Employment

  • July 24, 2024

    PepsiCo, Frito-Lay Sued Over Flamin' Hot Cheetos Origin Story

    A retired Frito-Lay executive previously touted as the inventor of Flamin' Hot Cheetos is suing the snack giant and its parent company PepsiCo in California state court for defamation and racial discrimination, claiming there's a "smear campaign" to discredit him that has derailed his motivational speaker career and a planned documentary.

  • July 24, 2024

    SF DA Sued By Staffer Fired Over 'Panties' Reply-All Snafu

    A San Francisco District Attorney's Office staffer who says he was fired after accidentally sending a risqué reply-all email at work has filed a state court lawsuit accusing his former boss and the county of defamation and standing in the way of his getting future employment.

  • July 24, 2024

    Ex-Arena Group CEO Says He's Owed Fees For Dueling Suits

    The former CEO of digital publisher The Arena Group is demanding that the company make its contractual payments to him to cover his costs for dueling lawsuits against one another in separate state courts, according to a Wednesday suit in Delaware Chancery Court.

  • July 24, 2024

    Even With Deal, Athletes Still Fighting For Share Of NCAA Pie

    College athletes suing for a cut of NCAA television revenue in Colorado federal court have stressed that they will continue to litigate even if the settlement of a massive class action over name, image and likeness rights in California receives court approval.

  • July 24, 2024

    Safeway Gets Early Win In Floor Co.'s SEIU Conspiracy Suit

    A floor cleaning company can't pursue its claim that Safeway took part in a civil conspiracy with a Service Employees International Union affiliate to award a contract to a competitor, a California federal judge ruled.

  • July 24, 2024

    Ex-SAP Exec Settles Whistleblowing Retaliation Suit

    A former executive of software giant SAP has settled his retaliation and age discrimination claims, according to a Wednesday order by a Pennsylvania federal court.

  • July 24, 2024

    Naval Engineers Urge 4th Circ. To Revive No-Poach Suit

    A pair of former naval engineers have urged the Fourth Circuit to revive their proposed class action accusing military shipbuilding contractors and related firms of using secret "no-poach" agreements, saying their suit was wrongly ruled untimely amid a cover-up of the alleged scheme.

  • July 24, 2024

    TikTok Can't Nix Trade Secrets Row By Worker's Ex-Employer

    A California federal judge on Tuesday denied TikTok's motion to toss a trade secrets suit by Beijing Meishe relating to copyrighted source code for video editing, finding Meishe plausibly alleged it found a "striking similarity" between the two companies' object codes after one of its employees quit and joined TikTok.

  • July 24, 2024

    6th Circ. Floats Remand Of Geico Agent Misclassification Suit

    The Sixth Circuit on Wednesday pressed Geico about plan documents reviewed by a lower court when it tossed agents' claims they were misclassified as independent contractors, floating the possibility of sending the case back for limited discovery.

  • July 24, 2024

    Harvard Vow To Tackle Antisemitism Can't Nix Suit, Court Told

    Harvard University's arguments to dismiss claims it fails to protect Jewish students from antisemitic intimidation and threats boil down to telling the plaintiffs "cool your jets" while the school tries to address the issue, a lawyer for the students told a Massachusetts federal judge Wednesday.

  • July 24, 2024

    Ex-Wells Fargo Director Angles For $32M In ADA Trial

    A former Wells Fargo managing director is seeking more than $32 million in economic damages after he said the bank laid him off to avoid dealing with his accommodation request, a North Carolina federal jury heard Wednesday on the third day of his Americans with Disabilities Act trial.

  • July 24, 2024

    6th Circ. Judges Wary Of Dissecting Vaccine Objector's Views

    A Sixth Circuit judge said Wednesday he was uncomfortable questioning the legitimacy of a person's religious beliefs, criticizing the American Red Cross' argument that a former worker dressed up her secular anti-vaccine views with religious language to get an exemption from the COVID-19 vaccine.

  • July 24, 2024

    CFPB Warns Of Anti-Whistleblower Risk In NDAs That 'Muzzle'

    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau cautioned Wednesday that banks and other financial firms risk violating federal law if they require their employees to sign broad nondisclosure agreements that don't clearly allow them to talk freely with regulators or law enforcement.

