Employment

April 09, 2025
Twitter Seeks To Strike Arbitrations In Severance Fight

Fifteen individual arbitration awards don't add anything to workers' claims seeking additional severance payments from X, the social media platform argued, urging a Delaware federal court to strike them from the docket.
April 09, 2025
Judge Lets NIL Fraud Suit Against UF Boosters Move Forward

A Florida federal judge on Tuesday declined to dismiss the lawsuit of college quarterback Jaden Rashada, who accused University of Florida boosters of luring him with fraudulent promises that cost him a deal with another school, saying his claims of fraud and negligence are detailed enough to proceed.
April 09, 2025
Seattle Hospital Agrees To Pay $16M To End Meal Break Suit

Seattle Children's Hospital has agreed to pay $16 million to settle a proposed class action brought by hospital workers who say they were denied required meal breaks in violation of Washington wage and hour laws.
April 09, 2025
Trial Court Too Tough On Laundromat Bias Suit, 2nd Circ. Says

The Second Circuit reinstated a Black laundromat worker's suit claiming she was fired for complaining that her supervisor made racist comments and for requesting working adjustments due to a broken thumb, ruling Wednesday a lower court improperly tanked the case based on her "self-serving" testimony.
April 09, 2025
Ga. Beverage Co. Worker Says Pregnancy Got Her Fired

A former operations manager for a Georgia commercial beverage service company sued the company for pregnancy discrimination Tuesday, making good on an alleged invitation by her boss to "file a claim" if she had a problem with her abrupt firing last year.
April 09, 2025
Florida Won't Hire Law Firms With DEI Initiatives, AG Says

The state of Florida will no longer hire law firms with diversity, equity and inclusion programs to serve as outside general counsel, according to a new memo from Attorney General James Uthmeier.
April 09, 2025
Roberts Pauses Rehiring Of Fired NLRB, MSPB Members

Chief Justice John Roberts temporarily paused an en banc D.C. Circuit's order reinstating two fired members of the National Labor Relations Board and the Merit Systems Protection Board on Wednesday, in a dispute that challenges a 90-year-old U.S. Supreme Court ruling protecting certain government officials from presidential removal.
April 09, 2025
Female Teachers Must Identify Specific Men In Pay Bias Case

A Pennsylvania federal judge on Wednesday refused to grant a posttrial win to two female teachers who accused a school district of paying women less than men and told the women to identify more specific male counterparts for the forthcoming second trial.
April 09, 2025
Ex-Qualcomm Executive Convicted Of $180M Fraud

A federal jury in San Diego has found a former executive at Qualcomm guilty of defrauding the chipmaker by creating a fake company, concealing his connection to it and selling it to Qualcomm for $180 million.
April 09, 2025
5th Circ. Backs LSU's Win In Fired Director's Retaliation Suit

The Fifth Circuit said an ex-football director for Louisiana State University isn't owed a new trial in her suit claiming she was fired for complaining that an assistant coach exposed himself to her, saying she couldn't overcome the university's position that a new head coach just wanted to clean house.
April 09, 2025
5th Circ. Pauses Contractor Rule Challenge Amid DOL Review

The Fifth Circuit halted a group of companies' challenge to a Biden-era independent contractor rule determining workers' classification under the Fair Labor Standards Act after the U.S. Department of Labor said it was reconsidering the rule.
April 09, 2025
Dinsmore Labor Duo Moves On To Greenspoon Marder

Greenspoon Marder LLP has hired a labor and employment duo from Dinsmore & Shohl LLP, which they had joined in December after leaving a firm that one of them helped launch in 2022, the firm has announced.
April 09, 2025
Mortgage Lender Misclassifies Underwriters, Worker Says

A mortgage lender unlawfully classifies underwriters as exempt from earning overtime pay despite their job duties not falling under the requirements to warrant exemption, according to a proposed class and collective action filed in Georgia federal court.
April 09, 2025
Ex-EEOC Member Sues Trump Alleging Illegal Firing

Former EEOC Commissioner Jocelyn Samuels sued President Donald Trump's administration in D.C. federal court Wednesday, saying that her January firing was unlawful and that she is seeking reinstatement.
April 08, 2025
Jay-Z 'Trying To Punish' Buzbee For Advocacy, Judge Told

Counsel for personal injury lawyer Tony Buzbee urged a California state judge on Tuesday to shut down Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter's extortion and defamation suit over now-dismissed rape claims, saying the rapper is "a well-funded, powerful figure who's trying to punish lawyers who do what lawyers do."
April 08, 2025
Pa. Justices Probe Limits To Workers' Comp Immunity

