CalChamber in Court
When necessary, the CalChamber takes the business message before the courts to safeguard a sound economy and business climate in the state. The CalChamber Legal Affairs Department participates in major litigation affecting California employers and the economy. The legal affairs unit files lawsuits and friend-of-the-court briefs on behalf of our members and key industries to emphasize the broad impact that court decisions may have on the California economy.
Success in Presenting a Business Viewpoint
Since entering its first case in 1982, the CalChamber’s legal affairs program has grown steadily.
Over the years, the CalChamber has lent its voice to court cases related to the general conduct of business, taxation, litigation reform, wage-and-hour law, working conditions, meal and rest periods, and commercial free speech. The CalChamber’s logic has prevailed in court decisions:
- Preventing added liability for employers by upholding the principle that parties to a lawsuit should pay no more than their percentage of fault for noneconomic damages.
- Applying a commonsense timeline for workers’ compensation benefit adjustments.
- Protecting businesses from abusive lawsuits.
- Protecting employer free speech.
- Clarifying that rounding employees’ timecard entries is legal.
- Upholding the state high school exit exam as a tool to ensure high school students acquire basic skills in English and math.
- Protecting cost-saving workers’ compensation reforms.
- Preserving the intent of the voters in enacting CalChamber-supported
- Proposition 64 to help curb frivolous lawsuits by requiring that all members of a class action lawsuit must have suffered actual injury in order to participate in the legal action.
- Upholding the ability of California governments to complete public works projects efficiently by contracting with private sector companies to augment
public sector capabilities.