Holiday Office Parties: Serving Up Both Cheer … and Fear!
12/3/19
By: Melissa Whitehead There is no doubt that the Holiday Season is in full swing – and that means workplace holiday parties! While these festive events are great for increasing workplace camaraderie and celebrating achievements of the year, they are more well known for the high risk of inappropriate behavior. Somehow, companies that spend all…
The Supreme Court Weighs in on Arbitrability, But Questions Remain
1/31/19
By: Ted Peters As reflected in a prior article, the United States Supreme Court recently agreed to take another look at the issue of arbitrability. In the case of Henry Schein, Inc. v. Archer & White Sales, Inc., the Fifth Circuit concluded that the court, and not an arbitrator, had the power to decide the…
Little Miller, Big Implications
6/20/18
By: Samantha Skolnick In Georgia, when an individual performs work on a state construction project, they can file a lien for non-payment. The lien is against the project through Georgia’s Little Miller Act. The claim itself is not against the state or county’s actual property. The claim is against a posted bond, and is a…
2018 GA Legislative Session Adjournment Report
5/4/18
By: Allan J. Hayes The Georgia General Assembly adjourned sine die the 2018 legislative session late night on March 29. What follows is a list and summary of all bills tracked by FMG this session. Governor Nathan Deal must sign or veto legislation within 40 days after sine die adjournment, or it becomes law without…
U.S. DOT Issues Guidelines for Self-Driving Vehicles
9/27/16
By: Wes Jackson On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Transportation ushered in the long-anticipated future of transportation with guidelines for “autonomous vehicles,” or self-driving cars (available here). The policy guidance focuses primarily on “highly automated vehicles,” (“HAVs”) or those that have automated systems that actually monitor the driving environment as opposed to merely conducting some part…
Hair Follicle Testing for Truck Drivers
6/15/16
By: Marc Bardack and Matthew Grattan In December 2015, President Obama signed The Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act, a law allowing motor carriers to test a driver’s hair follicles during pre-employment and random drug screens. Although some companies, including J.B. Hunt and Schneider National, already test their drivers using this method, DOT regulations currently require…
Change In 34-Hour Restart Rules Appears Likely
5/24/16
By: Marc Bardack Last week, the Senate passed a transportation funding bill providing for a change in hours of service rules for truck drivers. The change proposed in the bill depends on the outcome of a currently pending safety fitness determination study being conducted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. In the Senate bill, there…