  • July 24, 2024

    Claims By Recruit In NIL Suit Are 'Ambiguous,' Booster Says

    The college football recruit accusing coaches and boosters of fraud over a canceled name, image and likeness deal badly misinterpreted statements and messages that were never intended to be contractual agreements, a University of Florida booster told a Florida federal judge.

  • July 24, 2024

    Newman Facing 2nd Suspension For 'Continuing Misconduct'

    A panel of Federal Circuit judges on Wednesday recommended U.S. Circuit Judge Pauline Newman remain suspended for another year based on her ongoing refusal to cooperate with an investigation into her health, or even acknowledge the court's concerns.

  • July 24, 2024

    Ex-McElroy Deutsch Exec Says Ch. 11 Doesn't Pause Claims

    A former McElroy Deutsch executive told a New Jersey state court that just because her husband — former McElroy Deutsch chief financial officer John Dunlea — has filed for bankruptcy does not mean she needs to pause her claims against the firm for discrimination and retaliation.

  • July 24, 2024

    3rd Circ. Says ​NJ Temp Worker Law Is Constitutional

    Staffing industry groups can't halt a New Jersey law strengthening protections for temporary workers because it doesn't discriminate between out-of-state and in-state companies and is therefore constitutional, the Third Circuit ruled Wednesday, affirming a district court's ruling.

  • July 24, 2024

    Ex-Marijuana Store Worker Settles Retaliation Suit

    An Atlantic City, New Jersey, marijuana dispensary has settled a disability discrimination lawsuit filed by an ex-employee who claimed the business's managers wouldn't turn down the loud music that was triggering her PTSD.

  • July 24, 2024

    5th Circ. Says Doctor's Corrective Plan Not A Valid Contract

    The Fifth Circuit refused to reinstate a $6.6 million jury verdict in a former medical resident's suit alleging he was fired despite assurances he would have 60 days to rectify professional and interpersonal issues, ruling the residency program's director didn't have the power to offer a binding agreement.

  • July 24, 2024

    Unions, Energy Groups Back Enbridge 6th Circ. Rehearing Bid

    Labor unions and energy industry groups are joining Enbridge Energy's push for the full Sixth Circuit to rehear a panel decision that sent a Michigan lawsuit aiming to shut down the company's Line 5 pipeline back to state courts.

  • July 24, 2024

    Jenner & Block Wants Out Of COVID Vax Refusal Firing Suit

    Jenner & Block LLP has asked an Illinois federal judge to toss a former employee's claims that she was fired after being denied a religious exemption from the firm's COVID-19 vaccine mandate, saying she didn't do enough to spell out her religious beliefs or how they conflict with the vaccine.

  • July 24, 2024

    Rising Star: Weil's Rebecca Sivitz

    Rebecca Sivitz of Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP has helped several companies successfully handle mergers and restructuring, including helping The Kroger Co. face a first-of-its-kind challenge from the Federal Trade Commission, earning her a spot among the employment law practitioners under age 40 honored by Law360 as Rising Stars.

  • July 24, 2024

    Red Lobster Accused Of Shorting Wages With Tip Credit

    Red Lobster has not been paying its tipped employees all their wages owed, a worker claimed in a proposed collective action in Maryland federal court, saying the seafood chain made them perform excessive non-tip-generating work that drove their take-home pay below minimum wage.

  • July 23, 2024

    7th Circ. Affirms Ruling Mining Co. Flouted Labor Law

    The Seventh Circuit on Tuesday backed the National Labor Relations Board's ruling that a mining company violated federal labor law by unilaterally barring employees from clocking in more than five minutes before their shift, but it denied a union's bid to extend the violation to strike replacements.

  • July 23, 2024

    Lack Of Quorum Dooms EEOC Pregnancy Regs, Co. Says

    A Texas industrial sales company sued the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on Monday, challenging the constitutionality of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, which echoes federal disability law in requiring employers to provide reasonable accommodations for pregnant workers on the job.

Expert Analysis

  • How Attys Can Avoid Pitfalls When Withdrawing From A Case

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    The Trump campaign's recent scuffle over its bid to replace its counsel in a pregnancy retaliation suit offers a chance to remind attorneys that many troubles inherent in withdrawing from a case can be mitigated or entirely avoided by communicating with clients openly and frequently, says Christopher Konneker at Orsinger Nelson.

