The United States Department of Labor (“DOL”) has recently finalized a rule which adjusts the manner in which prevailing wages are calculated for federally-funded construction projects. These adjustments are explicitly applicable to contracts that are subject to the Davis-Bacon Act and affiliated regulations. As outlined in a recent article, the alterations in the prevailing wage…
In an era increasingly dominated by digital transformation, the rise of generative artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the landscape across myriad sectors. Preeminent among these are the environmental and energy sectors, where the influence of generative AI is yielding significant results and driving innovative change. Instrumental to this revolution is the growth and development of…
Every year, leading legal news outlet Above the Law publishes a comprehensive compensation report for in-house attorneys. The purpose of this survey is to provide crucial benchmarking information for corporate counsel and their salaries across various factors. These factors include the size of the company they serve, the industry they work in, the size of…
On August 1, 2023, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced the results of the second H-1B visa lottery, selecting a significant number of additional H-1B cap registrations to reach the annual quota of 85,000. This second lottery included an additional 77,400 selections by the USCIS, bringing the total number this year to…
In a pivotal move, the Texas Supreme Court recently ruled in favor of developers and builders looking to enforce arbitration agreements in construction cases. Two key victories gave tremendous impetus to the principle of ‘Arbitration for All’. Contrary to previous presumption, the court ruled that household members and subsequent purchasers bringing a construction defect claim…
Legal professionals operating in an array of multinational corporations and high-profile law firms are now dealing with a changing landscape when it comes to compliance auditing and monitoring. Given that, these experts have a unique and crucial opportunity to attend a virtual event hosted on September 6th, providing insight into some critical aspects of compliance…
The European Union’s Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR), which was adopted in late 2022, came into effect as an action to counteract competitive distortions instigated by foreign subsidies in the EU internal market. The mandate of the regulation is to establish an equitable business environment for EU companies, which have previously been subjected to stringent EU…
In a much-anticipated move, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released its final guidance for the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) on June 30, 2023. MoFo Life Sciences reports. It is an unprecedented initiative aimed at lowering healthcare costs for millions of Americans. The strategy mandates that…
On August 1, 2023, The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) made a collective call to address the ongoing shortage of prescription stimulants in a joint letter addressed to the American public. As professionals in the legal field, this development touches especially on those of us working with pharmaceutical…
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has had a busy year in 2023. Though the first two months passed without any published sanctions enforcement actions, since March, OFAC published details on nine enforcement actions with some significant penalties. The focus of these enforcement actions serves as a key indicator…
In the world of class actions, distinct variations occur around the globe. These collective litigation procedures have been instrumental within the United States for decades, but their prevalence elsewhere varies greatly. Major legal players in the global arena, such as the European Union, approach class action litigation differently. Even within the United States, the landscape…
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has recently announced crucial modifications to the I-9 process. This includes the incorporation of a remote verification option for I-9 documents and an updated Form I-9. Interestingly, since March 20, 2020, the DHS has allowed employers to perform remote verification of I-9 documents for new recruits under specific circumstances….
The Biden-Harris administration is expanding its focus on artificial intelligence by introducing an AI development competition. In a report by Aislinn Keely dated August 9, 2023, the competition will challenge participants to create AI-enabled technology aimed at automating the security of pivotal national software solutions. The reward for this contest? A grand incentive of almost…
On August 2, 2023, a significant change occurred in the legal landscape of workplace rules in the United States with the adoption of a stringent new legal standard by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). This standard, adopted during the case of Stericycle, Inc., 372 NLRB No. 113 (2023), pertains to the assessment of the…
With an unprecedented global shift to remote and hybrid work schedules during the pandemic, legal professionals who handle HR affairs have undoubtedly noticed an uptick in complaints relating to remote work scenarios. A seemingly intractable issue facing corporations and law firms today is handling harassment in these digital landscapes. Still, many HR Departments are dialing…
In recent legal developments, the Supreme Court on June 30, 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis concluded resulting in a much-anticipated verdict. The court found that the First Amendment indeed blocks the state of Colorado from compelling, a website designer, to create expressive designs that would be at odds with her deeply held religious beliefs. This…
On July 24, 2023, the California Office of Administrative Law endorsed alterations made by the California Civil Rights Council (CCRC) to the regulations associated with California’s Fair Chance Act. The latter prohibits employers with a workforce of at least five from asking prospective employees about their conviction history until a job offer has been extended….
In a recent encounter confronting the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the Seventh Circuit Court has taken drastic actions. The FCC, frequently known for making declarations on the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), has been noted to make these statements in ways that are often unclear, ambiguous, or contradictory. This characteristic of the FCC recently did…
In recent legal news, a crucial concern seems to be arising within the trade community due to the lack of uniformity in the procedures and practices of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Centers of Excellence and Expertise (Centers). This is according to the August 2023 newsletter issued by the Braumiller Law Group. Compliant companies…
In the realm of estate matters, the roles and responsibilities of fiduciaries are critical. A recent article delved deeper into this topic with a focus on trustees as key fiduciaries. This subsequent instalment followed a prior alert reviewing the role of an executor. Essentially, a trust is defined as an arrangement where a person or…
On July 13, 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) unveiled a proposal intended to considerably broaden behavioral health coverage provided under Medicare. This announcement was made as a part of the calendar year 2024 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS). The proposed changes might lead to a significant amplification in the range of…
In an era of rising cross-border transactions and heightened threats to national security, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has become an essential element in the U.S government’s arsenal. With a focus on identifying, tracking, and blocking financial transactions associated with criminal enterprises, terrorist activities, and other threats, OFAC has consistently shown its growing…
As recently reported, on May 8, 2023, the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (“NJDOL”) published an FAQs page with guidance to assist employers in compliance with the Temporary Workers’ Bill of Rights (“The Law”). Following this, NJDOL has now released the Law’s proposed regulations to further expound on its provisions. The proposed…
In what is expected to be a seminal moment for securities law, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is reportedly closing in on a settlement with a nationally recognized statistical rating organization (NRSRO). The essence of the case revolves around the NRSRO’s failure to preserve communications pertaining to credit-ratings that were transmitted via unapproved electronic…
The rise of generative AI in the workplace has given birth to a unique paradox. While its potential benefits are indisputable, businesses are left grappling with several critical questions – do they shy away or embrace it, and what role can it play to keep them competitive? This has elicited thought-provoking discourse, as witnessed in…