Major law firms in Washington, D.C. like Baker Botts, K&L Gates, Sidley Austin, and Thompson Hine are in a race to bolster their litigation and dispute teams, as client demand in such practices is helping to balance out slowdowns in transactional work. This wave of recruitment is a response to a robust Q2 for countercyclical…
In a recent case titled Schaddelee as Cotrustee of Ronald Schaddelee Irrevocable Trust v. Deleon as Cotrustee of Ronald Schaddelee Irrevocable Trust, the Michigan Court of Appeals delved into a complex and significant legal question: Does a declaration of trust ownership convert a beneficiary designation investment account to a trust asset? As reported by JD…
Since the introduction of ChatGPT in November 2022, generative AI (GAI) has advanced significantly within the legal field. Many current applications focus on enhancing legal research and extraction of data, but the potential reach and impact is much broader, with the capacity to reform legal tech. Whilst GAI acceptance is growing in the legal industry,…
In a significant move to bolster consumer protection, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has put forth for public comment a new proposed rule on consumer reviews and testimonials. The FTC’s Proposed Rule, codified under 16 C.F.R. part 465, puts forward a prohibition on several identified practices related to consumer reviews and testimonials. This proposal follows…
A changing landscape in Washington D.C. may thrust law firms into a predicament over office return policies. This shift, fueled by the city’s already flexible work environment and compounded by governmental attorneys’ experiences over the last three years, stands to make it exceedingly difficult for Washington firms to mandate employees’ physical presence more than three…
According to a new survey, a substantial 70% of Black women lawyers have reported facing discrimination or bias in their workplace, or personally witnessed this being directed at others. This study, known as the State of Black Women in the Law 2023 DEIB Assessment Report, also revealed that nearly 47% of the participating previously felt…
In another instance confirming that, indeed, the devil resides in the details, the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB” or the “Board”) recently delivered a noteworthy decision. On Wednesday, August 2, 2023, in Stericycle, Inc., 372 NLRB No. 113 (2023), the Board reassessed a critical legal structure to determine whether workplace regulations contravene the National Labor…
Recent developments have emerged concerning amendments to the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act (the “Act”). These alterations will take effect as of January 1, 2024 (the “2024 Amendments”) and are being monitored closely by legal professionals worldwide, particularly those serving in the corporate sector. The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (“CDLE”) is…
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), seeking to enhance the accessibility of state and local government websites to individuals with disabilities — a move that has implications beyond governmental spheres. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the DOJ is amongst those few federal agencies that hold wide-ranging responsibilities for…
Recently, Hospitality Staffing Solutions LLC (“HSS”) placed a notice of data breach at the Attorney General of Maine’s doorstep, following the discovery of unauthorized access to the company’s computer network. This announcement was made on August 1, 2023, but the impact of the data breach already seems significant. According to reports, the security breach was…
Over the past few years, we have seen a progressive trend in the legislation related to the use of recreational marijuana across various United States jurisdictions. Of particular interest is California Assembly Bill (“AB”) 2188, which officially, and for the first time, provides protections for users of recreational marijuana within the employment context. This groundbreaking…
On Wednesday, August 2, 2023, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)’s return to older, more stringent policies intended to govern workplace rules commenced, a move that took many by surprise. This noteworthy shift is another example of the Board’s departure from numerous decisions made during the Trump administration. The defining turn which fostered these alterations…
As legal professionals, we often look to regulatory commissions for changes that impact our work. Recently, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) caught our attention with Order No. 2023. This order, issued on July 28, 2023, requires all public utility transmission providers to adopt reforms to FERC’s pro forma generator interconnection procedures and agreements. The…
The global commerce and investment landscape has endured significant alterations over the past decades. Undoubtedly, one sector being tremendously impacted is the commercial real estate (CRE) industry. Accumulating considerable benefits from prevalent favorable financing conditions, the CRE industry found itself uniquely equipped to cope with the tumultuous aftermath of the Great Recession. The ocean of…
The New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) recently published its Quarter 2 Short-Term Assessment of Reliability (STAR) report on July 14, 2023, which raised concerns about potential electricity supply shortfalls in New York City beginning in the summer of 2025. The report has profound implications for law firms and corporations around the city and presents…
On August 4, 2023, a significant legal change occurred in Illinois. Governor JB Pritzker signed a bill into law that greatly modifies the Illinois Day and Temporary Labor Services Act—also known as “the Act”—effective from July 1, 2023. As provided in HB 2862, the amendment enhances equal pay rights and introduces new safety and training…
As the professional world gears up to reconcile remote work protocols with a return to on-site operations, law firms are especially confronted with the challenge of preserving the fundamental aspects of associate development integral to their trade. The law industry, renowned for its reliance on the practical training and experiential learning offered by the apprenticeship…
As law firms worldwide try to frame return-to-work strategies encompassing flexible working models, the significance of in-office engagement in the development of associate skills often seems to get overlooked. A typical characteristic of law firms, more than most other professional services firms, is their strong fidelity to the apprenticeship model for career development. In this…
As legal professionals operating in the health care sector, there are essential regulatory developments in California that demand your attention. The California Office of Health Care Affordability (OHCA) under its proposed regulations is scheduled to launch an advanced regulatory review of specific healthcare transactions, effective January 1, 2024. Transactions such as mergers, acquisitions, affiliations, or…
When undertaking due diligence of an Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-regulated company, several pertinent questions must be asked. These inquiries ideally encompass key regulatory, compliance, and privacy-related aspects. As these sectors are critical in determining the suitability and viability of a potential acquisition or partnership, professionals operating both in law firms and large corporations should…
The launch of Orrick Legal Ninja Series (OLNS) in 2019, aimed at bridging the American and German entrepreneurship ecosystems, is a noteworthy endeavor in the realm of technology law. This was announced by Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, one of the top tech law firms globally. According to their statement, this series aims to provide…
As we mark the sixth anniversary of the global #MeToo movement, the impact on U.S. workplaces is garnering renewed attention. The spotlight placed on sexual harassment and misconduct led to significant shifts in cultural norms and made it more pressing than ever for corporations and employment law firms to prioritize and address these issues proactively….
Evidence before a Minnesota federal court this week revealed that food distribution giant, Sysco, and legal investment firm, Burford Capital, settled a dispute over control of settlement approval. However, this dispute has been dismissed as irrelevant to a request to replace the plaintiff in a pork price-fixing lawsuit with a Burford-affiliated entity. As Law360 reports,…
On July 21, 2023, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) adamantly refused a request that it reconsider its earlier decision taken in May 2022, permitting the use of eight different types of phthalates as food-contact substances. In the identical correspondence, the regulatory body further reiterated its commitment to maintain clearance for the additional five…
The legal landscape for corporate entities in New Jersey is undergoing significant alterations. As of July 3, 2023, New Jersey Governor, Phil Murphy, gave his stamp of approval to Bill A.B. 5323, amending the state’s Corporation Business Tax (CBT). By signing this new legislation into law, a variety of clarifications, corrections, and amendments have been…