Challenge To 'Troubling' EEOC Trans Bias Shift Dismissed

By Grace Elletson

A Maryland federal judge tossed a suit Friday from an LGBTQ+ advocacy group challenging the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's decision to step back from investigating bias charges from transgender workers, saying the pivot was "deeply troubling" but out of the court's hands.

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2nd Circ. Leery Of Amazon Worker's Caregiver Bias Suit

By Grace Elletson

The Second Circuit appeared skeptical Friday of a former Amazon employee's attempt to revive her suit claiming she was unlawfully denied schedule flexibility to care for her son, questioning whether her suit should have been brought as an accommodation dispute rather than a discrimination suit.

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Ex-Honeywell China GC Can't Bring US Bias Suit, Judge Says

By Patrick Hoff

Honeywell International Inc. defeated a lawsuit alleging it unlawfully fired the vice president and general counsel at a Chinese subsidiary because she turned 55, with a North Carolina federal judge saying her employment contract requires the dispute to be handled in China.

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Detroit Club Retaliation Trial Opens With Employee In Tears

By Melanie Dorsey

A former Detroit Club bartender wept as his attorney told a Michigan federal jury on Friday that the club's owner threatened his safety, sobriety and real estate career after he spoke out about what he believed was racist treatment of Black guests. 

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Q&A

JAMS Chief Executive Says Mass Arbitrations On The Rise

By Kellie Mejdrich

Mediation giant JAMS says it has seen a major upswing in mass arbitrations in employment and other contexts, as plaintiff-side firms develop new ways of responding to language requiring out-of-court dispute resolution by companies. CEO Kimberly Taylor and veteran JAMS mediator Robert Meyer spoke to Law360 about mediation trends, with a specific focus on employee benefits disputes.

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Roundup

Employment Authority: OT Gap Pay Fight May Shift To States

By Benjamin Morse

Law360 Employment Authority covers the biggest employment cases and trends. Catch up this week with coverage on why a Third Circuit overtime ruling could push more gap time claims into state court, Starbucks' long-shot challenge to the National Labor Relations Board's key test for anti-union discrimination claims, and how the EEOC's acting chair is expected to use her expanded authority to scrutinize employers' DEI practices and campus antisemitism allegations.

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Colo. State Prof Says Finance Dept. Fueled Anti-Male Bias

By Zach Dupont

A Colorado State University professor claimed that several members of the school's finance and real estate department discriminated against him because he's a man and made unfounded allegations of harassment against him as retaliation for voicing his concerns, according to a complaint filed in Colorado federal court.

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College Childcare Center Accused of Firing Pregnant Director

By Rachel Konieczny

A childcare and learning center at Colorado State University terminated its director for attending medical appointments for her pregnancy, the former director alleged in Colorado federal court.

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Oregon Athletes Appeal Title IX Class Cert. Denial To 9th Circ.

By Ganesh Setty

Female student-athletes who were denied class certification in a Title IX lawsuit against the University of Oregon have asked the Ninth Circuit permission to appeal, saying a federal judge's decision was "riddled with legal and procedural errors."

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Amazon, Colo. Delivery Drivers Say Wage Suit Can Resume

By Rachel Konieczny

Amazon and a proposed class of last-mile delivery drivers for the e-commerce giant asked a Colorado federal judge to allow the drivers' lawsuit over required bathroom breaks to move forward to discovery after the case had been stayed pending a U.S. Supreme Court decision.

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Choice Hotels Worker Moves To Transfer Wage Suit To Md.

By MJ Koo

A former Choice Hotels worker has asked a Washington federal court to move her nationwide wage claims to Maryland, arguing the hospitality giant's headquarters there makes it a more appropriate venue for her collective action.

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Enterprise Rent-A-Car Sued Over Wage, Break Claims

By Gina Kim

Enterprise Rent-A-Car is accused of consistently shorting overtime pay and denying breaks to hourly employees, whose claims likely exceed $17 million, according to a notice filed by the company Thursday removing the case to the Western District of Washington. 

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Brief

Call Center Worker, Energy Co. End Preshift OT Suit

By Benjamin Morse

A call center worker and an Ohio energy company agreed to end a proposed collective action alleging employees were denied overtime wages for preshift computer login work, according to an order signed by an Ohio federal judge.

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Brief

New Bill Aims To Provide Paid Family Leave For Fed Workers

By Grace Elletson

A bipartisan group of U.S. House representatives reintroduced legislation that would expand benefits for federal employees by allowing them to collect up to 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave, the lawmakers announced.

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6th Circ. Won't Rethink Decision On Co.'s Union Snub

By Emilie Ruscoe

The Sixth Circuit won't revisit its decision upholding a finding that a Michigan builder violated federal labor law by ceasing to recognize and refusing to bargain with an established union.

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DOJ Clears Paramount's $110B Deal To Acquire Warner Bros.

By Rae Ann Varona

The U.S. Department of Justice is closing its investigation into Paramount Skydance Corp.'s $110 billion deal for Warner Bros. Discovery Inc., the department's antitrust unit announced Friday, saying its review suggests the deal will "increase" and not harm competition in media and entertainment.

