Employment

  • January 14, 2026

    Software Co. Loses Trade Secrets Appeal At 7th Circ.

    The Seventh Circuit has refused to revive claims that an energy management services company stole trade secret information from an appointment booking software application and incorporated its features into a new platform.

  • January 14, 2026

    5th Circ. Says Ex-United Worker Sued IAM Unit Too Late

    A former United Airlines customer service agent who says she was fired because of her continued need for work accommodations cannot sue her union for failing to take her wrongful discharge claim against the company to arbitration, a Fifth Circuit panel held, saying she missed her deadline to sue.

  • January 14, 2026

    Payscale Presses Del. Justices To Revive Noncompete Claims

    The Delaware Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday over whether the state's Chancery Court went too far in dismissing Payscale's lawsuit seeking to enforce an 18-month noncompete clause against a former sales executive, focusing on when a court may decide, at the outset of a case, that a restrictive covenant is unenforceable as written.

  • January 14, 2026

    4th Circ. Keeps Butterball's Win In Wage Dispute

    A Butterball turkey catcher cannot revive his wage and hour claims because he was a piece-rate employee, the Fourth Circuit has ruled, agreeing with a North Carolina federal court that his state and federal law claims couldn't stand.

  • January 14, 2026

    Alternative Asset 401(k) Investing Rule Sent To OMB

    The White House Office of Management and Budget is reviewing a proposed rule from the U.S. Department of Labor's employee benefits arm related to fiduciary duties involved with alternative asset investing in 401(k)s, marking the last hurdle before the regulations' release for public comment. 

  • January 13, 2026

    Google Engineer Cut-And-Pasted To Evade Security, Jury Told

    A Google security manager took the stand Tuesday in the criminal trial of an engineer accused of stealing artificial intelligence trade secrets, testifying that his investigation showed that Linwei Ding evaded Google's internal security systems by cutting and pasting the data in a way that stripped information identifying Google's authorship.

  • January 13, 2026

    Ill. Justices Mull COVID Screening Pay Under State Law

    The Illinois Supreme Court should leave decades of understanding surrounding the statutory term "workweek" intact and rule that the state's minimum wage law incorporates federal limitations on compensable preliminary activities, as finding otherwise would revive a short-lived overtime regime Congress considered "disastrous," Amazon argued Tuesday.

  • January 13, 2026

    EEOC Disability Bias Win Stands, But Damages Shrink

    A Florida federal judge declined a senior living facility's bid for a new trial in a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission disability bias suit claiming it wouldn't hire a veteran who has PTSD, but cut a $400,000 jury verdict to $50,000 in line with a damages cap.

  • January 13, 2026

    Starbucks Misled Patrons On Coffee Supplier Ethics, Suit Says

    Two consumers are targeting Starbucks for touting "100% Ethical Coffee Sourcing" on product labels despite reports of forced labor and other human rights violations on supplying farms around the world, according to a proposed class action launched in Washington state federal court Tuesday.

  • January 13, 2026

    Spencer Fane Atty's Advice Challenged In $5M Poaching Suit

    In a $5 million lawsuit over a Connecticut financial adviser's exit, Wealth Enhancement Group LLC on Tuesday challenged a Spencer Fane LLP partner's belief that regulatory and professional ethics rules require both advisers and their former investment firms to contact clients when advisers switch employers.

  • January 13, 2026

    NC Tech Exec Urges 4th Circ. To Delay Sentence Amid Appeal

    A North Carolina software executive convicted of failing to pay employment taxes has asked the Fourth Circuit to delay the start of his 366-day prison sentence while his appeal is pending before the court.

  • January 13, 2026

    DHS Bid To Nix TSA Union After Injunction Gives Judge Pause

    A Washington federal judge pushed back Tuesday against the federal government's insistence that it can proceed with canceling a union deal covering Transportation Security Administration workers despite a June ruling that blocked termination of the same agreement, remarking the move could be seen as an "end-run around an injunction."

  • January 13, 2026

    Flight Attendants Slam United's Arbitration Bid in Wage Suit

    Two current and former United Airlines flight attendants urged a New Jersey federal court not to toss their proposed class action claiming that the airline only pays them for the time they spend flying, arguing that their claims can be resolved without interpreting the terms of the airline's collective bargaining agreement.

