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How Loans Can Impact Size and Status
It’s protest season. Or, maybe it is always protest season. In any event, the best defense for a size or status protest is always to be prepared before the protest is filed. That means regularly assessing potential affiliations that… more
The Equifax Breach: How to Protect Your Company and Your Customers
On September 7, Equifax, one of the three major credit reporting firms in the U.S., disclosed a data breach that potentially affects 143 million consumers. Equifax’s disclosure indicated that the breach, which Equifax claims to have… more
Employees Of Meal Subscription Companies May Be Required To Obtain Food Handler Cards
The California Legislature recently passed AB 1461 which, if signed into law, would require all food-handling employees of food facilities that provide meal subscription plans to obtain food handler cards in accordance with existing… more
Three “Job Killer” Bills Sent To Governor
The California Legislature has completed its work for this session, and three bills concerning employment issues survived the process and have been sent to Governor Brown for his consideration and possible signature. All three of these… more
Pruitt Responds To Senators’ Request For Details On Icahn’s Advisory Role
On September 11, 2017, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt sent a letter to Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) in response to the request by Senator Whitehouse and four other Democratic Senators to… more
Premium Processing Resumes For H-1B Cap Cases
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it has resumed premium processing for all H-1B petitions subject to the Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 cap. Who can use Premium Processing? Premium processing is now… more
Pay Ratio is a Go!: The Commission and the Division of Corporation Finance Provide Guidance and Updated C&DIs
On September 21, 2017, both the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) and its Division of Corporation Finance (“Corp Fin”) provided guidance on the pay ratio disclosure requirement mandated by the Dodd-Frank Act… more
Education Department Rescinds Obama-Era Guidance On Campus Sexual Assault Investigations, Issues Interim Guidance
Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos on September 22, 2017, released Title IX interim guidance, while rescinding Obama-era policies, for handling sexual assault cases on college campuses . Specifically, the Department of Education… more
Another Successful IACUC Conference Presented By The New Jersey Association For Biomedical Research
On September 22, 2017, the New Jersey Association for Biomedical Research (NJABR) offered its 24th Annual IACUC Conference, – “the region’s premier training conference for Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee members, lab… more
News from Second & State
Weekly Wrap - This was the Senate’s first week back from their summer break and it was rather quiet up on the hill as negotiations were still taking place on the budget. The Senate sent their spending plan to the House of… more
Neste Announces Renewable Jet Fuel To Be Used At Genève Aéroport
On September 13, 2017, Neste, a member of the Biobased and Renewable Products Advocacy Group (BRAG®), announced it is collaborating with Genève Aéroport to make flying more sustainable. Neste will be providing renewable jet fuel for… more
Managed Care Quarterly Review: Issue 1
Tips for Managing Large Claims Disputes Part 1: Pre-Litigation Avoidance and Early Litigation Strategies - Large claims disputes brought by providers against payers are on the rise. Based on previous experience with dozens of these… more
New Board Member Kaplan Sides With Pearce In First NLRB Decision
In what appears to be the first time he has participated in a National Labor Relations Board decision, new NLRB Member Marvin E. Kaplan, a Republican, has voted to deny an employer’s request to stay an election. He voted with Democrat… more
Beauty School Students Are “Dropouts” From The FLSA According To Seventh Circuit
In the movie “Grease,” there is a song entitled “Beauty School Dropout,” sung by Frankie Avalon. Well, in a legal version of that number, the Seventh Circuit has affirmed that beauty school students have, sort of, dropped out of the… more
Todd Walters Participates in Fireside Chat with Chief Judge of PTAB
On Tuesday, September 12, 2017, the Patent Trial & Appeal Board (PTAB) conducted a special “Boardside Chat” webinar with Chief Judge David Ruschke. Todd Walters represented the American Bar Association Intellectual Property Law Section… more
DOE Studies Impact Of Drought On Biomass Products
Researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) have linked changes in rainfall and other environmental stressors during crop growth to potential deleterious effects on biofuel production. The study demonstrates that the effect… more
Menu Labeling Litigation Between the FDA and Public Interest Groups May Be On Hold
Following the announcement that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA or Agency) had decided to delay the compliance deadline for the menu labeling regulations, two public interests groups sued the FDA over the decision seeking to have… more
Good Housekeeping Tips Every 401(k) Plan Sponsor Should Follow