  • One Contract Fix Can Reduce Employer Lawsuit Exposure

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    A recent Fifth Circuit ruling that saved FedEx over $365 million highlights how a one-sentence limitation provision on an employment application or in an at-will employment agreement may be the easiest cost-savings measure for employers against legal claims, say Sara O'Keefe and William Wortel at BCLP.

  • Using A Children's Book Approach In Firm Marketing Content

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    From “The Giving Tree” to “Where the Wild Things Are,” most children’s books are easy to remember because they use simple words and numbers to tell stories with a human impact — a formula law firms should emulate in their marketing content to stay front of mind for potential clients, says Seema Desai Maglio at The Found Word.

  • The State Of Play In DEI And ESG 1 Year After Harvard Ruling

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    Almost a year after the U.S. Supreme Court decided Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, attorney general scrutiny of environmental, social and governance-related efforts indicates a potential path for corporate diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives to be targeted, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.

  • FTC Noncompete Rule Risks A Wave Of State AG Actions

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    The Federal Trade Commission's final rule language banning noncompetes may contribute to a waterfall enforcement effect in which state attorneys general deploy their broad authority to treat noncompetes as separate and independent violations, say Ryan Strasser and Carson Cox at Troutman Pepper.

  • How To Use Exhibits Strategically Throughout Your Case

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    Exhibits, and documents in particular, are the lifeblood of legal advocacy, so attorneys must understand how to wield them effectively throughout different stages of a case to help build strategy, elevate witness preparation and effectively persuade the fact-finders, say Allison Rocker at Baker McKenzie and Colorado prosecutor Adam Kendall.

  • Series

    Being An EMT Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    While some of my experiences as an emergency medical technician have been unusually painful and searing, the skills I’ve learned — such as triage, empathy and preparedness — are just as useful in my work as a restructuring lawyer, says Marshall Huebner at Davis Polk.

  • Behind Court Challenges To The FTC's Final Noncompete Rule

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    The Federal Trade Commission's recent final rule banning noncompetes may not go into effect any time soon amid a couple of Texas federal court challenges seeking to bar the rule's implementation, which will likely see appeals all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, says Michael Elkins at MLE Law.

  • 15 Quick Tips For Uncovering And Mitigating Juror Biases

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    As highlighted by the recent jury selection process in the criminal hush money trial against former President Donald Trump, juror bias presents formidable challenges for defendants, and attorneys must employ proactive strategies — both new and old — to blunt its impact, say Monica Delgado and Jonathan Harris at Harris St. Laurent.

  • Corporate Insurance Considerations For Trafficking Claims

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    With the surge in litigation over liability under the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act, corporate risk managers and in-house counsel need to ensure that appropriate insurance coverage is in place to provide for defense and indemnity against this liability, says Micah Skidmore at Haynes Boone.

  • High-Hazard Retailers: Are You Ready For OSHA Inspections?

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    In light of a bill introduced this month in Congress to protect warehouse workers, relevant employers — including certain retailers — should remain aware of an ongoing Occupational Safety and Health Administration initiative that has increased the likelihood of inspection over the next couple of years, say Julie Vanneman and Samantha Cook at Dentons Cohen.

  • Tips For Keeping Trade Secrets In The Vault

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    Key practices aimed at maintaining confidentiality can help companies establish trade secret status as the Federal Trade Commission's ban on noncompetes makes it prudent to explore other security measures, says John Baranello at Moses & Singer.

  • Navigating Title VII Compliance And Litigation Post-Muldrow

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling in Muldrow v. St. Louis has broadened the scope of Title VII litigation, meaning employers must reassess their practices to ensure compliance across jurisdictions and conduct more detailed factual analyses to defend against claims effectively, say Robert Pepple and Christopher Stevens at Nixon Peabody.

  • 3 Employer Lessons From NLRB's Complaint Against SpaceX

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    Severance agreements traditionally have included nondisparagement and nondisclosure provisions as a matter of course — but a recent National Labor Relations Board complaint against SpaceX underscores the ongoing efforts to narrow severance agreements at the state and federal levels, say attorneys at Williams & Connolly.

  • Lessons On Challenging Class Plaintiffs' Expert Testimony

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    In class actions seeking damages, plaintiffs are increasingly using expert opinions to establish predominance, but several recent rulings from California federal courts shed light on how defendants can respond, say Jennifer Romano and Raija Horstman at Crowell & Moring.

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