Pennsylvania's Supreme Court questioned the fairness of state law offering broad immunity from liability to co-workers in workers' compensation cases, especially when injuries stemmed from acts that weren't immediately part of the job, as a company co-owner argued Tuesday that the "straightforward" language in the law gives him that protection.
April 08, 2025
Calif. Panel Wipes Professor's $10M Sex Harassment Verdict

A California state appeals court on Monday reversed a former professor's $10 million sexual harassment jury verdict due to improper evidence let in by a judge who later made "extreme and bizarre" comments relating to race and was disqualified from the case.
April 08, 2025
Northwestern Players Approaching Settlement In Hazing Suits

A group of Northwestern University football players have reached a provisional settlement with the school over accusations related to alleged hazing that took place within the program over a period of time.
April 08, 2025
Ex-Google Engineer Unlikely To Beat AI Trade Secrets Charges

A California federal judge indicated Tuesday that he's unlikely to toss economic espionage charges against an ex-Google engineer accused of stealing artificial intelligence trade secrets to benefit startups in China, but said he "can't shake the feeling" that prosecutors wouldn't have brought the case if it involved a different country.
April 08, 2025
Unions Request Halt To Trump EO Aiming To End Bargaining

Six unions asked a California federal court to block the Trump administration from imposing an executive order that would ax collective bargaining agreements at federal agencies that have "national security" aims, arguing the unions are likely to win on their claims that the government is committing constitutional violations.
April 08, 2025
2nd Circ. Hints Healthcare Co. Is Bound To $1.3M OT Deal

A Connecticut company could be bound by a plan to settle class action overtime wage claims for $1.34 million despite attempting to back out of an unsigned settlement agreement and hiring new counsel several months later, a Second Circuit panel hinted on Tuesday.
April 08, 2025
Whistleblower Suit Must Be Tossed Or Transferred, Pot Co. Says

Jushi Holdings Inc., a retail cannabis company, is urging an Illinois federal court to dismiss or transfer to Florida a former executive's suit alleging that he was fired for attempting to bring facilities into compliance with safety standards.
April 08, 2025
Houston Atty Asks Court To Back $6.3M Verdict Against Rival

A Houston attorney urged a Texas appellate court Monday to back a $6 million verdict against a rival lawyer he accused of stealing his files in an attempt to recruit clients to file malpractice suits.
April 08, 2025
Small But Sharp Hurdles Remain To NCAA's NIL Settlement

Nearly a year after the NCAA and hundreds of thousands of athletes agreed on a settlement that would finally give athletes a share of billions of dollars in revenue, enough flaws remain in the agreement — related to roster limits and the rights of future athletes entering the new system — to indefinitely hold off on its final approval.
April 08, 2025
Starbucks Tears Into Missouri AG's 'Defective' DEI Lawsuit

Starbucks urged a Missouri federal judge to toss a suit from the state's attorney general claiming the company employs diversity quotas that discriminate against white and male applicants, arguing the state hasn't presented any evidence that its diversity, equity and inclusion policies have negatively affected Missourians.

Expert Analysis

What To Expect In Higher Ed Enforcement Under Trump

Colleges and universities should prepare for shifting priorities, as President-elect Donald Trump is likely to focus less on antitrust cases and more on foreign relations policy, while congressional oversight of higher education continues to increase, say attorneys at Steptoe.
Series

NY Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q4

In 2024's final quarter, the New York State Department of Financial Services published guidance on mitigating the rising cybersecurity risks of artificial intelligence and remote technology workers with North Korean ties, and the state attorney general launched an antitrust investigation into Capital One's proposed Discover merger, say attorneys at Haynes Boone.
How Trial Attys Can Wield Amended Federal Evidence Rules

Trial lawyers should assess recent amendments to four Federal Rules of Evidence and a newly enacted rule on illustrative aids to determine how to best use the rules to enhance pretrial discovery and trial strategy, says Stewart Edelstein, former litigation chair at Cohen & Wolf.
Series

Exercising On My Peloton Bike Makes Me A Better Lawyer

While I originally came to the Peloton bike for exercise, one cycling instructor’s teachings have come to serve as a road map for practicing law thoughtfully and mindfully, which has opened opportunities for growth and change in my career, says Andrea Kirshenbaum at Littler.
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.