November 20, 2013- Partner Nitasha Sawhney spoke at the White House Commemoration of the birth of Guru Nanak, the first Sikh Guru. Ms. Sawhney is the Board Co-Chair of South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) and a commissioner of the California Commission on Asian Pacific Islander Affairs. She was one of four Sikh [...]
The latest Employment Law & Litigation Committee Newsletter for the American Bar Association features an article written by our own Nadia Bermudez and Chaka Okadigbo. The article, on religious accommodations in the workplace, cites two recent federal court rulings that highlight the difficulty in defining religion in federal religious discrimination cases. The article [...]
Partner Nitasha Sawhney participated in the first Town Hall hearing on the State of Filipino Americans in California. The town hall was convened by Assembly member Rob Bonta, along with the Asian & Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus and the California Commission on Asian & Pacific Islander American Affairs on October 25, 2013. The [...]
On October 11, 2013, Nadia P. Bermudez was appointed to serve as Southern California Regional Vice President of La Raza Lawyers Association of California, a state-wide organization and network supporting Chicano/a and Latino/a lawyer groups. “I look forward to participating in the La Raza Lawyers organization on a state-wide level as a strong [...]
Governor Brown recently signed Assembly Bill 570 which will require changes to school district policies regarding student enrollment in continuation schools beginning January 1, 2014. Continuation high schools provide opportunities for students to complete academic courses required to graduate from high school within a program of instruction that emphasizes occupational training and supports [...]
A California appellate court recently held that an employer may be responsible for a drunk driving collision that transpired following a non-mandatory company party where an employee imbibed excessive alcohol. Purton v. Marriott Int'l, Inc., No. D060475 (Cal. Ct. App. Jul. 31, 2013). What was intended to be a celebratory event thanking employees [...]
Assembly Bill 1266 (“School Success and Opportunity Act”) was signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown on Monday, August 12, 2013. AB 1266 amends Education Code Section 221.5 to expressly allow transgender students the right to participate in school groups, including school sports and use facilities that correspond with their expressed gender identification. [...]
Unpaid Intern? Not So Fast Says Court By Nadia P. Bermudez As unpaid internships have gained popularity among the unemployed, a recent ruling may impact the continuance of such internship programs in the private sector. Earlier this week, a New York district court judge ruled that Fox Searchlight Pictures violated labor laws after [...]
Garcia, Hernández, Sawhney & Bermudez Partner Nadia Bermudez and Senior Associate Eran Bermudez were the featured speakers at the Imperial County Human Resources Association’s monthly luncheon. They presented a workshop entitled "Disability Discrimination and Accommodation: Navigating the Complex Currents of California Employment Law.” The presentation included a refresher course of the basics of [...]
Leah Smith, a cum laude graduate of William & Mary School of Law, has joined Garcia, Hernández, Sawhney & Bermudez, LLP as an associate in the San Francisco Bay Area office. Smith will become part of the firm’s education law practice and serving its many school district and public agency clients. She brings [...]
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