Risk of the Sharing Economy for Insurance Companies
Episode 13: NYC's New Freelancer Protection Law And The Future Of The On-Demand Economy
Post-Election Predictions: What the Hospitality Industry Can Expect in 2017
As we recently wrote here, Uber and Postmates (and two of their drivers) to file an eleventh-hour lawsuit seeking to enjoin the enforcement of California’s controversial new independent contractor law – known as AB 5 –...more
It’s all coming up Elon these days for Tesla and its stock. “Positive developments” from the electric carmaker’s battery suppliers helped goose shares even higher, ending the day at $780/share—a nearly 20% gain since Friday....more
Boeing Co.’s 737 MAX aircraft face continued problems from “potentially hazardous wiring.” European regulators want the manufacturer to relocate some of the wiring to prevent “potential short circuit[s], which in a worst-case...more
AB 5, California’s hastily passed and controversial independent contractor statute, which codifies the use of an “ABC test,” is set to go into effect on January 1, 2020. Already, the California Trucking Association has filed...more
SoftBank’s plan to help bail out WeWork would mean not only a takeover by Masa Son’s crew but also “would slash the co-working company’s valuation to about $8 billion”—a staggering drop of nearly $40 billion. The plan would...more
The gig economy — companies that hire workers for specific projects or “gigs” — is on the rise. Gig companies use technology to provide goods and services to consumers on demand. The companies hire workers who access and...more
Unlike traditional motor carriers that transport cargo, many Transportation Networking Companies (TNCs), e.g., Uber and Lyft, and similar on-demand/sharing economy companies (On-Demand Companies), e.g., GrubHub (a food...more
Several years ago, many people were leery of the thought of ordering personal drivers through a mobile app and getting into a car of a complete stranger. However, over time, the idea of ride-sharing through Uber or Lyft has...more
Josh Eidelson from Bloomberg reported that the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued a complaint against gig economy mainstay Handy earlier this week, alleging that the on-demand workers who provide home cleaning...more
On May 9, 2017, Governor Rick Scott of Florida signed the Transportation Network Companies Act (HB 221), which designates drivers for ride-sharing companies in the on-demand or gig economy as “independent contractors” as long...more
The past month included significant state and federal appellate court decisions, large settlements of IC misclassification class actions, class and collective action certifications, and two IC misclassification class actions...more
What happens when a company delivers a superior product or service which is enthusiastically embraced by the consuming public, has a contented, if not equally enthusiastic, public facing work force and the business itself...more
A pair of recent opinions proves that when it comes to compelling arbitration in a consumer class action, presentation of the arbitration clause may matter more than favorable Supreme Court precedent. First, in Norcia v....more
If the City of Seattle has its way, your next ride-sharing driver could be part of a first-of-its-kind union. And if on-demand economy companies have their way, the courts will block any such unionization efforts before they...more
According to a recent survey by Randstad US, an HR and staffing services company a growing number of workers prefer to be known as “contributors” rather than employees or independent contractors. Reflecting a restlessness in...more
Judges in California will likely soon issue rulings affecting two ride-sharing companies, Uber and Lyft. Those connected with the Lyft case will be pleased because it is expected that a federal district court judge in San...more
In our update for last month’s developments in this area of the law, we report on five significant court cases involving companies in the transportation industry that use ICs as an integral part of their business model. Each...more
Gig economy companies based on an independent contractor model beware. On December 14, 2016, a federal court in Pennsylvania denied a motion to dismiss an “on-call” wage claim in a class action lawsuit filed against Uber by...more
In 1942, economist Joseph Schumpeter observed that the "creative destruction" of innovation often drives economic growth in market economies as companies continuously introduce new products or services, or new ways to produce...more
Our update for this past month is noteworthy for the fact that we report below on IC misclassification lawsuits plaguing some of the largest and most recognizable companies in the U.S. (like Uber, Amazon, and FedEx) as well...more
The poster children of IC misclassification cases dominated the news in June: Uber, Lyft, GrubHub, FedEx, an exotic dance club, and a trucking transport company. It was not a good month for any of them, yet as we have...more
On-demand delivery services, such as Uber and its competitors Lyft and Postmates, are increasingly taking steps that have the potential to offer a counterpunch to online retailers such as Amazon and may shake up the brick and...more
Volkswagen’s $300 million investment in ride-hailing service Gett is not exactly earth shattering news these days for the automotive industry. But what did catch our eye here at the Dashboard was what Volkswagen said,...more
If you tuned in to my appearance a few months ago on Bloomberg Law Radio, you heard me bemoaning our legal system’s failure to catch up with the gig economy. For those of you who don’t know, the term “gig economy” (also...more