Christy Lewis featured in Modern Luxury's "Women to Watch"
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Christy L. Lewis, J.D., LL.M,
has been named one of Modern Luxury Magazine's "Women to Watch" for 2018. This annual feature spotlights influential Orange County women who are preeminent leaders and represent the elite in their fields.
Click here to view her profile
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Christy Lewis Nominated for the Women of the Year Award
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Christy L. Lewis, J.D., LL.M,
has been nominated for the 2018 Orange County Business Journal's Women of the Year Awards. On behalf of the LBEP Team, we congratulate all of the nominees and winners!
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Christy Lewis Recognized as "Lawyers of Distinction" Member
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Christy L. Lewis, J.D., LL.M,
was recently nominated and selected as a 2018 "Lawyers of Distinction" member.
The Lawyers of Distinction is recognized as the fastest growing community of distinguished lawyers in the United States. Membership is limited to the top 10% of attorneys in the United States.
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Christy Lewis on
Women Lead Radio
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Christy L. Lewis, J.D., LL.M,
joined Kimberlee Davis, J.D., CDFA, on Women Lead Radio to discuss what you need to know about your financial and legal matters before and after getting married.
Click here
for the full audio.
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Lewis Business & Estate Planning offers Support Services for Business Owners
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Business owners face a variety of legal hurdles that require the assistance of counsel. At Lewis Business & Estate Planning, APC, our qualified attorneys provide support and advice for business owners’ everyday legal needs to help clients avoid potential pitfalls and lawsuits affecting their businesses. This includes: 1) Providing guidance on updates to and compliance with local, state and federal laws; 2) Drafting customized business contracts (including employee handbooks); 3) Advising clients on legal mandates and best practices; 4) Contract review services, and 5) Tax planning.
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Do you know what a well-drafted employee handbook can do for you and your business?
An employee handbook is a compilation of all the policies, procedures and expectations of a business that help guide both the employer and its employees with respect to the terms of employment and the culture, strategy and expectations of the company in connection with its business, while maintaining compliance with State and Federal law.
Employees like to know what is expected of them and enforcing the same clearly documented rules for all employees makes it easier for the employer to run a business where employees enjoy working. An employee handbook not only includes important legally mandated provisions like your Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) policies, it also oftentimes includes a letter from the President of the Company conveying the company’s mission, values and goals.
Having all the company’s policies in a single place that is accessible to employees reduces any confusion about the details of the employment relationship, which in turn mitigates the employer’s risk of being sued by disgruntled employees. To further lessen the risk of litigation, our firm recommends using an employee handbook in conjunction with an offer letter—and counsels against the use of an employment agreement in most cases. By doing so, the employer can limit the risk of misunderstandings regarding things like guaranteed employment and/or avoid involuntarily waiving California's default at will employment law.
When was the last time you updated your employee handbook?
Recent changes in California law may necessitate a review and update of your employee handbook. Following are some of the most recent changes:
- Employers can no longer ask questions about a prospective employee’s salary history or criminal conviction history.[1] If these are included in your employee handbook as something that you evaluate before hiring an employee, it is time for an employee handbook update.
- Additionally, there are new rules for employers in connection with immigration enforcement officials, particularly as it pertains to when an employer can grant an ICE official access to the workplace, and the new legal requirement that an employer give its employees certain notice before immigration officials can conduct a workplace investigation.[2]
- Certain employers are now subject to additional sexual harassment training requirements as well as training on gender identity and sexual orientation.[3]
If this wasn’t enough to pique your interest, stay tuned because in 2020 employers with at least 20 employees will be required to provide at least 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected family leave to employees who are welcoming a new child
.
[4]
[1]
See Cal. Labor Code § 432.3 and Cal. Gov. Code § 12952.
[2]
See Cal. Gov. Code §§ 7285.1 & 7285.2; see also Cal. Labor Code §§ 90.2 & 1019.2
[3]
See Cal. Gov. Code §§ 12950 & 12950.1
[4]
See California Senate Bill 63, Unlawful employment practice: parental leave
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Christy L. Lewis, J.D., LL.M
is a premier estate, tax and business planning attorney in Orange County, California. Her practice is primarily focused on developing and implementing advanced estate and tax planning techniques for clients with estates ranging in value from $20 million to $300 million, and providing business and tax planning advice to closely held businesses.
Read Bio
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Jessica Ertel, J.D.
joined LBEP in June of 2017 and is dedicated to creating custom-tailored solutions to help clients achieve their business and estate planning goals. She is passionate about providing her clients the highest level of legal excellence and care. She authored
Estate Planning in a Digital Age: Protecting Your Digital Assets
for
OC Lawyer Magazine
.
Read Bio.
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Lewis Business & Estate Planning, APC is a professional law firm based in Orange County, California. Our Firm is dedicated to providing exceptional service in the areas of estate planning, tax planning, business planning, trust administration and probate. Our attorneys have years of experience implementing strategies that have saved clients millions of dollars in tax liability. Our clients include business owners, affluent individuals and families, trustees and corporate executives.
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Lewis Business & Estate Planning, APC
949 South Coast Drive, Suite 555
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Phone: (714) 581-8808
Fax: (714) 581-8809
Attorneys
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