Appeals recently allowed a cat owner to recover $36,000 in vet costs and punitive damages from their neighbors who allegedly shot and injured the cat, rejecting that only the fair market value of the stray cat could be recovered.

A court ruled that a program described by an employer as a sabbatical program can be deemed to be additional vacation time for the employee requiring compensation by the employer.

The Court of Appeal recently found that statements made at a homeowner association meeting immediately before the election of the board of directors could not support a claim for defamation.

In the recent case of Leek v. Cooper (2011) 194 Cal.App.4th 399, the court addressed the issue as to whether or not the sole shareholder of a corporation that was operating a car dealership could be held individually liable for age discrimination on the basis that the sole shareholder had actual control over the affairs of the business.

The Supreme Court held that it is unlawful to terminate an employee who made oral complaints about his employment, the anti-retaliation statute applies both to written and oral complaints.

In California, both the Secretary of State’s office and the Franchise Tax Board have the authority to suspend a California corporation under certain situations.

Just like most marriages, the beginning of most business partnerships are filled with hope, optimism, enthusiasm and a general feeling of future success. Unfortunately, as with some marriages, problems develop over time in partnerships and a dissolution or divorce is needed.

An employer that learns of harassing behavior from a third party must take immediate and appropriate action to correct the situation.