Beware Of Higher Minimum Wage – It May Not Be Too Far Away
8/29/12
By: Brad Adler
Recently, the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2012 was introduced in Congress. This legislation would raise the federal minimum wage in three 85-cent steps from its current $7.25 an hour to $9.80 by the end of 2014. …
Law Firm Risk Management – Internal Review and Insurance Reporting Obligations
8/29/12
By: Seth Kirby
While the practice of law is a profession, managing a law practice is definitely a business. In addition to their primary responsibility of representing their clients, attorneys must actively manage their office. Depending upon the size of …
2012 Election Cycle: Major Business Concerns Include Immigration, Baseless Lawsuits
8/27/12
By: Kelly Morrison
The Eleventh Circuit recently weighed in on Georgia’s controversial Immigration Reform Act, restoring a provision which allows police to verify the immigration status of criminal suspects failing to produce appropriate identification. This mirrors the U.S. Supreme …
Electronic Medical Records – IT Guides for a New Frontier
8/27/12
By: Michael Eshman
It is clear that electronic medical records and exchanges are the wave of the future in healthcare. For better or worse, the electronic management and maintenance of files and records will transform the healthcare industry.
In December …
SEC Pays First Whistleblower Under Dodd-Frank
8/23/12
By: Ben Mathis
The SEC announced that it has paid $50,000 in the first whistleblower bounty. This program is a year old program and was authorized by the Dodd-Frank financial reform act. Is it the first of more to come? …
Most Georgia Local Governments Fail to Comply with State E-Verify Law
8/22/12
By: Kelly Morrison
A recent AJC article reported that many cities and counties across the state still are not in compliance with Georgia’s E-Verify mandates, and as a result, are at risk for losing funding for state community development block …
Eleventh Circuit Says No to ACLU's Standing on Ten Commandments Monument Challenge
8/21/12
By: Dana Maine
The Eleventh Circuit issued an opinion last week which clearly delineates elements of standing in First Amendment symbolic speech cases. In American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, Inc. v. Dixie County, Florida, decided on August 15, …
ADA Lawsuits Plaguing Property Owners
8/14/12
By: Ben Mathis
Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which covers “public accommodations,” is not widely known to the general public. Property owners, however, are becoming too familiar with its requirements as they confront an avalanche of …
Using the Common Interest Doctrine to Protect Information from Disclosure
8/14/12
By: Kamy Molavi
Various methods are used in litigation to limit the disclosure of information and documents to opposing parties. One is to invoke a privilege. The most common privileges are the work product doctrine and the attorney-client privilege.
Some …
Ban on Guns in Church Upheld
8/13/12
By: Sun Choy
In GeorgiaCarry.org v. Georgia, the Eleventh Circuit upheld Georgia’s 2010 ban on guns in places of worship. The Baptist Tabernacle of Thomaston and GeorgiaCarry.org, a gun rights group, claimed that the ban violated their constitutionally protected …
Better Not Ask for an Employee’s Facebook Password in Illinois
8/9/12
By: Brad Adler
Reacting to the chorus of critics lamenting the purported trend of employers demanding employees provide them with their social networking passwords, Illinois has now joined Maryland in prohibiting companies from demanding an employee’s social networking passwords as …
Employers Beware of Rules Against Employee Discussion of Internal Investigations
8/1/12
By: David Cole
On July 30, the NLRB issued a decision in the case of Banner Estrella Medical Center, which highlights the dangers of blanket instructions or policies prohibiting employees from discussing internal investigations. The company’s human resources manager …