Expert Analysis

• What The Justices' Questions Signify For FCA Compliance

  

  Whatever the outcome of two False Claims Act cases pending before the U.S. Supreme Court, the justices' questions during recent oral arguments indicate that government contractors should take certain steps to ensure their compliance programs are demonstrably active and adaptable, say Holly Butler and Rebecca Fallk at Miles & Stockbridge.

• History Supports 2nd Circ. View Of FAA Transport Exemption

  

  In the circuit split over when transport workers are exempt from the Federal Arbitration Act, sparked by the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Southwest Airlines v. Saxon, the Second Circuit reached a more faithful interpretation — one supported by historical litigation and legislative context, though perhaps arrived at via the wrong route, say Joshua Wesneski and Crystal Weeks at Weil.

• Mitigating Risk When Remote Employees Work 2 Jobs

  

  With data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics showing a recent increase in the number of people working two full-time jobs, employers may want to consider policies that address conflicts of interest, artificial intelligence and more to ensure their employees are meeting expectations, says Christopher Deubert at Constangy.

• Tips For In-House Legal Leaders In A Challenging Economy

  

  Amid today's economic and geopolitical uncertainty, in-house legal teams are running lean and facing increased scrutiny and unique issues, but can step up and find innovative ways to manage outcomes and capitalize on good business opportunities, says Tim Parilla at LinkSquares.

• Opinion

  Accommodating Disabled Employees Is Rarely A Hardship

  

  Since tools for granting disabled employees' reasonable accommodation requests are readily available and affordable — as illustrated by a recent U.S. Department of Labor Office of Disability Employment Policy report — it should be much harder for employers to prove undue hardship in granting these requests, says Kamran Shahabi at Valiant Law.

• Minimizing Discrimination Risks In Export Control Compliance

  

  A recently issued U.S. Department of Justice fact sheet on avoiding immigration-related discrimination in U.S. export control compliance should help employers learn to walk a tightrope to ensure their good faith compliance efforts do not unintentionally create risks, say attorneys at Baker McKenzie.

• What Associates Need To Know Before Switching Law Firms

  Excerpt from Practical Guidance

  

  The days of staying at the same firm for the duration of one's career are mostly a thing of the past as lateral moves by lawyers are commonplace, but there are several obstacles that associates should consider before making a move, say attorneys at HWG.

• Cybersecurity Priorities For Remote Workplace Management

  

  With work from home as the new normal, the quest for productivity presents cybersecurity issues including insider threats and email phishing scams, leaving company management with the task of employing various strategies to ward off such significant, increasing threats while the landscape continues to evolve, says Anjali Das at Wilson Elser.

• Employers Need Clarity On FLSA Joint Employer Liability

  

  A judicial patchwork of multifactor tests to determine joint employment liability has led to unpredictable results, and only congressional action or enactment of a uniform standard to which courts will consistently defer can give employers the clarity needed to structure their relationships with workers, say attorneys at Seyfarth.

• A Case For Sharing Mediation Statements With Counterparties

  

  In light of a potential growing mediation trend of only submitting statements to the mediator, litigants should think critically about the pros and cons of exchanging statements with opposing parties as it could boost the chances of reaching a settlement, says Arthur Eidelhoch at Eidelhoch Mediation.

• Calif. Independent Contractor Lessons From Grubhub Suit

  

  California courts have been creating little in the way of clarity when it comes to the employment status of gig workers — and a recent federal court decision in Lawson v. Grubhub illustrates how status may change with the winds of litigation, offering four takeaways for businesses that rely on delivery drivers, say Esra Hudson and Marah Bragdon at Manatt.

• Recent DOJ Setback Unlikely To Shift Labor Antitrust Focus

  

  A Connecticut federal judge's recent toss of an aerospace no-poach prosecution in a rare Rule 29 order is unlikely to derail the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division's ongoing efforts to criminally prosecute conduct affecting workers' compensation and job mobility, say attorneys at Perkins Coie.

• Working From Home? Beware Insider Trading, Tipping Risks

  

  The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has recently pursued traders who received material nonpublic information from loved ones while working from home, so those with work secrets should take extra precautions and inform family and friends of insider trading risks, say Dixie Johnson and Lauren Konczos at King & Spalding.

• NLRB GC Memos Complicate Labor Law Compliance

  

  Policy memoranda from National Labor Relations Board General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo outlining new interpretations of the National Labor Relations Act create compliance dilemmas for employer counsel, who must review not only established law, but also statements that may better predict how the board will decide future questions, says Daniel Johns at Cozen O'Connor.

• Preparing For Legal Scrutiny Of Data Retention Policies

  

  Two recent cases involving Google and Meta should serve as a call to action for companies to ensure their data retention policies are updated and properly implemented to the degree of being able to withstand judicial scrutiny, especially as more data is generated by emerging technologies, say Jack Kallus and Labeed Choudhry at Kaufman Dolowich.