Insights

The Orange County District Attorney’s Office has made waves this month by charging a Yorba Linda father, Richard John Eyssallenne, with the felony of child endangerment and abuse and the misdemeanor of contributing to the delinquency of a minor for illegally modifying his child’s e-bike. Last year, Mr. Eyssallenne’s 12 year old son got into an accident with a moving vehicle while riding his modified e-bike. After inspecting the modified e-bike, it was determined that Mr. Eyssallene’s modifications to the e-bike had transformed into an e-motorcycle. In order to ride an e-motorcycle, riders must be at least sixteen years of age and must attain a motorcycle license. The father pled not guilty, but he faces 6 years in state prison if convicted on all counts.

The new year has brought with it new laws regarding the use of the widely popular e-bikes. The new laws impose several safety requirements that aim to reduce risk of fires from uncertified lithium-ion batteries, curtailing throttles, increasing visibility, and imposing criminal liability on parents whose child rides an e-bike. Parents may now be charged for felony child endangerment when their child fails to follow safety rules or if the child’s e-bike is inappropriately modified.

The U.S. Supreme Court recently affirmed a California appellate court’s ruling: Ms. Miller, a Christian woman who owns a bakery in California, engaged in discrimination by declining to furnish a “generic” cake for a same-sex wedding. This outcome should cause California business owners to pause and re-consider any policies they may have or considered having regarding their own rights to free speech and freedom of religion. California business owners do not have a broad right to free speech and freedom of religion.

The California Fast Food Council failed to hold meetings for most of 2025 and has yet to meet with all nine members present. Considering the Council’s massive budget of $1 Million and the fact that its decisions have had a major impact on California’s fast food employers, business owners, and employees, seeing this Council lay dormant for so long and fail to hold its required meetings is a massive disappointment.

As of July of 2025, bar owners and nightclub owners are now required to provide a lid with a customer’s drink upon request. Bar owners and nightclub owners are not required to have lids that fit all containers in which alcoholic beverages are served. However, bar owners and nightclub owners must be able to provide lids for at least one of the containers used on the premises. Again, the bars and nightclubs can charge customers a reasonable amount based on the wholesale price.

On February 1, 2026, California employers will be required to provide each employee with written notices that inform the employee of his or her workplace rights, labor protections, and immigration-related rights. The new law places several additional obligations on the employers that all employers should become familiar with. Failure to comply with the requirements of the new law can be financially prohibitive for businesses because penalties increase exponentially per employee. For larger employers, the penalties alone could be ruinous.

On September 19, 2025, President Donald Trump signed a Proclamation entitled “Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers.” This Proclamation imposes a new fee structure for those employers looking to hire foreign workers holding an H-1B visa. The new fee structure is going to make hiring foreign workers a lot pricier for American companies and could possibly deter American companies from hiring some foreign workers.

Employers, managers, and supervisors should beware that their workforce could be diminished dramatically. The federal government is imposing more stringent requirements for CDLs, and those in the trucking industry must conform to these new stringent requirements.

California has expanded paid leave and wage replacement laws again under its Paid Family Leave Program (PFL). Starting on July 1, 2028, California’s PFL will include “designated persons” who are not legally or biologically related to the employee. This means that eligible employees can now receive 8 weeks of partial wage replacement when the employee takes time off of work to care for extended family and any “designated person” who has a “family-like” relationship with the employee.