Schneiders & Associates, L.L.P. Welcomes Experienced Litigation Attorney Georgianna Pennington Regnier to the Firm

Ventura County business law firm Schneiders & Associates, L.L.P. welcomes attorney Georgianna Pennington Regnier to the firm. Georgianna practices in the areas of business and civil litigation, employment law in State and Federal courts and in administrative forums with an emphasis on Federal Civilian Employees. Georgianna will be joining Attorney Kathleen Smith at Schneiders & Associates, L.L.P., in the firm’s litigation practice. Kathi comments on the expansion of the firm’s litigation team, “I am enthusiastic about the new opportunity to work with Georgianna. Georgie is an outstanding attorney who is widely respected for practicing civil litigation in our courts for decades, and will enhance the firm’s exemplary complex litigation practice . The growth in our litigation department is an energizing increase in strength for our clients.”

Georgianna is experienced in dispute resolution and served as a court appointed arbitrator and as Pro Tem Mandatory Settlement Conference Judge for many years. She recently prevailed before the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on appeal from a United States Federal Court of Claims judgment. Georgianna has prevailed on groundbreaking federal anti-discrimination cases and was awarded $2,200,000 in a sexual abuse trial.

Georgianna’s license to practice extends from all California courts to Washington, D.C.  She also advises non-profit charitable corporations and serves as general counsel on various local and international boards.

Georgianna also serves as general counsel for the family owned corporation she co-founded−managing trademarks, contracts and corporate matters and overseeing operations.

Schneiders & Associates, L.L.P. is a multi service law firm successfully counseling individual and business clients in matters relating to business transactions, business litigation, employment law, estate planning, real estate law, bankruptcy, non-profit law, homeowners associations, family law, intellectual property, and land use and entitlements. For more information on Schneiders & Associates, LLP, please contact us through www.rstlegal.com or call (805) 764-6370.

 

Ventura County Employment Law Attorney, Ted Schneider, Comments on the New Federal Overtime Rules Issued May 18, 2016 under the Fair Labor Standards Act

By: Ted Schneider, Esq.

On Wednesday, May 18th, the U.S. Department of Labor released their final overtime rules under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Salary

Under the new rules, effective December 1, 2016, the annual salary threshold at which an employee in California can be considered exempt from overtime pay will be substantially increased from $41,600 to $47,476, or $913 per week. An employee must be paid a predetermined and fixed amount that is no less than the new threshold. The changes will affect 4.2 million workers nationwide, doubling the annual salary threshold in some states.

The Labor Department set the standard salary level at the 40th percentile of earnings of full-time salaried workers in the lowest-wage census region.  The final rule includes a mechanism to automatically update the salary level requirement every three years to ensure that it remains a meaningful test for distinguishing between overtime-protected white collar workers and workers who may not be entitled to overtime pay and to provide predictability and more graduated salary changes for employers. The Department last updated these regulations in 2004, when it set the weekly salary level at $455 ($23,660 annually).

Duties

The final rule is not changing any of the existing job duty requirements to qualify for exemption.  It is important to note that salary alone does not determine whether a worker is exempt from overtime pay.  Employers must also consider the duties of the worker and how much independent discretion they have to exercise in their duties including hiring, firing, managing, and supervising.

In addition to earning at least the new salary threshold, in California, qualifying “executive, administrative, or professional” duties must be the majority of a worker’s duties in order for the employee to be exempt from overtime pay.

While employers have some time to prepare, it is important they make sure that they’re properly classifying and paying employees, and tracking time accurately. The attorneys at Schneiders & Associates can deliver legal guidance on this and other wage and hour questions any California employer may have.

Bonuses

The Final Rule amends the salary basis test to allow employers to use nondiscretionary bonuses and incentive payments (including commissions) to satisfy up to 10 percent of the new standard salary level.

Side Affects

Many employers already struggle with overtime costs. These rule changes affect wage and hour compliance for businesses of all sizes and can have a significant impact on their labor costs.

With the substantial increase in the number of employees eligible for overtime, it’s more important than ever for employers in California to examine their compliance with wage and hour laws. The experienced employment law attorneys at Schneiders & Associates, LLP advise employers on complex wage and hour issues.

For more information about Schneiders & Associates, LLP Employment Law services, visit our website at www.rstlegal.com. Interested clients may also contact info@rstlegal.com to schedule an appointment with an employment law attorney in our Oxnard, CA office.

Firm Receives Certificate of Appreciation from Alliance for Linked Learning

Schneiders & Associates, LLP participated in a National Job Shadow Day for the Alliance for Linked Learning sponsored by Ventura County Civic Alliance and Oxnard Union High School District. The firm hosted two high school students from the Oxnard High School Multi-Media Business Academy.

The students, one aspiring to be a business professional, and the other an English teacher, shadowed Attorney Kathleen Smith, Attorney William Starr, Finance Controller David Schneider, and Marketing Director Amber Waring. Shadowing multiple team members allowed the students to learn about the multiple operating functions of a business; including legal, finance, marketing, and office management.