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Ga. Court Won't Reinstate Suit Over Teen Worker's Death

By Kelcey Caulder

A Georgia appellate court affirmed the toss of a wrongful death action brought by the parents of a teenage construction worker who was killed when the heavy machinery he was operating rolled over, ruling that the state's Workers' Compensation Act bars the suit.

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Jackson Lewis Adds Gordon Rees Employment Trio In LA

By Christine DeRosa

Jackson Lewis PC has expanded its offerings in the Golden State with the addition of a trio of employment litigators from Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani LLP.

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Using Past Tech Transitions As A Lens For Calif. Worker AI Bill

Examining previous workplace automation battles reveals the goals of a California bill that would impose obligations on employers for layoffs and hiring cessations caused by artificial intelligence, and illustrates where it may prove difficult to administer and how to prepare for its enactment, say attorneys at Skadden.

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More BigLaw Raises Predicted Despite Silence After Milbank

By Alison Knezevich

While boutiques make up many of the law firms that have quickly matched Milbank LLP's recently announced associate raises, recruiters told Law360 Pulse this week that they predict more BigLaw firms will eventually reveal their own salary hikes.

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Analysis

Insider Trading Defense May Draw On 'Varsity Blues' Playbook

By Chris Villani

After enlisting a crew of experienced attorneys, defendants charged in an insider trading case allegedly involving deal information stolen from huge law firms are preparing to use a strategy that could take some cues from the "Varsity Blues" case in the same Boston courthouse.

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Atty Faces Sanctions Over Fake Quotes In Taco TM Fight

By Brian Steele

A Connecticut attorney could be sanctioned for including fake case quotes and misrepresentations of the law in court filings that seek dismissal of a trademark case against a taco restaurant, a federal judge said Friday in questioning whether the documents were sullied by artificial intelligence.

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Analysis

3 Things To Know As Judge Stares Down Impeachment Push

By Kelcey Caulder

The scandal that could cost U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross her job also threatens to cause courthouse chaos in the form of recusal motions, bids to reopen suits and uncertainty for clerks. Here, Law360 looks at three things to know about the calls to impeach the judge and their potential fallout.

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Texas Court Urged To Keep Judge Romance Suit Alive

By Adrian Cruz

In multiple filings, EJS Investment Holdings LLC has asked a Texas federal judge to reject attempts by former U.S. Bankruptcy Judge David Jones and other parties to dismiss its proposed class action over his secret romance with a former Jackson Walker LLP partner.

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'Poor Lawyering': Walmart Flub Haunts Class Attys At 9th Circ.

By Jeff Overley

Amid warnings of a chilling effect on plaintiffs counsel, a Ninth Circuit panel Friday scrutinized six-figure sanctions against attorneys whose false advertising suit targeting Walmart Inc. collapsed because of crucial fine print in an avocado oil receipt.

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No Amici In Comey Seashell Threat Case, Judge Says

By Craig Clough

A North Carolina federal judge on Friday said she will not allow any amici to weigh in on former FBI Director James Comey's criminal charges alleging he threatened President Donald Trump with a social media post, finding the parties are "ably represented" by counsel and public input is not needed.

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Ill. Judge Decries Grand Jury 'Turmoil,' Tosses Fraud Charges

By Lauraann Wood

An Illinois federal judge agreed Friday to dismiss fraud charges against two men ahead of an evidentiary hearing probing recent grand jury misconduct claims, but cautioned that "getting rid" of the case may not have prosecutors' desired effect, as such allegations continue causing "turmoil" throughout the district court.

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Deluge Of Video Evidence Overwhelms Criminal Cases

By Brandon Lowrey

Surveillance cameras and police body cameras are creating a flood of video evidence that can help prosecutors and defense attorneys build strong cases. But many have been struggling with the technical and logistical challenges that come with the sheer volume of footage.

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Roundup

UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London

By Laura Stewart Liberty

The past week in London has seen the FCA bring a claim against a fund manager it accused of providing investment services despite having been banned, an Ardmore unit sue a contractor two days before the construction group's collapse, and shipping and cruise giant MSC hit back at an entertainment company following separate intellectual property litigation in the U.S. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.

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Roundup

GC Cheat Sheet: The Hottest Corporate News Of The Week

By Sue Reisinger

Elon Musk and SpaceX's legal team blasted off with the largest IPO in history, with shares priced at $150 each at opening before briefly topping $176. And a new study shows investors have approved 11 of 17 companies' requests to move their incorporation from Delaware to Texas so far this proxy season.

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Law360's Legal Lions Of The Week

By Kevin Penton

Kirkland & Ellis LLP leads this week's edition of Law360 Legal Lions, after a Los Angeles jury in a bellwether trial cleared Johnson & Johnson of any liability in the deaths of three women from ovarian cancer.

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In Case You Missed It: Hottest Firms And Stories On Law360

For those who missed out, here's a look back at the law firms, stories and expert analyses that generated the most buzz on Law360 last week.

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