Artificial intelligence has quietly become part of how work gets done. Employees are using it to draft emails, summarize documents, build spreadsheets, and answer customer questions — often without anyone in management deciding that should happen. For employers, the question is no longer whether AI is in the workplace. It is whether it is being
Five AI Strategies California Employers Should Be Executing Right Now
AI is not coming to your workplace. It is already there. Your employees are using it — on personal accounts, on free tools, and in ways your current policies almost certainly do not address. The California employers who are winning the next decade are not
For decades, the law firm business model operated on a familiar premise: a broad base of junior lawyers, a small group of partners at the top, and clients footing the bill for hours billed at every level of the pyramid. That model — the associate leverage model — is now under significant structural pressure, and
This past week’s Zaller Law Group masterclass on AI in the Workplace walked California employers through what they need to know right now about AI in the workplace. The conversation covered everything from a federal court ruling on AI and attorney-client privilege to California’s new automated hiring regulations to practical tools employers can start using
Across the country, state legislatures are moving quickly to regulate artificial intelligence in the workplace. California’s proposed SB 947 – the Automated Decision Systems in the Workplace – introduced in the California Legislature on February 2, 2026, is one prominent example, but it is part of a broader trend: laws that seek to govern how
At Zaller Law Group, we do not talk about AI and technology in the abstract. We use it—every day—as a litigation tool to give our clients a measurable advantage.
California wage-and-hour and PAGA cases are data cases. Outcomes often turn on what the time records actually show, how quickly they can be analyzed, and whether
Happy Holidays! As we close out 2025, I’m reflecting on an incredible year at Zaller Law Group. This year brought both challenges and opportunities for California employers—from navigating new 2026 legislation to managing the ongoing wave of PAGA litigation, to embracing AI tools that are transforming how businesses operate.
Despite the complexity of California’s regulatory
For most California employers, employee time and pay data has historically been treated as a legal obligation—something you keep because the law requires it, not because it creates value.
That mindset needs to change in 2026.
After years of defending employers in wage-and-hour class actions and PAGA cases, I have seen firsthand how employee data
As we move toward 2026, California employers—especially in hospitality—are navigating one of the most complex wage-and-hour landscapes in the country. The 2024 PAGA reform brought meaningful relief, but only for employers who take their compliance obligations seriously and can prove it.
At the same time, technology and AI are beginning to transform what compliance looks
2025 has delivered a series of powerful—and practical—employment law decisions. These five cases carry direct lessons for every California employer, especially in areas where minor missteps can lead to major liability.
1. Iloff v. Bridgeville Properties, Inc. – California Supreme Court (2025) – “Good Faith” Requires Real Effort
This case involved a handyman who performed