On September 27, 2021, the Office of Administrative Law (OAL) approved the Department of Cannabis Control’s consolidated emergency regulations available here: DCC […]

On July 12, 2021, California Governor Gavin Newsom approved Assembly Bill No. 141 (AB-141), an act amending, adding, and repealing various sections […]

The Los Angeles Department of Cannabis Regulation (“DCR”) has announced a number of changes to the processing of applications and licenses within […]

Los Angeles Municipal Code (“LAMC”) § 104.06(d), entitled “Temporary Approval” states that, “Temporary Approval does not waive or otherwise circumvent other City […]

On July 12, 2021, California Governor Gavin Newsom approved Assembly Bill No. 141 (AB-141), an act amending, adding, and repealing various sections […]

On April 20th, 2021, the City of Los Angeles established the SEED Grant Program to provide $6 million in financial assistance to […]

KVK recently published a blog post highlighting select cannabis-related bills that passed the California Assembly in June.  This post presents a similar exploration […]

June 4, 2021 marked the deadline for California’s legislature to pass Assembly and Senate bills. About twenty (20) bills related to cannabis […]

On June 15, 2021, California’s economy is scheduled to fully reopen. This means that most businesses and public places may return to […]

Q: I pay my employees a salary. Aren’t I exempt from paying them overtime? Not necessarily. Under California employment law, employees are […]

This is the second part of a two-part series of frequently asked questions that KVK receives from new clients seeking to enter […]

This is the first part of a two-part series of frequently asked questions that KVK receives from new clients seeking to enter […]

On March 19, 2021, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill (SB) 95 which mandates that employers provide employees with supplemental paid […]

In 1991, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) was enacted into law. The TCPA restricts telemarketing calls and the use of automatic […]

In our previous blog, Historical Legal Cases & Acts – Black History, we outlined important cases along with the U.S. Constitution Amendments […]

As part of Black History Month, we are looking back over some historic U.S. Supreme Court cases, Amendments and Acts that led […]

On March 12, 2020 we posted regarding Drexler v. Petersen (2016) 4 Cal.App.5th. 1181 (Drexler), litigated by Partner Michael T. Karikomi. At […]

In its January 14, 2021 Notice of Proposed Emergency Regulations, the California Bureau of Cannabis Control (“BCC”) announced its finding of an […]

SICK LEAVE: KIN CARE FOR EMPLOYEES AB 2017 allows the automatic accrual of six months’ of paid sick leave for employees, and […]

PROPOSITION 65 Approved in 1986, California Proposition 65 (“Prop 65”) requires the Governor to publish a list  of chemicals known to cause […]

CALIFORNIA BILL AB 685  What notification obligations do employers have when they become aware that their employees may have been exposed to […]

Mrs. Katchko is known as a powerhouse within the cannabis industry and has represented medical cannabis clients in the City of Los […]

Katchko, Vitiello & Karikomi, PC is proud to announce that founding Partner Yelena Katchko has been nominated for the Los Angeles Business Journal’s 2020 Leaders in Law Awards which “recognize[s] the […]

By: Guest Writer Aaron Cohen, Risk Management Consultant at Insurance Office of America It is safe to say that 2020 has been a taxing year, and […]

IRS FORM 8300  Due to the federal government’s designation of cannabis as a Schedule I narcotic drug, licensed commercial cannabis businesses are […]

Governor Newsom Approved the Following Bills  On Tuesday, September 29th, Governor Newsom provided his final decision on several cannabis-related State Bills and […]

Here is what you need to know about (1) AB 1470 that amends the definition of “final form” in relation to testing […]

With the rapid spread of COVID-19, and the enactment of social distancing restrictions and stay-at-home orders, many businesses have required their employees […]

Los Angeles cannabis retail dispensaries are new targets for law firms seeking to enforce the Americans with Disabilities Act and California’s Unruh […]

Read below for important updates on the status of the Los Angeles Cannabis Licensing and Regulatory program from the Department of Cannabis […]

Read below for an important due date reminder from the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration as announced on July 15, […]

On July 1, 2020, the Los Angeles City Council unanimously voted to pass substantial overhauls to the city’s Social Equity Program for […]

