November 2023 – Page 213 – Legal News Feed

JDSupra

Proposition 65 Warning Requirements: Proposed Changes Affecting Businesses and Environmental Law

Pieter Gunst3 years ago03 mins

Legal professionals who are invested in the progression of environmental, land use, and natural resources law should pay careful attention to the forthcoming changes to Proposition 65’s warning requirements. These amendments are currently under consideration in California, a state known for its progressive environmental protection programs and regulations. Proposition 65, officially known as the Safe…

JDSupra

2023 IRS Amendments: Compliance Guide for Plan Sponsors’ Year-End Actions

Pieter Gunst3 years ago02 mins

As we approach the end of 2022, a crucial element on the checklist for plan sponsors to ponder is the upcoming 2023 IRS year-end amendments. In an effort to ensure that employers remain compliant and take all necessary actions, JD Supra has published an informative article to keep plan sponsors updated and well-prepared. This piece…

Law360

Texas Rejects Delaware-Style Litigation Funding Disclosure Rules

Pieter Gunst3 years ago02 mins

A recent attempt by a Canadian e-commerce software company to impose the contentious litigation funding disclosure rules set by a Delaware federal judge on the Western District of Texas has been unsuccessful. In recent times, litigation funding has come under increasing scrutiny, particularly in the context of class action lawsuits, where it is often leveraged…

JDSupra

UK Online Safety Act: Unveiling Ofcom’s Roadmap and Implementation Strategy

Pieter Gunst3 years ago03 mins

The United Kingdom recently witnessed a significant milestone in its digital space with the enactment of the Online Safety Bill, which oversees the protection and safety of internet users. This bill has received royal assent and is now the Online Safety Act (OSA). Perkins Coie reports that the OSA has entrusted the task of regulation…

JDSupra

Alabama Federal Court Clarifies Insurer’s Duties: Defense vs. Indemnification Distinctions

Pieter Gunst3 years ago02 mins

A Federal Court applying Alabama law has determined that an insurer is not obligated to defend a failure-to-disclose action. The ruling clarifies the duties and responsibilities insured parties and their insurers have under Alabama law, fundamentally distinguishing between duty to defend and the duty to indemnify. As a standard principle under Alabama state law, an…

Bloomberg Law

Pacific Biosciences Averts Full In-House Legal Department Disqualification

Pieter Gunst3 years ago02 mins

In a significant legal development, Pacific Biosciences of California Inc. successfully avoided a total in-house law disqualification, thanks to a ruling by Judge Edward Davila of the US District Court for the Northern District of California. The company was embroiled in a legal conflict that had triggered the motion to disqualify its entire legal department….

Law360

Texas Court Rejects Controversial Litigation Funding Disclosure Rules

Pieter Gunst3 years ago02 mins

In the latest legal developments, a Canadian e-commerce software company’s push to implement a Delaware federal judge’s contentious litigation funding disclosure rules into the Western District of Texas met with a decisive failure. This attempt to introduce transparency into litigation funding—the practice where a third party provides the financial resources to enable costly litigation in…

JDSupra

New Guidelines Set Climate-Related Financial Risk Management Standards for Large Institutions

Pieter Gunst3 years ago02 mins

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) jointly issued guidelines on Oct. 24, 2023, targeted at large financial institutions. These guidelines detail steps to be taken by such institutions, specifically those with consolidated…

JDSupra

California Court Case Signals Shift in Public Employers’ Remote Work Expenses Responsibility

Pieter Gunst3 years ago03 mins

In a recent California Court of Appeal case, there has been a resounding revelation that public employers might carry a certain degree of responsibility with regard to at-home working expenses of their employees. The case, Krug v. Board of Trustees of the California State University, serves as a pertinent example for public employers, clearly implying…

JDSupra

Exploring SNAP’s Legal Complexity and Socio-Economic Impact: The Role of Food Retailers and Congress

Pieter Gunst3 years ago02 mins

In November 2023’s edition of AD-ttorneys@law, attention was drawn towards some critical issues related to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), serving as a reminder of the potent intersection of law and socio-economic policy. The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has made an appeal to both food retailers and Congress to influence…

JDSupra

EPA Clean Ports Program: Optimizing Environmental and Public Health Outcomes in the US Port Industry

Pieter Gunst3 years ago03 mins

Ongoing attention is currently being geared towards environmental issues, especially when it comes to industrial and commercial activities that immensely contribute to pollution. In the United States, one developed initiative targeted towards combating pollution is the Clean Ports Program, instituted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This activity is part of a broader effort…

Law.com

Navigating Cannabis Law: A $300K Arbitration Award Underscores Legal Pitfalls

Pieter Gunst3 years ago01 mins

The recent arbitration award of over $300,000 to cannabis wholesaler C4 Distribution serves as a case study of potential complexities for legal counsel working in this still emerging area of law. The claim made by the city of Lynwood, California and represented by RD Lynwood, was one of unpaid city taxes totaling more than $40,000….

