Client Conversations, the Role of the Donor Advisor
March 25, 2010
On March 16, 2010, Lanier Thomas, head of the firm’s Wealth Management team, presented “Client Conversations, the Role of the Donor Advisor,” to the Deans and Associate Deans of the various colleges at California State University, Fresno. The talk focused on communication skills and techniques designed to help donors clarify their passions and purpose in giving. Topics included basics of planned giving strategies and the current thinking from the planned giving community on strategic philanthropy.
Lang Richert & Patch Leads Central Valley Law Firms in Growing Green.
March 9, 2010
It started with a simple decision to switch from buying bottled water to installing a filtered water system. Today Lang, Richert and Patch has adopted a series of environmentally friendly policies that led it to become the first private law firm based in the Central Valley to be recognized by the ABA as a Partner in their Climate Challenge program.
“We have learned that going green today can mean saving green” said partner, Robert Patch II. Lang, Richert and Patch has shown that you can reduce your carbon footprint without installing costly solar roofing shingles and wind turbines. Implementing greener paper management protocols and reducing energy-use are two economical ways to go-green.
Paper Management
Given the paper-intensive nature of practicing law, Lang, Richert & Patch has focused on adopting greener paper management. “Along with recycling over ninety percent of our mixed waste paper, we have adopted a policy to only use paper products that are made with at least 30% recycled content. We also encourage employees to print all internal documents double sided to reduce paper consumption,” said Rene Lastreto, a partner of Lang, Richert and Patch. By embracing green practices, Lang, Richert & Patch is making a commitment to lead the Central Valley as a steward of the environment and hopes that other law firms and other businesses will follow suit.
Reducing Energy Use
Small businesses pay more for energy than big businesses, and adopting green practices can dramatically reduce energy costs. Simple things like replacing traditional light bulbs, regularly servicing heating and air conditioning, or installing motion sensor lights can cut energy bills by 20% to 30%. Replacing office equipment? Make sure to get Energy Star compliant models with “sleep mode” to reduce energy when not in use. Green policies don’t have to be complex or burdensome. To get the attorneys and staff in your office to become more environmentally conscious, start with something simple: turn off the lights when you leave. This includes when you leave for lunch – a novel concept that eliminates hundreds of hours of unnecessary energy consumption every week.
Lang, Richert and Patch has already seen the intangible benefits of going green. For one it breeds loyalty. “Our employees appreciate our efforts – they want to work for companies who are socially responsible,” said Mr. Patch. The firm has also found greenness is a valuable tool for recruiting young, talented attorneys who have made it clear that environmental consciousness is a factor in their decision making. “In order to get the best and brightest recruits, we have to keep pace with the eco-friendly firms in the Bay Area and Los Angeles” said Mr. Patch. Moreover, sophisticated clients and large corporate clients, who already have green policies, expect their outside counsel to adopt environmentally friendly practices. Like their corporate clients, Lang, Richert and Patch is discovering that taking steps that are good for the environment can also be good for the bottom line.
It won’t be long before we will all drive to work in an energy efficient car, enter our environmentally-friendly “LEED”certified building, and transact business in a paperless environment. In the meantime, Central Valley law firms and other businesses should follow the leadership of Lang, Richert and Patch and implement environmentally friendly policies that can help business and save money.
A Trend Toward Harmonizing Reasonable Accommodation and Interactive Process Claims Under the FEHA and ADA?
February 2, 2009
Nadaf-Rahrov v. Neiman Marcus Group, Inc., et al.: A Trend Toward Harmonizing Reasonable Accommodation and Interactive Process Claims Under the FEHA and ADA?
The Court of Appeal for the First Appellate District in Nadaf-Rahrov v. Neiman Marcus Group, Inc., et al. (Sept. 10, 2008, Cal. Ct. App. 1st) __ Cal.App.4th __ [2008 DJDAR14314] held the federal definition of “reasonable accommodation” applies to disability-based discrimination claims under California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act, Government Code section 12940 et seq. (the “FEHA”), perpetuating a split among California Courts of Appeal regarding the scope of protections available under the FEHA to qualified disabled workers. The following holdings are of particular significance.
Court of Appeal Rules Employers Must Only Provide Meal and Rest Breaks
November 17, 2008
Update: The Supreme Court Agrees To Hear Case Ruling Employers Must Only Provide Meal and Rest Breaks
On October 22, 2008, the California Supreme Court granted review of Brinker Restaurant Corp. v. Superior Court (2008) 165 Cal.App.4th 25. The Court of Appeal found, among other things, that employers need only provide, not ensure, that meal and rest periods are taken. Because the Supreme Court has granted review, the findings by the Court of Appeal are no longer good law and should not be followed.
Original Article Posted Below:
(July 23, 2008) In a decision that will have an impact on the laws governing meal and rest breaks, the 4th District Court of Appeal yesterday ruled that California law requires that employers need only provide meal periods, and, as a result, as with the rest period claims, the plaintiffs’ meal period claims are not amenable to class treatment.
The issue before the court in the case of Brinker Restaurant Corporation et al., v. The Superior Court of San Diego County, is did the trial court err in certifying this matter as a class action without first determining the elements of plaintiffs and real parties in interest against the defendants? [Read more]
Are You In Compliance With The New California Foreclosure Laws?
October 14, 2008
In an effort to “help even more Californians keep the American Dream of homeownership alive,” Governor Schwarzenegger signed SB 1137 into law on July 8, 2008. Taking full effect on September 6, 2008, the new laws have implications for lenders and borrowers alike.
General Counsel to Employees: Think Before You Send
December 10, 2007
Katheryn Hayes Tucker
Fulton County Daily Report
E-discovery rules have caused in-house counsel to take a harder line with some of the e-mails that workers think are private
“Don’t put this in writing, but … ” Those are the opening words of an e-mail that got the writer’s company in legal hot water. And there are plenty more where that came from.
“This is off the record,” started the e-mail that in fact put it all on the record.
How about this one? “We may be in breach of contract, and here’s why.”
These examples of troublesome e-mails general counsel say they’ve run across don’t include the countless off color so-called jokes forwarded to contact lists of colleagues, interested or not, or links to Web sites that are definitely not part of a corporate job description.