Family Law, Constitutional Law, Labor & Employment Law

Employment And Labor Law Alert: Minnesota's Same-Sex Marriage Law: Effects On Employers

by Angela Bohmann, Jewelie Grape, Christina Sans | Leonard, Street and Deinard on 5/20/2013

On Tuesday, May 14, 2013, Governor Dayton signed into law a bill legalizing same-sex marriage in Minnesota (H.F. 1054 and S.F. 925), effective August 1, 2013....more

Supreme Court Oral Arguments on DOMA, Proposition 8: Potential Employee Benefit Plan Implications

by Joseph S. Adams, Todd Solomon, Brian Tiemann | McDermott Will & Emery on 5/7/2013

On March 26 and 27, 2013, the Supreme Court of the United States heard oral arguments in cases challenging the constitutionality of the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and California’s Proposition 8. A Supreme Court...more

U.S. Supreme Court Hears DOMA Case—Now What?

by Jason A. Rothman | Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart,... on 4/4/2013

Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in United States v. Windsor, 12-307, a case that raises the question of whether the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is constitutional. Among the various groups that are...more

Supreme Court Review of Same-Sex Marriage Cases Could Require Significant Changes to Employee Benefits

by Nancy Campbell, Kevin J. Hogan | Snell & Wilmer L.L.P. on 2/20/2013

In our 2012 End of Year Plan Sponsor “To Do” Lists, we indicated that there was a strong possibility that the Supreme Court would grant certiorari this term in a series of cases challenging Section 3 of the Defense of...more

Legal Alert: Supreme Court Set To Rule On Same-Sex Marriage

by Scott V. Wagner | FordHarrison on 12/14/2012

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear two cases involving the issue of same-sex marriage; the Second Circuit's decision finding the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) unconstitutional and a Ninth Circuit Decision...more

Supreme Court Ruling May Change The Definition Of Spouse Under The FMLA

by Melissa Burdorf | XpertHR - Partnered with LexisNexis on 12/14/2012

The Supreme Court recently announced that it will address whether the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is constitutional, and whether it improperly denies certain federal benefits to partners in same-sex or domestic...more

Supreme Court Takes Up Same-Sex Marriage

by David B. Weisenfeld | XpertHR - Partnered with LexisNexis on 12/12/2012

The Supreme Court will address same-sex marriage for the first time in adding a pair of closely-watched cases from California and New York to its schedule. The New York case involves the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), the...more

FMLA Leave For Same-Sex Couples To Be Clarified by Supreme Court's DOMA Decision?

by Jeff Nowak | Franczek Radelet P.C. on 12/11/2012

This past Friday, the United States Supreme Court announced that it would consider whether the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) unlawfully denies benefits to gay and lesbian couples who are married in states that allow such...more

Results of State Voter Referendums on Same-Sex Marriage: Implications for Employee Benefit Plans

by McDermott Will & Emery on 11/12/2012

Voters in Maine, Maryland and Washington approved the legalization of same-sex marriage in their states. In addition, voters in Minnesota rejected a state constitutional amendment to define marriage as an opposite-sex union....more

New York Appeals Court Strikes Down Defense of Marriage Act

by XpertHR - Partnered with LexisNexis on 11/7/2012

Employers should take note that the Second Circuit Court of Appeals recently invalidated the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), the federal law that defines marriage as a legal union between a man and a woman....more

Upcoming State Voter Referendums on Same-Sex Marriage

by McDermott Will & Emery on 10/26/2012

Voter referendums on same-sex marriage will be on the November ballots in four states: Maryland, Washington, Maine and Minnesota. The outcome of these referendums may complicate the options and obligations of employers in...more

Domestic Partner and Same-Sex Marriage Laws in Washington: Marriage Equality Act and Employee Benefits

by Davis Wright Tremaine LLP on 6/8/2012

On Feb. 13, 2012, Gov. Christine Gregoire signed SB 6239 legalizing same-sex marriage in Washington state. SB 6239 is often referred to as the Marriage Equality Act, and builds on the foundations set by the “everything but...more

How The White House’s Endorsement of Same-Sex Marriage Affects Employment Law

by Dinsmore & Shohl LLP on 6/8/2012

On May 9, 2012, President Barack Obama became the first sitting U.S. President to affirm his belief that same-sex couples should be able to get married. Weeks later, the First Circuit Court of Appeals declared a portion of...more

Legal Alert: First Circuit Finds the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) Unconstitutional

by FordHarrison on 6/6/2012

Executive Summary: On May 31, 2012, the Boston-based First U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that part of the federal Defense of Marriage Act ("DOMA"), which denies federal benefits to same-sex married couples, is...more

Marriage Equality Act Passes in Washington State

by Littler on 2/14/2012

On February 13, 2012, Governor Christine Gregoire signed SB 6239 to legalize same-sex marriagein Washington State. Meanwhile, opponents have promised to gather enough signatures to force a referendum on the...more

Ninth Circuit Rules Proposition 8 Barring Same-Sex Marriage Unconstitutional – An Employer Update

by Littler on 2/9/2012

On February 7, 2012, in a 2-1 decision a three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled in Perry v. Brown that Proposition 8, a voter initiative that amended the California...more

A Trend Toward State Recognition of Same-Sex Civil Unions

by Proskauer Rose LLP on 7/8/2011

On July 2, 2011, Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee signed legislation that allows same-sex couples to form civil unions effective as of July 1, 2011. The law comes just days after New York passed legislation legalizing...more

Federal Government Refuses to Defend Defense of Marriage Act - Now What?

by McDermott Will & Emery on 3/11/2011

The federal government is no longer defending the constitutionality of Section 3 of the Federal Defense of Marriage Act, which declares that under federal law, the word "marriage" means only a legal union between one man and...more

Departing from Prior Practice, DOJ Declines to Defend Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act

by Proskauer Rose LLP on 3/8/2011

On February 23, 2011, the Department of Justice (DOJ), at the direction of President Obama, announced that it will no longer defend the constitutionality of Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), including in two...more

Chief Justice Ronald M. George: The Most Notable Opinions

by Sedgwick LLP on 12/30/2010

For the final day of our profile of retiring California Chief Justice Ronald M. George, we offer our own subjective list of the Chief Justice’s most notable opinions. If anyone has a nomination for a favorite case that...more

Massachusetts Court Ruling May Have Immediate Effect on Employee Benefits

by Partridge Snow & Hahn LLP on 7/13/2010

On July 8, 2010, a Massachusetts District Court held that the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional, specifically in its application to health benefits. Same sex spouses may be covered by health...more

New Challenge to the Federal Defense of Marriage Act

by FordHarrison on 10/5/2009

On September 15, 2009, a bill (H.R. 3567, entitled the "Respect for Marriage Act of 2009") was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives to repeal the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and to "ensure respect for...more

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Family Law › Constitutional Law › Labor & Employment Law