  • January 13, 2026

    Workers Seek $126M In Seattle Hospital System Wage Row

    Seattle-area hospital system Swedish Health Services should shell out about $126 million to settle wage violations, after a state court found that the system failed to provide a second meal break on longer shifts and that its rounding practices led to unpaid wages, the workers said.

  • January 13, 2026

    DC Circ. Upholds NLRB's Ruling Against Mont. Telco

    The D.C. Circuit Tuesday upheld the National Labor Relations Board's finding that a telecom company illegally withheld records of its use of non-union workers from a union, saying the company forfeited its argument that the union took too long to back up its demand. 

  • January 13, 2026

    Blue States Say HHS Conditions Funding On Anti-Trans Bias

    A dozen Democratic state attorneys general sued the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Tuesday, claiming the agency's threat to withhold billions of dollars in funding from states that don't hew to an executive order declaring that gender is immutable conflicts with antidiscrimination law.

  • January 13, 2026

    College Baseball Player Latest To Sue NCAA Over Eligibility

    A pitcher attending Pepperdine University has asked a California federal judge to allow him to play for the baseball team despite NCAA rules barring him from doing so after transferring there from a non-NCAA school.

  • January 13, 2026

    Ill. Judge Suggests Win For Cannabis Cashier In Wage Suit

    A federal magistrate judge recommended a win for a former cashier for an Illinois bakery that sells cannabis products, finding that the employer failed to respond to the entry of default, effectively admitting to overtime and tip violations under federal and state law.

  • January 13, 2026

    NC Judge Leery Of Early Exit Bid In Produce Co. ESOP Suit

    A North Carolina federal judge seemed disinclined Tuesday to toss a lawsuit alleging a "cabal" of lawyers, private equity firms and their founders conspired to drain a produce company's employee stock ownership plan of its value, noting it's a fact-intensive case that will likely require discovery.

  • January 13, 2026

    North Carolina County Tells 4th Circ. It Didn't Underpay EMTs

    A North Carolina federal court correctly ruled that a North Carolina county didn't owe damages to EMS workers because their pay structure included both straight time and overtime, but erred in concluding the county violated federal wage law, the county told the Fourth Circuit.

  • January 13, 2026

    NJ Gov. Says Ex-Elections Chief's Admission Fatal To Case

    New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy told a state court judge that a suit by former elections chief Jeffrey Brindle should be completely dismissed because his decision to write a satirical article in his official capacity invalidates his First Amendment claim as it applies to his continued employment in the role.

  • January 13, 2026

    Carnival Urges 11th Circ. To Undo $10M Sexual Assault Verdict

    Cruise line Carnival urged the Eleventh Circuit on Tuesday to reverse a decision awarding $10 million to a passenger who was sexually assaulted, arguing it was unfairly prejudiced when FBI evidence rebutting her testimony was admitted during trial after it was previously rejected by the lower court.

  • January 13, 2026

    Firm Can't Shake Legal Assistant's Pregnancy Bias Suit

    A legal assistant's suit accusing a New Mexico-based personal injury law firm of forcing her to resign she disclosed her pregnancy will head to trial to determine whether there were multiple contracts at stake, a federal magistrate judge said.

  • January 13, 2026

    Celebrity-Owned NY Entertainment Venue Hit With Wage Suit

    A New York City sports and entertainment venue owned by Tiger Woods and Justin Timberlake improperly relied on a tip credit, kept a portion of employees' gratuities and paid overtime at the wrong rate, according to a proposed class and collective action filed in New York federal court.

  • January 12, 2026

    Aristocrat Inks $127.5M Deal In Slot Machine Trade Secret Suit

    Gambling game company Light & Wonder Inc. has agreed to pay competitor Aristocrat Technologies Inc. $127.5 million to put to rest allegations Light & Wonder misappropriated Aristocrat's trade secrets in developing its Dragon Train and Jewel of the Dragon slot machine games, according to an announcement made Monday.

Expert Analysis

  • A Simple Way Courts Can Help Attys Avoid AI Hallucinations

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    As attorneys increasingly rely on generative artificial intelligence for legal research, courts should consider expanding online quality control programs to flag potential hallucinations — permitting counsel to correct mistakes and sparing judges the burden of imposing sanctions, say attorneys at Lankler Siffert & Wohl and Connors.

