California - General

On June 30th, California’s Governor signed Assembly Bill (AB) 2155, which concerns the enforceability of written arbitration agreements in California. The bill amends Code of Civil Procedure Section 1281 and provides that any agreement unenforceable under the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA) is also unenforceable under the California Arbitration Act (CAA). AB 2155 takes effect January 1, 2027. The legislation underscores the importance of regularly reviewing arbitration agreements to ensure they r…

On June 23, 2026, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in Cocom rejected a plaintiff-appellee’s argument that an employment arbitration agreement was unconscionable. Because the agreement’s scope was limited to employment-related claims, rather than all potential claims, the court ruled it was not unconscionable. The court’s decision is a key win for employers and limits several recent California state court cases that had found arbitration agreements unenforceable due to their scope…

Workplace defamation claims can arise from termination explanations, reference checks, investigation interviews, complaints, and manager comments. In this...