“As the country continues to face the COVID-19 pandemic and begins planning for the return to the workplace there are several considerations […]

“The Supreme Court ruled on Monday that a landmark civil rights law protects gay and transgender workers from workplace discrimination, handing the movement for L.G.B.T. […]

“Even though California personal injury attorneys have been forced to work from home and maintain social distancing, it’s important they continue to […]

ARTICLE TAKEAWAYS Section 5038(h) of the BCC regulations provides licensees with temporary relief from specific licensing and regulatory requirements in order to […]

ARTICLE TAKEAWAYS In August 2016, plaintiff sued defendants. The complaint alleged defendants regularly failed to give plaintiff her full uninterrupted rest periods, […]

ARTICLE TAKEAWAYS On Friday May 15th, the U.S. House passed a $3-trillion relief bill aimed at the economic pressures of the coronavirus […]

ARTICLE TAKEAWAYS Governor Newsome signed an executive order that creates a time-limited rebuttable presumption for accessing workers’ compensation benefits applicable to Californians who must […]

Los Angeles Business Journal Recently, the Los Angeles Business Journal featured Katchko, Vitiello & Karikomi, PC founder Yelena Katchko in a hard […]

What should we do if an employee has tested positive for COVID-19? You should send home all employees who worked closely with […]

In anticipation of the cannabis industry’s national holiday, the following are tips and reminders for cannabis retailers to remain compliant on April […]

On April 10, 2020 the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health issued an extension to the previous Executive Order N-33-20, […]

On April 7, 2020, City of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti issued a new emergency worker protection order requiring that all essential […]

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act On March 18, 2020, President Trump signed into law the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”), […]

A new virus, Coronavirus 2019/COVID-19 first identified in Wuhan, China in late 2019 has been spreading across the globe and is now […]

Please read the important information below regarding tax payments while the Stay at Home Emergency Orders remain in place due to the […]

In these uncertain times, it is vital that businesses be proactive in assessing how these restrictions and other changes caused by the […]

The focus of this bulletin is to advise our many Los Angeles Commercial Cannabis Businesses that cannabis businesses may remain open during […]

We have entered uncertain times given the recent Coronavirus (“COVID-19”) outbreak and temporary restrictions for the City of Los Angeles.  We understand that you may have questions […]

In Drexler v. Petersen (2016) 4 Cal.App.5th 1181 (Drexler), litigated by Partner Michael T. Karikomi, the question arose as to whether even […]

On February 20, 2020, the California Department of Food and Agriculture (“CDFA”) released proposed regulations for the appellations of origin for cannabis. […]

Vitamin E Acetate Study The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has officially identified vitamin E acetate as the definite contaminant […]

Join us on September 25th in sunny Los Angeles, the largest single urban cannabis consumer market in the world, to learn about […]

We were so proud to see our friend Jonathan Menkes featured on a podcast on ganjapreneur.com. Jonathan and his team at the […]

The United Cannabis Business Association (UCBA) held its second annual Policy Summit on June 21, 2019 from 11AM – 6PM at The […]

Come join the United Cannabis Business Association (UCBA) on June 21, 2019 from 11AM – 6PM, at the second annual Policy Summit for discussion […]

California’s commercial cannabis businesses have been patiently awaiting enforcement against the illicit black market. Presently, it is projected that the black market […]

On March 28, 2019, our friends at Sweet Flower will host an informational panel highlighting women in the burgeoning California cannabis industry.  Talking […]

Thank you to Women in LAVA and Green LAVA for hosting ‘Women in Cannabis: Women Entrepreneurs Forging New Paths in The Cannabis Industry’.  […]

Women in LAVA in conjunction with the newly defined Green LAVA, which is now solely focused on cannabis, will be jointly hosting […]

Initiatives supporting the legalization of cannabis continue to gain support during midterm votes.  More and more states see candidates supporting a regulated […]

On Friday, November 2, 2018, California’s Bureau of Cannabis Control (BCC) announced that it had granted the state’s first annual cannabis licenses.  […]

Congratulations to Yelena Katchko and Capalino+Company for a fantastic and informative cannabis summit held on October 16, 2018!  Capalino+Company brought together policymakers, […]

