Thinking About Settlements
Discounting retirement plans for taxes is a tricky business and can sometimes lead to problematic or inequitable settlements. Although methodologies exist for valuing such plans, these methodologies do not involve tax impacting ' and for good reason.
Features
Decisions of Interest
Recent decisions of importance to your practice.
Features
EEOC Recovers $20,000 for Sabbath Observer
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission settled for $20,000 and affirmative relief a religious discrimination claim by a job applicant who alleged that she was denied a position because she was a Sabbath observer.
Features
Constructive Discharge: Third, Second Circuit Split
The Third Circuit ruled, contrary to the position taken by the Second Circuit, that a constructive discharge is a 'tangible employment action' precluding the assertion of an affirmative defense to liability under established federal law.
A Word to the Wise
The workplace. Where is it and what are its boundaries? Of course, it is a location, the place where an employee reports to work and performs services. It also clearly includes a place away from the work site where the employee is assigned to or where the employee performs services. Further, for the telecommuter, a home, or at least certain places in the home, may be considered a work site for purposes of employer liability.
Features
Responding to SARS
But for the war in Iraq, the outbreak of SARS would undoubtedly have been the lead news story for the first half of 2003. Thousands of people have been infected to date, and there have been a number of fatalities from this new illness. It is apparently highly contagious (under at least some circumstances) and potentially deadly.
John Gaal's Ethics Corner
Your ethics questions answered by the expert.
FMLA Ruled Applicable to State Workers
In a somewhat surprising 6-3 decision written by Chief Justice Rehnquist, the United States Supreme Court ruled that Congress had abrogated the states' Eleventh Amendment immunity when it enacted the Family Medical Leave Act and that therefore, state workers are entitled to the protection of that statute. In so ruling, the Court characterized Congress' goals in enacting the FMLA as protecting against gender-based discrimination in the workplace and eliminating stereotypes related to child-rearing and family care issues. As such, the Court concluded that challenges to the constitutionality of the FMLA warranted heightened scrutiny.
Class Action Certified for Wage Claim Under State Law
A class action brought on behalf of 15,000 present and former members of Bloomingdale's commissioned sales force was certified under New York Labor Law '193 based on a claim that Bloomingdale's inappropriately made deductions from the commissions credited to the sales force for merchandise returned by customers. <i>Jacobs v. Bloomingdale's, Inc.</i> Index No. 17283/96 (Sup. Ct. Queens Co. 5/03) (Taylor, J.S.C.)
Need Help?
- Prefer an IP authenticated environment? Request a transition or call 800-756-8993.
- Need other assistance? email Customer Service or call 1-877-256-2472.
MOST POPULAR STORIES
- The DOJ's Corporate Enforcement Policy: One Year LaterThe DOJ's Criminal Division issued three declinations since the issuance of the revised CEP a year ago. Review of these cases gives insight into DOJ's implementation of the new policy in practice.Read More ›
- The Business of Legal Spend: How Finance Professionals Can Drive Smarter Outside Counsel ManagementLegal spend has become a core business issue that now shapes financial planning, operational decision making and risk management. What once lived primarily in the legal department has become a shared responsibility across client legal, finance, and operations teams and their outside counsel.Read More ›
- Use of Deferred Prosecution Agreements In White Collar InvestigationsThis article discusses the practical and policy reasons for the use of DPAs and NPAs in white-collar criminal investigations, and considers the NDAA's new reporting provision and its relationship with other efforts to enhance transparency in DOJ decision-making.Read More ›
- The DOJ's New Parameters for Evaluating Corporate Compliance ProgramsThe parameters set forth in the DOJ's memorandum have implications not only for the government's evaluation of compliance programs in the context of criminal charging decisions, but also for how defense counsel structure their conference-room advocacy seeking declinations or lesser sanctions in both criminal and civil investigations.Read More ›
- When Efficiency Meets the Duty to Verify: Reflections on The Verification-Value ParadoxThe Verification-Value Paradox states that increases in efficiency from AI use “will be met by a correspondingly greater imperative to manually verify” the outputs. The result is that the net value of AI in many legal contexts may be negligible once verification is honestly accounted for. For low-stakes tasks, verification costs are light. For core legal work, verification costs are heavy. That’s the tension.Read More ›
