Deep Dive

Industry insights from our journalists

  • litigation funding
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    Alfexe via Getty Images
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    Why in-house counsel and law firms are warming up to litigation funders

    The dispute-financing industry is poised for growth as legal departments seek to evolve their reputation as pure cost centers.

    Justin Bachman • July 21, 2024
  • The exterior of the Supreme Court.
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    Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images
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    What employers can expect following the end of Chevron deference

    For one thing, the U.S. Department of Labor’s regulations may not fare well under federal courts’ scrutiny post-Chevron, a former DOL official told HR Dive.

    Ryan Golden • July 17, 2024
  • A storefront with riding mowers, wheelbarrows and other garden equipment out front.
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    Courtesy of Tractor Supply
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    Tractor Supply may have thought it solved a big problem. Now it has a few more.

    The retailer retreated from its diversity and climate goals after an “anti-woke” protest on social media — and ignited a backlash.

    Daphne Howland • July 11, 2024
  • In a black and white photo, Lyndon B. Johnson sits in the foreground signing the Civil Rights Act, surrounded by Martin Luther King Jr. and dozens of politicians.
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    Stoughton, Cecil. (1964). Retrieved from Wikipedia Commons.
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    Title VII’s future will be shaped by AI, recent SCOTUS rulings, attorneys say

    The law’s anti-discrimination provisions remain a topic of complex debate, and sources who spoke to HR Dive expect the conversation to carry on well into the next several years.

    Ryan Golden • July 1, 2024
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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    Johnson & Johnson drug benefits suit ‘absolutely’ a wake-up call for employers, exec says

    Employer health plans are being held to account for drug costs, but they may lack key information when negotiating with pharmacy benefit managers and similar intermediaries.

    Ryan Golden • Feb. 29, 2024
  • in-house counsel 2024
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    new look casting via Getty Images
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    6 in-house legal trends to watch in 2024

    AI, labor, antitrust, bankruptcies, women GCs and cross-collaboration are among the headlines in-house counsel can expect this year.  

    Lyle Moran and Robert Freedman • Jan. 9, 2024
  • A massive gray storm cloud gathers on the horizon over a placid body of water.
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    petesphotography via Getty Images
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    ‘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.

    Jim Tyson • Nov. 30, 2023
  • Data privacy
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    FotografieLink via Getty Images
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    Companies hit with class actions under Illinois biometric data law

    After years of little activity, the Biometric Information Privacy Act is spurring litigation by consumers and employees over use of their facial scans, fingerprints and other imaging data.

    Lisa Burden • Nov. 8, 2023
  • A person walks across a landfill in India with a bale of recyclables on their head.
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    Daniel Berehulak via Getty Images
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    New regulations seek to expose fashion greenwashers’ true colors

    In Europe, governments plan to prohibit fashion companies and other industries from making vague or misleading environmental claims, and the U.S. could soon do the same.

    Lauren Schenkman • Nov. 1, 2023
  • Shopify bag logo and name. in front of a brick wall.
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    Courtesy of Shopify
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    Companies hit back by trying to unmask patent troll funders

    Defendants such as Shopify try to use discovery to hammer plaintiffs who rely on financial backers to drive patent infringement lawsuits.

    Robert Freedman • June 13, 2023
  • A row of six teenagers are sitting on a outdoor bench. Most are looking down at cellphones in their hands.
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    LeoPatrizi via Getty Images
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    ‘Wave’ of litigation expected as schools fight social media companies

    Districts are joining a complaint against Meta, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube, but some doubt the firms can be blamed for teens’ mental health struggles.

    Kara Arundel • June 1, 2023
  • Fingers hover over a computer keyboard with numbers on a screen, against a shadowy backdrop.
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    jariyawat thinsandee via Getty Images
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    Payments fraud climbs as banks reach for joint response

    Financial institutions and payments players are seeking to coalesce around new efforts to battle skyrocketing payments fraud.

    Lynne Marek • May 30, 2023
  • An abstract blockchain concept in which small blocks form a bigger block
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    cgtoolbox via Getty Images
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    How blockchain may improve job candidate credentialing efforts

    Leading HR groups and staffing agencies are part of an initiative to make the sharing of prospective employees' background information more reliable and secure.

