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In this podcast, Robert Rodriguez (Sacramento) and Tom Bellifemine (Morristown) explore how employers can use restraining orders and injunctive relief as proactive tools to protect their workplaces from violence and disruptive behavior. Tom and Robert, who co-chairs the firm’s Workplace Violence Prevention Practice Group, highlight key differences in the legal mechanisms available across jurisdictions, contrasting California’s well-defined statutory process with the civil litigation strategies employers must rely on in states like New York and New Jersey. The speakers offer practical insights into when and how to pursue protective orders, the role of judicial discretion, and why early action is critical to safeguarding employees and business operations.

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In the fifth and final episode of this five-part podcast series, Karen Tynan (shareholder, Sacramento) and Robert Rodriguez (shareholder, Sacramento), who are co-chairs of Ogletree’s Workplace Violence Prevention Practice Group, discuss how employers can build a high reliability workplace violence prevention program that goes beyond basic compliance to become an integral part of company culture. Karen, who is also chair of the Workplace Safety and Health Practice Group, and Robert cover practical strategies including leadership engagement, effective employee communication and reporting systems, meaningful metrics, proper documentation practices, and stress-testing plans through tabletop exercises and drills.

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In the fourth part of this five-part podcast series, Karen Tynan (shareholder, Sacramento) and Robert Rodriguez (shareholder, Sacramento), who are co-chairs of Ogletree’s Workplace Violence Prevention Practice Group, discuss how California’s SB 553 workplace violence prevention law applies to law enforcement agencies. Karen, who is also chair of the Workplace Safety and Health Practice Group, and Robert explain the three-prong exemption available to qualifying law enforcement agencies—including POST compliance and adherence to Cal/OSHA’s IIPP regulation under Section 3203—and address the practical challenges agencies may face in proving they meet these requirements during an inspection.

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In this episode of our Cross-Border Catch-Up podcast series, Shirin Aboujawde (New York/London) and Maya Barba (San Francisco) discuss the 2025 Model Tax Convention update from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and its implications for employers managing cross-border remote work. Maya and Shirin explain the new two-part framework for determining when an employee’s remote work location creates a taxable permanent establishment, including the 50 percent working time safe harbor and the qualitative commercial reason test. The speakers also provide practical compliance steps for multinational employers as they address tax, social security, and global mobility issues in an increasingly borderless workforce.

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In the second episode of this two-part series of our Cross-Border Catch-Up podcasts, Lina Fernandez (Boston) and Samantha Duncan (Washington) continue their conversation on HR self-audits by exploring how to localize global audit frameworks for specific jurisdictions. Samantha and Lina highlight the country-specific compliance nuances in Mexico, Australia, and the Dominican Republic, emphasizing the importance of tailored local addenda to identify issues that global policies may overlook. The episode concludes with practical tips on triaging audit findings into immediate, medium-term, and long-term remediation strategies.

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In the third part of this five-part podcast series, Karen Tynan (shareholder, Sacramento) and Robert Rodriguez (shareholder, Sacramento), who are co-chairs of Ogletree’s Workplace Violence Prevention Practice Group, examine the exemptions to California’s workplace violence prevention law, SB 553. Karen, who is also chair of the Workplace Safety and Health Practice Group, and Robert cover key exemptions for healthcare facilities, law enforcement agencies, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, teleworking employees, and the often-misunderstood “small business” exemption—which requires fewer than 10 employees, no public access, and IIPP compliance. The speakers also explain that employers bear the burden of proving any exemption as an affirmative defense.

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In part one of this two-part episode of our Cross-Border Catch-Up podcast series, Samantha Duncan (Washington) and Lina Fernandez (Boston) discuss the importance of conducting global HR self-audits and best practices for developing a unified audit framework that can be scaled across multiple jurisdictions. The speakers explore key timing considerations for audits and outline the essential topics these audits should cover—from pre-employment screenings and hiring practices to day-to-day operations, compensation, and termination procedures.

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In this podcast, shareholders Meagan Dziura (Raleigh) and Kara Lancaster (Raleigh) discuss the results of this year’s H-1B lottery. Kara and Meagan highlight a major change: the introduction of a wage-weighted selection system, which gives higher-paid workers better odds of being selected. They also provide tips for employers on what actions to take now, from filing petitions for selected employees to developing contingency plans—such as considering alternative visa options—for those who weren’t chosen.

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In this podcast, shareholders Kevin Bland (Orange County) and Karen Tynan (Sacramento), who is chair of the firm’s Workplace Safety and Health Practice Group, discuss the strict 15-working-day deadline for filing Cal/OSHA appeals. Karen and Kevin explain why California’s administrative process offers little room for excuses—unlike civil litigation, there is no excusable neglect doctrine. The speakers share practical tips for avoiding late appeals, highlight common pitfalls such as citations being sent to the wrong address or filed incorrectly, and review a 2025 Appeals Board decision that provides a narrow exception where attorney miscommunication caused an untimely filing.