Lang, Richert & Patch is pleased to announce that six of the firm’s attorneys have been honored as “Northern California Super Lawyers” by Law and Politics, a publication of San Francisco magazine. The honor, awarded by a peer selection process, is given only to the top five percent of all lawyers in Northern California. Those selected represent the strong and diverse litigation and business law strengths of the firm.
Employers Required to Complete Sexual Harassment Training
August 15, 2005 By
By Charles Trudrung Taylor
Lang, Richert and Patch
Last year, Governor Schwarzenegger signed into law AB 1825, a bill mandating sexual harassment training for supervisory employees every two years. The new law provides that by January 1, 2006 all employers with 50 or more employees must provide at least two hours of sexual harassment training to supervisory employees. Although employers may resent initial costs and burdens of implementing training programs, this preventative law aims to reduce sexual harassment in the workplace, thereby saving employers money in the long run by reducing the number of costly lawsuits.
Firm Sponsors Community Food Bank
August 15, 2005 By
Lang, Richert & Patch is pleased to announce that it has teamed up with Community Food Bank as one of its primary corporate sponsors. The Food Bank has been preventing hunger and malnutrition throughout the Central Valley since 1992. Community Food Bank is currently partnered with over 160 local agencies which directly serve 80,000 people each month. These agencies include food pantries, residential shelters, community kitchens, and adult and child day care centers and before and after school programs.
Schiavo Case Illustrates Need for Healthcare Directives
August 15, 2005 By
By Douglas E. Griffin
Lang, Richert and Patch
Many readers are likely familiar with the Terri Schaivo case and the controversy surrounding it. The basic controversy was over whether Ms. Schiavo was “brain dead” or disabled. Despite court findings that her brain was not working (based on medical evidence) and that she did not wish to be kept alive under the circumstances, her parents strongly contended that she was disabled and not beyond hope. Her husband, however, contended that his wife had told him that she did not want to be kept alive artificially if her brain was not functioning.
Bankruptcy Reform Act Aids Creditors in Claims
August 14, 2005 By
By René Lastreto, II
Lang, Richert and Patch
In April 2005, President Bush signed into law the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 (“Reform Act”). Most of the provisions go into effect on October 17, 2005. While the Reform Act contains many changes to consumer bankruptcy law, it also contains significant provisions applicable to business bankruptcy issues.
Injured Parties Must Act Timely in Filing Lawsuit
August 14, 2005 By
By Tracy E. Sagle
Formerly of Lang, Richert and Patch
Many people suffering from personal injuries or other types of damages are unclear about how long they have to file a lawsuit before their ability to prosecute their claims expires. The law recognizes various limitations periods (commonly referred to as the statute of limitations) for the different legal avenues designed to address a legal wrong. While the state legislature has attempted to make these periods clear, a problem that frequently arises is when the limitations period begins to run: is it when the facts giving rise to the lawsuit occurred, or rather when the injured party discovers their injury? Given that the failure to file a lawsuit timely prevents a court from ever considering it (regardless of the merits of the claim), issues surrounding the statute of limitations are of critical importance.