Good housekeeping isn’t just about keeping your house clean, it’s about keeping everything in order. When it comes to being a 401(k) plan sponsor, good housekeeping isn’t about dusting and putting baking soda in the refrigerator. Good… more
PTAB Designates as “Informative” Expanded PTAB Panel Decision Adopting the Seven NVIDIA Factors For Evaluating Follow-On Petitions
The PTAB’s Chief Administrative Patent Judge and Deputy Chief Administrative Patent Judge joined an expanded PTAB panel that adopted the seven NVIDIA factors and denied institution of the Petitioner’s follow-on petitions in General… more
EEOC Sues IHOP Chain for Sexual Harassment and Retaliation
Chain of Franchises Subjected Employees to Sexual Harassment and Retaliation, Federal Agency Charges - LAS VEGAS, Nev. - Several franchisees of the popular IHOP restaurant chain in Nevada and New York violated federal law when they… more
California Court Tosses Challenge to Gap Outlet Labels
In a victory for outlet retailers, a California appellate panel recently tossed out a deceptive marketing and advertising suit against Gap… more
Air Enforcement: Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality and Garland County, Arkansas Rubber Products Manufacturing Facility Enter into Consent Administrative Order
The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (“ADEQ”) and Alliance Rubber Company (“ARC”) entered into a September 13th Consent Administrative Order (“CAO”) addressing an alleged violation of an air permit. See LIS No… more
Federal Circuit Upholds $112 Million Win for Knobbe Martens Client CardiAQ
On September 1, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed a $112 million win for Knobbe Martens client CardiAQ in its trade secret misappropriation case against former service provider Neovasc. A three-judge panel… more
Seasoned Litigator Nominated to Replace Commissioner Robinson and Establish Republican Majority at CPSC
Yesterday, President Trump announced his nomination of Dana Baiocco to be a Republican Commissioner on the Consumer Product Safety Commission. If confirmed, Ms. Baiocco would take the seat of Commissioner Robinson, whose term expires… more
PTAB Grants Rare Rehearing Due To Insufficient Evidence Of Obviousness
In Coalition For Affordable Drugs VI, LLC v. Celgene Corp. (2015-01096, -01102, -01103), the PTAB granted Patent Owner Celgene’s request for rehearing of a final written decision that had found the challenged claims invalid for… more
Gulf Logistics Operating Sued For Disability Discrimination By EEOC
Vessel Company Discharged Deckhand With 'Situational Depression' Because It Perceived Him to be Disabled, Federal Agency Charged - NEW ORLEANS -- An oil and gas vessel company doing business in the Larose, La., area violated… more
FY2019 Diversity Lottery Instructions Are Now Available
The U.S. Department of State has announced that registration for the 2019 Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (DV-2019), also known as the Green Card Lottery, will commence at noon, Eastern Daylight Time (EDT), Tuesday, October 3, 2017… more
Court Adds Some of the Custodians Requested by Plaintiffs to Discovery, But Not All: eDiscovery Case Law
In Mann, et al. v. City of Chicago, et al, Nos. 15 CV 9197, 13 CV 4531 (N.D. Ill. Sep. 8, 2017), Illinois Magistrate Judge Mary M. Rowland granted in part and denied in part the plaintiffs’ Motion to Compel the defendant to include… more
EEOC Sues Rosebud Restaurants for Sexual Harassment and Retaliation
Server Was Sexually Harassed and Fired After Complaining About Harassment and Racial Slurs Against African-Americans, Federal Agency Alleges - CHICAGO - Chicago company Rosebud Restaurants violated federal civil rights laws by… more
Deadlines Approach for Government Contractors on Cybersecurity Compliance
Government contractors are subject to cybersecurity requirements, found in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and each agency’s supplement to the FAR, and some important deadlines are fast approaching. Set forth below is a… more
Greenhouse gas emissions trading schemes: A global perspective - Canada
Ontario and Québec lead the way in developing trading schemes - Canada's federal government recently entered into an agreement with eight Canadian provinces and three Canadian territories that is likely to accelerate the development… more
Fresh From the Bench: Precedential Patent Cases From the Federal Circuit
In In Re Cray, the panel grants Cray’s petition for a writ of mandamus, ruling that the district court’s handling of the case is not consistent with its case law regarding what is “a regular and established place of business.” In First… more
EEOC Alleges Wood Group Refused to Hire Worker Because of His Disability
Global Offshore Company Refused to Hire Offshore Worker Because of Diabetes, Federal Agency Charged - NEW ORLEANS - Wood Group PSN, Inc., a global company which provides operations and maintenance to the oil, petrochemical and gas… more
Clean Water Act Jurisdiction/Groundwater: National Association of Clean Water Agencies Amicus Brief
The National Association of Clean Water Agencies (“NACWA”) joined a number of organizations in filing an Amicus Brief on September 8th with the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in the case styled Upstate Forever… more
Is a Business Tax Reform Game Plan Beginning to Take Shape?
