Employment

April 23, 2025
Weinstein Challenges Accusers' Credibility As Retrial Begins

Harvey Weinstein's attorney told a majority-women jury in his sexual assault retrial Wednesday that the "casting couch is not a crime scene" and that he merely had "mutually beneficial" relationships with aspiring actresses who later accused him of rape and sexual violence.
April 23, 2025
Ex-Ky. Dinsmore L&E Atty Joins Cozen O'Connor In Chicago

Cozen O'Connor announced Wednesday that an employment and appellate litigator from Dinsmore & Shohl LLP is joining its Chicago office after 15 years practicing in Kentucky.
April 23, 2025
5th Circ. Nixes Order Letting Union Join NLRB Challenge

The Fifth Circuit has walked back an order allowing the Office and Professional Employees International Union to intervene in a high-profile case challenging the National Labor Relations Board's constitutionality, saying the union's interests are adequately spelled out in its amicus brief and represented by the board.
April 23, 2025
GOP Leader Proposes Modernizing Contractor Rules

U.S. Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy, R-La., on Wednesday unveiled proposals he says will modernize the independent contractor model without hindering workers' flexibility and profit opportunities, suggesting several changes Congress could take.
April 23, 2025
Saladworks Operator Must Face Worker's Unpaid OT Suit

A Pennsylvania-based franchisee of fast-casual salad eatery Saladworks cannot escape a proposed collective action accusing it of misclassifying assistant managers as overtime-exempt, a federal judge ruled Wednesday, rejecting the company's argument that there aren't enough assistant managers to support a collective.
April 23, 2025
Vanderbilt QB Fights To Protect NCAA Eligibility At 6th Circ.

Attorneys for Vanderbilt University quarterback Diego Pavia urged the Sixth Circuit to leave in place a lower court's rebuke of the NCAA's rule limiting eligibility for junior-college athletes, stressing that the disputed restrictions are a flagrant violation of antitrust law.
April 23, 2025
Judge Likely To Block Trump Collective-Bargaining Ban

A D.C. federal judge appeared ready on Wednesday to block President Donald Trump's executive order threatening to strip as many as 100,000 federal employees of their collective bargaining power, saying the order seems to target unions because they've challenged his actions, not because of any purported national security justification.
April 23, 2025
Worker Claims Tech Co. Owes Pay For Time Spent Starting Up

A tech company failed to pay employees for the time they spent booting up and logging into their computers before being able to start their work, a customer service worker said in a proposed class and collective action filed in Michigan federal court.
April 23, 2025
United Flight Attendants Say Airline Owes Overtime Pay

United Airlines pays flight attendants only for the time they work during flights and declines to pay them any wages or overtime for pre- and post-flight tasks they're required to complete, according to a proposed class action filed in Illinois state court.
April 22, 2025
Trump Appointees Raise Eyebrows At Trans Troop Ban

Despite a panel made mostly of Trump appointees, the D.C. Circuit seemed skeptical Tuesday morning as it heard out the government's argument for why it should be allowed to implement its ban on transgender troops in the military while litigation challenging that policy plays out.
April 22, 2025
Texas Court Questions $55M Arbitration Award's Validity

A Texas appeals panel asked why a $55 million arbitration award to the former director of a Dallas alternative asset investment company can't float just because the arbitrator based the damages on securities filings, saying Tuesday that arbitrators have broad discretion to determine damages.
April 22, 2025
Justices Urged To Deny Jan. 6 Cops' Bid To Shield Identities

The U.S. Supreme Court should reject an appeal from Seattle cops who joined the Jan. 6 "Stop the Steal" demonstration in D.C. and now want to stay incognito, according to a former law school student on Tuesday who sought police records identifying the officers and who said U.S. Supreme Court rules require the officers to seek relief in Washington state court.
April 22, 2025
Wash. Appeals Panel Revives State Patrol Commute Pay Suit

Washington state troopers can sue their employer directly in superior court over alleged minimum wage violations before exhausting the grievance process under collective bargaining agreements, an Evergreen State appellate court said Tuesday, distinguishing the challenged policies from the union contracts.
April 22, 2025
Reporters Extend Block On Plan Threatening Voice Of America

