Volume 56, Number 4 • June/July 2026
Contents
03 06
76 Advocates Club Listing Spotlighting contributors
Notes from Team CAOC
Special thank yous and what to expect from this edition
83 Business Friends Listing Our platinum, gold, silver, and bronze partners
Upcoming Events, Programs
A quick look at in-person or virtual opportunities 08 “Where We Are, Where We Must Go - Together” An inspirational message from CAOC President, Douglas Saeltzer 12 “SB 623: The New Rules for Rideshare Litigation” A breakdown from CAOC General Counsel, Saveena Takhar , on the recent legislation 14 “Breaking the Sixty-Year Barrier: SB 29 and the Fight to Preserve Survival Damages” Co-authored by Alina S Vulic, CAOC Policy Director, Jacqueline Serna “Feigned Ignorance Should Not Be Bliss: How to Handle ‘No Responsive Documents Exist’ in Discovery” Jasleen Singh weighs in on holding your ground in discovery, thinking creatively, and persisting to, through, and after trial 26 “Your Network is the Case” An opinion piece by Taylor Ernst on leaning on community 28 “The Empty Briefcase in Phase Two of Trial: Obtaining Financial Evidence to Support California Punitive Damages Awards” A substantive walkthrough from Steven R. Young 40 “Sí, Se Puede: The Enduring Fight for Environmental Justice for Farmworkers” Kelsey L. Campbell with a post-Justice Day piece inspired by keynote speaker, Dolores Huerta 47 “The Information War: Guerrilla Tactics for Fighting Corporate Disinformation Campaigns” 19 Ryan Stygar makes the case to get active on social media 53 “Reframing Credibility and Recovery in Trauma-Based Claims” An in-depth look with Whitney Betts 62 “A Plaintiff’s Strategy for Justice in Kaiser Arbitrations” Bruce Fagel, MD, JD, presents a new approach 66 “Hablamos Español” Is Not Enough: Why Language Marketing Without Cultural Humility Is Failing Clients” Co-authored by Maria Hall , Catalina Rodas 73 “We Will Fight to Hold Corporations Accountable” Updates from Washington from AAJ CEO, Linda Lipsen
84 DEI Report From past chair, Michael Bracamontes 85 Coffee Break Report Legal Staff Support Group updates from chair and co-vice chairs, Rose Gutierrez , Cesar R. Garcia , Assal Badrakhani 87 Women’s Caucus Report From chair, Ji-In Houck 90 From PR chair, Matt Sahak New Lawyers’ Division Report 92 President’s Club Listing CAOC’s top supporting firms/individuals 94 Quick look at where we stand and member benefits Membership Report
95 2026 Palm Springs Report A message from CAOIE President, Kenny Ramirez 98 Support the businesses supporting our mission Affiliate Member Listing
Advertising Index
4 - Robert W. Johnson & Associates 5 - Greene, Broillet, Wheeler LLP 10 - Bisnar Chase 11 - EvenUp Law 17 - Richard Harris Law Firm 21 - Signature Resolution 24 - Supio 25 - Arias Sanguinetti Wang & Team LLP
34 - Judicate West 38 - Lawyers for Justice, PC 43 - ADR 46 - Shernoff, Bidart, Echeverria LLP 51 - USA Express Legal & Investigative Services, Inc
52 - Makarem & Associates 57 - NFP, An Aon Company 64 - Baldwin Settlements 65 - Greenberg and Ruby 71 - Riley, Ersoff, Rodas, LLP
27 - Esquire Bank 31 - Anytime AI
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75 “New Frontier of Fundraising” A message from Roger Dreyer , PAC Board Chair
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