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Employment
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September 23, 2024
House Panel Subpoenas DOL For Independent Contractor Info
The chairwoman of the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce served the U.S. Department of Labor with a subpoena Monday, pointing to the department's several failures to respond to questions about its independent contractor misclassification probes.
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September 23, 2024
Ark. Dispatcher's Settlement Approved In OT Dispute
An Arkansas federal judge signed off on a settlement that puts an end to an emergency dispatcher's proposed class action alleging the city of Jonesboro, Arkansas, shorted her and others on overtime wages, finding she had adequately resolved an error in her prior proposed settlement.
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September 23, 2024
FEMA Looks To Escape Atty's Bias And Retaliation Suit
The U.S. government has asked a federal judge to toss a suit alleging two agencies pushed out an Asian American attorney following her complaints that a male colleague harassed her, arguing she failed to state a claim in her "behemoth," 190-page complaint.
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September 20, 2024
Hyundai Says Startup Can't Sue In Calif. Over Trade Secrets
South Korea-based Hyundai urged a California federal judge on Friday to toss a lawsuit alleging it stole a North Carolina startup's electric vehicle battery material technology, saying a contract inked by a Silicon Valley Hyundai office doesn't give the district court in California jurisdiction over the matter.
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September 20, 2024
Hyundai Unit Unlawfully Fired Cannabis Patient, Suit Says
A subsidiary of Hyundai was hit with a discrimination lawsuit by a former employee in Connecticut who claims her usage of marijuana to manage her post-traumatic stress disorder was the reason for her termination.
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September 20, 2024
Judge Doubts Amazon Targeted Workers On Military Leave
A Washington federal judge pressed an ex-Amazon employee on Friday to back up allegations that she was fired for taking military leave, saying the termination appeared to be an administrative "oops" on the company's part that it has since corrected by offering reinstatement and back pay.
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September 20, 2024
H-2A Wage Rule Blocked In La. For Sugarcane Farms
A Louisiana federal judge said Thursday the U.S. Department of Labor likely didn't have the authority to raise wages for H-2A farmworkers, temporarily blocking the rule from applying to sugarcane farms in Louisiana.
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September 20, 2024
6th Circ. Revives Christian Challenges To LGBTQ Bias Law
The Sixth Circuit revived two lawsuits Friday from Christian organizations challenging a Michigan civil rights law barring discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, saying they demonstrated a plausible fear of enforcement if they publicized their religious views.
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September 20, 2024
Employment Authority: DOL's Strategies After Chevron Ruling
Law360 Employment Authority covers the biggest employment cases and trends. Catch up this week with coverage on how effective the U.S. Department of Labor's tactics have been after the U.S. Supreme Court nixed the Chevron doctrine, the Federal Trade Commission's challenge to a proposed merger between Kroger and Albertsons highlights the overlap between labor law and antitrust enforcement and a look at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's enforcement efforts on the nation's newest civil rights laws.
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September 20, 2024
Conn. Court Axes Estate's Benefit Bid For Deceased Fire Chief
The estate of Waterbury, Connecticut's union-represented fire chief cannot collect any remaining workers' compensation benefits owed to him after his 1993 heart attack, a state appeals court ruled Friday, saying that under a city law, the chief's pension had adequately compensated him.
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September 20, 2024
2 SEC Commissioners Object To Whistleblower Award Secrecy
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commissioners Mark Uyeda and Hester Peirce have objected to the agency's recent decision to hand out a total of $122 million in two awards to four whistleblowers and issued a statement taking issue with the regulator's policy of saying little to nothing about why the rewards are issued.
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September 20, 2024
Microsoft Accused Of Racial Bias By Ex-Diversity Professional
A former Microsoft employee tasked with helping advance diversity and inclusion efforts has filed a discrimination suit in Washington state court accusing the tech giant of an "ongoing campaign of intimidation, discrimination, and retaliation" against its Black female employees.
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September 20, 2024
King & Spalding Fights Bias Suit Over Summer Program
King & Spalding LLP is urging a Maryland federal judge to toss a discrimination suit filed by a straight white woman who says she was dissuaded from applying to a summer associate program open only to "diverse" applicants, arguing the student suffered no injury since she did not apply.
