Legal Alerts
September 23, 2021
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) recently published a series of articles detailing its findings of an investigation into Facebook. The series is based on interviews with current and former Facebook employees and an extensive review of internal Facebook documents, some of which have been reportedly turned over to the...
January 26, 2021
On January 11, 2021, Mayor Muriel Bowser signed into law the Ban on Non-Compete Agreements Amendment Act of 2019, perhaps the broadest ban on non-compete employment agreements in the country. The bill, with a few narrow exceptions, would invalidate non-compete agreements entered into after the law goes into effect, and...
June 15, 2020
The Supreme Court ruled on Monday that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects employees from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and transgender status – a major victory for LGBTQ people, allies, and advocates.
The key provision of the landmark civil rights law prohibits employment discrimination on...
September 27, 2019
In an important win for employees, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit held on September 25 that an employment contract may not shorten the statute of limitations to sue under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.
The plaintiff, Barbrie Logan, began working for MGM Grand Detroit Casino (MGM) in Michigan in 2007. As...
May 1, 2019
In a 5 to 4 decision, the Supreme Court ruled April 24th that workers do not have a right to class arbitration unless their employment agreements specifically guarantee it.
In 2016, California-based company Lamps Plus mistakenly disclosed the tax information of about 1,300 employees to a hacker. Lamps Plus employee Frank Varela...
April 22, 2019
The Supreme Court agreed to hear three cases later this year which could challenge a crucial legal principle that protects workers against discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation. Two of the cases include a transgender funeral home director and gay skydiving instructor who successfully challenged their...
December 13, 2018
Over a year since a number of sexual harassment scandals shook Congress, lawmakers in the House and Senate appear to have agreed on legislation that updates the old Congressional Accountability Act, by streamlining the reporting process, expanding coverage, and holding harassers personally and financially accountable.
The new...
July 20, 2018
City Controller Rebecca Rhynhart released a report this week outlining several recommendations to the city’s current sexual harassment policy. Among the suggested changes are reforms for training and altering the way that complaints are handled.
The report concluded that the city too often has handed the reins of an...
July 13, 2018
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) approved its fifth, and to date largest, whistleblower award on Thursday when it awarded $30 million to a former JPMorgan employee. This is the last step in a process that began publicly in 2015, when the bank settled with the CFTC for $367 million for suggesting certain...
June 28, 2018
On Thursday, the Securities and Exchange Commission voted on proposed amendments to rules governing its whistleblower award program. The program was established in 2010 by the Dodd-Frank Act and allows for individuals who provide information about fraud and securities violations to receive an award equal to 10-30% of the...
