Employment
If Your Employment Agreements Use This One Word, Ownership of Your Patents May Be in Jeopardy
Insight
An employment agreement providing an employee “will assign” title to her inventions to her employer did not automatically transfer title or any related patent rights, explains Eleanor M. Yost of Carlton Fields.
Laurie J. Rust Joins Littler as Shareholder in Denver Office
News
Laurie J. Rust has joined Littler as a shareholder in the firm’s Denver office. Rust, a labor and employment litigator, joins from Gordon & Rees.
New Labor Board GC’s Restructuring Plan Worries Senior Officials
News
Senior officials with the National Labor Relations Board have expressed concern over a plan outlined by the board’s new general counsel to demote the senior civil servants who resolve most labor cases, reports >i>The New York Times.
Fund Manager Alleges Firm Fired Her After She Accused Executive Of Coercing Sex
News
The plaintiff alleged that she filed a formal complaint against her manager in early December and was fired nine days later, reports The Los Angeles Times.
Why Many Companies Are Giving Bonuses – Not Raises – After the New Tax Cuts
News
The Washington Post reports that companies like Apple, American Airlines, Bank of America and AT&T have been giving bonuses to their workers in the wake of the new U.S. tax law, but fewer employers are putting their tax savings into a boost in base pay.
Biglaw Firm Hit With $300 Million Gender Discrimination Lawsuit
News
Ogletree, Deakins nonequity shareholder Dawn Knepper has hit her employer with a $300 million purported class-action suit alleging gender discrimination and unequal pay, reports Above theLaw.
Workplace Lawyers Race Against the Trump Clock
News
Labor lawyers rush to lock in payouts ahead of a shifting legal landscape, according to a Bloomberg report.
Milwaukee Employee Benefits Attorney Joins Quarles & Brady’s Labor & Employment Group
News
The law firm of Quarles & Brady LLP announced that Michael Wieber has joined the firm’s Labor & Employment Practice Group, Employee Benefits team, as of counsel in its Milwaukee office.
International HR – Offer Letters and Employment Contracts
Insight
When a U.S. company decides to hire an employee in another country, the question of whether to send the applicant an offer letter inevitably arises, writes Samina Weil in the Fisher Phillips Cross Border Employer Blog.
Scandals Prompt New Approaches to Sexual Harassment Training
Insight
With careers at stake – not to mention the reputations of entire companies – employers are re-examining workplace culture, training, complaint procedures and everything in between, says employment attorney Audrey Mross of Dallas’ Munck Wilson Mandala.
Webinar: Ten Predictions for Ethics and Compliance in 2018
Webinar, Jan. 18, 1 p.m. EST
On Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018, the experts at NAVEX Global will discuss the challenges of ethics and compliance and offer predictions for 2018’s most pressing compliance issues.
Choice of Venue Provision Upheld in Employment Contract
Insight
Forum selection clauses that are not adhesive will be interpreted independently of the court’s determination of the enforceability and validity of the contract as a whole, according to a post in Baker Sterchi Cowden & Rice’s Employment Law Blog.
Two New Partners Join Freeborn in Firm’s Labor and Employment Practice
News
Freeborn & Peters LLP announced that attorneys James “Jim” F. Hendricks Jr. and Michael P. MacHarg have joined the firm as partners in its Litigation Practice Group.
2018 Top 10 Ethics & Compliance Predictions & Recommendations
Insight
NAVEX Global has compiled an e-book that presents predictions about the top trends and events that will impact ethics and compliance programs in 2018 — along with recommendations for compliance.
Labor Board Burns Through Obama-Era Rules
News
In recent days, the independent board tasked with enforcing fair labor practices and collective bargaining rights overruled three Obama-era rules in a series of 3-2 rulings, The Hill reports.
9th Circuit Judge in SF Under Investigation Over Sexual Misconduct Allegations
News
A judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco is under a formal misconduct inquiry after several of his clerks accused him of inappropriate behavior, according to a report in SFGATE.
The ‘Weinstein Effect’: Firms Rethink Holiday Parties Amid Sexual Harassment Concerns
News
A poll found that only 49 percent of companies said they planned to serve alcohol at their holiday events, compared with nearly 62 percent last year.
How Forced Arbitration and Non-Disclosure Agreements Can Perpetuate Hostile Work Environments
Insight
It is possible for state lawmakers to crack down on corporate abuse of arbitration and non-disclosure agreements, but the prospects do not seem good, writes Michelle Chen for The Nation.
Fear Mounts Inside USDA over Trump’s General Counsel Pick
News
Politico is reporting that morale among many of the Agriculture Department’s legal staff has plummeted since Stephen Vaden, the Trump administration’s nominee to be USDA General Counsel, assumed leadership in March, say several agency attorneys from across the country.
Be Careful When Using Liquidated Damages with Your Non-Compete Clause
Insight
While a liquidated damages provision is not a silver bullet, if properly drafted, such a clause can be a significant deterrent to an employee who might otherwise decide to test the bounds of a non-compete, writes Shep Davidson.
