Try our Advanced Search for more refined results
Employment
-
April 10, 2024
Union Pacific Can't Duck Biometric Privacy Lawsuit
An Illinois federal judge on Wednesday again refused to dismiss a third amended complaint claiming that Union Pacific violated the state's biometric privacy law when it collected truck drivers' fingerprints without their informed consent, rejecting several new arguments raised by the railroad in its bid to ditch the suit.
-
April 10, 2024
9th Circ. Doubts Calif.'s Standing In DOL Union Transit Fight
The Ninth Circuit appeared open Wednesday to restoring the U.S. Department of Labor's power to deny California transit funding because of a perceived conflict between state pension law and bargaining rights, focusing on the state's standing in a dispute that began between the DOL and a union.
-
April 10, 2024
Fla. Lawyer Seeks 'Compassion' After Loan Fraud Conviction
Fresh off a failed bid to have her wire fraud conspiracy conviction nixed, a Florida attorney found guilty of fraudulently obtaining federal COVID-19 relief loans asked a Georgia federal judge for leniency in her upcoming sentencing.
-
April 10, 2024
Former X Worker Can't Force Doc Release In Bonus Suit
A California federal judge refused to grant an ex-worker's request that the court decide whether X Corp. must provide employee bonus-related documents to its former chief financial officer before he sits for a deposition, chiding the former worker for not filing a proper request.
-
April 10, 2024
Ohio Appeals Court Remands AFSCME Reinstatement Row
An Ohio appeals court sent back to a lower court an arbitration award dispute over a township's claim that a maintenance worker "abandoned his position," finding Wednesday that an arbitrator did had the power under a labor contract to order reinstatement and make the employee whole.
-
April 10, 2024
Alston & Bird Pushes Arbitration Of COVID Vax Claims
Alston & Bird LLP urged a Georgia federal court to reject a former aide's objection to a magistrate judge's recommendation to force her to arbitrate her claims alleging she was fired after refusing to get vaccinated for COVID-19.
-
April 10, 2024
Ex-Reed Smith Atty Can't DQ Judge In Bias Suit Against Firm
A former Reed Smith LLP attorney failed in her bid to have a New Jersey state judge disqualified from her gender discrimination suit against the firm, with the judge on Wednesday turning down her argument that he improperly reviewed a certification from the firm's general counsel.
-
April 10, 2024
EEOC Throws Weight Behind AI Bias Suit Against Workday
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said Workday shouldn't be able to dodge a Black job seeker's California federal court suit claiming it uses biased algorithms to screen out applicants, arguing that the software company can't evade liability by claiming it's not an employer.
-
April 10, 2024
Major Lindsey Wins Bid To Have Sex Assault Suit Arbitrated
A former Major Lindsey & Africa LLC employee's sexual assault lawsuit against the legal recruiting giant must go to arbitration, a New York state judge has decided.
-
April 10, 2024
Ex-Coupang Atty Fights Bid To Toss Whistleblower Suit
A former in-house attorney at South Korean conglomerate Coupang told a Washington federal judge this week that his whistleblower claims against the company are valid according to the terms of his employment contract.
-
April 10, 2024
9th Circ. Says Arbitration Carveout Doesn't Apply To Cos.
Section 1 of the Federal Arbitration Act only applies to humans, not companies, a Ninth Circuit panel ruled Wednesday, affirming a Washington federal court decision shipping three Amazon workers' misclassification suit to arbitration.
-
April 10, 2024
Ex-Judge Dropped From Harassment Suit After NJ Courts' Win
A New Jersey municipal court administrator has agreed to end a suit alleging she was sexually harassed by a former municipal court judge after a state superior court ruled she could not include the Administrative Office of the Courts as a defendant in the case.
-
April 10, 2024
Musk Deposition Decision Put Off In Twitter Layoff Fight
A California federal judge deferred ex-Twitter employees' request to depose X Corp. owner Elon Musk until after other defendants gave their depositions in a suit alleging the company violated federal laws requiring advance warning of mass layoffs.
-
April 10, 2024
Liberty Mutual Says Former Star Sales Rep Poached Clients
A former high-performing sales representative for a Liberty Mutual Group Inc. subsidiary violated nonsolicitation and nondisclosure agreements when he left to start his own competing agency, the insurer alleged in a Massachusetts state court complaint.
