Blogs

Employment Law

When Is a Lunch Break Really Off the Clock? New DOL Guidance on Compensable Meal Periods

In our recent blog on compensable travel time, we examined when an employee’s commute stops being ordinary travel and becomes work time that must be paid by the employer. That question is part of a larger -- and frequently frustrating -- Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) problem: When is an employee actually working?

September 28, 2026

Employment Law

Virginia's Minimum Wage Rises to $13.75 on January 1, 2027: What Employers Need to Know

Virginia employers should start preparing to pay hourly workers more money next year. Effective January 1, 2027, the Virginia minimum wage will increase to $13.75 per hour. In addition, on that same date, an exemption that has excluded farm laborers from the Virginia Minimum Wage Act since its enactment disappears. And both changes take effect against the Virginia Wage Payment Act, which was materially expanded earlier this year.

September 28, 2026

Business Planning

Should Your Business Align with the Federal Fiscal Year?

Government contractors tend to think in federal time. Pipeline reviews, proposal calendars, staffing plans, and cash flow projections often follow the rhythm of the federal fiscal year — October 1 through September 30 — because that is when agencies receive their funding and spend it.

September 22, 2026

Land Use & Zoning

Virginia's July 1 Zoning Changes Already Bind Fairfax County. The Zoning Ordinance Has Not Caught Up.

Virginia’s July 1, 2026 Code amendments now bind Fairfax County applications for data centers, housing, parking, solar, storage, and wireless infrastructure, even before the Zoning Ordinance is updated. Hearings remain unscheduled.

August 26, 2026

Land Use & Zoning

Virginia's Faith in Housing Act: What Tax-Exempt Landowners Should Be Doing Before January 1, 2027

Virginia's 2026 General Assembly enacted companion bills HB 1279 and SB 388 (2026 Acts of Assembly, cc. 1096 and 1009), the Faith in Housing Act, adding § 15.2-2288.9 to the Code of Virginia. Localities must permit qualifying mixed-use or residential projects by right on land owned by property tax-exempt religious organizations and certain 501(c)(3) nonprofits, without rezoning, special use permit, or other discretionary approval.

August 26, 2026

Employment Law

Virginia Has a New Pay Transparency Law: What Employers Need to Know

The law does more than require employers to disclose compensation information in job postings. It also restricts employer inquiries into wage and salary history, limits how employers can use voluntarily disclosed pay history, creates specific anti-retaliation protections, and provides both public and private enforcement mechanisms.

August 18, 2026

Employment Law

When Does an Employee’s Commute Become Work Time You Have to Pay For? DOL Draws New Lines for Hybrid and Field Employees

New DOL opinion letters clarify when employee commute and travel time is compensable under the FLSA, offering guidance for Virginia employers managing hybrid schedules, remote work, field employees, and non-exempt wage-and-hour compliance.

August 18, 2026

Business and Financial Services

Rollover Equity in a Private Equity Sale: Four Questions Founders Need to Ask

Selling to private equity often means rolling part of your proceeds into the buyer’s company. Before accepting rollover equity, founders should understand valuation, capital-stack priority, minority rights and liquidity risks.

August 18, 2026

Employment Law

Virginia’s Clean Slate Law Is Now in Effect: What Employers Need to Know

Virginia employers have long treated criminal background checks as a routine part of hiring: obtain the applicant’s authorization, order a background report, review the results, and decide whether any criminal history is relevant to the position. Virginia’s new “Clean Slate” framework changes that process in an important way. This article continues our series addressing the rapidly changing employment-law landscape confronting Virginia businesses.

August 18, 2026

Divorce and Family Law

Phones Down: What Do New School Phone Restrictions Mean for my Child – and My Custody Case?

Virginia and Maryland school phone bans may affect custody orders, parenting plans, and parent-child communication during school hours. Bean, Kinney & Korman explains what families should know before the new rules take effect.

August 6, 2026