A D.C. federal judge on Tuesday extended an earlier order blocking the Trump administration from dismantling the agency that oversees Voice of America, saying the coalition of journalists, unions and a reporter advocacy group seeking the preliminary injunction demonstrated the likelihood of "irreparable harm" absent the relief.
April 22, 2025
Ga. County Freed From Court Worker's Age, ADA Bias Claims

A Georgia federal judge ended a lawsuit against Fulton County, Georgia, brought by a former juvenile court employee who said her firing constituted age and disability discrimination, ruling Tuesday that there was no dispute it was the court — not the county — that she should have sued.
April 22, 2025
Trump Admin Fights Groups' Bid To Stop Library Agency Cuts

The Constitution vests President Donald Trump with the authority to reduce the size of the agency that disburses grants to U.S. libraries, the Trump administration told a Washington, D.C., federal judge, opposing two groups' attempt to reverse recent cuts to the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
April 22, 2025
Temp Workers Sue Fresh Express Over Alleged Safety Hazards

Six temporary workers claimed in a potential class action filed Monday that salad kit maker Fresh Express failed to train them to operate dangerous equipment or mitigate safety risks and that the staffing agencies that sent them there failed to pay wages comparable to what their hired employees make in violation of Illinois law.
April 22, 2025
Former NLRB GC Abruzzo Lands At Bush Gottlieb, CWA

Former National Labor Relations Board general counsel Jennifer Abruzzo has landed two post-board gigs as an attorney with union-side firm Bush Gottlieb and a senior adviser to the president of the Communications Workers of America, her new employers announced Tuesday.
April 22, 2025
Ark. Offers Credit For 50% Of New Payroll For HQ Relocations

Arkansas created an income tax credit for businesses that relocate their corporate headquarters to the state equal to up to 50% of their payroll for qualifying employees under a bill signed by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
April 22, 2025
J&J Ends Trade Secrets Suit Against Now Deceased Ex-Exec

Johnson & Johnson has reached a settlement with the estate of a former executive that it accused of stealing confidential files when he left the company to work for Pfizer, but who died in the middle of the litigation, the parties told a New Jersey federal court.
April 22, 2025
Wells Fargo Worker Wants Disability Bias Suit Kept In Play

Wells Fargo cannot shut down a senior finance manager's lawsuit alleging she faced backlash after she sought to work remotely because of health issues, the employee told a North Carolina federal court, saying she put forward enough detail to show she suffered discriminatory actions.
April 22, 2025
GAO Report Looks At Gen AI's Environmental, Human Effects

Generative AI's promises to boost productivity and transform industries could benefit people, but it also comes with risks of social harm, and its effects on the environment remain unclear, the U.S. Government Accountability Office said in a report released Tuesday.
April 22, 2025
Litigation Firm Says Ex-Client's Subpoena Warrants Sanction

The New York-based employment litigation boutique that represented a former Kirkland & Ellis LLP attorney in her now-settled sex discrimination suit against the BigLaw firm has asked a California federal court to quash a subpoena she filed seeking confidential firm information and sanction her.
April 22, 2025
NC Sheriff's Office Settles Workers' Wage Class Action

A North Carolina sheriff's office reached a deal with a class of detention center employees to end their lawsuit alleging they were underpaid because the sheriff paid them for a flat number of hours without considering that their work schedules varied, according to a filing in federal court.
April 22, 2025
In Trump Standoff, Harvard Has Law And Money On Its Side

With strong free-speech arguments and plenty of cash at its disposal, Harvard University appears better positioned than most Trump administration foes to win a high-stakes and closely watched showdown over threats to cut off funding, experts told Law360.

