Employment

  • July 23, 2024

    Amazon Fights To Arbitrate Sellers' Misclassification Claims

    Amazon urged a California appellate panel on Tuesday to compel arbitration for individual claims from two sellers accusing the online retailer of misclassifying them as independent contractors, and to direct the trial court to toss their representative claims under the state's Private Attorneys General Act.

  • July 23, 2024

    6th Circ. Judge Doubts Cover-Up Part Of Fire Chief's Job

    A Sixth Circuit judge on Tuesday said he found it hard to believe a Michigan mayor could avoid an ex-fire chief's retaliation suit by claiming the chief's refusal to follow a directive to cover up firefighters' alleged misconduct was part of his job description.

  • July 23, 2024

    Harvard Hit With Bias Suit By Coach Ousted Amid Complaints

    The former longtime women's hockey coach at Harvard University alleged in a federal suit Tuesday that school administrators held her to a different standard and paid her "significantly" less than male coaches, before pushing her out over what she says were ultimately unsubstantiated complaints from ex-players.

  • July 23, 2024

    6th Circ. Vows Careful Immunity Take In Prof's Retaliation Suit

    The Sixth Circuit wrestled Tuesday with whether six University of Louisville officials were each rightly denied immunity from a former professor's suit alleging he was unconstitutionally pushed out because of his views on treating childhood gender dysphoria, with one judge promising meticulous assessments of each defendant.

  • July 23, 2024

    Texas Judge Says SpaceX Will Likely Win NLRB Challenge

    A Texas federal judge explained Tuesday why he blocked a case against SpaceX from proceeding before the National Labor Relations Board, saying he thinks the company is likely to win its constitutional challenge to the agency's structure.

  • July 23, 2024

    Senate Dems Roll Out Bill To Codify Chevron Deference

    Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., led a group of Democratic senators Tuesday in introducing a bill to codify the now-defunct doctrine of Chevron deference after it was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court last month.

  • July 23, 2024

    Philly Judge Won't Block FTC Noncompete Ban

    A Pennsylvania federal judge refused Tuesday to temporarily block the Federal Trade Commission's impending ban on employment noncompete agreements, a victory for commission authority that could be short-lived as the agency awaits a final decision from a Texas federal judge who's already indicated an inclination to stop the regulation.

  • July 23, 2024

    NJ Gov. Gets Partial Win In Ex-Elections Chief's Suit

    A New Jersey state judge has handed Gov. Phil Murphy a partial win over claims from the state's former elections chief alleging that his civil rights were violated, dismissing a claim that former official had a legal right to his job.

  • July 23, 2024

    Mich. Justices Urged To Curb Suit-Restricting Job Contracts

    A fired caregiver has told the Michigan Supreme Court that employers should not be able to contractually limit employees' time to sue, arguing that job-seekers who sign such contracts are often in a vulnerable position and forced to accept unfair terms.

  • July 23, 2024

    Chamber Rips Multibillion-Dollar Atty Fee Bid In Musk Pay Suit

    The nation's largest business organization has urged Delaware's Court of Chancery to adopt sweeping curbs to jumbo plaintiff attorney fee awards, declaring a multibillion-dollar fee bid following the cancellation of Tesla CEO Elon Musk's stock-based pay plan "shocks the conscience."

  • July 23, 2024

    Firm Says Rival's Trademark Merely 'Common Spanish Phrase'

    A Houston-based immigration law firm wants claims trimmed in a suit brought by a rival Washington state firm claiming unfair competition and trademark violation, also filing a counterclaim for declaratory judgment that calls the supposed trademark a "common Spanish phrase."

  • July 23, 2024

    Golf Club Escapes Bartender's Sex Bias, Retaliation Suit

    An Arizona golf resort fired a beverage cart server for repeated attendance issues, not because she complained that a customer had tried to rip off her skirt, a federal judge ruled in ending the lawsuit.

  • July 23, 2024

    Disney Cruise Can't Pause Suit As It Awaits Arbitration Ruling

    A Florida federal judge won't let Disney Cruise Line postpone filing a required case management report until after the court rules on the company's pending motion to compel arbitration in a case over an ex-employee who was fired for testing positive for marijuana use.

