A federal jury has rejected Mattel Inc.'s claims that MGA Entertainment Inc. stole the idea for the wildly profitable Bratz dolls, and instead awarded $88.5 million to MGA for trade secrets theft by Mattel.

This article provides an update on the Chinese drywall investigation as well as a summary of significant insurance coverage decisions to date.

In recent years, there has been a growing number of dry cleaners claiming to be "organic," "green," or "eco-friendly." While that may be true with respect to some, many dry cleaners continue to use a cleaning method involving the use of a solvent called perchloroethylene, commonly known as perc. And, there seems to be an increasing number of lawsuits stemming from environmental problems associated with historic dry cleaning operations utilizing this chemical.

The new Active Case Enforcement (ACE) initiative of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) is expected to lead to broader, more aggressive compliance investigations by the agency. OFCCP is the U.S. Department of Labor division charged with ensuring that federal contractors comply with Equal Employment Opportunity laws and Executive Orders.

With a zero-tolerance attitude toward workplace bullying, employers can minimize the impact of the workplace bullying legislation that is bound to come to light in the near future, and in the meantime, maintain a safer and more productive workplace.

The decision to submit all employment disputes to mandatory arbitration only should be made after a careful analysis of the pros and cons so that the employer can determine whether the perceived benefits of arbitration actually are worth the significant disadvantages.

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For corporate attorneys, questions about how an employer can limit both the costs associated with and exposure to wage-and-hour claims have become ever more difficult. Employer-employee arbitration agreements may be part of the answer.

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An in-depth review of a recent important case.