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We’re excited to announce the latest additions to our legal team: ELENA Q. GERLI, Partner ROBERT KHUU, Partner LONA N. LAYMON, Partner CHRISTY MARIE LOPEZ, Partner CHRIS F. NEUMEYER, Partner YECENIA...
Santa Clarita, CA - A Burke Public Law Litigation team secured summary judgment in favor of the City of Santa Clarita in the Los Angeles Superior Court against Plaintiffs’ alleged claims of...
Los Angeles – A Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP Eminent Domain litigation team obtained a jury verdict in a Los Angeles Superior Court that awarded under six percent above the...
Five Burke Labor & Employment Law attorneys will participate as panelists at the 2024 edition of the California Public Employment and Labor Relations Association (CALPELRA) conference, taking place from November...
Measuring Housing Needs for Seventh Cycle Housing Element- SB 7 As housing becomes an increasingly urgent issue across the State, Senate Bill 7 (“SB 7”) is poised to bring significant...
Navigating Unpermitted ADUs and JADUs - AB 2533 AB 2533 amends Government Code section 66332 most notably by expanding the amnesty provisions by: (1) including JADUs; and (2) modifying the amnesty...
Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP was named by Best Lawyers® to the following National tier rankings in the 2025 United States edition of Best Law Firms®: Land Use and Zoning...
Burke Labor & Employment Practice Group partner and vice-chair Daphne M. Anneet, AWI-CH, was distinguished in the Los Angeles Business Journal Labor & Employment Attorneys Leaders of Influence 2024 special...
On July 18, 2024, Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 1034 into law. SB 1034 was introduced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic as an effort to decrease the burden of...
Local agencies preparing for their next update to rates for water or sewer services, or any assessment, will have an option to implement new rate-setting procedures that will limit litigated...
On September 19, 2024, Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law Senate Bill 937 (“SB 937”), which amended Government Code section 66007 of the Mitigation Fee Act (the “Act”). The Act...
In Sunflower Alliance v. California Department of Conservation, the First Appellate District of the California Court of Appeal reversed a Contra Costa County Superior Court decision granting a petition for writ...
On September 14, 2024, Governor Newsom signed AB 2715, which amends the Ralph M. Brown Act (‘Brown Act”) and allows legislative bodies to hold a closed session about threats relating...
Los Angeles, CA – The Los Angeles County Superior Court issued a Statement of Decision on August 13, 2024 denying Petitioner Friends and Families for MOVE Culver City’s (“Friends and...
A recent California Court of Appeal decision, Nahid Nassiri v. City of Lafayette, et. Al (2024) 103 Cal.App.5th 910 upheld the City of Lafayette’s reliance on a categorial exemption from...
In Westside Los Angeles Neighbors Network v. City of Los Angeles, an appeals court confirmed a trial court’s decision that denied a nonprofit’s California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) challenge to...
On July 25th, 2024, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Executive Order N-1-24 (“Executive Order” or “Order”) into law, ordering state agencies and departments to adopt and prioritize enforcing policies affecting the...
The Attorney General issued a formal opinion on July 24, 2024 that the Americans with Disabilities Act requires public agencies to permit disabled members of a legislative body to remotely...
Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP is pleased to announce that the following firm attorneys have been named to the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®: Brenda Aguilar-Guerrero, Eminent...
Martinez, CA (Business Wire) – A Statement of Decision issued in a civil suit filed in Contra Costa County Superior Court advanced the findings of a unanimous jury verdict previously secured...
Nicole Y. Blohm is a partner in Burke's Los Angeles office and is an experienced litigator in the life, health and disability and ERISA practice area. She defends insurance carriers...
On June 28, 2024, the Supreme Court decided City of Grants Pass, Oregon v. Johnson et al., a case which affects how public agencies may enforce anti-camping ordinances in their...
With a webinar audience exceeding 350 participants, Burke partner Deirdre Joan Cox and associate Tamar M. Burke delivered an insightful analysis and evaluation of the impact of the highly followed...
Burke Public Law Partner Johanna N. Canlas has been recognized by the San Diego Business Journal (SDBJ) in the publication's 'Women of Influence in Law 2024' supplement. SDBJ recognizes those...
