Bullying: From the Playground to the Workplace
5/16/14
By: Kacie Manisco
A bully on the playground and a bully in the office exhibit similar behavior and have similar effects on their victims, yet, only legislation preventing the former has passed. Workplace bullying, like childhood bullying, can take the …
Supreme Court Upholds Prayer During Local Legislative Body Meetings
5/16/14
By: Bill Buechner
Recently, the United States Supreme Court issued a 5-4 decision upholding a town’s practice of inviting a local minister to deliver an invocation at the beginning of the town’s monthly board meetings. Town of Greece, N.Y. v. …
Georgia Power Company Received the Highest ROE of Any Electric Utility in 2013
5/16/14
By: Bobby Baker
SNL Financial recently reported that Georgia Power Company received the highest authorized return on equity (ROE) of any electric utility in 2013. The Company originally asked for an 11.50% ROE in its rate case filing, but was …
5/13/14
By: David Cole
Verizon recently released its 2014 edition of its Data Breach Investigation Report. You can download a copy here for your reading pleasure — or heartburn. Retailers should take particular note of this report. As Verizon states, “(2013) …
NLRB Seeks Control Over Employers’ Email Accounts
5/6/14
By: David Cole
If you have been diligent about reading our prior articles or attending our seminars (examples of them here, here, and here), then you have, hopefully, implemented or revised your e-mail, social media, and “bring …
Yelp Lawsuits Signal Rise in Internet Defamation Cases
4/30/14
By: Matt Foree
The ubiquity of social media and internet communications has drastically increased the opportunities for defamation. The spread of defamatory statements to countless individuals is often as easy as pushing a button.
Recent defamation cases regarding user review …
A Picture is Worth a 1000 Words
4/30/14
By: Seth Kirby
In the ever evolving world of marketing through social media, companies strive for ways to drive traffic to their virtual doorsteps. The constant question running through the mind of a person tasked with internet marketing is “what …
Total Medical Malpractice Payout Amounts Up Nationwide in 2013
4/30/14
By: Michael Eshman
Diedrich Healthcare published a graphic analysis of medical malpractice payouts in 2013 based on numbers recorded by the National Practitioner Data Bank. The numbers reveal an uptick in medical malpractice payout amounts nationwide for the first time …
Cell Phone Searches: The Next Battle Regarding the Fourth Amendment
4/29/14
By: Wayne S. Melnick
On Tuesday, April 29, 2014, the United States Supreme Court heard argument focused on a question that is being closely watched by many and has the potential to affect a great portion of the United States …
H1B Visas: Do You Want the Good News or the Bad News?
4/29/14
By: Kelly Eisenlohr-Moul
I’ll lead with the bad news: while Congress stalls on immigration reform, the United States Customs and Immigration Services received 172,500 H1B petitions between April 1 and April 5, 2014!
This means that, over a five-day period, …
Marijuana Laws Leave Employers Dazed and Confused
4/22/14
By: Frank Hupfl
Although marijuana remains illegal under federal law, 21 states and the District of Columbia have passed laws permitting marijuana use for medicinal purposes. Two states, Colorado and Washington, have gone a step further, and legalized the sale …
The Flight Level Change Trap: NTSB Cites Boeing Design as Possible Cause of Asiana 214 Crash
4/16/14
By: William Ezzell
Boeing’s 777 is regarded by many as one of, if not the safest commercial airliner ever produced. Up until the tragic accident of Asiana 214 at San Francisco last year, it’s safety record was nearly spotless. On …