JDSupra

California Employers Face New FEHA Regulations on Assessing Prospective Employees’ Criminal History

Pieter Gunst3 years ago03 mins

The California Civil Rights Council (CRD), previously known as the DFEH, has ushered in new regulations that modify the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). These regulations dictate the conditions under which California employers may contemplate a prospective employee’s criminal history during their evaluation process. They became effective on October 1, 2023, and introduce an…

The American Lawyer

Alston & Bird Expands Litigation Practice with Addition of Former Pallas Partner Will Hooker

Pieter Gunst3 years ago01 mins

Alston & Bird has enlisted Will Hooker, formerly a partner at Pallas Partners in London, in a bid to broaden its litigation and dispute resolution practice in the U.K. reports Law.com. After two years at Pallas Partners and a preceding five years at Boies Schiller Flexner’s London office, where he climbed the ranks from counsel…

Bloomberg Law

Eastman’s Disbarment Trial Raises Questions on Legal Ethics and First Amendment

Pieter Gunst3 years ago02 mins

Legal professionals are eagerly anticipating the outcome of the case against John Eastman, a former adviser to Donald Trump, who guided the efforts to disrupt the presidential election ballot counting. Eastman is soon due to learn whether he will be allowed to continue practicing law, following a trial at the California State Bar Court, the…

JDSupra

Biden’s Executive Order Sets Stage for Ethical AI Deployment in US Administration

Pieter Gunst3 years ago02 mins

In a move that reflects the increasing recognition of AI’s potency and potential in numerous sectors, US President Joe Biden recently signed the “Executive Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence“. This order aims not just to dictate the administration’s AI policy, but also to furnish government bodies with…

Law360

Astronomer’s Estate Seeks Sanctions Over Deletion of Alleged Infringing Content

Pieter Gunst3 years ago02 mins

In a recent development, the estate managing the works of a distinguished astronomer has requested a federal judge to levy sanctions against a Michigan-based software company. The estate alleges that the company intentionally expunged its website content to obliterate evidence relating to its purported infringement of the scientist’s name, this coincides with expectations of impending…

Law.com

Goodwin Procter Hires Former Northern District Criminal Division Deputy Chief for Complex Litigation Practice

Pieter Gunst3 years ago01 mins

In a significant development for legal professionals keeping tabs on enforcement activity along the West Coast, Goodwin Procter has brought Katherine Wawrzyniak on board. Wawrzyniak, who was the deputy chief of the criminal division at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California, joins the firm as a partner. Based in San Francisco,…

JDSupra

AI-Driven Employment Screening Tools: Navigating the Legal Challenges and Implications

Pieter Gunst3 years ago03 mins

As we delve deeper into the realm of artificial intelligence (AI), we witness its gradually expanding presence in various sectors, including that of hiring and employment. A spate of vendors are now putting forth AI-based software for employment screening and hiring purposes, as these tools essentially guarantee an automated hiring process. Parker Poe Adams &…

Jurist

Hamas Leaders Face ICC Genocide and War Crimes Complaint from Victims’ Families

Pieter Gunst3 years ago04 mins

Last week, families of nine civilian victims from the Hamas’s October 7 attacks on Israel filed a complaint with the International Criminal Court (ICC). Through their lawyer, François Zimeray, they called for the ICC to prosecute Hamas leaders for war crimes and genocide. They also urged the ICC to issue an international warrant of arrest…

Above the Law

CFTC Commissioner Faces Grievance Alleging Workplace Harassment and Intimidation

Pieter Gunst3 years ago03 mins

The National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) recently filed a grievance against CFTC Commissioner Caroline Pham, alleging acts of “intimidation, harassment, and abuse” in both public and private workplace settings. This stage merely represents an initial complaint and Commissioner Pham is yet to narrate her version of the incidents. The allegations highlight a deep-rooted issue in…

JDSupra

Navigating Complexity: Unraveling the Nuances of Multi-Tiered Legal Billing

Pieter Gunst3 years ago02 mins

For many law firms and corporations, developing a comprehensive understanding of multi-tiered rate structures proves vital in ensuring scalability and profitability. Recently, questions have been raised on this convoluted aspect of legal billing and prompted further discourse on the subject. On the face of it, a rate tier strategy seems pretty straightforward. It is a…

Above the Law

Decline in First-Year Associate Hires as Law Firms Optimize Expenses

Pieter Gunst3 years ago03 mins

The legal world has seen a noticeable decrease in the number of rookie attorneys hired by various firms, as noted by the latest Thomson Reuters Institute Law Firm Financial Index. There seems to be a conscious shift in hiring strategies with an increased focus on minimizing expenses. One of the more notable findings in the…

JDSupra

California’s 2024 Housing Laws: A Comprehensive Analysis of Key Reforms Aimed at Tackling the State’s Crisis

Pieter Gunst3 years ago03 mins

Like the previous several seasons, the 2023 California Legislative session witnessed the institution of a considerable number of significant new housing production legislations. The details of these laws are important for legal professionals and corporations as we approach 2024. Regarding housing laws, Dutch law firm Holland & Knight has been at the forefront, providing a…

Above the Law

Biglaw Firms Turn to Stricter Performance Evaluations Amid Legal Consolidation

Pieter Gunst3 years ago03 mins

In the ongoing scenario of corporate and legal consolidation, large law firms, often referred to as Biglaw, are refining their operations to improve performance and efficiency. According to a mid-year survey on leverage projections by Citi Global’s Wealth at Work Law Firm Group, these firms are adopting assertive tactics to improve their teams’ performance during…