Labor & Employment

Nev. Judge Suspended, Poses ‘Substantial Threat,’ Commission Finds

A controversial Nevada judge was suspended today by the state Commission on Judicial Discipline, which found that Elizabeth Halverson “poses a substantial threat of serious harm” to the public and the administration of justice. In a final order of interim suspension filed today, the commission suspended the judge with pay,…

Jul 26, 2007 12:55 AM CDT

Broker Wins $1.6 M in Merrill Arbitration

An NASD securities arbitration panel has awarded $1.6 million to a broker of Iranian descent, saying that Merrill Lynch & Co. first set him up to be fired and then lied about him in an industry regulatory form, making him unemployable. The panel issued an unusually detailed eight-page decision explaining…

Jul 24, 2007 12:30 AM CDT

NY Lawyer: Lap Dances, No Partnership

Some partners at New York’s Wolf Haldenstein Adler Freeman & Herz had more on their minds than law practice, a former colleague claims in a recent sex discrimination suit. And that led to an unfair work set-up, where secretarial lap dances had more of an impact in the Madison Avenue…

Jul 16, 2007 5:19 PM CDT

Tort Trial Here for Deaths in Colombia

War-torn Colombia is the most dangerous country in the world in which to be a labor union member: Well over 2,000 trade unionists have been killed there since 1991, according to Amnesty International. The killings are apparently at least in part attributable to a four-decades-old war between leftist guerrillas, the…

Jul 13, 2007 6:59 PM CDT

Bill to Override Pay Bias Ruling

The House of Representatives will consider a bill that would override a U.S. Supreme Court decision limiting pay discrimination lawsuits. The Committee on Education and Labor approved the legislation at the end of June and expects to send it to the full House soon, the New York Times reports. The…

Jul 13, 2007 6:56 PM CDT

Lawyer: 10 Reasons Why Workers Sue

It is black-letter law that employers must pay hourly workers for all of their time. But not doing so is the No. 1 reason why companies are sued by their employees, according to a Long Island, N.Y., attorney. A number of other items on Robert Lipton’s Top 10 list of…

Jul 12, 2007 6:18 PM CDT

UK Big-Firm Partner Argues Age Claim

A hearing has begun in an age discrimination case brought against one of London’s most prominent law firms by a now-former partner, in a cutting-edge case could potentially threaten the British legal profession’s traditional “lockstep” compensation system. It could also be a sign of more litigation to come, as law…

Jul 9, 2007 7:16 PM CDT

First Banana Workers Get US Court Trial

It has been some 30 years since thousands of banana workers in Central America claim to have been exposed to carcinogenic pesticides on plantations there. Intended to kill worms infesting the roots of banana trees, the pesticides dripped from the leaves onto unprotected workers and leached into the water supply…

Jul 9, 2007 6:00 PM CDT

City Didn’t Discriminate re Bipolar Atty

A former city attorney in Lake Geneva, Wis., says he won’t appeal a state administrative law judge ruling that he wasn’t discriminated against due to his bipolar disorder. Michael Rielly had contended the city didn’t reasonably accommodate his disability last summer when it fired him from his elected position several…

Jul 6, 2007 9:19 PM CDT

Corp Clients Trim US/Foreign Firm Rosters to Save $$

Major medical insurers have been leveraging their purchasing power for decades, negotiating fee discounts from medical providers by promising a large volume of business from insured individuals. Now in-house counsel at major corporations are routinely applying similar tactics to legal providers, sending work to a smaller number of law firms…

Jul 6, 2007 6:06 PM CDT

No Pay for Donning Clothes

Companies defending lawsuits by union workers seeking pay for the time it takes to change into protective work clothes may be rethinking their legal strategies. That’s the conclusion of a lawyer for a poultry company that recently won a motion to dismiss such a lawsuit before the 11th U.S. Circuit…

Jul 5, 2007 8:32 PM CDT

Time-Out Time for No-Vacation Nation?

When is a vacation not a vacation? When non-exempt employees paid by the hour are hovering over their BlackBerries or taking questions from the office by cell phone, for one thing. So, as the 4th of July holiday looms, one law firm recommends, well-advised employers should give some thought to…

Jul 3, 2007 10:26 PM CDT

New China Labor Rules to be Enforced?

Long reputed as a haven for employers who engage in labor practices considered abusive in many countries, China appears to be on the verge of enforcing stringent new standards–particularly against foreign companies. Legislation enacted Friday that takes effect Jan. 1, 2008 imposes, among other new standards, a requirement that employment…

Jul 2, 2007 9:36 PM CDT

Israel Prez’s Plea Deal Not a Done Deal

A controversial agreement by the president of Israel to plead guilty to sexual harassment and other charges and resign from office to avoid a potential rape prosecution apparently isn’t a done deal. Amidst widespread criticism of the plea agreement and three petitions against it, the Israel Supreme Court is requiring…

Jul 2, 2007 8:33 PM CDT

Fired Lawyer’s ERISA Claim Tossed

A federal judge has dismissed a claim filed by a former Holland & Knight partner who claims he was improperly fired. John Weir claims the firm fired him at age 55 partly to avoid paying retirement benefits under an ERISA plan. But U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain of Manhattan…

Jul 2, 2007 1:55 PM CDT