Weekly Brief: New Round of Layoffs Hit Law Firms
Weekly Brief: Courthouse Violence on the Rise
The Ontario Superior Court recently emphasized the need, in a negligent design claim, for evidence on the product from a qualified design expert, even in the context of a certification motion....more
According to The Violence Prevention Project, workplaces are the most common locations for mass shootings in the US. The organization, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research center funded by the National Institute of Justice,...more
CHICAGO — U.S. Steel South Works Site Wins Massive Quantum Project -Illinois is investing in quantum computing on the Far South Side of Chicago at the former U.S. Steel South Works plant on Lake Michigan. The goal is to...more
City Leaders Gather to Decry Violence in Wake of West Philadelphia Mass Shooting- A mass shooting in West Philadelphia claimed the lives of three and injured an additional six, prompting Philadelphia leadership to convene...more
Splitting along predictable philosophical lines, the Supreme Court held last week in Garland v. Cargill that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) exceeded its statutory authority by issuing a rule...more
BALTIMORE — Visiting Tech Companies Want to Expand Baltimore Presence- The latest Techstars Equitech Accelerator brought several innovative companies to Baltimore, with founders expressing their commitment to expanding...more
The New York Court of Appeals issued a decision last week, clarifying the rebuttable presumption of WCL § 21(1) in work assault cases, particularly in a mass shooting scenario. When an injury happens during work, it is...more
A New York State trial court has held, in Patterson et al. v. Meta Platforms, Inc. et al., that the Communications Decency Act (CDA) does not preclude, as a matter of law, claims asserted against various social media...more
In 2021, there was a mass shooting at a high school in Michigan in which four students were killed. As a result of this shooting, not only was the shooter prosecuted, but the parents of the shooter were charged with criminal...more
An Ontario Superior Court Judge has refused to certify a class action against the manufacturer of the handgun used to carry out the 2018 mass shooting on Danforth Avenue in Toronto. The plaintiffs brought their claim on...more
Mayor Kenney To Veto Ban on Supervised Injection Sites- Mayor Jim Kenney plans to veto legislation that would prohibit supervised injection sites in most of the city, saying the bill is “troublingly anti-science and...more
In the ongoing case of Tony v. Evanston Insurance Co., the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida recently issued a ruling denying a motion to dismiss filed by defendant Evanston Insurance Co. in which it...more
CHICAGO — Mayor Johnson Launches Campaign to Close Chicago’s Device Gap- Mayor Brandon Johnson, in partnership with World Business Chicago, announced the launch of a month-long campaign encouraging Chicago’s business...more
Five Ideas to Remedy Philadelphia’s Short-Staffing Problem- One in five city jobs still sits vacant, forcing the city to pay out historic amounts in overtime pay as Philadelphia’s persistent understaffing problem shows no...more
Some of the most notable recent mass shootings in the United States have been perpetrated by current or former employees in their workplaces. For example, on April 10, 2023, an employee of a bank in Louisville, Kentucky, who...more
A federal court in Tennessee recently granted a franchisor’s motion to dismiss claims alleging that a franchisor was liable for a workplace mass shooting by a franchisee. Fernald v. JFE Franchising, Inc., 2023 WL 2938312...more
Mass shootings have been increasingly in the headlines in recent years, and many of these incidents have occurred in the workplace. Regardless of anyone’s politics, employers are having to face either the fear of, or the...more
As has been the case too many times in the past, at least one of the recent tragic mass shootings that has been in the headlines involved a workplace shooting. The employee who committed this violence came to work with an...more
Recent events have employers once again wondering if they do enough to address the risk of workplace violence. After a mass shooting, for example, businesses and other organizations sometimes look back with 20/20 hindsight...more
At the climax of one of the most watched trials that took place in 2022, conspiracy theorist and media personality Alex Jones breathed life into the infamous fictional lawyer once more on August 3, 2022 when confronted with...more
The recent unfortunate and heartbreaking events in Uvalde, Texas and at the Greenwood Park Mall in Indiana serve as stark reminders to employers that an active shooting event can occur almost anywhere. In the workplace,...more
Philadelphia Mayoral Race to Attract Major Campaign Talent- While no one has officially thrown their hat in the ring for Philadelphia’s upcoming election for its milestone 100th mayor, teams are beginning to coalesce...more
GOVERNOR DEWINE SIGNS HOUSE BILL 99 - Earlier this month, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed House Bill 99 (HB 99), which allows teachers and other school personnel to carry firearms in school safety zones. HB 99 was...more
Few things compare to the thrill of seeing one of your favorite bands, musicians or artists perform live. However, given the crowds and the excitement of concert-goers, music venues and music festivals can also be pretty...more