9/14/18
By: Ted Peters
The question of arbitrability (i.e., Who decides whether a dispute is arbitrable? The court or the arbitrator(s)?) is as ageless as the conundrum of what came first, the chicken or the egg. In 2010, the Supreme …
9/14/18
By: Ted Peters
The question of arbitrability (i.e., Who decides whether a dispute is arbitrable? The court or the arbitrator(s)?) is as ageless as the conundrum of what came first, the chicken or the egg. In 2010, the Supreme …
Supreme Court to Revisit Liability Under Rule 10b-5 – Will Prospective Justice Kavanaugh Weigh In?
7/25/18
By: Ted Peters
Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act, and Rule 10b-5 promulgated under it, makes certain conduct in connection with the purchase or sale of any security unlawful. Specifically, Rule 10b-5(a) prohibits the use of any “device, scheme, …
On-Premises Rest Breaks: Should I Stay or Should I Go?
7/18/18
By: Allison Hyatt
Under California law, non-exempt employees are entitled to a 30-minute meal break if the employee works more than 5 hours in a workday, and a 10-minute break for every 4 hours worked (or “major fraction” thereof). In …
California’s New Independent Contractor Test
7/11/18
By: Christine Lee
On April 30, 2018, the California Supreme Court issued a landmark decision in Dynamex Operations West, Inc. v. Superior Court, No. S222732, in which the Court adopted an extremely broad view of workers who will be …
New Potential SCOTUS Justice: Friend or Foe of Qualified Immunity?
7/10/18
By: Sara Brochstein
President Trump announced his decision to nominate Judge Brett Kavanaugh to fill the Supreme Court vacancy created by Justice Anthony Kennedy’s retirement. Should he be confirmed, Judge Kavanaugh could have significant impact on the preservation of qualified …
Is An Employee’s Intentional Act An Employer’s “Accident”?
7/10/18
By: Rebecca Smith and Zach Moura
It may just be, according to the California Supreme Court’s recent decision in Liberty Surplus Ins. Corp. v. Ledesma & Meyer Construction Co., Inc. (June 4, 2018, No. S236765). In Liberty v. Ledesma, …
To Shoot or Not to Shoot – The Ninth Circuit Says That Is The Question (for the jury)
7/6/18
By: Owen Rooney
On June 25, 2018 the U.S. Supreme Court denied certiorari in Estate of Lopez v. Gelhaus, arising out of the shooting in Sonoma County, California of a 13 year old who was holding a toy AK-47 …
Supreme Court Ends Compulsory Union Payments for Government Employees – So What’s Next?
7/5/18
By: Brad Adler & Matt Weiss
On Wednesday June 27, the United States Supreme Court reached a landmark 5-4 decision in Janus v. American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees Council 31 wherein it ruled that the Constitution’s First …
U.S. Supreme Court Upholds President Trump’s Travel Ban
6/27/18
By: Layli Eskandari Deal
The U.S. Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision, upheld President Trump’s latest travel ban. The Court dismissed the anti-Muslim statements of President Trump and other administration officials when evaluating the legality of the ban. The decision …
Arbitration Agreement Litigation Wins Continue to Fall Like Dominoes for Pizza Hut
6/26/18
By: Tim Holdsworth
Following the Supreme Court’s opinion in Epic Systems that class and collective actions waivers in arbitration agreements are enforceable, a federal court recently granted a motion to compel arbitration to one of the nation’s largest Pizza Hut …
Georgia Supreme Court Grants Certiorari In Failure to Settle Case
6/25/18
By: Bill Buechner
The Georgia Supreme Court recently granted an insurer’s petition for certiorari in a bad faith failure to settle case to consider what constitutes an offer to settle a claim within policy limits and whether an insurer’s duty …
Independent Contractor vs Employee Status in the Gig Economy
5/31/18
By: Daniel Walsh
As recently noted by FMG’s Connor Bateman, Courts across the country are now reexamining coverage issues stemming from auto insurance policies held by drivers working with Transportation Network Companies (“TNCs”) such as Lyft and Uber.
In …