Podcast - California Employment News: The Employment Start-Up Kit for Start-Ups – Part 1
California Employment News: The Employment Start-Up Kit for Start-Ups – Part 1
Nonprofit Basics: Operating Foundation Rules
Primer for Nonprofits on Paid Employees, Volunteers, and Interns
Employment Law This Week®: DOL’s Final Overtime Rule, CA Codifies “ABC Test,” Pay Data Collection Beyond 2018, NLRB’s Busy Summer
Is My New Hire an Employee or a Contractor? Key Factors for Startups to Consider
Employment Law This Week®: Gig Worker Classification, NLRB Rulemaking Agenda, Non-Compete Agreement Backlash
In late February 2026, the U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) announced a proposed rule that would reinstate the first Trump Administration’s “core factor” analysis for distinguishing between employees and independent...more
The 13th edition of the Nice Classification (NCL 13-2026) became effective on January 1, 2026, and has been incorporated into U.S. examination practice through updates to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s (USPTO)...more
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has published the 13th edition of the Nice Classification, introducing changes across all 45 classes of goods and services, effective January 1, 2026. Brand owners are...more
The United States Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (“PHMSA”) addressed in a January 7th Interpretive Letter the application of the federal Hazardous Materials Regulations (“HMR”) to the term “surfactant”...more
Marine insurance in ship finance transactions is often discussed in broad terms of coverage types, premiums or exposure to geopolitical concerns in high-risk trading regions. While these issues are important, a set of...more
The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (“PHMSA”) sent a December 11th Interpretive Letter to DG Advisor addressing the application of the federal Hazardous Materials Regulations (“HMR”) to what is...more
United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Director John Squires has stated that “it is to the benefit of all [patent system] stakeholders [that] prior art is identified and applied at the earliest stage of examination...more
Earlier this month, on October 3, 2025, California Governor Newson signed AB 1340, enacting the Transportation Network Company (TNC) Drivers Labor Relations Act (the Act)....more
Read takeaways from our recent M365 Academy webinar on sensitivity labels, which covered how labels support governance across M365, from taxonomy design and classification to Copilot oversight, DLP, Insider Risk, and...more
On August 1, 2025, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) issued a judgment upholding the 2022 decision of the General Court annulling the 2019 harmonized classification and labeling of titanium dioxide as a carcinogenic...more
Functional foods designed to promote relaxation, better sleep, and improved mood have exploded in popularity, and chocolate is increasingly the delivery method of choice. Calming confections featuring ingredients like...more
The United Kingdom’s (UK) Health & Safety Executive (HSE) has begun a public consultation on a legislative proposal to reform the Great Britain (GB) Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) Regulation. HSE notes that GB...more
As detailed in Part I of our three-part series on Minimizing Customs Enforcement and False Claims Act Risks, the combination of the new high-tariff environment, the heightened ability of Customs (and the general public) to...more
This week I had the pleasure of speaking with Lioba Oerter, Director of Expert Services, 3E Expert Service Processing Centre (ESPC), and Karin F. Baron, Director of Hazard Communication and International Registration Strategy...more
On February 6, 2025, the European Union (EU) Advocate General (EU AG) recommended that the European Court of Justice (ECJ) overturn the 2022 decision of the General Court annulling the 2019 harmonized classification and...more
If you have a company that imports chemicals – whether they are used as raw materials or components for onward manufacturing, or finished goods containing chemical components – you have been facing significant challenges over...more
On January 15, 2025, the United States Supreme Court ruled in E.M.D. Sales, Inc., et al. v. Carrera et al., that the Fair Labor Standards Act’s (the “FLSA”) exemptions do not require a heightened burden of proof. The decision...more
In this second installment of our four-part trade series, we consider strategies importers may adopt for addressing anticipated tariffs imposed under the Trump-Vance administration. As we draw closer to President-elect Donald...more
As the curtain closed on 2024, FDA issued a new draft guidance to assist clinical trial sponsors, investigators, and institutional review boards (“IRBs”) with defining, identifying, and reporting protocol deviations in...more
As previously described in a Jan. 12, 2024 legal alert and a July 12, 2024 legal alert, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) promulgated amendments to freshwater wetlands regulations, changing 6...more
As we prepare for 2025, it’s essential to update your employee handbook to reflect the latest legal requirements, workplace trends, and best practices. Now is an opportune time to review and revise your policies to ensure...more
2024 was yet another active year in the labor and employment landscape. While 2025 and the new administration could bring any number of changes to workplace laws and enforcement, the timing and extent of such changes is...more
Punctuation matters. I’ve always remembered a poster on the wall of a co-worker’s office—this was back in the 80s—that showed baby seals dancing at a disco under a four-word caption: STOP CLUBBING, BABY SEALS. The poster...more
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently updated its Occupational Information Network (O*NET), resulting in readjustments to the “Job Zones”—five articulated categories correlated with the levels of education, training,...more
New Jersey’s highest court has held that an agreement between a real estate brokerage and a real estate salesperson identifying the salesperson as an independent contractor excludes the salesperson from the New Jersey Wage...more