Katchko, Vitiello & Karikomi, PC is heavily involved in California’s cannabis movement.  What once was a rush to acquire storefront or warehouse […]

The City of Pasadena filed a nuisance abatement action against several medicinal cannabis dispensaries and associated individuals.  Pasadena argued that “This use […]

  As commercial cannabis operations take hold in legal states, Courts are increasingly called upon to adjudicate rights that impact the industry […]

Cannabis remains a Schedule I narcotic substance under the Controlled Substances Act.  This presents tremendous obstacles for cannabis businesses, researchers, medical patients […]

Two major issues have plagued (and continue to plague) California’s cannabis industry.  The first is the limited availability of banking institutions to […]

On January 1, 2018, certain provisions of the HBOR expired. However, the expiration date did not apply to all of the HBOR’s […]

The State of California is welcoming 2018 with new Labor Laws. Hiring and Enforcement processes will see significant changes, including compliance with […]

In response to Jeff Sessions’ recent repeal of the Obama-era Cole memo, California lawmakers are taking a stand.  California will not tolerate […]

The long awaited overhaul to California’s cannabis laws has culminated on the launching of the state’s new licensing system.  We are proud […]

California’s three cannabis licensing authorities, the Bureau of Cannabis Control, the Department of Food and Agriculture, and the Department of Public Health, […]

Do I Have to Suffer Provable Economic Damages to Make a Claim Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act? One of the main […]

What Can Happen if Someone Steals My Identity?   When your identity is stolen, the identity thief usually does so with the […]

What is Identity Theft? “Identity theft,” sometimes referred to as “identity fraud,” refers to the act of another person impersonating you, usually […]

You followed our FCRA blog posts and understand how accurate credit reporting is important for your financial future.  You sensed that something […]

If you find incorrect or inaccurate information on your credit report, you need to take action immediately. The best way to protect […]

More and more, we are approached by clients interested in pursuing a case under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (“FCRA”).  Often, they […]

HOW DO I CHECK MY CREDIT REPORT? If your credit report contains errors, inaccuracies or incorrect information it can have a significant […]

“Disruptive dinnertime calls, downright deceit, and more besides drew Congress’s eye to the debt collection industry.”  That is how the most recently […]

A new article by the Los Angeles Times discusses that, under President Trump appointee Jeff Sessions, the Justice Department will no longer set […]

Today, in the matter of Bank of America Corp v. City of Miami Florida, the United States Supreme Court has decided by […]

Medical and recreational cannabis are two very different industries.  With lawful medical cannabis use being the first recognized under the Medical Cannabis […]

Yahoo News’ April 17, 2017 story about Maggie Selmeski and her journey to treat intractable epilepsy with medical marijuana is a touching […]

Judge Debre Weintraub, Supervising Judge of Los Angeles Superior Court’s Civil Division, has distributed an updated chart of the current Civil Court […]

This is Part 3 of 3 on our series regarding credit disputes and related claims.  In Part 1, we shared an overview […]

This is Part 2 of our 3 Part Series on credit reporting and associated claims. Your credit report contains the information provided […]

On Thursday, February 23, 2017, the White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer warned states that have legalized recreational marijuana that the Trump […]

Your “credit report,” and the “credit score” based on that report, are very important and can have a significant effect on your […]

On October 31, 2016, The Court of Appeal of California, Second Appellate District, Division Seven, ordered a reversal in full of the […]

California’s new cannabis economy has been valued at 7 billion according to the Los Angeles Times. The following are important highlights from […]

We recently obtained a jury verdict and judgment against Ocwen Loan Servicing, LLC (“Ocwen”) in the United States District Court for the […]

California Civil Code §2923.7, which is part of the set of laws commonly referred to as the Homeowner Bill of Rights (“HBOR”), […]

SB 1150, also known as the Homeowner Survivor Bill of Rights (SBOR) takes effect in January 2017 after being signed by Gov. […]

BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA (PRWEB) OCTOBER 26, 2016 A federal jury in Bakersfield, California awarded $39,642 in economic and statutory damages and $300,000 in […]

Bank of America has unveiled a new program that will forgive up to 30% of principal for distressed borrowers. “Bank of America […]