The firm was pleased to accept the Certificate of Appreciation, and looks forward to continually serving the community.

 

 

William Winfield, Esq. Presented “Big 10 Cases of Interest to Bankers.”

Last month, Board Certified Bankruptcy Attorney William Winfield presented “Big 10 Cases of Interest to Bankers” to the Risk Management Association in Oxnard.

The presentation included lessons on Chapter 13, Records Withholding, Denied Debtors, Side Agreements between Banks and Borrowers, Fraud Claims, Foreclosure, Negligent Reviews, Homestead Exemption, and more.

Need a speaker? Schneiders & Associates Attorneys speak on a number of different topics to clients, businesses, chambers of commerce, non-profits, trade associations, and more. Contact Marketing & Client Relations Director, Amber Waring, at info@rstlegal.com.

Firm Adds Experienced Bankruptcy Law Attorney

We are pleased to announce that William E. Winfield has joined the firm. Bill is Board Certified in Business Bankruptcy by the American Board of Certification. Bill practices in the areas of general business law, civil litigation, real property, landlord/tenant, securities, oil and gas, bankruptcy and creditor/debtor rights. He also accepts Court appointments as a Receiver. Bill is a mediator for the United States Bankruptcy Court. He has served as a Visiting Deputy District Attorney for the County of Ventura. In addition, has been an arbitrator for FINRA and the Ventura County Superior Court, where he also served as a visiting judge.

Bill is the author of “Rejection of Non-Residential Leases of Real Property in Bankruptcy: What Happens to the Mortgagees’ Security Interest” published in the April 1990 Pepperdine Law Review.

He is admitted to the United States District Court, Central, Southern, Eastern and Northern Districts of California, the United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court.

A few of Bill’s affiliations include the Ventura County Bar Association (Chairman, Bankruptcy Section, 1994-1998), the California Bankruptcy Forum, the Los Angeles Bankruptcy Forum, the Commercial Law League of America and the American Bankruptcy Institute.

He received his legal education at the University of Utah (J.D. 1985), where he was a member of the Utah Law Review (1984-1985) and Journal of Contemporary Law (1983-1984) and is a graduate of Brigham Young University (B.A. 1982).

Bill was born in Port Hueneme, California and currently resides in Ventura.

Firm Adds Transactional & Litigation Associate

Schneiders & Associates, L.L.P. is pleased to announce that William “Billy” Starr has joined the firm as an associate to assist the transactional and litigation departments of the firm.  William is a graduate of Indiana University School of Law, Cum Laude. He joins the firm after having worked for the Ventura County Counsel’s Office and as special counsel for the Compliance Department of Casa Pacifica in Camarillo.  William is involved in his community as an active member of the Camarillo Chamber of Commerce and President of his local Toastmaster’s Chapter.

Ted J. Schneider, Esq. Elected to the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme Board of Directors

Schneiders & Associates, L.L.P. is pleased to announce that the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme (BGCOP) has elected Ted J. Schneider, Esq. to serve on its board of directors. 

BGCOP is a non-profit human services organization dedicated to helping the youth in our community reach their fullest potential through a positive environment, lifelong learning, and quality programs dedicated to the arts, education, character and leadership development, health and recreation.

Ted practices in the areas of business and corporate transactions, employment, real estate, public law and homeowners associations.

Ted also serves on the board of directors of the Ventura County Community Development Corporation and the Economic Development Corporation of Oxnard.

Ted J. Schneider Requested to Speak for PIHRA-Burbank/Glendale Chapter

Ted J. Schneider, Esq. will present “Religious Accommodation:; Do Employers Have a Prayer?” for the Professionals in Human Resources Association (PIHRA) Burbank/Glendale Chapter’s monthly lunch meeting on Tuesday, March 24th at the Pickwick Gardens Conference Center, 1001 Riverside Dr Burbank, CA 91506 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Ted will share numerous strategies that HR professionals can implement to ensure their organizations get their work done, while being supportive of their employee’s religious beliefs, including sharing case studies and examples.

$35 Members/ $50 Non-Members before 3/20.

For more information and to register, visit www.pihra.org.

Kathi Smith Elected as President of the Women Lawyers of Ventura County

We are pleased to announce that our litigation attorney, Kathi Smith, has been elected as the 2015 President of Women Lawyers of Ventura County (WLVC).  Kathi served as the Program’s Chair from 2011 to 2014 for the organization. 

WLVC is a non-profit organization comprised of legal professionals and business partners who work towards furthering the aims of women and girls in society through education, social activism and networking activities.

Kathi is an experienced civil litigation attorney with a proven track record of success in trial and in settling cases. She handles litigation cases involving employment, business, real property, trademark disputes, class action defense, trust and probate, and homeowners’ association law. In addition to adeptly navigating complex litigation procedures, Kathi is well versed in the substantive law, and advises clients on how to prevent lawsuits.

Kathi also served on the Ojai Unified School District Board of Trustees from 1998 to 2014 and was a member of the Executive Board to the Ventura School Boards Association from 2008 to 2014.