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September 20, 2024
Labor & Employment Trio From Calif. Firm Arrive At Buchalter
Buchalter PC said Thursday that it has hired three attorneys from California firm Atkinson Andelson Loya Ruud & Romo, including a shareholder who will co-chair its wage and hour practice and chair its Private Attorneys General Act practice.
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September 20, 2024
Ellenoff Grossman Denied Arbitration In Ex-Atty's Firing Suit
A New York federal judge has sent a former Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP associate's suit saying she was fired for protesting sexual harassment back to state court and denied the firm's motion to compel arbitration of the matter.
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September 20, 2024
Off The Bench: Favre Flops, Dolan Escapes, Betting Cos. Sued
In this week's Off The Bench, retired quarterback Brett Favre can't revive a defamation suit against fellow NFL Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe, New York Knicks owner James Dolan is spared from federal sex-trafficking claims, and two sports-betting giants face new suits over their use of MLB player images.
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September 20, 2024
Caddies Can Keep Their Unpaid Wages Suit On Course
The bag fees caddies received from golfers were tips, not service charges, a New York federal judge ruled, denying a course operator's bid to toss the workers' suit claiming unpaid minimum wage and overtime under federal and state law.
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September 20, 2024
LA Sees Retired Police Lt.'s Military Leave Suit Trimmed
A California federal judge threw out several claims in a retired police lieutenant's lawsuit alleging the city of Los Angeles denied sick time and promotions to police officers who took military leave, although the parties have taken issue with the scope of the judge's order.
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September 19, 2024
Ex-George Mason Law Prof Can't Stop Title IX Investigation
A former George Mason University law professor can't stop the school or its Title IX coordinator from investigating sexual misconduct claims lodged against him, but he can pursue some of the claims in his suit over the university's handling of the sexual misconduct accusations, a Virginia federal judge ruled Thursday.
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September 19, 2024
Transit Union, Worker Reach $350K Deal To End OT Claim
A Maryland federal court approved a $350,000 settlement between an Amalgamated Transit Union affiliate and a former union employee, resolving the worker's overtime claim under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
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September 19, 2024
6th Circ. Upholds NLRB's Severance Order Against Hospital
The Sixth Circuit on Thursday affirmed a National Labor Relations Board decision that found a Michigan hospital violated federal labor law through its offer of severance agreements, but didn't weigh in on whether the board's precedent shift on pacts that include nondisparagement clauses should stand.
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September 19, 2024
NC Justice Dept. Resolves Atty's Sex, Race Bias Suit
The North Carolina Department of Justice agreed to settle a Black attorney's lawsuit alleging she was passed over for promotion in favor of a less qualified white man, according to court filings, just weeks after a federal judge refused to toss the case.
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September 19, 2024
Boeing Beats Suit Over Workers' Love-Triangle Murder
A Washington federal judge has again tossed a lawsuit against Boeing over a love triangle that led a Boeing employee to murder his coworker, dismissing the case for good because the killing did not occur during working hours or at the workplace.
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September 19, 2024
Insurer Must Cover Fatal Motorcycle Crash, Could Owe $12.5M
A Florida federal court ordered an insurer to pay up to its policy limits in a case that could cost it nearly $12.5 million after a delivery driver for a Chinese restaurant made an illegal turn on a Florida interstate, hitting and killing a motorcyclist in 2018.
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September 19, 2024
Ex-Williams Sonoma Worker Bilked $11M In Scam, Feds Say
A former Williams Sonoma employee was indicted in California federal court over a yearslong scheme in which he allegedly defrauded the company out of $11 million after submitting fraudulent invoices for work that was never performed by a fictitious staffing business he secretly owned, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced.
Expert Analysis
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Attorneys Can Benefit From Reverse-Engineering Their Cases
Trial advocacy programs often teach lawyers to loosely track the progression of a lawsuit during preparation — case analysis, then direct examination, then cross-examination, openings and closings — but reverse-engineering cases by working backward from opening and closing statements can streamline the process and also improve case strategy, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.
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E-Discovery Quarterly: Rulings On Hyperlinked Documents
Recent rulings show that counsel should engage in early discussions with clients regarding the potential of hyperlinked documents in electronically stored information, which will allow for more deliberate negotiation of any agreements regarding the scope of discovery, say attorneys at Sidley.
