The Procurement Integrity Act (“PIA”), codified at 41 U.S.C. § 2101–2107, is intended to prevent unethical and improper competitive practices from influencing federal procurements. To achieve this end, the PIA prohibits...more
New York AG Letitia James settled with cannabis dispensary companies I’m Stuck LLC and Empire Express Enterprises LLC and their owner (collectively “dispensaries”) to resolve allegations that the dispensaries violated state...more
In a recent blog post on the Business Law Prof Blog, Tulane Law professor Ann M. Lipton opined...more
As predicted, the Oregon Legislature took action this past session to crack down on landowners who lease their land to illegal cannabis growers. Governor Kotek signed SB 326 into law last month, and its emergency clause makes...more
On February 17, Daniel Russo, a Long Island resident, pleaded guilty in federal court in Brooklyn to multiple charges in connection with illegally distributing oxycodone. Russo faces decades in federal prison when he is...more
Can claiming you broke the law get you out of a contract? Illegality And Unforceability- MedMen – a Canadian corporation, and one of the best-known names in marijuana – recently made headlines for pulling an old trick:...more
AI bots will continue to surprise and challenge us in the year ahead, as issues as divergent as the importance of algorithmic transparency in recruiting to student cheating (through use of AI bots to generate reports)....more
When drafting employment separation or severance agreements, it is relatively common to include non-disclosure and non-disparagement provisions in the documents. The notion is that in return for payment to the former...more
The Cayman Islands has become a hub for financial reinsurance and captive entities. These entities often write or reinsure traditional property and casualty risks emanating from various underlying businesses. Insurance is...more
There was a time when employers didn't risk much in hiring undocumented immigrants. The worst that could happen was simply losing a worker through deportation....more
The General Court of the European Union ruled on December 12 that the Cannabis Store Amsterdam logo was unregistrable as violative of public policy and morality because it would encourage illegal activity. This decision is...more
On 19 November 2019, the State Administration for Market Regulation (“SAMR”) posted a draft of the Interim Measures on Rewards for Complaints Against Significant Illegal Conduct in the Market Regulation Field (“Draft Reward...more
Former Desperate Housewives star Felicity Huffman is currently serving a 14-day sentence in federal prison for her involvement in a college admissions cheating scandal. In addition to her brief prison stay, Huffman was...more
As part of our periodic updates, here is an overview of recent developments of relevance to participants in the real estate finance market across certain key jurisdictions in Europe....more
New “range of factors” test suggests broad use in future civil matters and fairer, more nuanced outcomes. The High Court has applied the new fact-sensitive “range of factors” test in Harb v Aziz to determine whether a...more
Following a six year investigation, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) unit issued a statement confirming a guilty plea on September 28, 2017 by Asplundh Tree Experts,...more
Some of the trickiest employment decisions can involve employees who have made accusatory complaints against the company they work for. Many state and federal laws protect “whistleblowers” who try to bring to light illegal...more
An opinion issued by the Minnesota Supreme Court on August 9, 2017, could be the basis for more lawsuits by employees accusing employers of retaliating against them for reporting alleged wrongdoing. The case is Friedlander v....more
In a shareholder derivative action, to survive a motion to dismiss for failure to plead facts showing demand futility, a derivative plaintiff must plead particularized facts showing either actual involvement by a majority of...more
Recent decision adopts less formal, more expansive test for the defence of illegality in English law. Overview - The UK Supreme Court has rejected a formal “reliance” test to determine whether a defendant to a...more
The UK Supreme Court has rejected a formal “reliance” test to determine whether a defendant to a civil claim can rely on the claimant’s wrongdoing to defeat the claim, replacing it with a more fact-sensitive “range of...more
A payment processor and two executives were the subject of a new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) action, with the Bureau charging that the defendants enabled their clients to make unauthorized withdrawals from...more
CFPB Takes Action Against Servicemember Auto Lender Security National Automotive Acceptance Company - On October 28, 2015, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) filed an administrative order against Security...more
On July 17, 2015, the SEC announced a whistleblower award of over $3 million to a company insider who provided information that “helped the SEC crack a complex fraud.” This payout represents the third highest award under the...more
As shifting privacy lines allow employers to reach further and further into employee conduct, it’s increasingly important that you know the legal limits. Many employees will question the legality of increased employer...more