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Unfortunately, sexual harassment remains prevalent in workplaces across California. Bringing an action against an employer/supervisor based on harassing conduct typically comes in two forms:

I just concluded a three-day jury trial a couple months ago. My client was the victim of sexual harassment in the workplace. After over a year of litigation, we took our case to trial. We won and my client was awarded monetary damages, as well as post-judgment awards constituting reimbursement of attorneys fees and costs incurred.

An interpleader action aims to determine the party who is entitled to receive money or property when a neutral third party is holding funds or property and is confronted with two or more claimants to the same money or property. The interpleader action allows for the neutral third party, or “stakeholder,” to avoid liability to any of the claimants by forcing the claimants to litigate among themselves and let the Court determine who deserves what.

My intention in writing this post is not to stoke up another debate over the current real estate debacle in California. I do not intend to spark once again the philosophical wrangling between homeowners and their lenders. I am a lawyer, not a radio talk-show host (yes, there is a difference). I take this opportunity to present the options available to a homeowner who has fallen victim to a "wrongful foreclosure."

In the recent California Supreme Court case, Arias v. Superior Court S155965, __ Cal. 4th __ (2009), the Court determined that an employee suing an employer for labor law violations on behalf of himself and others seeking civil penalties under the Private Attorneys General Act ("PAGA") is not obligated to meet the requirements for class actions in California. In the same ruling, the Court did determine that an employee pursuing the same claim under the Unfair Competition Law ("UCL") would have to bring the representative claims as a class action. This ruling expands the power of lawsuits brought by employees and will likely increase liability exposure for employers across the state of California.