    Lisa Burden • April 10, 2023
  • People gather outside Silicon Valley Bank.
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    ‘Meme stock in reverse’: SVB collapse portends new era of viral bank runs

    SVB’s demise gave the banking sector a glimpse into how social media and digital banking can turn a financial institution from operational to insolvent in a matter of hours.

    Anna Hrushka • March 16, 2023
  • Jonathan A. Segal, an employment lawyer, stands at a podium during a 2023 conference
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    Caroline Colvin/Legal Dive, data from HR Dive
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    Antisemitism at work: How the face of hate is changing

    The SHRM speaker explained how antisemitism these days tends to manifest as conspiracy theories and history denial.

    Caroline Colvin • Feb. 28, 2023
  • A cut out image of a person singing a document at a desk.
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    Photo illustration: Shaun Lucas/Industry Dive; Greg Gibson/AP

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    FMLA: The 30-year legacy of a celebrated — and complicated — employment law

    The law has helped hundreds of millions of workers in its relatively short history. But the FMLA doesn’t provide paid leave, and employers say it can be difficult to administer.

    Ryan Golden • Feb. 3, 2023
  • We all have our own goals to improve
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    Tinpixels via Getty Images
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    5 trends that will shape HR in 2023

    The attention paid to people issues has placed HR leadership in the C-suite’s spotlight, but the next task is keeping the momentum going.

    Ryan Golden • Jan. 26, 2023
  • A businessperson holding a table showing a virtual hologram of statistics
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    ipopba via Getty Images
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    2023 outlook: Legal spend tools expected to gain greater traction

    In-house legal departments are increasingly using tech solutions that provide real-time information about outside counsel spending.

    Lyle Moran • Jan. 24, 2023
  • The Federal Trade Commission headquarters is pictured in Washington, D.C. The agency's proposed noncompete ban may face legal challenges on several grounds.
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    RiverNorthPhotography via Getty Images
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    ‘Take a deep breath’ in response to FTC noncompete ban, attorneys say

    Despite the hurdles the proposed rule faces, employers still may need to pay attention to how it interacts with state and local laws.

    Ryan Golden • Jan. 18, 2023
  • law business
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    kitzcorner via Getty Images
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    2023 outlook: Slower economy will pressure GCs to cut spend, operate more efficiently

    General counsel are expected to rely on legal operations specialists to help them increase in-house departments’ value to the broader organization.    

    Robert Freedman • Jan. 11, 2023
  • Forecast
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    Natali_Mis via Getty Images
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    6 in-house legal trends to watch in 2023

    Legal chiefs will be expected to do more with less even while operational costs rise and compliance risks grow.

    Robert Freedman and Lyle Moran • Jan. 6, 2023
  • salary disclosure
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    Creativalmages via Getty Images
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    Objective measures can provide flexibility under NYC pay transparency law

    By tying salary to experience and skill, employers could have a reasonable defense against discrimination claims within the range they publicize, specialists say. 

    Lisa Burden • Nov. 23, 2022
  • A new general counsel is introduced to their colleagues in an office setting
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    VioletaStoimenova via Getty Images
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    More large companies are hiring experienced outsiders for GC posts

    Rapid changes sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic have prompted Fortune 500 corporations to frequently seek legal department leaders from outside their ranks.

    Lyle Moran • Nov. 15, 2022
  • Cropped shot of a man having a therapeutic session with a psychologist.
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    PeopleImages via Getty Images
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    How to address mental health issues in compliance with FMLA, ADA

    Due to the prevalence of mental health issues, employees are often in in need of family medical leave, accommodations, or EAP assistance.

    Laurel Kalser • Nov. 8, 2022
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    Thomas Cain via Getty Images
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    ESG backlash unlikely to derail SEC climate risk rule

    SEC Chair Gary Gensler faces growing resistance to the agency’s proposal that companies provide detailed disclosures on carbon emissions.

    Jim Tyson • Oct. 17, 2022