Author: NY Weekly Staff

If you purchased a new car a decade ago, you may have felt like you paid more than you should have. You may not have been imagining things. In 2013, officials uncovered a massive global price-fixing conspiracy among major auto parts manufacturers. This conspiracy to rig higher prices for auto parts affected car pricing for nearly every major auto manufacturer. For years, auto parts manufacturers held clandestine meetings to rig bids and drive up the cost of everything from seat belts to radiators to spark plugs, with the exorbitant costs passed down to the buyer.

Award-winning lawyer Omar Ochoa was right on the front lines of the battle to take down the parts makers who were involved in the collusion. Ochoa currently heads up his own law office, Omar Ochoa Law Firm, but while at a past firm, he was integral to stopping the auto parts conspiracy in its tracks and garnering the largest recovery for indirect purchasers in US history. 

A Global Collusion 

Trouble began brewing within the auto parts industry over a decade ago, when a competition agency in Japan, a group tasked with regulating competition in certain countries, uncovered possible price-fixing among a handful of Japanese auto parts manufacturers. Much like peeling an onion, once they started digging, the problem only intensified. 

“It was a handful of people driving this,” remarks Ochoa. “Yet, the impact was global.” 

Antitrust enforcement agencies worldwide became involved in uncovering the layered intricacies of the conspiracy. At the end of an exhaustive investigation, twenty companies were shown to be involved in the conspiracy, and an estimated 5 billion dollars were made selling the parts to automakers. Approximately 25 million car purchases were directly affected by price-fixing. 

“The macro effect of this was stunning,” says Ochoa.

Bringing the Conspirators to Justice 

Ochoa’s role in bringing about justice for the estimated 25 million car purchasers affected by this scheme was significant. 

“I put a lot of time and work into it,” he explains, “But it was a team effort. Three law firms were the leads on the case. I did a lot of the legwork to put the pieces together that determined how widespread this collusion was.”

Ochoa showcases a professional humility when discussing his role in this record-breaking case. Bringing down the parts makers responsible for the conspiracy was a massive team effort, involving multiple law firms, government officials, car manufacturers, and purchasers participating in class action suits. However, one cannot overstate the tremendous effect Ochoa’s extreme effort had on the overall outcome of the case. 

For all of his work on this case, Ochoa was awarded the Outstanding Antitrust Litigation Achievement by a Young Lawyer Award from the American Antitrust Institute at a ceremony in Washington, DC. The historic case has been widely documented and cemented Ochoa’s reputation as one to watch as both a young lawyer and Latino man in law. 

Justice Served 

The conspiracy to rig bids for auto parts affected approximately ten different automakers and managed to fly under the radar for nearly a decade before being uncovered. 

“It illustrates how injustice by a few can have a global impact,” says Ochoa. 

Once the conspiracy was uncovered, the companies involved began to cooperate with the investigation. This is where Ochoa’s role in the case kicked into high gear. The legwork included managing court filings, hearings, depositions, interviewing employees who admitted to the collusion and gathering information on co-conspirators and their activities. 

Ultimately, the twenty companies entangled in the conspiracy agreed to plead guilty and pay over $1.6 billion in fines. 

At the time of the plea deals, Eric Holder, US Attorney General, promised a thorough investigation and swift justice. 

“We will continue to check under every hood and kick every tire to make sure we put an end to this illegal and destructive conduct,” Holder told Reuters in 2013. 

Since opening his own firm, Ochoa has continued the tradition of fighting hard for what is right and just and winning laudable settlements for his clients. His successes have run the gamut from healthcare whistleblower cases to million-dollar settlements for business contract disputes. In addition, he has prosecuted anti-kickback and Medicare and Medicaid fraud claims against healthcare providers and medical equipment suppliers. Ochoa himself continues to be recognized as one of the best young trial lawyers in the country, much of his work fighting for the “little guy” against unscrupulous companies and organizations. 

The child of parents who grew up as migrant laborers and obtained advanced degrees, Ochoa has always valued hard work. The dedication and tenacity he focused on the auto parts conspiracy case have continued with every case he’s pursued since. 