  • July 23, 2024

    Rising Star: Gibson Dunn's Ryan Stewart

    Ryan Stewart of Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP helped car rental giant Enterprise dodge $160 million in claims that it illegally collected biometric data from workers when it used their fingerprints to register their arrival at work, on top of other victories he secured for Amazon and sales company Credico, earning him a spot among the employment law practitioners under age 40 honored by Law360 as Rising Stars.

  • July 23, 2024

    Whole Foods Settles With Ex-Worker In BLM Mask Dispute

    Whole Foods Market has reached a tentative settlement with a former employee at its Cambridge, Massachusetts, store who says she was fired in 2020 in retaliation for wearing a Black Lives Matter mask, a month before the case was set to go to trial.

  • July 22, 2024

    Chicago Firm Seeks $2M For Ex-Atty's Alleged Client Poaching

    Chicago firm Loftus & Eisenberg Ltd. has filed suit in Illinois state court accusing a former attorney's new firm of helping the lawyer poach clients by encouraging them to leave with him, even though the new firm couldn't support his practice.

  • July 22, 2024

    Globetrotters' Parent & Media Cos. Want Out Of Sex Bias Suit

    The parent and media companies of the Harlem Globetrotters want out of a female former player's sex bias and harassment suit, telling a Georgia federal court she failed to exhaust her administrative remedies by not first filing her complaints against them with the EEOC and obtaining a right-to-sue letter.

  • July 22, 2024

    State Street Sets Aside $4.2M To Address Wage Discrimination

    Federal financial services provider State Street agreed to set aside $4.2 million to make wage adjustments in the future as part of a settlement to resolve allegations that it discriminated against some women managing directors with its base pay and bonuses, the U.S. Department of Labor announced Monday.

  • July 22, 2024

    Investment Adviser Seeks To Ax Union Fund's Bad Advice Suit

    A union pension fund that claims it lost $30 million due to bad investment advice it received in the mid-2010s missed its chance to challenge that advice, an investment advisory firm argued in California federal court, saying the fund blew past its deadline to sue and didn't qualify for an extension.

  • July 22, 2024

    Wells Fargo Flouted Director's Dignity, Jury Told In ADA Trial

    Wells Fargo chose to lay off a longtime managing director to avoid dealing with his request to continue working from home to cope with his bladder and colon condition as the bank readied for a return to office after the pandemic, a federal jury in Charlotte heard Monday.

  • July 22, 2024

    Michigan's Cases To Watch 2024: A Midyear Report

    Michigan's highest court is preparing to take on cases that could restore imperiled PFAS regulations, prevent employers from cutting short employees' window to file civil rights claims and expand the reach of Michigan's consumer protection law. Here are some of Michigan's most important cases to watch for the rest of the year.

  • July 22, 2024

    Mich. Justices Say Fired Safety Whistleblowers Can Sue

    Michigan's highest court revived a former Fiat Chrysler employee's lawsuit against the automaker Monday, saying that occupational safety laws don't preempt his claims that he was fired because he raised concerns about potential asbestos at his jobsite.

  • July 22, 2024

    American Airlines Aims To Block Disabled Worker Class Cert.

    American Airlines Group Inc. has said a disabled worker aims to have a Texas federal court certify an "unprecedented nationwide class of all disabled American flight attendants" who can't maintain a regular work schedule and has asked the court to strike the plaintiff's class allegation.

  • July 22, 2024

    Judge Tosses DHS Expert's Defamation Suit Against Fox

    Fox News Network LLC and Fox Corp. on Monday escaped a defamation lawsuit from the onetime head of the Biden administration's ill-fated counter-disinformation agency, with a federal judge in Delaware finding she failed to "plausibly allege" the alleged defamatory statements were untrue.

  • July 22, 2024

    BlackBerry Sex Harassment Plaintiff May Lose Anonymity

    A former BlackBerry executive claiming CEO John Giamatteo sexually harassed her on his way up to the top job while she was fired for reporting his actions may not be able to proceed with her suit anonymously, a California federal judge said Monday.

Expert Analysis

  • What CRA Deadline Means For Biden Admin. Rulemaking

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    With the 2024 election rapidly approaching, the Biden administration must race to finalize proposed agency actions within the next few weeks, or be exposed to the chance that the following Congress will overturn the rules under the Congressional Review Act, say attorneys at Covington.

  • Rebuttal

    Time For Congress To Let Qualified Older Pilots Keep Flying

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    While a previous Law360 guest article affirmed the current law requiring airline pilots to retire at age 65, the facts suggest that the pilots, their unions, the airlines and the flying public will all benefit if Congress allows experienced, medically qualified aviators to stay in the cockpit, say Allen Baker and Bo Ellis at Let Experienced Pilots Fly.