  • Viral Coldplay Incident Shows Why Workplace Policies Matter

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    The viral kiss cam incident at a recent Coldplay concert involving a CEO and a human resources executive raises questions about how employers can use their code of conduct or morality clauses to address off-the-clock behavior that may be detrimental to the company's reputation, says Masood Ali at Segal McCambridge.

  • Cos. Must Tailor Due Diligence As Trafficking Risks Increase

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    As legislators, prosecutors and plaintiffs attorneys increasingly focus on labor and sex trafficking throughout the U.S., companies must tailor their due diligence strategies to protect against forced labor trafficking risks in their supply chains, say attorneys at Steptoe.

  • Series

    Creating Botanical Art Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Pressing and framing plants that I grow has shown me that pursuing an endeavor that brings you joy can lead to surprising benefits for a legal career, including mental clarity, perspective and even a bit of humility, says Douglas Selph at Morris Manning.

  • What To Expect As Calif. Justices Weigh Arbitration Fee Law

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    If the California Supreme Court’s upcoming ruling in Hohenshelt v. Superior Court holds that the Federal Arbitration Act does not preempt the California Arbitration Act's strict fee deadlines, employers and businesses could lose the right to arbitrate over minor procedural delays, say attorneys at Bird Marella.

  • New Federal Worker Religious Protections Test All Employers

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    A recent Trump administration memorandum expanding federal employees' religious protections raises tough questions for all employers and signals a larger trend toward significantly expanding religious rights in the workplace, say attorneys at Seyfarth.

  • Compliance Is A New Competitive Edge For Mortgage Lenders

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    So far, 2025 has introduced state and federal regulatory turbulence that is pressuring mortgage lenders to reevaluate the balance between competitive and compliant employee and customer recruiting practices, necessitating a compliance recalibration that prioritizes five key strategies, say attorneys at Mitchell Sandler.

  • Noncompete Forecast Shows Tough Weather For Employers

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    Several new state noncompete laws signal rough conditions for employers, particularly in the healthcare sector, so employers must account for employees' geographic circumstances as they cannot rely solely on choice-of-law clauses, say lawyers at McDermott.

  • Opinion

    The Legal Education Status Quo Is No Longer Tenable

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    As underscored by the fallout from California’s February bar exam, legal education and licensure are tethered to outdated systems, and the industry must implement several key reforms to remain relevant and responsive to 21st century legal needs, says Matthew Nehmer at The Colleges of Law.

  • Opinion

    Calif. Must Amend Trade Secret Civil Procedure

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    A California procedural law that effectively shields trade secret defendants from having to return company materials until the plaintiff can craft detailed requests must be amended to recognize that property recovery and trade secret analysis are distinct issues, says Matthew Miller at Hanson Bridgett.

  • E-Discovery Quarterly: Rulings On Relevance Redactions

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    In recent cases addressing redactions that parties sought to apply based on the relevance of information — as opposed to considerations of privilege — courts have generally limited a party’s ability to withhold nonresponsive or irrelevant material, providing a few lessons for discovery strategy, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Navigating Administrative Exhaustion In EEOC Charges

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Before responding to a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission charge, employers should understand the process of exhausting administrative remedies and when it applies, and consider several best practices, such as preserving records and crafting effective position statements, says Matthew Gagnon at Ogletree.

  • Opinion

    Section 1983 Has Promise After End Of Nationwide Injunctions

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    After the U.S. Supreme Court recently struck down the practice of nationwide injunctions in Trump v. Casa, Section 1983 civil rights suits can provide a better pathway to hold the government accountable — but this will require reforms to qualified immunity, says Marc Levin at the Council on Criminal Justice.

  • Corp. Human Rights Regulatory Landscape Is Fragmented

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    Given the complexity of compliance with nations' overlapping human rights laws, multinational companies need to be cognizant of the evolving approaches to modern slavery transparency, and proposals that could reduce mandatory due diligence and reporting requirements, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

  • Justices' Decision Axing Retiree's ADA Claim Offers Clarity

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's holding in Stanley v. City of Sanford that protections under Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act don't extend to retirees potentially limits liability by giving employers additional support to challenge complaints, and highlights the need for proactive policy management to mitigate risk, say attorneys at Jackson Lewis.

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