“It’s about seeking excellence. It’s wanting to be at the top of my game,” explains Ochoa when discussing the driving force behind his practice, “It’s wanting to be the best lawyer that I can be, giving the best service that I can to our clients. That is my biggest motivator.” 

Employee recognition, or social capital, is a high commodity in the workplace right now. As one of the main causes for The Great Resignation, employees are on the hunt for greener pastures; companies that will offer them better benefits, flexible schedules, and an inviting environment. For some employers, achieving these standards can be difficult. After all, it can be hard to let go of the status-quo. Understanding the importance of workplace recognition — but also how to implement it — will be crucial in surviving the new wave of employment. This is something CEO and founder of Preciate, Ed Stevens has become an expert on. 

The Importance of Workplace Recognition

Recent studies have shown that appreciation in the workplace leads to increased productivity, stronger relationships, and loyalty to the company. Employees that feel valued are less likely to jump ship when things get rough. “When employees spend 40 hours a week with the same people day in, day out, it’s best case scenario that they all have a good relationship with each other,” says Stevens. Feeling connected to other team members only helps build the team up more. Giving someone a “gold star”, or recognizing them for their hard work, is a great way to do this. 

“Especially now that a good portion of the workforce is working some type of remote schedule, feeling connected to the team is an even more difficult undertaking,” Stevens says. Since the 2020 pandemic, some new employees haven’t, and probably never will, meet their coworkers in person. That’s why making connections and letting all team members know how valued they are is so imperative. Developing personal connections is difficult when the parties are in different states, but hey, if people can fall in love over the internet, perhaps co-workers can become friends; just keep it within HR’s guidelines. 

It’s also worth noting that recognition needs to come from both leadership roles and peers. It’s easy for the people who see the hard work being done every day to acknowledge each other and support one another because more often than not, the higher ups don’t see all that goes into a project and they show up at the end with a “good job” and that’s it. “[Recognition] needs to come often and from everyone,” Steven says. 

Integrating New Ideas

There is a long list of ways companies can begin to establish relationships and connections with their employees. One of which is Mr. Stevens’ employee recognition platform, Preciate Recognition. The tool allows team members to customize badges and stickers to reinforce the behaviors and traits that matter most to them. Employees can encourage and celebrate each other as often as they’d like. 

In addition to the new platform, Stevens suggests companies adopt a new style of meetings (whether virtual or in-person) that encourage engagement, conversation, and participation. Oftentimes, meetings are one-sided and 95 percent of the attendees never speak. By encouraging a portion of the meeting to hold no “shop talk” and instead get to know one another, bonds are formed that create a more connected team. “It’s all a domino effect,” says Stevens, “because when you have a more connected team, they’re productivity goes up. When they’re rewarded for that productivity, you have a happier team, and so on, so forth.” 

For those remote teams, hosting virtual happy hours, themed parties that include icebreakers, or activities to get everyone involved is a great option. Simple changes like this can solidify a company’s dedication to the betterment of their team. 

Recognition can no longer be just an Employee of the Month certificate that comes two months late. There’s potential for real connections to be made. With an intentional effort to regularly and consistently give more recognition, retention rates and more importantly, company satisfaction will increase. 

By: Olivia Liveng 

The science, health, and technology worlds will be shocked to hear that hookah smoking is not as dangerous as once believed, that is, if you’re smoking through the correctly and through the right devices.

There are countless negative (and often false) negative perceptions about hookah smoke. But Kaloud, the Los Angeles-based company constantly pushing the boundaries on hookah, can share the results of a nearly seven-month long €100,000 Euro research-based scientific study conducted by the third-party ASL Labs in Germany to prove it. 

And prove it they did: with an average reduction of 98% carbonyl compounds (including PAH’s carcinogens), VOCs (toxic and potentially carcinogenic), Carbon Monixide (harmful)) compared to a standard hookah with no filter or Kaloud Lotus versus their Krysalis Eltheria Hookah with the Ayara Activated Activated Carbon Hookah Filter and Kaloud Lotus Heat Management Device (HMD). 

Reza Bavar, the company’s founder and longtime believer of using hookah to connect the globe, wanted to put his money where his mouth was. So he looked across the pond, to Germany, where hookah is not only generally more embraced, but also less stigmatized. 

