Within the last month, the Veterinary Medical Board (“Board”) elected to close two investigations into veterinarians Simas & Associates, Ltd. represented. In both cases the Board closed the investigation without so much as a letter of education, which is typically the least invasive form of discipline. In these two cases however, Read more
Occasionally, licensees being investigated for potential violations of their respective practice acts are given advanced notice of the investigation by the licensing authority. When providing this notice, the investigating licensee agency may or may not be transparent regarding the nature of the investigation. Specifically, some licensing agencies are quite opaque; Read more
The notion of establishing a wine import business has no doubt crossed the minds of many. Even a California connoisseur, who has enjoyed the robust, delicate, and unique varietals from the world famous wine growing regions of Amador, Carneros, Paso Robles, Napa, Santa Barbara, Sonoma, and Temecula, could easily have Read more
If the plates on which the food is served are not clean, the food received is not hot, or is not as ordered, the patron may be inclined to leave a smaller tip even when the services of the servers and bussers were satisfactory. Likewise, when the meal is delicious, Read more
On March 7, 2017, voters in the County of Sonoma were tasked with deciding whether to authorize the county to impose taxes on commercial marijuana operations in unincorporated areas of the County. Specifically, Measure A asked voters: Shall an ordinance be adopted imposing a cannabis business tax in unincorporated Sonoma Read more
With the legalization of recreational marijuana on the near horizon, the legal topic du jour in administrative law is everything and anything about medical cannabis or recreational marijuana. As such, there are a lot of upcoming conferences attempting to address legal and practical questions about the burgeoning industry. Whether you Read more
The California Medical Association, which represents about 43,000 of the state’s licensed physicians, is working with state Assemblywoman Anna Caballero, D-Salinas, on a new bill, Assembly Bill 505, which would bar the Medical Board of California from entering a settlement agreement placing on probation any physician who has committed "serious Read more
California Supreme Court held today that the California Public Records Act (PRA) law provides the public with a right to emails and other communications, such as text messages, regarding government business written or received by public officials and employees, regardless of whether the communication was done using a private account Read more
On April 20, 2017, Steven L. Simas, owner and founder of Simas & Associates, Ltd., will be serving as one of several presenters for Writs of Administrative Mandamus Demystified: A Step by Step Guide. This day-long seminar is being hosted by Pincus Professional Education. The seminar will be held at the Tsakopoulos Library Read more
All single-user toilet facilities in any California business establishment, place of public accommodation, or state or local government agency must be identified as all-gender toilet facilities. Effective March 1, 2017, a single-user toilet is defined “a toilet facility with no more than one water closet and one urinal with a locking Read more