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
On November 26, 2019, San Francisco Superior Court Judge Richard B. Ulmer ruled that the Federal Arbitration Act (“FAA”) might not apply to Uber drivers who are engaged in interstate commerce while driving passengers to or...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
Last week, the lawyers representing drivers who have sued Uber in California commenced another lawsuit on behalf of drivers alleging that Uber misclassified them as independent contractors instead of employees. This lawsuit,...more
Recent studies have reported that race and gender disparities are not uncommon in the sharing economy. For example, it’s been reported that some gig workers were discriminating against customers with names that “sounded...more
This update of May 2017 developments in the area of independent contractor misclassification and compliance highlights three key legislative developments: the enactment of two new laws (one in New York City and the other in...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
It’s no secret that the multi-billion dollar gig-economy app company has faced its share of speed bumps, roadblocks, and controversies the last several years. As a result of issues with local regulatory traffic laws, rider...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
I coauthored an article last week about Uber’s big misclassification victory in a California court. This decision has not (yet) received the national attention it deserves, probably because of the procedural quirks involved...more
A California court quietly granted ride-sharing giant Uber a significant victory last week in the ongoing misclassification battle over whether its drivers are properly classified as independent contractors. Although this...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
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
Earlier yesterday, Uber was dealt yet another setback in its efforts to settle the IC misclassification lawsuits brought against it by Uber drivers in California and Massachusetts. As readers of this legal blog will recall...more
Four of the five independent contractor (IC) misclassification cases reported below from July 2016 illustrate how companies continue to fail to structure, document, and implement a business’s IC relationships in a manner that...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
This past month involved the settlement of a number of high profile IC misclassification cases. In one case, a federal court gave conditional approval to a $226 million settlement between FedEx and its Ground Division...more
Only two weeks after a federal court judge in California rejected a proposed $12.25 million independent contractor misclassification settlement between Lyft and its drivers in California because it “shortchanged” the drivers...more
Just last month, GrubHub, DoorDash, and Caviar were sued in San Francisco Superior Court in lawsuits similar to those pending cases against Uber and Lyft. These three new lawsuits ask the hot-button question: are...more
There’s just no rest for employment lawyers this summer. We had another exciting week. The biggest news was the EEOC’s ruling that Title VII prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. The agency found that...more