Wood, Smith, Henning & Berman LLP

In a recent significant decision, Stone v. Alameda Health System, the Supreme Court of California ruled that public employers are not subject to civil penalties under California’s Private Attorneys General Act of 2004 (PAGA). The court clarified that California meal and rest break laws do not apply to public agencies and that the definition of “municipal corporation” includes all public employers. The ruling overturned prior appellate court decisions and clarified that public entities are not subject to PAGA actions for civil penalties. ? Partners Keith E. Smith and Ahllam Berri from Wood, Smith, Henning & Berman LLP explore this case and its importance for public employers across California in an article published in CLM Magazine. ? You can read the article here: https://lnkd.in/gSBcWXgT. ? #WSHB #CLM #CLMMagazine #PAGA #CaliforniaLaw #EmploymentLaw #ThoughtLeadership CLM Alliance (Claims and Litigation Management Alliance)

Congratulations to Aaron Cruz, senior counsel, for being named to the 2024 Connecticut Super Lawyers "Rising Stars" list. This marks Aaron's second consecutive year of being recognized for his work as a general litigation attorney in West Hartford, Connecticut. ???? #WSHB #WSHBConnecticut #WSHBSuperStarLawyers #SuperLawyers #RisingStars #LitigationAttorneys #TrialAttorneys

Join our team! WSHB's Ventura County office is looking for talented and highly motivated individuals with civil litigation experience. We are offering the opportunity to work in a variety of practice areas, including professional liability, complex torts, catastrophic injury, construction defect, employment, habitability, medical negligence, product liability, and more. Build your career with an exceptional team.?Find out more at https://lnkd.in/guKHbMKj.? #WSHB #WSHBVentura #JoinUs #LegalJobs #AttorneyJobs #Litigation #CareersNotJobs #Opportunities #JoinUs

?? ?Stay Ahead of the Curve in the Legal World!??? ? In an ever-evolving landscape, keeping informed about emerging trends, new cases, and significant developments is crucial for the defense bar.? ? Subscribe to our critically acclaimed publication,?The Legal Insider, and gain exclusive insights that will both empower and enhance your expertise. Join a community of forward-thinking professionals from #WSHB committed to staying informed and making an impact. ?? Subscribe today at https://lnkd.in/dY-pS8-h. ? #TrialAttorneys #ThoughtLeadership #LegalInsights #DefenseBar #StayInformed #WSHBLaw #LegalTrends #ENewsletter #LawProfessionals #EmergingTrends #LegalCommunity?

Over the weekend, WSHB's Las Vegas office showed dedication to the legal community and its local law school (William S. Boyd School of Law, University of Nevada-Las Vegas). Three of our attorneys, who are Boyd alums, participated in the Clark County Bar Association & Boyd School of Law's Client Counseling Competition. Associate Alexandra Matloff organized the competition as part of her duties as co-chair of the CCBA's New Lawyers Committee, and she also served as a judge, along with associate Christopher Harmon and partner Cheryl Grames. The Client Counseling Competition offers first-year law students the chance to have a mock initial consultation with a client, and the students receive personalized feedback from local attorneys on how well they elicited information and established rapport with the client. The next event is the Moot Court Competition in the spring of 2025. WSHB attorneys will continue their efforts to strengthen our Las Vegas office's support of the law school and prospective members of the Las Vegas legal community! ????? #WSHB #WSHBLasVegas #BoydSchoolOfLaw #ClientCounselingCompetition #LegalCommunity #LasVegasLegalCommunity #LawSchoolSupport #MootCourtCompetition

We are honored to share WSHB's recognition as one of the top 10 leading law firms in Law360's annual Diversity Snapshot. This year's recognition is especially significant due to a general slowdown in the diversification of attorney ranks across the industry. Despite this trend, WSHB has continued to make significant strides. Law360's pipeline score calculation, which is the basis of the Diversity Snapshot rankings, evaluates firms across multiple metrics. Our firm excelled in several categories among firms with 251 to 600 attorneys. ?#WSHB #DiversityandInclusion #LawFirmExcellence #DiversitySnapshot #LegalIndustry #Law360 #DiversityInLaw #AttorneyDiversity #LawFirmDiversity

Our New York City office is celebrating yet another win in a complex case involving New York's contentious Labor Law! This win underscores the firm's strategic ability to set up cases for success through powerful law in motion practice. ? The case centered around a plaintiff's motion for Labor Law 240, stemming from an incident where the plaintiff fell 20 feet. In our moving papers, WSHB successfully established a genuine issue of fact regarding the alleged violation of Labor Law 240. Our detailed analysis and compelling arguments led to the dismissal of all Labor Law 200 and general negligence claims against the client, demonstrating that the client bore no actual negligence in the incident. Congratulations James P. Tyrie, Charlene Lanez-Sharma, and Matthew Lavoie on a great result!????? #WSHB #WSHBWin #WSHBNewYork #LegalSuccess #LaborLaw #LawInMotion #CaseSuccess #CaseWin #TeamWork Wood, Smith, Henning & Berman LLP

?? Leadership in action! Congratulations to Melissa Osio Martinez, WSHB’s Rio Grande Valley Managing Partner, on being elected as Chair of the State Bar of Texas Diversity in the Profession Committee! We look forward to witnessing the significant impact that Melissa and Vice-Chair Justin Diaz will make. #WSHB #TrialAttorneys #SBOTDiversity #DiversityinLaw #LawFirmDiversity #DiversityInTheProfession #HispanicLawyers #CommunityLeadership #ProudMoment #WomenInLeadership #LegalInnovation #EmpoweringDiversity #Trailblazer #Inspiration #CommunityChampion #LegacyOfExcellence #ReachingHigher

???? **Victory Alert!** ??? ?? We proudly announce that the Kings County Superior Court has granted summary judgment in favor of our client, a leading equipment manufacturer in the meat packing industry, in a products liability case. This decision comes after a tragic incident where the plaintiff lost a limb while sanitizing equipment, seeking a staggering $26 million from all parties involved. ? Our team was brought in as the third defense firm just six months before trial. With exceptional strategy and determination, Fresno office managing partner Patrick Schoenburg and senior counsel David Benton quickly developed a robust defense, highlighting evidence of product alteration, misuse, and insufficient causation related to alleged failures to warn. After a pivotal deposition, we successfully proved our client’s non-liability.? ? Bravo to Patrick and David for their exceptional result! ? ?? Discover more about this case at?https://lnkd.in/gPwusRTt. ? #WSHB #WSHBFresno #LegalVictory #ProductsLiability #JusticeServed #Teamwork #ClientSuccess #LegalExcellence #ClientVictory #TrialLawyers #TrialAttorneys #MSJWin #DefenseStrategy

We proudly announce that the Los Angeles Business Journal has recognized us as one of the 2024 Most Admired Law Firms to Work For. This recognition celebrates law firms that are actively working to create diverse, positive, and supportive environments that contribute to the success of their attorneys and staff. This award reflects WSHB's dedication to nurturing a culture of excellence, collaboration, and innovation. We thank the Los Angeles Business Journal for this recognition and our entire team for their invaluable contributions to our firm's ongoing success. The full list of honorees can be found at https://lnkd.in/g_AcyNdz.????? #WSHB #LABJ #MostAdmiredLawFirms?