Cole Lewis
Law Clerk
Cole Lewis is a law clerk in the Labor & Employment Department.
Cole graduated from UCLA School of Law, where he worked as a law clerk for Public Counsel of Los Angeles and advocated for benefit recipients in the Department of Public Social Services. He has also previously worked as a summer associate in Proskauer’s Labor & Employment Department.
Prior to law school, Cole received his Bachelor’s degree in Journalism at Indiana University, where he graduated cum laude.
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We have reported before about the huge jury verdicts that get handed out in California with alarming regularity and California’s sustained #1 ranking as the “Top Judicial Hellhole” in the nation. A corollary problem continues unabated: The prevalence of class actions and lawsuits under the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA). Though California accounts for 12% … Continue Reading
The California Court of Appeal affirmed dismissal of a former freelancer’s defamation and employment-related claims against the Times. Frederick Theodore Rall III, a political cartoonist and blogger for the paper, brought claims for defamation, wrongful termination, intentional infliction of emotion distress, and retaliation, among others, stemming from the Times’ decision to disassociate itself with Rall … Continue Reading
A Los Angeles jury awarded more than $11 million to two former employees who claimed they were sexually harassed and retaliated against for complaining about the harassment. Megan Meadowcroft and Amber Brown, who worked at the Keyways Vineyard and Winery in Temecula, California, alleged they had been harassed by the general manager, Carlos Pineiro. Meadowcroft … Continue Reading
The American Tort Reform Foundation has just released its annual report on “Judicial Hellholes.” The Report claims that in California, the legislature and courts “extend liability at almost every given opportunity,” including fostering “no-injury” litigation in the form of class action and PAGA (Private Attorneys General Act) lawsuits in the workplace. California takes the number … Continue Reading
A small business owner wrote an op-ed piece for the Los Angeles Times, explaining how the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) hurts employees as well as employers – and primarily benefits lawyers. He uses his own experience defending such a case to demonstrate how PAGA is forcing him to operate his business in a way … Continue Reading
If you haven’t ridden one yet, it’s likely you’ve had one fly by you on the sidewalk. Electric scooters – or e-scooters – have quickly descended upon most major cities in America. These app-based scooters let a user ride across the city at up to 15 m.p.h. and then discard the scooter wherever the rider happens … Continue Reading
After Jerry Brown’s second set of 8 years in office (1975-83 and 2011-19), employers now look to Governor-Elect Gavin Newsom for what’s in store for them in the Golden State. (Although Jerry Brown wasn’t a particularly good friend of employers, he often was the only friend they had in Sacramento, vetoing some of the more … Continue Reading
California Class Actions and PAGA (“Prettymuch All is Going to the Attorneys”) Claims Continue to Overwhelm the State
By Tony Oncidi and Cole Lewis on Posted in PAGA
LA Times Wins Lawsuit Against Former Freelancer
By Tony Oncidi and Cole Lewis on Posted in Anti-SLAPP, Defamation, Wrongful Termination
A California Jury Strikes Again – Hands Out $11 Million Verdict
By Tony Oncidi and Cole Lewis on Posted in FEHA, Jury verdicts
We’re #1 Again! California Tops “Judicial Hellhole” List!
By Tony Oncidi and Cole Lewis on Posted in Class Actions, PAGA
The Cost of PAGA to Small Businesses (Los Angeles Times op-ed)
By Tony Oncidi and Cole Lewis on Posted in PAGA
The Electric Scooter Craze: What Can Employers Do to Protect Themselves from Potential Liability?
By Tony Oncidi and Cole Lewis on Posted in Employee Handbooks, Employment Policies, Workplace Safety
California Has a New Governor – Will it Make Much Difference for Employers?
By Tony Oncidi and Cole Lewis on Posted in Arbitration Agreements, Sexual Harassment