Substantial tax reform is underway and the business community is intently awaiting details of this activity with the aim of positioning themselves to maximize opportunities and minimize any costs or risks that reform may present. How… more
Don’t Fall for a Scam: Trademark Owners Targeted
Owners of federal trademark registrations and applications have been continuously targeted by scam artists who pull owner names from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) database and contact these owners offering… more
Medtronic Receives Regulatory Approval for Surgical Navigation Device
According to Medtronic news release, the company recently received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. FDA and a CE mark from the E.U. for its StealthStation™ ENT surgical navigation system. The system will assist surgeons performing… more
CAFC Issues Writ of Mandamus reversing Eastern District of Texas 4-Factor Test for a “Regular and Established Place of Business” Under §1400(b)
In In re: Cray, Inc, No. 2017-129, the CAFC issued a writ of mandamus vacating Judge Gilstrap’s decision involving venue under 28 U.S.C. §1400(b) in Raytheon Co. v. Cray Inc., Case No. 15-cv-1554 (E.D. Texas). That earlier decision… more
Insurance Broker Series: Gardner Jones, ABD Insurance and Financial Services
Farella’s Insurance Recovery Group lawyers regularly collaborate with and learn from different players and functions within the insurance industry. To provide more value to our readers, we have reached out to a series of insurance… more
EEOC Sues Rivers Casino for Firing Employee Who Needed Time Off for Cancer Treatment
Casino Violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by Refusing Time Off for Cancer Surgery, Federal Agency Charges - CHICAGO - Rivers Casino in Des Plaines violated federal law prohibiting disability discrimination by denying an… more
Footlong Litigation to Continue, Despite Settlement Dismissal
The saga over Subway’s “footlong” sandwiches will continue, a group of former plaintiffs vowed in a court filing after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit threw out a settlement agreement between the parties… more
Beware of Prior Act Exclusions and Retroactive Dates When Procuring or Renewing Coverage
An 11th Circuit decision issued earlier this year serves as a reminder of the importance of carefully evaluating time-based exclusions and retroactive dates when procuring or renewing coverage. Liability policies such as directors’ and… more
Examination of Vegetation Management Requirements for Electricity Assets Located on Federal Lands: September 19th U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Hearing
The United States Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources held a hearing titled - To Examine Vegetation Management Requirements for Electricity Assets Located on Federal Lands - The hearing was also scheduled to hear… more
UK Tax Round Up - September 2017
UK Tax News and Developments - Finance (No 2) Bill 2017 - The second Finance Bill of 2017, known as Finance (No 2) Bill 2017, has now been published. As expected, this contains most of the provisions which were dropped from the first… more
Canada introduces reporting mechanism for dangerous counterfeit goods, helping rights holders protect their brands at the border
Recently, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), the federal organization responsible for policing Canada’s borders, issued a Customs Notice (CN17-27) to advise the public and rights holders that its 24/7 “Border Watch” hotline now… more
Awful Missouri Venue and Warnings Opinion Affirmed—But Maybe Some Hope
Hope springs eternal. At least that is what the optimists say, and while we would like to see the bright side of the Missouri Supreme Court’s split opinion on venue in Barron v. Abbott Laboratories, Inc., No. SC 96151, 2017 WL 4001487… more
Currents - Energy Industry Insights - September 2017#3
Trump is Still Pulling Out of Paris Agreement, Despite Chatter of a Reversal, Experts Say - "President Donald Trump is unlikely to reverse his position to pull out of the Paris climate agreement, despite the White House line that he… more
SEC Issues Risk Alert on the Most Frequent Advertising Rule Compliance Issues and Use of Accolades in Advertisements
I. Advertising Rule Compliance Issues - On September 14, 2017, the staff of the SEC's Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations (OCIE) issued a National Examination Program Risk Alert on the most frequent advertising rule… more
Doctrine of Equivalents and Prosecution History Estoppel Around the World
Please see full Doctrine of Equivalents Chart for Countries around the World… more
Shaking Things Up – The Trump Administration, Regulatory Change, and Administrative Law: Allan Gates (Mitchell Williams) National Association of Clean Water Agencies Webinar Presentation
My law firm colleague Allan Gates undertook a webinar presentation for the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (“NACWA”) titled: - Shaking Things Up – The Trump Administration, Regulatory Change, and Administrative Law… more
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