Classifying Work Uniforms and Why It Matters

One of the most misunderstood parts of the workplace is the classification of an employee’s uniform, as the variance from one place of work to the next can make for a messy application of laws. What actually constitutes a work uniform? When does an employer need to pay for expenses? That depends on a variety […]

False Sales Prices Can Be Posted Online, Too

The Federal Trade Commission recently announced that it is looking into allegations that Amazon.com posted false sales prices as part of their review of the company’s merger with Whole Foods. This was partially in response to a petition sent to it by the advocacy group called Consumer Watchdog. They had performed 2 studies of Amazon’s […]

Fake Sales in California Department Stores Trigger a Customer Class Action

It seems like department stores will do anything to get more purchases, but recently several California stores have taken the cake with downright fraud. Everyone loves a sale, and the department stores know that. There’s nothing like the feeling of getting a beautiful blouse or a useful appliance for more than 10% off the listing […]

Defining Work Uniforms (And Why It Matters)

Many businesses require employees to wear uniforms on the job. This can include everything from simple shirt-and-pants combos to a more complicated style of uniform that specifically shows off the company’s style. Uniforms have plenty of value. They create a sense of ownership in the company, set employees apart from customers throughout the store, and […]

Salon or Spa Worker? You Should Get Paid For Rest And Recovery Periods

In 2015, Governor Jerry Brown signed AB 1513, and it went into effect on January 1, 2016. And wow, were the owners of salons and spas in for a surprise. You see, hair stylists and massage therapists have traditionally been paid by the job, with part of the price of the service going to the […]

Your Guide To False Advertising

Lying about services or products to scam money off of people is as old as the hills. It cheats people out of their hard earned money and generally drives the cost of living up. Consequently, most states have had some type of regulations against false advertising since the 1910’s, and the FTC has national jurisdiction […]

What You Can Do When You Think You’re Not Being Paid Properly

If you’re like most employees, your job probably isn’t easy. But when you think you’re being cheated on your wages, it can be especially frustrating. Unfortunately, sometimes employees aren’t properly paid or reimbursed for expenses for uniforms or other work-related costs. In some cases, workers aren’t paid for meal breaks or rest breaks. Here’s what […]

Defrauding the Consumer

Consumer fraud refers to a wide range of crimes that revolve around purchases, where people pay money for things they don’t want or don’t get what they paid for, both products and services. Fraud against consumers can take place in person, by telephone, or online. It can come in forms of false and misleading advertising, misleading […]

California Workers Win Millions for Violations of Overtime Pay, Meal and Rest Breaks

California labor laws regarding overtime pay and breaks for rest and meals are clear and unambiguous. That fact hasn’t dissuaded unscrupulous employers in the state from victimizing employees in the misguided belief that they can get away with violating those laws. Perhaps they think their workers won’t notice their illegal behavior or will be too […]

Recover Your Unpaid Overtime Wages

Hard work can feel good, but not when you are not rightfully compensated. California state law protects workers by regulating how workers are paid when working overtime and extended work weeks. The overtime laws in California are very clear-cut: You are entitled to time-and-a-half pay for any hours over eight hours in a day and […]

Lisseth Bayona

Attorney

Education and Background

I am a Los Angeles native and daughter of Salvadorian immigrants. From an early age, my parents instilled the value of hard work and education in me and my two siblings. Their perseverance enabled each of us to graduate from college and earn professional degrees.

My interest and commitment to workers’ rights have roots in my parents’ experiences as undocumented workers in Los Angeles. Witnessing the challenges they faced inspired me to pursue a career where I can help individuals confronted with similar struggles. To help someone in those moments is very satisfying. I love connecting with people and learning about their stories. I believe that dignity in the workplace is a right of all workers, not a convenience or privilege reserved for employees of a certain race, gender, age, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

Legal Experience

I received my J.D. from the University of Southern California (USC) Gould School of Law. While there, I served as a judicial extern to the Honorable Patrick J. Walsh of the United States District Court for the Central District of California, where I drafted a criminal judicial opinion. Also, while at Gould, I served as an extern for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California. As a Criminal Division Extern, I had the opportunity to work closely with a trial team of Assistant U.S. Attorneys on a money laundering case which further sparked my interest in litigation.

Personal Interests

In my free time, I enjoy urban vegetable gardening, traveling, and spending time with my nephew and niece. I also love to spend time at San Onofre Beach learning to surf, although admittedly, I am not very good.