Expert Analysis

Lessons From United's Axed Win In Firing Over Online Pics

In Wawrzenski v. United Airlines, a California state appeals court revived a flight attendant’s suit over her termination for linking photos of herself in uniform to her OnlyFans account, providing a cautionary tale for employers navigating the complexities of workplace policy enforcement in the digital age, say attorneys at ArentFox Schiff.
3 Factors Affecting Retail M&A Deals In 2025

Retailers considering mergers and acquisitions this year face an evolving antitrust environment, including a new administration under President-elect Donald Trump, revised merger guidelines and a precedent set last year by a canceled $8.5 billion handbag merger, say attorneys at DLA Piper.
How Trump Admin May Approach AI In The Workplace

Key indicators suggest that the incoming Trump administration will adopt a deregulatory approach to artificial intelligence, allowing states to fill the void, so it is critical that employers pay close attention to developing legal authority concerning AI tools, say attorneys at Littler.
Top 10 Legal Issues This Year For Transportation Industry GCs

General counsel must carefully consider numerous legal and policy challenges facing the automotive and transportation industry in the year to come, especially while navigating new technologies, regulations and global markets, says Francesco Liberatore at Squire Patton.
Exploring Venue Strategy For Trump-Era Regulatory Litigation

Litigation will likely play a prominent role in shaping policy outcomes during the second Trump administration, and stakeholders have several tools at their disposal to steer regulatory litigation toward more favorable venues, say attorneys at Covington.
What 2024's Noncompete Turmoil Means For Banks In 2025

A look back at the most significant legal challenges to the enforceability of various restrictive covenants like noncompete and nonsolicitation agreements in 2024 can help financial institutions address the use of these critical tools this year, say attorneys at Maynard Nexsen.
Lessons Learned From 2024's Top FMLA Decisions

Last year's major litigation related to the Family and Medical Leave Act underscores why it is critical for employers to understand the basics of when leave and accommodations are required, say attorneys at Dechert.
New Year, New Risks: 8 Top Cyber Issues For Finance In 2025

As financial institutions forge ahead in 2025, they must strike a delicate balance between embracing technological innovation and guarding against its darker threats, which this year could include everything from supply chain vulnerabilities to deepfakes, say attorneys at Baker Donelson.
Lessons Learned From 2024's Top ADA Decisions

Last year's major litigation related to the Americans with Disabilities Act highlights that when dealing with accommodation requests, employers must communicate clearly, appreciate context and remain flexible in addressing needs, say attorneys at Dechert.
Series

Playing Esports Makes Me A Better Lawyer

Competing in a global esports tournament at Wimbledon last year not only fulfilled my childhood dream, but also sharpened skills that are essential to my day job, including strategic thinking, confidence and networking, says AJ Schuyler at Jackson Lewis.
Lessons From The SEC's 2024 Crackdown On AI Washing

AI washing was the subject of increased scrutiny from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in 2024 following a surge in the commercial adoption of generative artificial intelligence technologies in 2023, highlighting the importance of transparency, accuracy and accountability when communicating about AI, say attorneys at Perkins Coie.
Identifying Deepfakes During Evidence Collection, Discovery

Excerpt from Practical Guidance

Attorneys must familiarize themselves with the tools used to create and detect deepfakes — media manipulated by artificial intelligence to convincingly mimic real people and events — as well as best practices for keeping this fabricated evidence out of court, says Bijan Ghom at Saxton & Stump.
An Associate's Guide To Career Development In 2025

As the new year begins, associates at all levels should consider establishing career metrics, fostering key relationships and employing other specific strategies to help move through the complexities of the legal profession with confidence and emerge as trailblazers, say EJ Stern and Amanda George at Fractional Law Firm.
5 Proactive Immigration Best Practices For Employers In 2025

Businesses that depend on foreign talent should take specific steps in anticipation of changes to federal immigration policies that could affect the H-1B visa and other programs, and likely require changes in organizational operations and compliance strategy, says Dustin O'Quinn at Ballard Spahr.
Top 10 Employer Resolutions For 2025

While companies must monitor for policy shifts under the new administration in 2025, it will also be a year to play it safe and remember the basics, such as the importance of documenting retention policies and conducting swift investigations into workplace complaints, say attorneys at Krevolin Horst.