The Latest

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    Opinion

    Are law firms ignoring their most critical assets?

    The path to a more diverse and inclusive legal market is wide open, and firms must act intentionally to achieve meaningful change. 

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    Lawyers face scrutiny for alleged role in hiding IP litigation funder

    A federal judge is seeking an ethics review for attorneys who said they were representing plaintiffs in patent infringement cases but were working for a different company that was the “de facto owner.”

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    petesphotography via Getty Images
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    Deep Dive

    ‘Rough ride’: 5 tips for cutting insurance costs amid climate change

    Executives face a seller’s market for commercial property insurance as carriers push up premiums and pull back from high-risk areas.

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    Businesses face automated decisionmaking disclosures under proposed California regulations

    Companies using automated technology to make decisions in areas such as employment would have to provide consumers with a variety of information about their activities.

  • tort liability, earplugs, Aearo Technologies
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    "3M headquarters" by Acroterion is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
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    3M, other chemical manufacturers score win in PFAS case

    The Sixth Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals in Cincinnati found the plaintiff could not tie the “forever” chemicals in his blood to the 10 named defendants.

  • AWS logo on display at AWS Summit New York, July 26, 2023.
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    Courtesy of AWS
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    Employers willing to pay ‘premium’ for AI-skilled workers: AWS study

    Nearly three out of four (75%) employers who view the hiring of talent with AI skills as a priority reported having difficulty finding qualified candidates.

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    GCs advised to assist with recruitment of board candidates

    Legal chiefs can work closely with other executives to ensure skills gaps on boards are identified and broad talent pools are considered. 

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    Earnout conflicts show need for clear contract language

    Tying some payments to future performance can help close M&A deals but the terms can spur lawsuits if the buyer and seller aren’t on the same page about what they agreed to, attorneys say.

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    Hotel industry players challenge NLRB joint employer rule

    As the rule continues to be contested, debates over its legality are playing out in the hotel industry, where labor disputes and shortages continue to impact hoteliers.

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    Law firms raised rates 6.3% in Q3, report finds

    Demand also ticked up slightly and firms reduced associate hiring to slow expense growth, according to the Thomson Reuters Institute.

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    Pekic via Getty Images
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    Opinion

    10 common termination traps — and how to avoid them

    The uncomfortable and legally challenging aspects of terminations can be ameliorated with careful forethought and planning, write Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP attorneys.

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    Hefty $4.3B Binance penalty reflects cooperation credit

    The crypto exchange was given a 20% reduction in its fine in exchange for cooperating in the investigation and remediating its compliance operations, the Department of Justice says.

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    Samuel Corum/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Feds abandon first-ever criminal no-poach indictment

    DOJ had previously warned HR pros that wage fixing and no-poach agreements could result in prison time, but the latest news may signal a shift in enforcement.

  • Starbucks baristas and supporters protest outside a store.
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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    Starbucks introduces oversight committee to improve governance

    The coffee chain said the Environmental, Partner and Community Impact committee will help improve its supply chain operations and employee relationships.

  • inclusion
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    pixdeluxe via Getty Images
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    Opinion

    Navigating religious accommodation after Groff v. DeJoy

    Employers may need to institute more rigorous processes than they now have in place for handling such accommodations.

  • Hand flips wooden cube and changes the inscription from "BUDGET 2023" to "BUDGET 2024"
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    Parradee Kietsirikul via Getty Images
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    66% of legal teams are bringing more work in-house

    Meanwhile, one in four legal departments expect to decrease the number of law firms they use, a report from ACC and Everlaw found.

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    Even as perils loom over environmental insurance market, terms remain flexible

    As more contaminants are discovered and weather extremes persist, carriers will likely slim down their exposure, a broker says.

  • A close up of a person's high heel shoes, showcasing Louboutin's signature red sole.
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    Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Christian Louboutin, Meta launch legal complaint against alleged counterfeiter

    The joint complaint marks another instance of collaboration between fashion and tech companies over alleged counterfeit sales.

  • Man using a laptop computer chatting with an intelligent artificial intelligence asks for the answers he wants.
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    Supatman via Getty Images
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    73% of lawyers plan to use generative AI, report finds

    While there remains trepidation among some lawyers, many are excited by the emerging technology’s potential to boost efficiency and generate deep insights.

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    Consistency called key to avoiding SEC whistleblower fines

    The agency’s focus isn’t just on separation or severance agreements; other contract areas – and even non-contract materials like handbooks – can have non-compliant language.

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    Property insurers are ready to compete for business

    Inflation, natural catastrophes will keep premiums high, at least in the near term, for all but the best risks, a specialist says.

  • Someone pours breastmilk from a bottle into a storage bag.
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    isayildiz via Getty Images
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    PUMP Act entitles exempt employees to breaks, DOL investigator cautions

    Until recent months, only nonexempt workers were entitled to time and space to pump breast milk. 

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    Gromit702 via Getty Images
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    Environmental groups call on FTC to stop pair of Big Oil mergers

    ExxonMobil’s and Chevron’s proposed mergers with Pioneer Natural Resources and Hess Corp., respectively, are two of the largest M&A deals in industry history and allegedly infringe on antitrust laws.

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    zirconicusso via Getty Images
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    Opinion

    How AI can level the playing field among law firms

    AI will undoubtedly help to erode the competitive barriers that have long entrenched big law firms at the top.

  • Plastic waste floating in water,  including Gatorade bottles and Lay’s potato chip packaging, that was collected in April 2022 from the Erie Basin Marina in Buffalo, New York.
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    Courtesy of New York State Attorney General
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    New York AG’s ‘first of its kind’ lawsuit against PepsiCo seeks plastic pollution accountability

    Letitia James sued PepsiCo for allegedly “harming the public and the environment with its single-use plastic packaging.” The complaint slams PepsiCo’s “misleading” plastic reduction efforts and recycling claims.