Blogs

Employment Law

New Overtime Protections: What Employers and Employees Need to Know

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently shook up the labor market with an announcement that could significantly impact 3.6 million low-paid salaried workers in the United States. Under the new rule proposed by the DOL, the new salary threshold for overtime pay eligibility under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) would be set at…

September 14, 2023

Employment Law

What is Up for Contractors When the Federal Government Shuts Down?

With the Senate returning from its August recess on September 5, 2023, and the House not back in session until September 12, 2023, — and differences of hundreds of billions of dollars on spending remaining between the two chambers — time may have run out to avoid a federal government shutdown on October 1, 2023,…

September 7, 2023

Business and Financial Services

The Road Ahead: Reimagining the 8(a) Program and Federal Contracting

This is Part 3 in a Three-Part Series. Read Part 2. The recent ruling on the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) 8(a) program has stirred much debate and speculation. With the blanket assumption of social disadvantage based on race or ethnicity overturned by a Tennessee Federal District Court, a new path for the program’s future awaits.…

September 6, 2023

Litigation

Unpacking The University of Virginia’s New Legacy Admissions Approach

In a move that has ignited debates in academia and beyond, the University of Virginia (UVA) announced recently that it has adjusted its policy concerning legacy preferences in admissions. This change comes in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. Harvard College, et al. (“SFFA”), ruling against the constitutionality of race-conscious admissions programs, which has already reverberated across American colleges and universities, compelling…

September 5, 2023

Business and Financial Services

The SBA’s 8(a) Program: Interim Guidance, Future Directions, and The Promise of Economic Growth

Following the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee’s recent decision, which impacts the 8(a) Business Development Program’s administration criteria, the Small Business Administration (SBA) released interim guidelines. The challenge now facing the program lies in ensuring that eligibility criteria remain true to its mission while adhering to the court’s mandate. Navigating the…

August 28, 2023

Business and Financial Services

Understanding the Controversy: The 8(a) Program and the Federal Court Ruling

The U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) 8(a) program, established to support and foster growth among socially and economically disadvantaged businesses, has found itself in the eye of a storm. A recent ruling by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee has reshaped how the SBA will approach its pivotal 8(a) program, particularly…

August 24, 2023

Employment Law

EEOC Proposes New Regulations for Pregnant Workers Fairness Act

On August 11, 2023, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued proposed regulations to implement the federal Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA). The proposed regulations will remain open for public comment through October 10, 2023. What is the PWFA? The PWFA became law on June 27, 2023. It requires covered employers (those with fifteen…

August 15, 2023

Employment Law

NLRB Adopts Employee-Friendly Standard for Evaluating Workplace Rules

On August 2, 2023, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) adopted a new standard for evaluating when employer workplace rules will be found to have a “reasonable tendency” to discourage employees from exercising their right under Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) to form, join, or assist with labor organizations, to bargain…

August 8, 2023

Employment Law

Unraveling the Legal Labyrinth of Workplace Retaliation Claims

Unlawful retaliation in the workplace, whether under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, or under state civil rights or whistleblower protections, is a pivotal situation – the EEOC received more than 28,000 retaliation complaints in 2022 – and involves complex areas of employment law, requiring a nuanced understanding for employers to effectively navigate the…

July 10, 2023

Employment Law

Will Liability Waivers Bar the Families of the Titan Expedition Victims from Recovering Damages?

You likely know the story by now. What started as an intrepid expedition to take a close-up look at the wreck of the Titanic using an experimental submersible vehicle named Titan to descend 12,500 feet below the surface of the north Atlantic Ocean, ended with the subsequent discovery of the Titan in pieces scattered on…

July 5, 2023