Workplace violence has been a focus for both the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) for several years, as it continues to be one of the leading...more
In a previous blog post, I wrote about the elements of a negligence hiring claim and made recommendations how to avoid liability for your business. A negligence in supervision/retention claim has certain similarities to the...more
On August 20, 2023, an Indiana Appellate Court dismissed a suit regarding allegedly negligent life-prolonging care rendered to a nonagenarian patient, who could not herself consent. Plaintiff’s complaint alleged that the...more
Can a New York employer be held liable for economic losses suffered by a party that has no business relationship with the employer based on an employee’s unauthorized fraudulent scheming? This issue was recently presented to...more
On Nov. 3, 2022, the SEC announced a consent order against a registered investment adviser (RIA) and its chief executive officer (CEO) for failing to reasonably supervise one of the RIA’s investment adviser representatives...more
On November 1, 2012, a pledge of the Northern Illinois University chapter of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity tragically died due to alcohol poisoning. Six years later, attorneys on behalf of the deceased’s family were able to...more
The NC State Board of Dental Examiners (“Dental Board”) recently disciplined a dentist in March 2022 for failing to adequately supervise her practice locations in North Carolina. The dentist, who is licensed in North...more
In an opinion handed down on April 21, 2022, the Illinois Supreme Court reversed Illinois law and now allows direct and vicarious liability actions against employers. The decision, McQueen v. Green, 2022 IL 126666, now allows...more
The New York Appellate Division has held that a lawsuit against a children’s non-profit organization alleging negligent supervision of staff accused of sexually molesting children in the organization’s care was excluded from...more
Guidance clarifies assessment of liability under Rule 3110, including designation as supervisor, application of reasonableness standard, and factors for and against charging compliance officials. On March 17, 2022, the...more
Where an employee of a company commits an intentional act, such as a battery or sexual molestation, the managers of that company are often named as defendants on a theory of “negligent supervision”, “negligent retention” or...more
The Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts recently heard an appeal regarding a particularly obstinate insured, ruling that recognition of a consent-to-settle provision does not in and of itself violate an insurer’s duties...more
Firms permitting the creation and operation of custodial accounts related to Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA) or Uniform Gifts to Minors Act (UGMA) transactions must take special notice of Financial Industry Regulatory...more
In a decision unsurprising to anyone familiar with what California juries have been up to lately, fast-food titan Jack in the Box was ordered to pay $15.4 million (including a staggering $10 million in punitive damages) last...more
Bass, Berry & Sims attorney Chris Lazarini discussed a case in which the plaintiffs sued Edward Jones alleging violations of various securities laws related to their investment in an annuity, which they had thought was joint...more
From Elon Musk’s tweets to Floyd Mayweather and DJ Khaled’s promotion of cryptocurrencies, 2018 was, to say the least, an interesting year in regulatory enforcement news. Even if all you do is win, win, win, no matter what,...more
A Los Angeles jury awarded more than $11 million to two former employees who claimed they were sexually harassed and retaliated against for complaining about the harassment. Megan Meadowcroft and Amber Brown, who worked at...more
In a recent decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit observed that under California law, there was an unresolved question as to whether a commercial general liability (“CGL”) insurance policy covers an...more
Following the June 4, 2018 landmark decision by the California Supreme Court in Liberty Surplus Insurance Corporation v. Ledesma & Meyer Construction Company, 5 Cal. 5th 216 (2018), the insurance industry is not taking the...more
The California Supreme Court answered the Ninth Circuit’s certified question in Liberty Surplus Insurance v. Ledesma & Meyer Construction. The court rephrased the question presented to it as: “When a third party sues an...more
By statute, California law holds that willful misconduct—where an insured intends to cause someone harm—is not insurable as a matter of public policy. For years, insurance companies have sought to expand this prohibition to...more
Many states and municipalities throughout the country have enacted laws that mandate the removal of criminal conviction history questions from job applications. This so-called “Ban the Box” movement theoretically provides...more
Rojas v. HSBC Card Services Inc., 228 Cal. Rptr. 3d 640 (2018)- Summary: Installing recording device and recording calls on company phones renders actions intentional under California Invasion of Privacy Act. ...more
A federal district court in Brooklyn recently held that an employer does not owe a duty to protect patrons from assault unless the attack was “reasonably foreseeable,” specifying that businesses would only be put on such...more
Bass, Berry & Sims attorney Chris Lazarini discussed the court's interpretation of "customer" under FINRA Rule 12200 in a case where a clearing firm sought to avoid arbitration. The court defines a "customer" as one who,...more