Administrative Law

Net Neutrality Supporters Sue FCC Over Proposed Rules, Contending They’re Too Weak

Last week, after the Federal Communications Commission finalized “open Internet” rules for the sharing of broadband resources, observers began awaiting the expected lawsuits from wireless carriers. But now supporters of the so-called net neutrality that the FCC is establishing have filed suit, contending that the new rules, which are to…

Sep 29, 2011 1:24 PM CDT

Allegedly Fired for Being Too Fat, 680-Pound Man Fights Back, Finds Ally in EEOC

Ronald Kratz II wasn’t having any problem performing his desk job at a company that manufactures military vehicles and had been getting good evaluations of his work. But BAE Systems fired the 680-pound man anyway, he says, due to his weight. Kratz fought back, finding an ally in the Equal…

Sep 29, 2011 12:13 AM CDT

Calif. Seeks $17M in Back Wages, OT and Penalties from ZipRealty re Alleged Misclassified Workers

In the largest such enforcement action in California history, the state labor commissioner has filed suit seeking $17 million in back wages, overtime pay and penalities from ZipRealty on behalf of hundreds of agents. The company has contended that it was not required to pay minimum wage to outside salespeople.…

Sep 26, 2011 10:48 PM CDT

Tenn. Lawyer Loses License for 4 Months Due to His Conduct in a Family Matrimonial Matter

Updated on 1/30/25: A Tennessee attorney has had his law license suspended for four months in a disciplinary matter related to a protective order obtained by his ex-wife. Richard A. Demonbreun was found to have “violated disciplinary rules by violating an order of protection and submitting a false pleading to…

Sep 22, 2011 9:07 PM CDT

Hold the $10 Brownies and $16 Muffins, Report on Hefty DOJ Conference Expenses Suggests

It isn’t just law firms that know how to spend lavishly on food, an audit report (PDF) released yesterday by the acting Department of Justice inspector general makes clear. The department paid nearly $10 per brownie and $16 per muffin at a 2009 legal training conference in Washington, D.C., which…

Sep 20, 2011 11:18 PM CDT

DOJ to Mull Possible Criminal Probe of Former SEC General Counsel’s Role in Madoff Liquidation

Already facing a clawback suit, along with siblings, concerning an investment account with convicted Ponzi schemer Bernard Madoff that was part of his mother’s estate, a former general counsel of the Securities and Exchange Commission is now potentially the subject of a federal criminal probe. In a report (PDF) dated…

Sep 20, 2011 10:34 PM CDT

Ky. Judge Should Be Removed, Panel Says; He Vows to ‘Fight It to the Bitter End’

A former chief judge of Harlan County, Ky., should be removed from office, a disciplinary panel ruled today, because of conflicts of interest and his use of his office to forward personal interests. It is only the fourth time a Kentucky judge has been ordered off the bench since 1984.…

Sep 19, 2011 10:00 PM CDT

DOL Tells Bank of America to Rehire Countrywide Whistle-Blower Fired in 2008 and Pay Her $930K

Ordered by the Department of Labor to rehire and pay $930,000 to a fired whistle-blower it inherited along with a lot of troubled Countrywide Financial mortgages in 2008, the Bank of America said today that it intends to appeal the DOL ruling, reports the Wall Street Journal (sub. req.). By…

Sep 16, 2011 12:00 AM CDT

Feds Blame BP Shortcuts for Gulf Oil Spill in New Report Released Today

Reaching conclusions similar to those of earlier investigators, in the most comprehensive report to date on the cause of disastrous Gulf of Mexico oil spill that began on April 20, 2010, when the Deepwater Horizon blew up in a fiery explosion, a joint task force today blames BP and two…

Sep 14, 2011 9:00 PM CDT

Partner Who Used $144K in Client Trust Money to Help Law Firm Weather the Recession Is Suspended

Finding that “substantial mitigating factors” weighed against disbarring a lawyer who made $144,000 in improper client trust account transfers to help her law firm weather the recession, the Minnesota Supreme Court today suspended attorney Jo Fairbairn for 18 months. It also imposed an unusual requirement that she never again serve…

Sep 14, 2011 8:17 PM CDT

Judge Asked to Toss False Advertising Suit over Commercials for High Fructose Corn Syrup

A federal judge will consider a motion today to toss a false advertising suit filed over commercials promoting high fructose corn syrup. The Corn Refiners Association produced the ads that assert its product is essentially the same as cane sugar. “Your body can’t tell the difference,” the commercials say. But…

Sep 13, 2011 4:46 PM CDT

Dodd-Frank Is Lucrative for BigLaw; Debevoise Earns $100K for a 17-Page Letter

The Dodd-Frank financial reform law is bedeviling banks and benefiting BigLaw. Lawyers are competing for a cut of the action, along with accountants, financial consultants, technology vendors and others, the New York Times reports. “Call it Dodd-Frank Inc.,” the newspaper says. “A year after Congress passed the broadest financial overhaul…

Sep 9, 2011 12:41 PM CDT

Former White House Aide, Once a 4th Circuit Nominee, Is Suspended in DC for Petty Theft

A former White House aide in the administration of President George W. Bush and onetime nominee to a seat on the Richmond, Va.-based 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has had his law license suspended for a year in the District of Columbia after his conviction in a petty theft…

Sep 8, 2011 10:09 PM CDT

Ethics Opinion Raps Pa. Judge for ‘Beyond Egregious’ Attendance Record

An attorney whose attendance record as a Pennsylvania magisterial district judge was “beyond egregious” violated both the rules for district judges and the state constitution, the Pennsylvania Court of Judicial Discipline has ruled. Judge Maryesther Merlo called off from work 116 times during a two-year period and was frequently late…

Sep 6, 2011 7:56 PM CDT

FDA to Review Safety of Osteoporosis Drugs as Lawsuit Begins in Bellwether Trial

The Food and Drug Administration is expected to review the safety of osteoporosis drugs taken over the long-term amid growing concerns about side effects. The drugs, known as bisphosphonates, add bone mass by inhibiting a bone renewal process called resorption, the New York Times reports. The fear is that long-term…

Sep 6, 2011 5:02 PM CDT