ADVICE & COUNSEL
Protect Your Business. Enhance Your Culture.
From executive decisions to everyday policies, our Advice & Counsel team helps you navigate the human side of employment law with clarity, confidence, and care.
One Mistake. One Employee. One Lawsuit.
Millions in Exposure.
In California, the decisions you make in your business that affect your people aren’t simply HR issues, they’re potential legal liabilities.
A misstep with medical leave
A poorly handled termination
An outdated policy
Good intentions aren’t enough.
The legal landscape is too complex and too unforgiving.
We Help Stop Problems Before They Surface
Employment law isn’t black and white. In California, running a business means navigating a world of gray. That’s where we come in.
We partner with business leaders and HR professionals to guide decisions that shape your culture, protect your people, and reduce risk—before issues ever surface—keeping your business thriving. Whether it’s executive-level decisions or day-to-day HR matters, we help you lead with clarity and confidence.
Stop lawsuits before they happen
Save time & money; reduce stress
Reduce exposure in pending lawsuits
Guard leadership from liability
Strengthen internal processes
You Don’t Have to Figure It Out Alone
From complex decisions to unexpected challenges, here’s when businesses turn to us for support.
You’re new to California. The rules are different here—and constantly changing.
You’re growing fast. It’s time to graduate from doing things by feel to doing them right.
You’re involved in a merger or acquisition. We assess employment risk before (or after) the deal closes.
You’re managing a crisis. A termination, leave issue, or harassment complaint needs immediate support.
You want to lead better. You care about your people and want to foster a healthy, legally-sound culture.
Four Solutions.
One Strategy.
We don't believe in one-size-fits-all compliance. That's why our approach combines legal insight, practical tools, and employee engagement—all working together to safeguard your team and strengthen your business.
01
Expert Advice & Counsel
Strategic legal guidance for the people decisions that shape your business.
Running a business in California means constantly navigating employment decisions that carry legal risk. From routine policies to complex leadership questions, our team provides trusted legal guidance designed to keep you ahead of problems and always aligned with your values.
Our clients want to do the right thing. We help them figure out what that is—legally, practically, and in a way that honors people.
Employment Life Cycle
We help you onboard, manage, and support your team with clarity.
- Recruiting and hiring, inclusive of job postings, offer letters, and required onboarding documents and processes
- Remote work
- Local ordinance compliance throughout California
- Performance management
- Terminations and disciplinary decisions
Accommodations, Leave & Time Off
Stay compliant while managing employee needs and organizational flow.
- Leaves of absence
- Engaging in the interactive process for accommodations
- PTO, including vacation and sick leave
- Return-to-work issues
Pay & Classification
Ensure your pay practices and classifications align with California law.
- Timekeeping and compensation issues
- Classification of exempt and non-exempt employees
- Independent contractors
Workplace Conduct & Culture
Protect your culture and comply with key legal standards.
- Harassment, discrimination, and retaliation concerns
- Workplace violence plans
Policies & Documentation
Lay a strong foundation with clear, compliant policies.
- Handbook creation and review
- Policy and process creation
- Compliance audits
Our team includes professionals who’ve sat in the employer’s seat. We don’t just understand the law—we understand how your business actually runs and can provide actionable advice to help reduce your lawsuit risk.
02
Workplace Training
Training is more than a requirement, it’s an opportunity.
The right training not only checks legal boxes, it shapes a better workplace. We design and deliver training that is thoughtful, engaging, and rooted in emotional intelligence. Whether you're educating managers, addressing emerging risks, or preparing your team to lead with confidence, our in-person or virtual training makes sure it sticks.
Training for Managers and Leaders:
- Emotional Intelligence-based leadership training
- Managing leaves and accommodations
- Conflict resolution and difficult conversations
- Building inclusive, respectful teams
- Conducting fair, defensible investigations
- Wage and hour training, testing, and certification
Training for Employees:
- Harassment prevention (mandated by California)
- Workplace violence prevention (mandated by California)
- Custom policy orientation sessions
- Wage and hour training, testing, and certification
While other firms offer standard slide decks, we bring real-world insight and interactive sessions led by experts who’ve lived the challenges your people face.
03
Compliance Plans
Get an actionable roadmap to wage and hour compliance.
Think of this as your legal checkup. Our team conducts a comprehensive review of your wage and hour compliance and delivers a custom action plan to:
- Identify areas of risk and potential liability
- Resolve compliance issues with updated policies and procedures
- Prepare you for audits, investigations, or potential lawsuits
- Help you resolve current lawsuits
- Potentially qualify for reduced penalties under New PAGA
04
Cal Comply
Training and certification to reduce liability in active and future lawsuits.
Once your compliant policies are in place, our proprietary training, testing, and certification platform ensures everyone in your organization understands and follows them.
- Online training, testing, and certification for employees and managers
- Customized to your company’s updated policies
- Documentation that you've treated wage and hour compliance like a health and safety issue consistent with the Supreme Court’s standards
- Can help reduce penalties in active litigation under New PAGA and helps prevent future claims
Trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
Ready to Support Yours.
From mom-and-pop shops to Fortune 500 companies, our team has helped thousands of California employers resolve complex issues, reduce liability, and protect their people.
RIGHT-SIZED SUPPORT
Collaborative Expertise. Protected Conversations. Practical Implementation.
When HR consultants or advisors audit your practices, their findings can be subpoenaed in court. But when you work with us, those same audits and conversations are covered by the attorney-client privilege—keeping your information confidential and legally protected. Our attorneys and HR professionals work in close partnership, delivering support that’s both strategic and practical.
Attorneys provide the legal oversight, strategic guidance, and privilege protection needed for high-stakes matters—from terminations and leave management to nuanced regulatory changes.
HR Advisors bring deep operational insight, helping implement policy rollouts, payroll processes, system changes, onboarding workflows, and practical applications of the law, always in close coordination with and with oversight by our attorneys.
By working together, our team helps you move from legal insight to real-world execution, with efficiency, clarity, and confidence.
Build a Smarter, Stronger Workplace
We make prevention easy, effective, and tailored to your business:
- Connect with our Advice & Counsel team to discuss your needs
- Assess your current compliance and culture
- Protect your organization with the right plan, the right tools, and the right training
Lawsuit Prevention
Contact
MEDINA McKELVEY
Roseville
Sacramento
San Francisco
S. Lake Tahoe
Fresno
Los Angeles
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