Carol Livingston has more than 28 years of experience representing clients in four substantive areas: business regulation, business litigation, labor and employment and education.
She has represented businesses before California's regulatory agencies in government contracting, food and agriculture, gaming, pharmaceuticals, consumer products, transportation, licensing, health, education, employer taxes, and environmental issues such as air emissions regulation and waste management. She is registered to lobby in California.
Carol can deal with state agencies of all kinds, but has particular experience with the California Attorney General, Gaming Control Commission, Department of Health Services (MediCal and licensing), Department of Social Services (licensing), Department of Food and Agriculture, Department of Transportation (special permitting), Department of Consumer Affairs (professional and trade licensing), California Integrated Waste Management Board, California Air Resources Board and the Department of Education. A recent matter concerning a manufacturing client whose customers were cited for selling its product in violation of California law. The client had indemnity agreements with its customers for any fines that would result. Before engaging with the Attorney General (AG), GT immediately pulled the cited products from the shelves and then dealt with the AG over packaging revisions and potential legislative and regulatory changes that would clarify the law in the client's interest. The AG became very favorably inclined toward the client as GT became part of the solution.
Carol has litigated under the Unfair Competition Law defending businesses and trade organizations accused of unfair business practices by government agencies as well as competitors. She co-authored the white-paper, California's "Unfair Competition Act" - A New Lesson in Unfairness, cited as a reference in legislative efforts to reform the law. She has written amicus briefs for associations on cases of first impression pending in the California Supreme Court and argued one of those cases there. In that case, where she represented industry in an interpretation of the California Integrated Waste Management Act, her reasoning was adopted in the Court's ruling in the client's favor.
She also excels in providing advise to business clients in contracts, insurance, benefits, employment, and personnel.
Before her legal career, Carol served as a legislative advocate on health law issues for a public interest legal organization.
Areas of Concentration
ˇ Legislative and regulatory advocacy
ˇ Unfair business practices litigation
ˇ Labor, employment and education counseling and litigation
ˇ Labor negotiations, unfair labor practices and grievance handling
Professional & Community Involvement
ˇ Executive Board, Pence Art Gallery, Davis, California
ˇ Executive Board, University of California at Davis Law School Alumni
ˇ Member, American Bar Association
- Member, Business Law, Antitrust, Law Practice Management Sections
- Member, Health Law, Forum Committee
ˇ Member, California Women Lawyers
ˇ Member, Sacramento County Bar Association
- Executive Committee, Labor and Employment Section (1987-1990)
- Member, Administrative, Business, Labor Law, Health Care Sections
ˇ Member, State Bar of California
- Member, Business Law, Labor and Employment, Litigation, Law Practice Management Sections
- Member, Labor and Employment Section, Executive Committee (1990-1993)
ˇ Member, Women Lawyers of Sacramento
ˇ Member, Wingspread P-20 Pipeline Consortium
Awards & Recognition
ˇ Selected, a Law360 2011 Employment Practice Group of the Year
ˇ Selected, "Bar Register of Women Lawyers," Martindale-Hubbell's Bar Register of Preeminent Women Lawyers (2011 Inaugural Edition)
ˇ Rated, AV® Preeminent™ 5.0 out of 5
Articles, Publications, & Lectures
ˇ Author, "Extended Producer Responsibility," GT Sacramento Newsletter, October 2008
ˇ Co-Author, "California Case Threatens FDCA Preemption," GT Sacramento Newsletter, July 2007
ˇ Author, "The CIWMB Seeks To Expand Its Jurisdiction," GT Sacramento Newsletter, July 2007