Education

 

Hallie L. Von Rock

Attorney (SBN 233152)

Education and Background

I moved to the Bay Area from Washington after graduating high school. I had been accepted to UC Berkeley through a program where I could defer for two years while getting my California residency and attending community college, which was significant since I was paying for college on my own. I began working for Randall Aiman-Smith and Reed Marcy in 1996 as an office manager while taking night classes. My first foray into the legal world was soon after starting at the firm when I was ready to transfer to UC Berkeley. Rather than accepting my resident status, the Board of Regents took the position that California residency required a student to be in California “two calendar years.” Randall and Reed took up my case with the same verve as they helped their actual clients and I got the chance to comb through the UC Berkeley library to read their codes and regulations to support my position. In that experience, I learned what is was like to feel helpless against a big organization and then to have dedicated attorneys in my corner to take up my cause.

After a break to pursue my major in art history, I went to UC Hastings College of Law and continued working with Randall and Reed. Having worked together now for over 25 years, we have a unique ability to work collaboratively and finish each other’s sentences. I have strived throughout my career to make a difference in the lives of our clients. At the end of the day, if I am helping someone to get compensation for losses they suffered, then I know that all the work put into a case has been worth it.

Legal Experience

I have extensive experience in civil litigation and class action cases, including conducting discovery and depositions, calculating damages analysis, preparing motions for certification, writing appellate documents, and overseeing claims administration. We have handled several class actions against retailers where plaintiffs claimed they were forced to purchase clothing to wear to work and were not compensated for these purchases, including against Abercrombie & Fitch, Hugo Boss, Armani Exchange, Uniqlo, Dollar Tree, and Ross. Recently, I was trial counsel in a defamation claim against Bank of America on behalf of a former employee who claimed the Bank blacklisted her with future employers. The jury found Bank of America liable, including for punitive damages.

Personal Interests

Aiman-Smith & Marcy has sponsored me in the Boston Marathon and New York Marathon. When I race, I often wear a “Rockstar Ronan” shirt to support research for childhood cancer through The Ronan Thompson Foundation.

Education

University of California, Berkeley, B.A., 1999

Hastings College of the Law, University of California, J.D., 2004

Randall Aiman-Smith

Abogado (SBN 124599)

Aiman-Smith & Marcy. Oakland consumer fraud attorneys.

Educación y antecedentes

Fui afortunado. A pesar de no haber terminado la escuela secundaria o la universidad, pude -aunque con mucho trabajo- ser admitido y sobresalir en una de las mejores escuelas de derecho del país: La Facultad de Derecho de la Universidad de Berkeley. Mientras estuve allí, tuve el privilegio de ser editor de la California Law Review y miembro del Moot Court Board, asesorando en la redacción de escritos y en la defensa de apelaciones a otros estudiantes. Después de salir de la escuela de derecho, en mis primeros años de práctica, enseñé la escritura legal y la defensa de apelación en la Universidad de California, Hastings College of the Law. También, a lo largo de los años, he sido presentador en eventos de educación legal continua.

Experiencia legal

He sido abogado durante 35 años. He dedicado mi práctica exclusivamente a representar a empleados, consumidores e inversores en los tribunales estatales y federales de primera instancia y en los tribunales de apelación. Me gusta ir a los tribunales por mis clientes y he llevado muchos casos con jurado en los tribunales estatales y federales.

¿Ejemplos? En 2010, fui la abogada principal, junto con los otros abogados del bufete, en el caso Williams v. Union Pacific Railroad donde, después de cuatro años de preparación, el bufete obtuvo un veredicto del jurado de 1.670.000 dólares para una empleada afroamericana. En Rivero v. Surdyka, fui el abogado principal en el juicio y la apelación de un caso de derechos civiles que duró 15 años, incluyendo un juicio completo y tres apelaciones al Noveno Circuito, concluyendo finalmente con una sentencia para los demandantes de más de 2.300.000 dólares. Estos casos ilustran el lema del bufete: compromiso – resultados. Hay que comprometerse con un caso, a veces durante mucho tiempo, para obtener el resultado que el cliente merece.

No siempre ganamos en el juicio. Cuando eso ocurre, el compromiso significa llevar el caso al siguiente nivel y recurrirlo. En el caso Rivero, antes mencionado, eso fue lo que ocurrió: el tribunal desestimó el caso -habíamos perdido- pero apelamos y conseguimos una victoria para nuestros clientes que mantuvimos a través de dos apelaciones más. Desde entonces, el bufete ha conseguido muchas victorias en apelación que reivindican los derechos de los empleados y los consumidores.

A lo largo de los años he sido abogado de los demandantes en numerosos casos individuales y acciones colectivas. Puede sonar cursi, o difícil de creer, pero después de todo este tiempo, y después de todas las grandes experiencias que he tenido, mi parte favorita de ser abogado es cuando consigo dar un cheque a mi cliente.

 

Educación

Facultad de Derecho, Universidad de California, Berkeley, J.D., 1986