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April 12, 2024
Petition Watch: Judge DQs, 'Excessive' Damages & Price Wars
A former al-Qaida member has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to clarify disqualification protocol for judges overseeing a case related to their prior work as a government attorney, and energy drink manufacturers want the court to develop a modern-day test to determine if companies qualify as price-discrimination competitors. Here's four high court petitions filed recently that you might've missed.
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April 12, 2024
Illinois Firm, Ex-Partner Resolve $2.4M Client-Poaching Suit
An Illinois insurance defense law firm and a former partner have settled a nearly six-year suit alleging the attorney poached clients while leaving the firm in 2016, with both sides agreeing to dismiss claims the lawyer caused $2.4 million in damages to his former employer.
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April 12, 2024
Jackson Lewis Hires Employment Litigator In Baltimore
Employer-side firm Jackson Lewis PC has added a former U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission litigator to its Baltimore office who says her experience with the federal bias watchdog gives her a comprehensive view on how to advise clients.
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April 12, 2024
11th Circ. Axes Religious Bias Suit Against LinkedIn
An Eleventh Circuit panel on Friday tossed a Florida woman's suit claiming LinkedIn banned her for spreading COVID-19 vaccine misinformation, finding she abandoned her appeal by failing to support her arguments.
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April 12, 2024
Chicago Water Workers' Race Bias Suit Headed To Trial
The City of Chicago can't dodge a lawsuit alleging its water management department created a work environment replete with racist slurs and subjected Black workers to harsher punishment than white colleagues, with an Illinois federal judge ruling Friday the workers provided enough evidence to proceed to trial.
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April 12, 2024
Journalists Say WARN Act Claims Perfect For Class Cert.
Workers for the now-shuttered digital media startup The Messenger urged a New York federal judge Friday to certify a class of hundreds of staffers who were terminated with no advance notice in violation of the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, saying the law is suited for class wide proceedings.
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April 12, 2024
Mich. High Court Snapshot: Atty Sanctions Kick Off April
The Michigan Supreme Court returns Tuesday for its April session, hearing oral arguments about judges' ability to sanction lawyers for past attorneys' work in a case, what defendants say could be double recovery in wrongful death cases, and an attempt to use a Larry Nassar-inspired law to sue Catholic priests for decades-old abuse allegations.
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April 12, 2024
Woman Pleads Guilty To $1.3M COVID Tax Credit Fraud
A California woman pled guilty to fraudulently obtaining $2 million in COVID-19 government loans and falsely claiming $1.3 million in tax credits, crimes that could result in a 20-year prison sentence, the U.S. Department of Justice said.
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April 12, 2024
Ex-Philly Union Leader Denied Bench Trial In Extortion Case
A Pennsylvania federal judge has denied twice-convicted former International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 98 leader John "Johnny Doc" Dougherty's request to have his third criminal trial — this time over extortion charges — handled by a judge instead of a jury.
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April 12, 2024
Off The Bench: Ohtani 'Victim' In Theft, Arbitration Nod To NFL
In this week's Off The Bench, Shohei Ohtani looks to get off the hook on sports-betting allegations while his former interpreter faces charges, the NFL wins a critical court victory in the Brian Flores lawsuit, and troubled WWE founder Vince McMahon cuts even more financial ties with the company.
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April 12, 2024
Construction Co. Owner Cops To Causing IRS $2.8M Tax Loss
A Massachusetts construction company owner pled guilty to running an "off-the-books" cash payroll scheme that cost the federal government $2.8 million in tax losses, the U.S. Department of Justice said.
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April 12, 2024
High Court Keeps Arbitration Exemption's Focus On Workers
The U.S. Supreme Court held Friday that distributors who delivered Tastykake, Wonder bread and other baked goods to retailers may qualify for an exemption from the Federal Arbitration Act that could let them keep their wage-and-hour suit in court.
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April 11, 2024
Split 6th Circ. Upends Jail Worker's $1.5M Win In USERRA Suit
A split Sixth Circuit panel on Thursday overturned a former county jail employee's $1.5 million jury trial win in his lawsuit alleging he was wrongly accused of taking invalid military leave and then fired, despite a dissent calling the majority's finding that he waived his right to sue "deplorable."
