Steven M. Berliner

On or about June 8, 2023, a law firm filed a complaint of discrimination with the Civil Rights Department (“CRD” ) and requested a right to sue notice on behalf of a former employee of Lake County who received a disability retirement through the California Public Employees’ Retirement System...

On February 28, 2022, the California Department of Public Health (“CDPH”) updated its guidance concerning the use of face coverings to further relax those requirements.
While the updated CDPH guidance continues to require the use of face covering in certain high-risk settings, the guidance removes...

In his recent Western City article,  “New state law increases pension-related costs for cities: How municipalities can mitigate the impact,” partner Steven M. Berliner discusses the growing cost of providing pensions and the impact that SB 278 has on the public sector.
To read the full...

LCW Partner Steve Berliner penned “Public Agency Risks Grow Under New Calif. Pension Law,” which was published in the Oct. 8 Employment Authority section of Law360. In the piece, Steve addresses Senate Bill 278, which was recently signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom and takes effect on Jan. 1,...

Background
On September 27, 2021, Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill (SB) 278, which adds Government Code section 20164.5 and will go into effect on January 1, 2022. SB 278 greatly increases the potential costs to CalPERS agencies for reporting errors, by creating new and in some cases retroactive...

With the recent adoption of amended Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Regulations, and its allowances for fully vaccinated employees, employers must consider how they will manage employees at their worksites and facilities, and whether they will make any distinction between employees who are fully vaccinated and...

On June 17, the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board (OSHSB) readopted an amended version of the Emergency Temporary Standards (Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Regulations) (“June 17 Amendments”). These amendments affect many of the requirements that have been in place since OSHSB initially adopted the...

On June 9, the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board (OSHSB) convened a special meeting for the second time in two weeks, this time to consider the withdrawal of the proposed regulations that the Board adopted at its June 3 meeting, amending in significant ways the Emergency Temporary...

On June 3, 2021, the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board (OSHSB) adopted regulatory amendments to the Emergency Temporary Standards (Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Regulations). These amendments, which are the first since OSHSB promulgated the regulations in November 2020, will become effective on...

Partner Steven M. Berliner was quoted in Daily Journal, Orange County Register, Sacramento Bee, Courthouse News Service, Pensions & Investments and EdSource regarding the California Supreme Court ruling on July 30, 2020 against a union of Alameda County sheriff’s deputies over the legality of a...

On July 30, 2020, the California Supreme Court issued its decision in Alameda County Deputy Sheriff’s Assn. v. Alameda County Employees’ Retirement Assn. (Alameda).  It was anticipated that the Court would address the continuing viability of the “California Rule.”  Under the California...

The California Public Employees’ Retirement System (“CalPERS”) has answered several outstanding questions concerning how paid leave hours taken under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”) should be tracked and reported.  On April 16, 2020, CalPERS issued Circular Letter No....

J. Scott Tiedemann, Peter Brown, and Steve Berliner were interviewed in the Daily Journal to discuss advising clients in the time of COVID-19.  Topics discussed include public safety advice, labor relations issues, and retirement counsel during a pandemic.  To read the full article, please visit...

This article discusses best practices when hiring CalPERS retirees.  Topics explored include reinstatement issues and pitfalls and independent contractor status.
To read the full article, please view the Daily Journal’s website here.

On March 14, 2020, at 12:51 am, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and in an effort to reduce the impact of the virus on American families, the House of Representative passed H.R. 6201, titled the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (the Act).  The bill will now move to the Senate, where it...

This Special Bulletin follows up on our February 5, 2020 Special Bulletin on COVID-19, the novel coronavirus of 2019.  The information in that Special Bulletin remains valid, including those steps individuals can take to lessen the spread of the virus.
In the past month, COVID-19 spread throughout...

 In California, increasing pension costs are already starting to crowd out any discretionary spending for many cities. Recent news from the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) offers little hope for relief for agencies that contract with CalPERS. Changes in the actuarial...