Judicial gavel atop cannabis leaves

Tip Law For Cannabis Workers Arrives As Case Count Rises

A law taking effect in Connecticut next week regarding tipped wages for cannabis employees comes as those workers' tips are often a focus of lawsuits, which attorneys attributed to the industry's rapid growth and regulatory quirks. 

Four male farmhands walk on a dirt path, a green tractor right behind them kicking up dust, with lush green farmland behind them in the distance that's bordered by tall trees. One man is carrying a large red beverage dispenser

NY Labor Contracts Don't Clash With H-2A Laws, Judge Says

A New York magistrate judge on Thursday recommended rejecting a bid to block the state from imposing a union contract covering agricultural workers at three farms, ruling the farms fell short in showing a likelihood of success on their claims or of irreparable harm.

A gavel, syringe and COVID-19 vial are shown.

9th Circ. Reinstates Vax Objector's Religious Bias Case

The Ninth Circuit on Thursday reopened a nurse's lawsuit alleging an Oregon hospital unlawfully put her on unpaid leave rather than accommodate her religious objection to its COVID-19 vaccine mandate, faulting the trial court for overlooking a letter in which she explained why she wanted an exemption.

Expert Analysis

What Greek Tragedy Teaches About Mediating AI Disputes

Giuseppe De Palo

While ancient Greek writers could not have anticipated modern arbitration, their tragic plays illustrate new and f... (more story)

Tracking Trends In State-Level Regulatory Enforcement

Andrew Szwez, Heather Wilson and Corey Gildart

State-level enforcement now increasingly involves antitrust, artificial intelligence and data privacy issues, and ... (more story)

Tips From Apex Ruling On Handling Workers' Public Criticism

Allegra Lawrence-Hardy, Lisa Haldar and Michelle McClafferty

A National Labor Relations Board judge’s recent finding that Apex Fintech Services illegally reined in an employee... (more story)

Labor More

Ill. Justices Mull Closed Arb. For Chicago Police Misconduct

Illinois Supreme Court justices wrestled Thursday with whether the city of Chicago's history of publicly adjudicating allegations of the most serious police misconduct can establish a statewide public policy r... (more story)

Novartis Beats Patent Listing Suit Over Entresto

A New York federal judge gave Novartis permanent relief from a proposed class action alleging it monopolistically delayed generic competition for its blockbuster heart failure drug Entresto, concluding that th... (more story)

Croupier's hand on a roulette wheel
Nevada Judge Tosses Casino Co.'s NLRB Challenge

A Nevada federal judge has tossed a casino operator's lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the National Labor Relations Board's structure, ruling that the operator failed to show sufficient harm stemmi... (more story)

Kellogg Seeks High Court Review Of 6th Circ. Pension Ruling

The U.S. Supreme Court should resolve a circuit split on whether actuaries must use up-to-date life expectancies when converting pension benefits from one form to another, Kellogg argued, asking the justices t... (more story)

Ogletree Lands New GC From Cooley In NY

Labor and employment law firm Ogletree Deakins Nash Smoak & Stewart PC has tapped Cooley LLP's deputy general counsel to serve as its legal leader, the firm announced Thursday.

Litigation Spending To Keep Climbing While Biz Risks Mount

Big companies will increase their litigation budgets yet again next year, as navigating legal risk is now an essential element of achieving strategic business goals, according to a new report.

Circuit Rift On Pension Credit May Catch Supreme Court's Eye

The Seventh Circuit recently established how to credit employers for a previous partial withdrawal from a multiemployer pension fund when calculating liability for a complete exit, resulting in a split with th... (more story)

Discrimination More

NJ Lt. Gov. Asked To Resign After Sex Harassment Claims

An independent investigation conducted by Lowenstein Sandler LLP has determined that New Jersey Lt. Gov. Dale G. Caldwell sexually harassed a staffer's friend and sent inappropriate text messages, according to... (more story)

Google, Ex-Engineer End Suit Over Pregnancy-Loss Firing

Google LLC and a former software engineer who sued the company over allegations that she was wrongfully fired for taking time off following the unexpected loss of a pregnancy agreed to dismiss the worker's law... (more story)

A truck driver's view of the road with his hand on the wheel
EEOC Asks 5th Circ. To Reopen Black Truck Driver's Bias Suit

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission called on the Fifth Circuit in a new amicus brief to reinstate the retaliation allegations brought by a Black truck driver who said he was punished for flagging... (more story)

Indiana Sues Athletics Assoc. Over Race-Based Board Quota

Indiana has accused the state's primary body governing high school sports of instituting an unconstitutional, discriminatory racial quota over the composition of its board, telling a state court the associatio... (more story)

EEOC Says Hotel's '100% Healed' Policy Violates ADA

A North Carolina hotel operator fired an employee rather than accommodate him after he faced disabling injuries from a bus crash, stating he needed to be fully healed to return to work, according to a Thursday... (more story)

3rd Circ. Eyes 'Compromise' Instruction In Equal Pay Case

A Third Circuit panel on Thursday appeared to take issue with a district judge's suggestion that a jury "compromise" in reaching a verdict in favor of female teachers who alleged Central Bucks School District ... (more story)

5 Circuit Splits To Watch At The High Court

The U.S. Supreme Court has been deciding fewer and fewer cases over the past three decades, with its caseload reaching a historic low just last term. While attorneys believe several factors have contributed to... (more story)

Wage & Hour More

Workers Say Pipe Maker Misclassified Them As Exempt

Five workers a pipe manufacturer hired under engineering titles have told a Texas federal court the company classified them as salaried exempt workers while requiring them to perform the same manual production... (more story)

Tipped Worker Bill Would Cost DOL Under $500K, CBO Says

A U.S. House bill that would permit employers to disregard a worker's duties when considering their tipped status would cost the U.S. Department of Labor less than $500,000 to implement through 2031 and would ... (more story)

Hand holding a key inserted into a prison cell's lock
Detainees Push Back On GEO's Bid To Pause Labor Suit

Detainees at a Colorado immigration detention facility have pushed back against a prison company's bid to pause their federal forced labor lawsuit before November's trial, arguing the company is treating the U... (more story)

Ariz. Sheriff's Officers Fight County's Bid To Delay OT Trial

Patrol lieutenants at an Arizona county sheriff's office urged a federal court to deny the county's request to pause their overtime collective action and seek an early appeal of a decision denying the county's... (more story)

Mental Health Network Hit With Clinician Misclassification Suit

A nationwide mental health treatment network misclassified clinicians as independent contractors and failed to pay them for administrative work and overtime, a former nurse practitioner claimed in a proposed c... (more story)

Philly Jury Sides With Drexel In Professor's Retaliation Case

A Pennsylvania jury has cleared Drexel University of liability in a professor's lawsuit alleging the school retaliated against her for winning a separate case claiming the university paid her less than her mal... (more story)

UnitedHealth Blocked From Early Appeal In NM Nurse OT Suit

A New Mexico federal court has refused to let UnitedHealthcare seek an early appeal of a ruling allowing a nurse case manager's proposed class action to proceed despite an expired statute of limitations, findi... (more story)