by Joseph Ray Powers | Apr 22, 2025 | Contract Law
What do you do when a client crosses the line—breaks a contract, refuses to pay, or treats you like an employee under the guise of freelancing? This article tells the story of a real-world breach with company Verdant Strategies, outlining exactly how to document your...
by Joseph Ray Powers | Mar 31, 2025 | Contract Law
After being abruptly terminated by Verdant Strategies and labeled an “independent contractor,” I took a hard look at how I was treated — and realized something wasn’t right. Like many freelancers and creatives in California, I found myself doing employee-level work...
by Joseph Ray Powers | Mar 31, 2025 | Contract Law
In this post, I walk through the clearest signs of employee misclassification based on my experience working with Verdant Strategies. Though I was labeled an independent contractor, the company’s behavior and expectations closely aligned with an employer-employee...
by Joseph Ray Powers | Mar 31, 2025 | Contract Law
Under California Labor Code § 226.8, it is unlawful for an employer to willfully misclassify a worker as an independent contractor. If the Labor Commissioner or a court finds that a company has done so, severe penalties apply — and they’re designed to both punish...
by Joseph Ray Powers | Mar 31, 2025 | Contract Law
Think Your Employer Got It Wrong? How To Fight Back Against Misclassification in California If you’re an independent contractor or freelancer in California and you’re starting to wonder whether you’ve actually been working more like an employee — you’re...