  • What's Notable In JAMS' New Mass Arbitration Rules

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    The Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services’ recently released guidelines, coming on the heels of similar American Arbitration Association amendments, suggests that mass arbitrations will remain an efficient means for consumers to vindicate their rights against companies, say Jonathan Waisnor and Brandon Heitmann at Labaton Keller. 

  • Fostering Employee Retention Amid Shaky DEI Landscape

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    Ongoing challenges to the legality of corporate diversity, equity and inclusion programs are complicating efforts to use DEI as an employee retention tool, but with the right strategic approach employers can continue to recruit and retain diverse talent — even after the FTC’s ban on noncompetes, says Ally Coll at the Purple Method.

  • Justices Clarify FAA But Leave Behind Important Questions

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's decision last month in Bissonnette v. LePage firmly shuts the door on any argument that the Federal Arbitration Act's Section 1 exemption is limited to transportation workers whose employers transport goods on behalf of others, but two major issues remain unresolved, say Joshua Wesneski and Crystal Weeks at Weil.

  • Series

    Swimming Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Years of participation in swimming events, especially in the open water, have proven to be ideal preparation for appellate arguments in court — just as you must put your trust in the ocean when competing in a swim event, you must do the same with the judicial process, says John Kulewicz at Vorys.

  • What 100 Federal Cases Suggest About Changes To Chevron

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    With the U.S. Supreme Court poised to overturn or narrow its 40-year-old doctrine of Chevron deference, a review of 100 recent federal district court decisions confirm that changes to the Chevron framework will have broad ramifications — but the magnitude of the impact will depend on the details of the high court's ruling, say Kali Schellenberg and Jon Cochran at LeVan Stapleton.

  • FTC Noncompete Rule May Still Face Historical Hurdles

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    The Federal Trade Commission's final rule banning noncompetes might face challenges that could have been avoided with more cautious consideration of the commission's long history of failed lawsuits that went beyond the agency's statutory authority, as well as the mountain of judicial precedent justifying noncompete agreements in employment contracts, say attorneys at BakerHostetler.

  • Justices' Title VII Ruling Requires Greater Employer Vigilance

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent Muldrow v. St. Louis ruling expands the types of employment decisions that can be challenged under Title VII, so employers will need to carefully review decisions that affect a term, condition or privilege of employment, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Game-Changing Decisions Call For New Rules At The NCAA

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    From a newly formed college players union to coaches transferring at the drop of a hat, the National College Athletic Association needs an overhaul, including federal supervision, says Frank Darras at DarrasLaw.

  • What Makes Unionization In Financial Services Unique

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    Only around 1% of financial services employees are part of a union, but that number is on the rise, presenting both unique opportunities and challenges for the employers and employees that make up a sector typically devoid of union activity, say Amanda Fugazy and Steven Nevolis at Ellenoff Grossman.

  • A Guide To Using The DTSA For Misappropriation Recourse

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Nicholas Armington at Mintz explains the ins and outs of drafting a misappropriation complaint under the Defend Trade Secrets Act, and how and why companies should think strategically about federal and state law when filing a claim.

  • 6th Circ. Bias Ruling Shows Job Evaluations Are Key Defense

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    In Wehrly v. Allstate, the Sixth Circuit recently declined to revive a terminated employee’s federal and state religious discrimination and retaliation claims, illustrating that an employer’s strongest defense in such cases is a documented employment evaluation history that justifies an adverse action, says Michael Luchsinger at Segal Mccambridge.

  • How Cos. Can Protect IP In Light Of FTC Noncompete Rule

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    While several groups are challenging the Federal Trade Commission’s recently approved rule banning noncompetition agreements, employers should begin planning other ways to protect their valuable trade secrets, confidential information and other intellectual property, says Thomas Duston at Marshall Gerstein.

  • Navigating Harassment Complaints From Trans Employees

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    The Eleventh Circuit's recent decision in Copeland v. Georgia Department of Corrections, concerning the harassment of a transgender employee, should serve as a cautionary tale for employers, but there are steps that companies can take to create a more inclusive workplace and mitigate the risks of claims from transgender and nonbinary employees, say Patricia Konopka and Ann Thomas at Stinson.

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