Clarus Founder Niosha Shakoori Discusses Emerging Workplace Hate Speech Legislation at 2026 California HR Conference

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., Oct. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Clarus, a boutique woman-owned California employment law firm specializing in management-side workplace counsel, HR compliance, and objective workplace investigations, is pleased to announce that Founder and Managing Partner Niosha Shakoori participated in a debate-style panel at the 2026 California HR Conference hosted by the Professionals in Human Resources Association (PIHRA).

During PIHRA's Spotlight Session, Shakoori joined legal and HR professionals Sherry Shavit and Dana Mayhew to debate AB 1803, then proposed legislation that would add anti-hate speech content to California's mandatory workplace harassment prevention training. The panel took up two central questions: whether the law is necessary, and what it would mean in practice for employers and employees.

Shakoori spoke in support of the bill, drawing on her 25 years of employment law experience, including more than a decade as in-house executive counsel for publicly traded companies, most recently as Vice President, Chief Employment Counsel at Cotality (formerly CoreLogic), before founding Clarus. She highlighted how hate speech shows up in real workplaces and the importance of early intervention.

Other panel perspectives explored whether existing harassment prevention training and FEHA obligations already address this conduct, and whether "hate speech" can be defined in a workable way. The panel then transitioned to the implementation issues employers would face if the bill passes, specifically: how the training content would be defined, where it would fit into existing compliance programs, who would deliver it, and how it could affect workplace conduct and investigations.

Shakoori brings deep experience and knowledge of workplace realities, including culture, operations, and employee relations. She holds Association of Workplace Investigators Certificate Holder (AWI-CH) and Society for Human Resource Management Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) certifications and currently serves as Co-Chair of AWI's Advocacy Committee, where she tracks federal and state developments affecting the profession and recently helped file an amicus brief before the Court of Appeals. As a recognized subject matter expert, she has been called on to develop formal internal investigator training programs, mentor rising leaders, and testify as an expert witness on workplace investigations and HR practices. She is also active with PIHRA as the most recent addition to the Government Advocacy Team, the California Lawyers Association (CLA) Labor and Employment Law Section, and the Iranian American Bar Association.

Since 2014, Clarus has conducted more than 1,000 impartial workplace investigations. These have involved allegations of harassment, discrimination, retaliation, theft, fraud, breach of confidentiality and fiduciary duty, embezzlement, and other misconduct. All Clarus investigators are attorneys who hold the AWI-CH certification. The firm handles each matter with neutrality, evidence-driven analysis, intellectual integrity, and discretion.

For Clarus, the panel reflected the firm's broader commitment to staying at the forefront of emerging employment legislation. Since the panel, AB 1803 has been signed into law and will take effect January 1, 2028, underscoring the real-time relevance of the issues Shakoori and her co-panelists debated. The firm partners with employers to understand new obligations early, think through their practical impact, and address workplace problems before they become business problems.

About Clarus
Clarus is a woman-owned California employment law firm offering two distinct but complementary practice areas: management-side workplace counsel and compliance advice, and objective workplace investigations. The firm advises employers on harassment, discrimination, retaliation, wage and hour compliance, PAGA and HR audits, management training, and workplace policies, helping them address workplace problems before they become business problems. Clarus serves Fortune 500 companies, small businesses, startups, public agencies, and nonprofit organizations throughout California, New York, and Washington.

For more information, visit www.claruspc.com.

SOURCE Clarus