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Loper Bright Limits Federal Agencies' Ability To Alter Course
The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision to dismantle Chevron deference also effectively overrules its 2005 decision in National Cable & Telecommunications Association v. Brand X, greatly diminishing agencies' ability to change regulatory course from one administration to the next, says Steven Gordon at Holland & Knight.
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Latest 'Nuclear Verdict' Underscores Jury-Trial Employer Risk
A Los Angeles Superior Court jury's recent $900 million verdict in a high-profile sexual assault and harassment case illustrates the increase in so-called nuclear verdicts in employment cases, and the need for employers to explore alternative methods of resolving disputes, say Anthony Oncidi and Morgan Peterson at Proskauer.
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Calif. Out-Of-State Noncompete Ban Faces Several Hurdles
California's attempt to bolster its noncompete law has encountered significant procedural and constitutional challenges, and litigating parties must carefully analyze not only the restrictive covenants contained in their agreements, but also the forum-selection and choice-of-law provisions, say Jennifer Redmond and Gal Gressel at Sheppard Mullin.
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What Cos. Should Note In DOJ's New Whistleblower Pilot
After the U.S. Department of Justice unveiled a new whistleblower pilot program last week — continuing its efforts to incentivize individual reporting of misconduct — companies should review the eligibility criteria, update their compliance programs and consider the risks and benefits of making their own self-disclosures, say attorneys at Skadden.
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Motion To Transfer Venue Considerations For FCA Cases
Several recent decisions highlight the importance for practitioners of analyzing as early as possible whether a False Claims Act case warrants a change of venue, and understanding how courts weigh certain factors for defendants versus whistleblowers, say Ellen London at London & Stout, and Li Yu and Corey Lipton at DiCello Levitt.
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Series
Teaching Scuba Diving Makes Me A Better Lawyer
As a master scuba instructor, I’ve learned how to prepare for the unexpected, overcome fears and practice patience, and each of these skills – among the many others I’ve developed – has profoundly enhanced my work as a lawyer, says Ron Raether at Troutman Pepper.
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Lawyers Can Take Action To Honor The Voting Rights Act
As the Voting Rights Act reaches its 59th anniversary Tuesday, it must urgently be reinforced against recent efforts to dismantle voter protections, and lawyers can pitch in immediately by volunteering and taking on pro bono work to directly help safeguard the right to vote, says Anna Chu at We The Action.
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Opinion
Dreamer Green Card Updates Offer Too Little For Too Few
Despite the Biden administration’s good intentions in announcing a new pathway for college-educated Dreamers to receive green cards, the initiative ultimately does little to improve the status quo for most beneficiaries, and could even leave applicants in a worse position, says Adam Moses at Harris Beach.
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Proposed NIL Deal Leaves NCAA Antitrust Liability Door Open
The proposed House v. NCAA settlement filed in California federal court creates the possibility of significant direct payments to student-athletes for the first time, but the resulting framework is unlikely to withstand future antitrust scrutiny because it still represents an agreement among competitors to limit labor cost, says Yaman Desai at Lynn Pinker.
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Opinion
Expert Witness Standards Must Consider Peer Review Crisis
For nearly two decades, the so-called replication crisis has upended how the scientific community views the reliability of peer-reviewed studies, and it’s time for courts to reevaluate whether peer review is a trustworthy proxy for expert witness reliability, say Jeffrey Gross and Robert LaCroix at Reid Collins.
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Eye On Compliance: New Pregnancy And Nursing Protections
With New York rolling out paid lactation breaks and extra leave for prenatal care, and recent federal legislative developments enhancing protection for pregnant and nursing workers, employers required to offer these complex new accommodations should take several steps to mitigate their compliance risks, says Madjeen Garcon-Bonneau at Wilson Elser.
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How To Grow Marketing, Biz Dev Teams In A Tight Market
Faced with fierce competition and rising operating costs, firms are feeling the pressure to build a well-oiled marketing and business development team that supports strategic priorities, but they’ll need to be flexible and creative given a tight talent market, says Ben Curle at Ambition.
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Patent Lessons From 5 Federal Circuit Reversals In June
A look at June cases where the Federal Circuit reversed or vacated decisions by the Patent Trial and Appeal Board or a federal district court highlights a potential path for branded drugmakers to sue generic-drug makers for off-label uses, potential downsides of violating a pretrial order offering testimony, and more, say Denise De Mory and Li Guo at Bunsow De Mory.