Los Angeles - Before joining Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP, Employment Law and Litigation partner Blithe S. Bock had been a public sector attorney for 25 of her 32-year career....
'Dangerous Condition: Recent Case Law' is a Burke Public Law Litigation on demand webinar that focuses on recent cases and holdings in 'dangerous condition' cases involving municipalities in California. Burke...
The Attorney General issued a formal opinion on April 18, 2024 that State of the City addresses held by private organizations are subject to the Brown Act if a quorum...
On May 3, 2024, Public Law Partner Michael Barrett was interviewed Law360 about his recent transition to Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP. The following is the content of that interview....
San Rafael, CA– Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP is pleased to announce that Michael W. Barrett, formerly the City Attorney for the City of Napa, has joined the firm’s Public...
Senate Bill (“SB”) 9—which became effective on January 1, 2022—added sections 65852.21 and 66411.7 to the Government Code to require cities to ministerially approve lot splits and duplexes within single-family...
On April 8, 2024, the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) issued a Final Rule for the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”), which requires local government websites and mobile apps to comply...
The U.S. Supreme Court has again expanded the circumstances in which property owners and developers may present inverse condemnation (takings) challenges to cities’ and counties’ land use decisions. In Sheetz...
Public officials, like many Americans, use social media to communicate. The First Amendment of the United States Constitution prohibits governments and public officials from abridging a person’s freedom of speech....
The Builder’s Remedy is a provision of the Housing Accountability Act (HAA), which limits the ability to condition or deny qualifying housing development projects in jurisdictions that have not adopted...
Justin A. Tamayo, Associate (lead author); Denise S. Bazzano, Partner and Thomas D. Jex , Partner (co-authors) The Court of Appeal held that a city’s code could not provide for...
On October 11, 2023, Governor Newsom signed AB 1633 into law, which became effective January 1, 2024. At its core, AB 1633 expands the Housing Accountability Act (Government Code Section...
Los Angeles, CA – A Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP Law Enforcement Defense Litigation team has been distinguished in the 2024 edition of the Daily Journal’s ‘Top Verdicts’ supplement for...
Assembly Bill 1490 (“AB 1490”) was signed into law on October 11, 2023, and is intended to facilitate the adaptive reuse of existing buildings as well as residential conversion of...
Assembly Bill 1218 (“AB 1218”) became effective on January 1, 2024, and expands the “no net loss” provisions in the Housing Crisis Act of 2019 (“HCA”) that prohibit cities from...
On October 11, 2023, Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law Assembly Bill 821 (“AB 821”) to allow a development project to move forward in a timely manner where the project...
Super Lawyers, an affiliate of Thomson Reuters, has named eight Burke attorneys to its 2024 editions of Rising Stars for California. Maxwell A. Blum, Colleen L. Cleary, Craig A. Kisylia,...
On October 11, 2023, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bills (“AB”) 976, 1033, and 1332 into law. All three bills are effective January 1, 2024, and affect how cities and counties...
On October 11, 2023, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill (“SB”) 4 into law. SB 4, effective January 1, 2024, adds Section 65913.16 to the Government Code, which limits the ability...
On October 8, 2023, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill (“AB”) 965 into law. AB 965, which is effective January 1, 2024, affects how local agencies must process broadband permit applications....
In 2023, Governor Newsom signed into law several bills that will affect California employers starting January 1, 2024. Below is a brief summary of those laws: Reproductive Leave Loss (SB...
SB 684 requires a local agency to ministerially approve, without discretionary review or a hearing, a parcel map or a tentative and final map for a housing development project that...
On October 8, 2023, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill (“AB”) 1637 into law. AB 1637 requires all cities and counties, including charter cities, to transition all public-facing websites, employee websites,...
On October 8, 2023, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill (“AB”) 1638 into law. AB 1638, effective January 1, 2025, requires local agencies that provide emergency response services—such as police, fire, or...
On October 8, 2023, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill (“AB”) 557 into law. AB 557 amends sections of the Brown Act which already allow legislative bodies to meet by teleconference...