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April 11, 2024
Wells Fargo Wants Ex-CEO's $34M Back-Pay Suit Tossed
Wells Fargo & Co. has asked a California state court to throw out a lawsuit filed by former CEO Timothy Sloan that seeks $34 million in compensation he alleges was wrongfully withheld from him, a payout the bank maintains it doesn't owe.
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April 11, 2024
State Rules Can't 'Obliterate' Federal Rights, Justices Told
The U.S. Supreme Court must clarify that states are categorically prohibited from requiring plaintiffs to exhaust local administrative remedies before pursuing claims that state officials violated federal rights, several Alabamans told the court Thursday, warning that state prerequisites obliterate federal rights.
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April 11, 2024
Jewish Attys Sue Union Over Dues After Pro-Palestine Stance
A public defenders union violated the First Amendment by forcing two Jewish attorneys who oppose its pro-Palestine rhetoric to continue paying dues, the New York City-based attorneys claimed in a federal lawsuit filed Thursday, naming the city and their employer as defendants as well.
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April 11, 2024
Judge Calls Out Colo. For Limiting Prisoner Calls With Attys
A Colorado state judge on Thursday said the state's prisons seemed to be imposing "draconian" limits on virtual calls between prisoners and their lawyers, telling officials to figure out how to do more for those seeking to join a proposed class action accusing the state of using them for slave labor.
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April 11, 2024
Chipotle Pays $2.9M To End Seattle Wage Violation Probe
Fast-food chain Chipotle has agreed to pay nearly $2.9 million to more than 1,800 workers at eight of its restaurants in Seattle to resolve the city's investigation into employees' allegations that the employer violated local ordinances governing sick pay and scheduling, a city labor agency announced Thursday.
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April 11, 2024
Hospitals Responsible For Contract ER Docs, Justices Say
Washington state's high court ruled on Thursday that hospitals may be held liable for alleged neglectfulness of contracted doctors working in their emergency rooms, reviving negligence claims against the medical center brought by the estate of a woman killed by a flesh-eating disease that ER caregivers allegedly failed to diagnose.
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April 11, 2024
Full 8th Circ. Hears Ark. Bid To Revive Youth Trans Care Ban
An en banc panel of the Eighth Circuit weighing whether to revive an Arkansas state law that banned gender-affirming care for children and teens heard oral arguments Thursday, as Arkansas officials sought to demonstrate that the law does not unconstitutionally discriminate based on sex.
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April 11, 2024
2nd Circ. Rules Flores Can't Block NFL's Arbitration Challenge
The Second Circuit on Thursday handed the NFL a win in its effort to overturn a decision that kept former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores' racial discrimination lawsuit out of arbitration, ruling Flores cannot cross-appeal the NFL's appeal of a lower court decision leaving the suit in federal court.
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April 11, 2024
Black Workers, Fish Farm Settle Claims Of Migrant Hiring Bias
Black farmers and a Mississippi-based fish farm have agreed to settle claims that the farm pushed out the U.S. citizen farmers in favor of Mexican migrant workers, they announced to a Mississippi federal court on Thursday.
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April 11, 2024
NCAA Athletes Can't Get MDL Over Compensation Rules
The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation denied the request of NCAA athletes to centralize two suits accusing the organization and five major college sports conferences of exercising a monopoly over labor in Division I sports by not allowing student-athletes to be compensated for their performances.
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April 11, 2024
Texas Staffing Co. Settles Noncitizen Bias Claims
A Texas staffing company settled the federal government's claims that it discriminated against a man by requiring he show his green card to prove he can work in the U.S., the U.S. Department of Justice announced Thursday.
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April 11, 2024
Ex-Atlanta Worker Says City's Missing Docs Merits Sanctions
Counsel for a former city of Atlanta department head who says she was fired after blowing the whistle on failures in its immigrant outreach services urged a Georgia federal judge on Thursday to hit the city with sanctions for reportedly destroying communications related to her termination.
Expert Analysis
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2nd Circ. Defamation Ruling May Chill NY Title IX Reports
The Second Circuit’s recent decision, holding accusers in Connecticut Title IX sexual misconduct cases are not immune to defamation claims, means that New York higher education institutions should reassess whether their disciplinary hearing procedures both protect due process and encourage victim and witness participation, says Nicole Donatich at Cullen and Dykman.