-
April 10, 2024
DOL Says Groups' Challenge To Rule Update Must Fall
The U.S. Department of Labor pressed a Texas federal court to ax two construction groups' challenge to its rule updating the Davis-Bacon Act, arguing that they face no injury and that their suit relies heavily on speculation and fear-based claims.
-
April 10, 2024
Starbucks Fired Barista For Having Panic Attack, Court Told
A Starbucks manager berated a barista who suffered from anxiety and depression until he had a panic attack, then fired him, according to a suit filed in Florida federal court.
-
April 10, 2024
Electrical Workers Union Sues LIRR Over Cannabis Firing
The union that represents Long Island Rail Road workers is suing the commuter railroad for firing an employee who had been with it for 25 years after he allegedly tested positive for marijuana when returning to work after being treated for cancer.
-
April 09, 2024
Walmart Hit With $101M Verdict In Trial Over PPE Contracts
An Arkansas jury hit Walmart with a $101 million verdict Tuesday for breaching an agreement to purchase more than $500 million in personal protective equipment amid the coronavirus pandemic, while also finding in favor of the retail giant's tort counterclaims.
-
April 09, 2024
'No Merit' To Talent Co.'s Bid To DQ Execs' Attys, Judge Says
A California state judge on Tuesday told attorneys for A3 Artists Agency and its chair, Adam Bold, that their allegation of a conflict of interest "has no merit" and that she tentatively would deny their motion to disqualify opposing counsel representing executives suing Bold and the agency for breach of contract.
-
April 09, 2024
Starbucks' Calif. Stores Lack Lactation Spaces, Suit Says
A Starbucks employee brought a proposed class action in California state court on behalf of similarly situated workers in the Golden State over the coffeehouse chain's "systemic failure" to provide adequate lactation spaces and sufficient pumping time for nursing employees.
-
April 09, 2024
Excuses 'Twisted' To Transgender Prof, Solid To Kent State
Kent State University "twisted itself into knots" to justify its alleged discrimination, a transgender professor has told an Ohio federal court, as the school in turn claimed the scholar was denied a promotion for bad-mouthing colleagues online.
-
April 09, 2024
Texas Court Unsure It Has Jurisdiction Over Auto Co.'s Rival
A three-judge panel for a Texas appellate court prodded the argument of an automotive repair services company, asking how it could establish that it has jurisdiction over the company's business rival given the rival's loose ties to Texas during oral arguments Tuesday.
-
April 09, 2024
Colo. Justices Doubt Workers' Comp Stops Insurance Suits
A Colorado Supreme Court justice expressed doubt Tuesday that lawmakers, in crafting Colorado's workers' compensation law, intended to make employees choose between getting workers' comp and suing their employer's auto insurer when injured on the job by an underinsured driver — tackling a question that has stymied the state's federal judiciary.
-
April 09, 2024
Carpenters Urge 9th Circ. To Restart Union Retirement Fight
A group of carpenters urged the Ninth Circuit to revive allegations that their union's retirement plan trustees played fast and loose with their savings, saying Tuesday that the trustees should face claims that their risky investment choices caused two retirement plans to plummet in value when the pandemic hit.
-
April 09, 2024
Healthcare Co. Can't Sue Ex-Exec For Causing Canada Tax Hit
A Colorado federal judge shot down a pharmacy automation company's suit alleging its former chief commercial officer cost it nearly CA$1.2 million ($907,000) in Canadian taxes by not telling his employer he had moved out of the country, saying the company hasn't shown it suffered any damage as a result.
Expert Analysis
-
Avoiding Jurisdictional Risks From Execs' Remote Work
Following a California federal court's recent decision in Evans v. Cardlytics — where the case was remanded to state court because the company’s executives worked remotely in California — there are several steps employers can take to ensure they will not be exposed to unfavored jurisdictions, says Eric Fox at Quarles & Brady.
-
11th Circ. FMLA Ruling Deepens Divide Over Causation
The Eleventh Circuit's recent ruling in Lapham v. Walgreen distinguishes the circuit as the loudest advocate for the but-for causation standard for assessing Family and Medical Leave Act retaliation claims, though employers in other jurisdictions may encounter less favorable standards and the U.S. Supreme Court will likely have to address the circuit split eventually, say attorneys at Benesch.
