Labor & Employment

EEOC Obtains Record Settlement in Race Bias Case

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has negotiated a record $2.5 million settlement on behalf of a former electrician at Lockheed Martin Corp. The EEOC says the amount is the largest settlement it has secured for an individual in a racial discrimination suit, Reuters reports. The plaintiff, Charles Daniels, had alleged…

Jan 3, 2008 3:27 PM CST

‘Lolita Lawyer’ Sues Cravath for Unpaid Salary

The so-called “Lolita Lawyer” has sued his former firm, Cravath, Swaine & Moore, for unpaid salary and bonus. James Colliton pleaded guilty this fall to statutory rape and patronizing a prostitute based on allegations he paid a woman to have sex with her teen daughters. His suit, handwritten on notebook…

Jan 2, 2008 11:51 AM CST

Associate Claims Allen & Overy Fired Him for Observing Sabbath

An associate claims in a lawsuit that British-based law firm Allen & Overy fired him for religious reasons. Norman Schoenfeld claims he was fired for observing the Jewish sabbath and religious holidays. His suit, filed in Manhattan federal court, alleges partner Mark Wojciechowski swore at him when he left one…

Jan 2, 2008 11:37 AM CST

The Boss Is Watching

And employees are finding they have fewer places to hide

Jan 1, 2008 8:53 PM CST

The Garcetti Effect

Government employees fear high court case undermines retaliation protections

Jan 1, 2008 8:14 PM CST

Calif. Sues Janitor Cos., Claims ‘Flagrant’ Independent Contractor Abuses

In an apparent escalation of an ongoing effort to police companies that misclassify employees as independent contractors, two California agencies have announced joint litigation against two janitorial companies that send workers to restaurants in multiple counties. In the first lawsuits resulting from a coordinated effort by Jerry Brown, the state…

Dec 20, 2007 1:35 AM CST

Sexual Harassment of ... Santa?!?

The next time Santa’s making a list and checking it twice, he might want to focus on an elite group. That is the very small number of adults who show up at a shopping mall for a visit with St. Nick with more than Christmas on their minds, an employment…

Dec 18, 2007 7:37 PM CST

Laws and Cultural Pressures Condemn Some Widows to Poverty

Discrimination against widows in many countries is a hidden problem that dooms the women and their families to a life of poverty. Cherie Blair, the wife of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, set out to shine a spotlight on cultural traditions and laws that discriminate against widows in an…

Dec 18, 2007 3:28 PM CST

Kansas AG in Sex Scandal Resigns

The attorney general of Kansas, who has been embroiled in a sex scandal that also raises significant legal ethics issues, announced today that he will resign from office effective at the end of January. At that point, he will have been in office barely one year. “Many people feel betrayed…

Dec 14, 2007 10:59 PM CST

$2.5M Settlement in Rare Clery Act Case re Murdered Student

Eastern Michigan University has agreed to pay a $2.5 million settlement to the family of a murdered student apparently slain in her dorm room, in an unusual case related to violations of the federal Clery Act due to non-disclosure of campus safety information. EMU and the family of Laura Dickinson…

Dec 14, 2007 12:56 AM CST

DOJ Sues Colorado Springs Police for Retaliating Against Officer

The U.S. Justice Department has sued the Colorado Springs police department for refusing to promote an officer who helped his wife in a successful disabilities suit against the police. The suit alleges the department did not promote Lance Lazoff in retaliation for helping his wife challenge its policy requiring the…

Dec 12, 2007 7:23 PM CST

MLB Steroids Scandal: 50 Named in Mitchell Report

Updated: A much-awaited report on steroid use in Major League Baseball will be released tomorrow, and it reportedly will identify at least 50 current and former players who may have cheated on the game with steroids, stimulants and human growth hormone. Apparently, former Sen. George Mitchell, a former federal prosecutor…

Dec 12, 2007 6:16 PM CST

Isiah Thomas Settles Sex-Harass Suit

A settlement in an undisclosed amount was reached today by Madison Square Garden and New York Knicks coach Isiah Thomas with a former female team executive in a sexual harassment and retaliation case. One apparent impetus for the pact: additional compensatory damages beyond the $11.6 million in punitives previously awarded…

Dec 11, 2007 12:06 AM CST

Prominent Partner Beaten in Street

The chairman of Dilworth Paxson’s labor and employment practice was found at around 8 p.m. Thursday in a southwest Philadelphia street near his Acura, badly beaten. Police think that Gino Benedetti, who has chest and severe head injuries, may have been the victim of a botched robbery, reports the Legal…

Dec 10, 2007 9:56 PM CST

No-No-No: Tips for Holiday Parties

Lawyers and clients alike can cut down on potential liability for holiday merrymaking at office events by following a few simple tips. Among them: hire professional bartenders, arrange for free taxis home and make clear to managers that they are considered on duty at such holiday events and should not…

Dec 10, 2007 8:25 PM CST