Summary On October 11, 2023, Governor Newsom signed into law Senate Bill 423 (“SB 423”), which expands and strengthens Senate Bill 35 (2017) (“SB 35”). Specifically, SB 423 amends Government...
On June 15, 2023, new regulations to implement Senate Bill (SB) 1439 were adopted by the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC). As some readers may recall, SB 1439 became effective...
A Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP Litigation team representing the City of Los Angeles and LAPD officer Brandon Purece secured a high profile defense jury verdict in a Los Angeles...
On September 23, 2023, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill (“AB”) 994 into law. AB 994, effective January 1, 2024, imposes new requirements on how and when law enforcement agencies may...
Congratulations to Burke Litigation Associate Fraser D. Muir for his two-year pro bono staff attorney service to the Berkeley Law Public Law Center, where Fraser has had a piloting role...
Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP is pleased to announce that the following firm attorneys have been named to the 2024 edition of Best Lawyers in America: Brenda Aguilar-Guerrero, Eminent Domain...
Authored by partners Thomas D. Jex and Denise S. Bazzano and summer associate Mihir Karode. In Lucas v. City of Pomona, the Court of Appeal, Second District, recently held that...
On June 29, 2023 Governor Newsom signed into law Senate Bill 329 (“SB 329”) which increases the maximum amount of salary that council members may receive. This legislation was intended...
For 2023, Burke is serving as an Aluminum Sponsor of ‘Women in Construction’, a Bay Area Sheet Metal & Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association partner. WIC Bay Area provides educational,...
Los Angeles – Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP is pleased to announce that the following attorneys have joined the firm’s Construction Law practice: Kevin P. McCarthy, Bryce D. Carroll, Craig A....
The main takeaway from this Ninth Circuit decision is that employers must treat employees seeking short-term military leave in the same manner as employees on other types of short-term leaves...
Burke Employment Law & Litigation partners Susan V. Arduengo, AWI-CH, and Cherl L. Johnson-Hartwell, AWI-CH, present the two-part Burke Legal Trends on demand webinar 'Workplace Harassment and Discrimination'. HR professionals...
SB 403 proposes to amend the Unruh Civil Rights Act, Education Code, and FEHA to add caste as a protected category and, in turn, to prohibit discrimination based upon caste. ...
Recent California Supreme Court Opinion Emphasizes that Design Immunity May, But Does Not Always, Apply in Failure to Warn Dangerous Conditions Cases Main Takeaway: Regardless of whether a condition was...
Must in-lieu fees paid by a developer as a condition of project approval be repaid by the city if it has not timely adopted the five-year findings required by the...
On September 8, 2022, the Governor signed SB 1186 (The Medicinal Cannabis Patients’ Right of Access Act), which would prohibit a local jurisdiction from adopting or enforcing any regulations that...
AB 1949 adds Section 12945.7 to the Government Code to require certain California employers, including public sector employers, provide for bereavement leave. Prior to January 1, 2023, the California Family...
Labor and Employment Litigation partner and trial attorney Elisabeth A. Frater was named to the Los Angeles Business Journal's "Leaders of Influence 2023 - Minority Attorneys" special supplement. The professionals...
Senate Bill 1439 will make substantial changes to the Levine Act, primarily in the area of local governmental officials’ ability to accept campaign donations from both parties and participants in...
AB 1751 extends the COVID-19 protections set forth in Labor Code Sections 3212.86-88) until January 1, 2024. More specifically, the new law extends the Workers’ Compensation rebuttable presumption that an...
AB 1041, the California legislature amended Government Code section 12945.2 (California Family Rights Act (CFRA)) and Labor Code section 245.5 (Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act of 2014) to expand the...
On September 27, 2022, California Senate Bill (“SB”) 1162 was signed into law. SB 1162, effective January 1, 2023, imposes new requirements on public and private employers pertaining to pay...
SB 6, also known as the Middle Class Housing Act of 2022, deems a housing development project allowable in commercial zones without the need for rezoning. The bill goes into...
SB 1214 goes into effect on January 1, 2023, and adds Section 65103.5 to the Government Code. The purpose of the bill is to require a local planning agency to...