-
What Workplace Violence Law Means For Texas Healthcare
While no federal laws address violence against healthcare workers, Texas has recently enacted statutory protections that take effect later this year — so facilities in the state should understand their new obligations under the law, and employers in other states would be wise to take notice as well, say attorneys at Bradley Arant.
-
Handling Neurodivergence As The Basis Of Disability Claims
Three recent discrimination claims in Rhode Island and New Jersey show how allegations of adverse treatment of neurodivergent individuals will continue to be tested in court, so employers should create an environment that welcomes the disclosure of such conditions, says Ting Cheung at Sanford Heisler.
-
Employers Should Take Surgeon's Sex Bias Suit As A Warning
A Philadelphia federal jury's recent verdict in a sex bias suit over Thomas Jefferson University's inaction on a male plaintiff's sexual harassment complaint is a reminder to employers of all stripes about the importance of consistently applied protocols for handling complaints, say attorneys at Williams & Connolly.
-
Business Litigators Have A Source Of Untapped Fulfillment
As increasing numbers of attorneys struggle with stress and mental health issues, business litigators can find protection against burnout by remembering their important role in society — because fulfillment in one’s work isn’t just reserved for public interest lawyers, say Bennett Rawicki and Peter Bigelow at Hilgers Graben.
-
Generative AI Adds Risk To Employee 'Self-Help' Discovery
Plaintiffs have long engaged in their own evidence gathering for claims against current or former employers, but as more companies implement generative AI tools, both the potential scope and the potential risks of such "self-help" discovery are rising quickly, says Nick Peterson at Wiley.
-
5 Ways To Hone Deposition Skills And Improve Results
Excerpt from Practical Guidance
Depositions must never be taken for granted in the preparations needed to win a dispositive motion or a trial, and five best practices, including knowing when to hire a videographer, can significantly improve outcomes, says James Argionis at Cozen O'Connor.
-
Series
Skiing Makes Me A Better Lawyer
A lifetime of skiing has helped me develop important professional skills, and taught me that embracing challenges with a spirit of adventure can allow lawyers to push boundaries, expand their capabilities and ultimately excel in their careers, says Andrea Przybysz at Tucker Ellis.
-
Navigating Trade Secret Litigation In A High-Stakes Landscape
Recent eye-popping verdicts are becoming increasingly common in trade secret litigation — but employers can take several proactive steps to protect proprietary information and defend against misappropriation accusations in order to avoid becoming the next headline, say Jessica Mason and Jack FitzGerald at Foley & Lardner.
-
Opinion
UK Whistleblowers Flock To The US For Good Reason
The U.K. Serious Fraud Office director recently brought renewed attention to the differences between the U.K. and U.S. whistleblower regimes — differences that may make reporting to U.S. agencies a better and safer option for U.K. whistleblowers, and show why U.K. whistleblower laws need to be improved, say Benjamin Calitri and Kate Reeves at Kohn Kohn.
-
Think Like A Lawyer: Forget Everything You Know About IRAC
The mode of legal reasoning most students learn in law school, often called “Issue, Rule, Application, Conclusion,” or IRAC, erroneously frames analysis as a separate, discrete step, resulting in disorganized briefs and untold obfuscation — but the fix is pretty simple, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.
-
Opinion
There Is No NCAA Supremacy Clause, Especially For NIL
A recent Tennessee federal court ruling illustrates the NCAA's problematic position that its member schools should violate state law rather than its rules — and the organization's legal history with the dormant commerce clause raises a fundamental constitutional issue that will have to be resolved before attorneys can navigate NIL with confidence, says Patrick O’Donnell at HWG.
-
Employer Pointers As Wage And Hour AI Risks Emerge
Following the Biden administration's executive order on artificial intelligence, employers using or considering artificial intelligence tools should carefully assess whether such use could increase their exposure to liability under federal and state wage and hour laws, and be wary of algorithmic discrimination, bias and inaccurate or incomplete reporting, say attorneys at ArentFox Schiff.
-
The Pros And Cons Of Protecting AI As Trade Secrets
Despite regulatory trends toward greater transparency of artificial intelligence models, federal policy acknowledges, and perhaps endorses, trade secret protection for AI information, but there are still hurdles in keeping AI information a secret, say Jennifer Maisel and Andrew Stewart at Rothwell Figg.