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Series
Writing Thriller Novels Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Authoring several thriller novels has enriched my work by providing a fresh perspective on my privacy practice, expanding my knowledge, and keeping me alert to the next wave of issues in an increasingly complex space — a reminder to all lawyers that extracurricular activities can help sharpen professional instincts, says Reece Hirsch at Morgan Lewis.
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What Lawyers Must Know About Calif. State Bar's AI Guidance
Initial recommendations from the State Bar of California regarding use of generative artificial intelligence by lawyers have the potential to become a useful set of guidelines in the industry, covering confidentiality, supervision and training, communications, discrimination and more, say attorneys at Debevoise.
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Industry Must Elevate Native American Women Attys' Stories
The American Bar Association's recent research study into Native American women attorneys' experiences in the legal industry reveals the glacial pace of progress, and should inform efforts to amplify Native voices in the field, says Mary Smith, president of the ABA.
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How Color Psychology Can Help Tell Your Trial Narrative
Research shows that color is a powerful sensory input that affects memory and perception, so attorneys should understand how, when and why to use certain shades in trial graphics to enhance their narrative and draw jurors’ focus, says Adam Bloomberg at IMS Consulting.
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A Look At Mass. Sports Betting Data Privacy Regulations
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission recently approved data privacy regulations under the state's sports wagering act to promote responsible gaming, showing a trend of regulators directing companies on how to protect personal information used by artificial intelligence systems, say Liisa Thomas and Kathryn Smith at Sheppard Mullin.
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Title IX Grievance Rules Raise Due Process Questions
The U.S. Department of Education’s proposed Title IX regulations for campus disciplinary proceedings would ease the administrative burden on institutions, but raise fairness and due process questions that will likely lead to follow-on litigation, say Markus Funk and Christopher Wilkinson at Perkins Coie.
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Understanding Discovery Obligations In Era Of Generative AI
Excerpt from Practical Guidance
Attorneys and businesses must adapt to the unique discovery challenges presented by generative artificial intelligence, such as chatbot content and prompts, while upholding the principles of fairness, transparency and compliance with legal obligations in federal civil litigation, say attorneys at King & Spalding.
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How Employers Should Prep For NLRB, OSHA Collaboration
The National Labor Relations Board and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s recent announcement of increased interagency cooperation may suggest that each agency will be expanding its scope of inquiry moving forward, and signals that employers need to be prepared for inspections that implicate both OSHA and NLRB issues, say attorneys at Baker Donelson.
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3 Evolving Issues Shaping The College Sports Legal Playbook
Conference realignment will seem tame compared to the regulatory and policy developments likely to transform college sports in the near future, addressing questions surrounding the employment status of student-athletes, athlete compensation and transgender athletes, say attorneys at O'Melveny.
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Employer Lessons After 2023's Successful Labor Strikes
Following recent historic strikes in the automotive, entertainment and health care industries, employers of all types can learn key insights about how unions may approach negotiations and strikes going forward, and nonunionized workplaces should anticipate a drive for increased union membership, say Lenny Feigel and Mark Neuberger at Foley & Lardner.
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Why Criminal No-Poach Cases Can Be Deceptively Complex
Mark Rosman at Wilson Sonsini discusses the reasons many criminal no-poach cases that appear simple are actually more complicated than they seem, following several jury trial acquittals and two dismissed cases.
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The Case For Post-Bar Clerk Training Programs At Law Firms
In today's competitive legal hiring market, an intentionally designed training program for law school graduates awaiting bar admission can be an effective way of creating a pipeline of qualified candidates, says Brent Daub at Gilson Daub.
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Why Employers Should Refrain From 'Quiet Firing'
While quiet firing — when an employer deliberately makes working conditions intolerable with the goal of forcing an employee to quit — has recently been identified in the news as a new trend, such constructive discharge tactics have been around for ages, and employers would do well to remember that, comparatively, direct firings may provide more legal protection, says Robin Shea at Constangy.
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SEC Whistleblower Action Spotlights Risks For Private Cos.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s recent whistleblower action against Monolith Resources holds important implications for private companies, who could face unprecedented regulatory scrutiny amid the agency's efforts to beef up environmental, social and governance reporting and enforcement, say attorneys at Wiley.