SB 1192 now allows Architectural & Engineer Consultants, including landscape architectural, environmental, and land surveying services, construction project management professionals, to substitute securities as an alternative to retention through use...
AB 2173 permanently limits public agencies to withholding only 5% in retention from a general contractor’s public works contract. Previously, Public Contract Code sections 7201 and 10261’s 5% limit on...
Los Angeles – A Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP litigation team won a unanimous defense verdict after a nine-day jury trial in Duffy v. City of Los Angeles (BC675781) in...
The Brown Act (Government Code section 54957.5(b)) currently requires that writings that are public records and distributed to all, or a majority of the members of the governing board relating...
On January 1, 2023, new legislation will take effect which recodifies and reorganizes the provisions of the California Public Records Act. The new legislation states that it is not intended...
AB 2011, “the Affordable Housing and High Road Jobs Act of 2022,” goes into effect July 1, 2023. The bill allows for ministerial, by-right approval of qualifying: (1) 100% affordable...
AB 2234 adds two new sections to the Government Code (§§ 65913.3, 65913.3.5) relating to “Post-entitlement Phase Permits.” Under existing law, the Permit Streamlining Act (“PSA”), establishes time limits within...
Assembly Bill 1857 was recently enacted into law. Under California’s Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989, local agencies disposing of solid waste were required to divert 50% of solid waste...
Governor Newsom recently signed new legislation amending state laws designed to limit the amount of organic waste being sent to landfills in the state. This legislation has implications for local...
This year Governor Gavin Newsom signed two bills, SB 896 and AB 211, to increase State and local government efforts to combat wildfires. SB 896 SB 896 protects communities from...
AB 2094 & AB 1743 AB 2094 and AB 1743 amend Government Code section 65400 requirements pertaining to the annual progress report (“APR”), which provide, among other things, that a...
Burke Labor & Employment partner Daphne M. Anneet has been named to the Los Angeles Business Journal's 'Leaders of Influence - Labor and Employment Attorneys' roster for 2022. Those practitioners...
Los Angeles, CA – Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP is pleased to announce that, effective January 1, 2023, the following firm members have been elevated to equity partners: Brenda Aguilar-Guerrero,...
The California legislature passed and the Governor signed two bills, SB-897 and AB-2221, that both relate to local permitting of accessory dwelling units (ADUs). These two bills make substantial revisions...
AB 2449 amends the Brown Act to provide an additional procedure for members of legislative bodies to attend public meetings remotely. It will become effective on January 1, 2023. Under...
In a landmark move to address housing costs and greenhouse gas emissions, Governor Newsom has signed AB 2097 prohibiting a public agency from imposing or enforcing minimum parking requirements on...
SB 1100 amends the Brown Act to add a new section 54957.95, which authorizes an additional procedure for a legislative body to remove a disruptive individual from a public meeting. ...
On Thursday, August 11, 2022, the California Supreme Court issued an opinion regarding the applicability of the definition of “tax” in Article XIIIC of the California Constitution, as revised in...
In Garnier v. O’Connor-Ratcliffe, the 9th Circuit held that two defendant public school district board members violated the First Amendment rights of the plaintiffs by blocking them on the Twitter...
Pacific Grove, CA — At a special meeting held on June 29, the Pacific Grove City Council voted to retain Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP, designating Burke Public Law partners...
Los Angeles, CA – On June 15, 2022, in an 11-1 verdict, a Los Angeles Superior Court jury found City of Pasadena not liable for disability discrimination and retaliation claims...
Oakland, CA– Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP is pleased to announce that Brenda Aguilar-Guerrero has joined the firm’s Eminent Domain and Inverse Condemnation practice group as a partner. Aguilar-Guerrero has...
It is with profound sadness that we inform you of the passing of our friend and colleague Jim Wulfsberg on Saturday, May 28 after a brief illness. Jim was a...
On October 13 and 14, 2022, three Burke attorneys will be presenting at the 22nd Annual Northern California Eminent Domain Conference at the Hilton Union Square, San Francisco. Alan Sozio...
