The Veterinary Medical Board (VMB) has proposed a regulatory action to adopt a new section that they believe will better protect animal patients and California consumers. The proposed regulation will allow licensed physical therapists and registered veterinarian technicians to perform animal rehabilitation under the direct supervision of a veterinarian. Currently, Read more…
What happens when a witness you subpoena to testify at your licensing defense hearing does not show up? A subpoena is used to compel attendance at a hearing, and a subpoena duces tecum is used to compel production of documents at any reasonable time and place or at a hearing. Read more…
Federal law bars anyone who has been convicted of a felony involving dishonesty or breach of trust from willfully engaging in or participating in the business of insurance. It is a criminal offense, found under the the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, Title 18, United States Code, Read more…
Time clock rounding is legal under federal and California law. Time clock rounding is the practice of adjusting raw employee punch-in and punch-out times to a standardized, nearest time increment. It is typically justified as a way to simplify payroll calculations or to provide a minimal amount of time warranted for completing recognizable Read more…
Rules 26b and 34 of the Federal Rules of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure instruct that information stored on computers is discoverable under the same rules that apply to tangible, written materials.[1] According to Principle 12 of The Sedona Principles:[2] Absent party agreement or court order specifying the form or Read more…
Overtime pyramiding is the (often mistaken) practice of counting the same hours against two different overtime limits. The most common example of overtime pyramiding is using hours that have been counted against daily overtime to calculate a weekly overtime limit. This is especially common because daily overtime is usually a Read more…
Transgender people are employed in every industry and profession throughout the country, and deserve a safe and inclusive workplace. Transgender coworkers do not expect any special treatment. They simply want to be respected. Although employment discrimination based on gender identity is illegal almost everywhere, many transgender people still face harassment and unfair treatment on the job. Helping to ensure that Read more…
A lawyer walks into a bar… While that is the title of a 2007 independent film about lawyers, law school, and the California Bar exam, it also relates to a very serious problem that has been brought to light. Attorneys are more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol than any Read more…
In the age of the Internet, it is imperative that any professional licensed by the State of California, from an accountant or contractor to a physician or physical therapist, look himself or herself up on the licensing board’s website on an occasional and frequent basis. The Department of Consumer Affairs–which Read more…
As one of California’s leading law firms representing licensed professionals and healthcare professionals throughout the State, Simas & Associates, Ltd. has and does represent physicians, accountants, contractors, veterinarians, and many other licensed professionals in hundreds of investigations throughout our many years of practice. Because this issue arises frequently, this blog is Read more…