A third party study was conducted on three types of hookah, including the standard hookah with no filter, the standard hookah with the Ayara Activated Carbon Hookah Filter and the Lotus Heat Management Device, and the Krysalis Eltheria with the Ayara Activated Carbon Hookah Filter, the Lotus Heat Management Device, and the Krysalis Eltheria. The physiological impact of 175 puffs over five sessions of each was investigated.

And the findings? The results speak for themselves, that–scientifically, with the proper accoutrement, hookah has a rapid decrease in many of the compounds we know can hurt us.  There was an average reduction of 98% carbonyl compounds compared to a standard hookah with no filter using Krysalis Eltheria with the Ayara Activated Carbon Hookah Filter, the Lotus Heat Management Device, and the Krysalis Eltheria. 

“This is personally gratifying to me because it demonstrates that Kaloud’s Vision of making hookah use as harmless as possible is coming to pass and that the things we will introduce in the future will make it even less harmful,” said Bavar. “I believe that trying to mandate human behavior will seldom work, but that if we mitigate the harm associated with the things people enjoy doing that we can improve the quality of life while avoiding the costs, economic, societal, and psychological, which often come with mandates.”

Kaloud successfully designed its products to reduce the risk associated with traditional hookah. These carbonyl compounds have been shown to adversely affect human health by causing respiratory tract infections, skin damage, and neurodegenerative disorders by increasing systemic inflammation. These health problems can be debilitating in the long run.

The same study concluded that the amount of PAHs significantly reduces with Kaloud’s products. Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) are carcinogenic compounds generated when coal and tobacco are burned. There is an average decrease of 97.5% Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) using a Krysalis Eltheria with the Ayara Activated Carbon Hookah Filter, the Lotus Heat Management Device, and the Krysalis Eltheria versus a standard hookah with no filter.

There is an average decrease of 34% in levels of carbon monoxide between Kaloud products and standard hookahs. Carbon monoxide is a colorless, tasteless gas that reduces the oxygen content in the blood and is released when the fuel is ineffectively burned. In Kaloud products, the tobacco is cooked rather than burned compared to traditional hookah. Carbonyl compounds have been associated with higher body inflammatory levels, which serve as a groundwork for further disease. Reduced risk from the carbonyl compounds directly translates to reduced risk of chronic diseases like diabetes high blood pressure. 

When Kaloud debuted the world’s first superior quality Heat Management Devices, it grabbed the industry by storm. Kaloud is a unique and revolutionary hookah brand with a perfect combination of timeless tradition and transcending hookah boundaries.  Kaloud’s Lotus heat management devices offer a smoother, cleaner, and healthier version of the hookah. The hookah’s scientific design eliminates ash, ultra-fine particles, and volatile gases that move from charcoal to shisha, resulting in a more enjoyable experience. With an enhanced hookah experience and appealing puffs that are clean and flavorful, it has become a well-known feature of social gatherings. Their one-of-a-kind design allows you to enjoy the hookah for longer.

The Kaloud Aeolis Hookah Hoses are made of fine wood, stainless steel, and platinum cured silicone in a robust weave, all of which contribute to the hookah hose’s lifetime by preventing bacteria and mold from collecting within it. Kaloud products are made with the finest grade materials and manufacturing technology, often reserved for the aerospace and medical industries. It has a highly sleek and smooth design. Manufacturing involves lengthy research and development processes, with up to five years of timescales.

Hookah is more than just a recreational commodity; it’s also a means for cultivating deeper bonds and mutual respect. In both medieval and modern times, it is often employed in social settings for bonding. The communal aspect of hookah contributes to a sense of familiarity and belonging.

As part of their mission, Kaloud is striving to dispel the myths around Hookah use, with the biggest myth leading people to falsely believe that one hookah session is as harmful as 100 cigarettes. He explains that the gas in hookah smoke is not the same as in cigarettes. “It’s important for people to understand that different methods of ingesting smoke each have their own gas profiles and that a cigarette, cigar, pipe, vape, and Hookah will all look different in lab analysis,” he says.