Burke associate Robert Theiring was featured as the NLD Member Spotlight in For the Record published by the San Diego County Bar Association on March 15, 2022.
Los Angeles – The Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP Insurance Litigation team has prevailed on behalf of client Lincoln Benefit Life Company in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals by...
Los Angeles – Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP is pleased to announce that the following firm members have been elevated to equity partners: Mark J. Austin, Thomas D. Jex, Kevin D....
Los Angeles – Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP is pleased to announce that the following firm associates have been elevated to income partners: Maxwell A. Blum, Eli J. Flushman, Kristin...
Generally, cities may object to Public Records Act requests if they are overbroad and thus “unduly burdensome.” (See Cal. First Amend. Coalition v. Superior Court (1998) 67 Cal.App.4th 159, 166.) ...
Burke partners Charles Abbott and Michael Nebenzahl won a California 2nd District Court decision to uphold a motion for summary judgment for the City of Beverly Hills. In a published...
This bill will provide some relief to local jurisdictions facing the challenges of meeting requirements imposed by SB 1383 to address short-lived climate pollutants such as black carbon, fluorinated gases,...
Best Lawyers and U.S. News & World Report has included Burke in its 2022 Tier 2 rankings of Land Use and Zoning law firms. The land use and environmental review...
Burke partner Mark Austin won a California 2nd District Court of Appeal decision on behalf of the City of Torrance involving the adequacy of the City's police pursuit policy. The...
The legislature recently adopted Assembly Bill 602, which imposes new requirements on public agencies concerning impact fees on development projects. AB 602 will take effect in two stages. Beginning on...
Governor Newsom recently signed Senate Bill 60 into law. This legislation authorizes cities and counties to set higher monetary penalties than would otherwise be legally permissible for violations of a...
In Sierra Watch v. Placer County et al., the court held when public agencies distribute written materials relating to an open session agenda item less than 72 hours prior to...
To help safeguard our colleagues, clients and guests, we are encouraging clients to avoid visiting our offices at this time. If you find a visit is absolutely needed, please take a...
Burke partner, Timothy L. Davis spoke with the American Bar Association about police union contracts and reform. He mentions Graham v. Connor, the 1989 U.S. Supreme Court opinion that set rules...
Are franchise fees charged by local public agencies to private refuse-hauling companies illegal taxes under Propositions 218 and 26? Last week, the First District Court of Appeal ruled that unless...
To our clients and the communities we serve, On behalf of the entire Burke family, we extend our heartfelt thoughts and concerns to everyone as we navigate the unprecedented and...
by Nora Wetzel A class action complaint, Fuentes v. Sunshine Behavioral Health Group, was filed yesterday, stating a claim for violation of the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”), in addition...
In Burke’s ongoing effort to keep employers updated on resources for addressing concerns about coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the workplace, the EEOC issued brief guidance, which focuses on the interplay...
Los Angeles, June 20, 2019 – With an already significant presence throughout California, Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP, announces the launch of an Intellectual Property (IP) practice group with the...
In a case of first impression in the country, Lincoln Benefit established that the Dallals had fraudulently procured long-term care benefits for 12 years. The federal jury unanimously awarded $619,290.49...
Alan Sozio recently represented a joint powers authority against the landowner of a multi-unit apartment building in a part-take condemnation action. Following an 8-day trial, the jury awarded only 15%...
Burke, Williams & Sorensen is pleased to announce that trial attorney Gregory B. Thomas has joined our Oakland office as a Partner. Greg litigates complex cases in government tort liability,...
Congratulations to the Monterey Peninsula Water Supply Project for its EIR/EIS Winning Outstanding Environmental Analysis Document by the Association of Environmental Professionals! Burke is pleased to have worked on the...
Benjamin Stock will become the new city attorney after the City Council unanimously approved an agreement with of Burke, Williams & Sorensen. Read media coverage here.
Los Angeles, January 11, 2017: Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP, announced that it has named 3 new owners from its partnership ranks, effective January 1, 2017. The new owners are...
Los Angeles, September 28, 2017 – With the recent devastation from this month's hurricanes in Texas, Florida, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico, Burke attorneys and employees rallied together...
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