Karen Kidd News
Wyo. fracking case signals end of court deference to federal agencies, environmental attorney says
CASPER, Wyo. (Legal Newsline) – The Ute Indian Tribe's victory in federal court earlier this month fending off Bureau of Land Management-imposed fracking rules included a number of surprises, an environmental attorney said during a recent interview.
Race-based university admissions policies are unconstitutional despite Supreme Court decision, Pacific Legal Foundation attorney says
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) – The recent U.S. Supreme Court decision to uphold the University of Texas' race-based admissions policy is a disappointment to Pacific Legal Foundation, which maintains the practice is unconstitutional, a foundation attorney said during an interview this week.
Mass. AG, told to 'f... off,' not commenting; Advocate calls her a thug
BOSTON (Legal Newsline) – Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey isn't publicly addressing the think tank founder who told her to "f... off" after she issued a subpoena seeking his group's communication with ExxonMobil regarding climate change.
Jennifer Lawrence's character a 'font of misinformation,' court rules in rejecting defamation case
LOS ANGELES (Legal Newsline) – An author whose casual mention in the film "American Hustle" triggered a defamation lawsuit that was rejected by a California appeals court earlier this month might have fared better had the film been a documentary, an entertainment industry attorney said in a recent interview.
Ohio employers need to prepare for state's new medical marijuana law, attorney says
COLUMBUS, Ohio (Legal Newsline) – Ohio's new law that legalizes medical marijuana in the state may end up conflicting with federal law, depending on a looming decision about whether to change marijuana's drug status, an employment attorney said during a recent interview.
Lawyer: Post-Orlando tragedy, employees should report concerns about co-workers
ORLANDO, Fla. (Legal Newsline) – While warnings from co-workers didn't prevent this past weekend's mass killing in Orlando, employers must encourage that kind of communication to not only prevent attacks but reduce liability, an employment attorney said during an interview on Monday.
DOL's 'persuader rule' benefits unions and their lawyers, not employers and their lawyers, defense attorney says
DOL's 'persuader rule' benefits unions and their lawyers, not employers and their lawyers, defense attorney says
New OT rules will lead to more lawsuits in the short-term, former DOL administrator says
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) – As the largely bipartisan debate continues over the U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) newly announced overtime rules that will benefit millions of employees, the early winners will be attorneys, a former DOL official said in a recent interview.
CMS file could help whistleblowers target skilled nursing facilities
BALTIMORE (Legal Newsline) – Potential whistleblowers now have a Public Use File full of data on Medicare claims and payments involving skilled nursing facilities to consider for future cases, attorneys in that field say.
Watch those market definitions in antitrust claims after Second Circuit decision, attorney advises
NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) – Plaintiffs in antitrust lawsuits need to be even more mindful than ever of their case's geographic market after a U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit decision dismissed a Sherman Act complaint, an antitrust attorney said in a recent interview.
EPA, following Obama's lead, releases methane rules for oil and gas industry
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) – The Obama Administration's Environmental Protection Agency has released the first-ever standards designed to reduce methane emissions from the oil and natural gas industry.
After ruling, Office Depot and Staples abandon merger
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) – A judge's Tuesday ruling on the Federal Trade Commission's request for an injunction halted a proposed $6.3 billion Office Depot and Staples merger.
Oakland-based advocacy group takes interest in Dish Network suit over Spanish-speaking customers
OAKLAND, Calif. (Legal Newsline) – An Oakland, Calif.-based nonprofit legal service and advocacy group is helping to represent an Alameda County man suing Dish Network over claims it deceives Spanish-speaking customers.
Attorney: New Jersey Tort Claims Act ruling muddles things for government contractors
TRENTON, N.J. (Legal Newsline) – A New Jersey appeals court ruling has blurred the line between private and public for government contractors who find themselves named in lawsuits, a business litigation attorney said during a recent interview.
Tidal, facing class action over Kanye tweet, probably not seeking long fight, attorney says
SAN FRANCISCO (Legal Newsline) - The class action lawsuit filed by a disgruntled Kanye West fan who claims to have been duped by the entertainer is, at its heart, about people who feel misled, an attorney and social media blogger said in a recent interview.
Two recent HIPAA settlements should remind health care industry to stay vigilant, attorneys say
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) – Health care providers need to be mindful of two recent major Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) settlements to avoid being similarly targeted, two industry attorneys say.
Calif. SC found middle ground in suitable seating case, attorney says
SAN FRANCISCO (Legal Newsline) – The California Supreme Court was looking for a middle way when it handed down its recent decision that said employers must provide employees with suitable seating when it is reasonable to do so, a labor attorney, a San Jose attorney says.
Republican legislation against DOL overtime rules not likely to succeed, attorney says
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) – Republican-backed legislation that would block the Obama administration's proposed Department of Labor overtime rules has little chance of success, but the option to mount a legal challenge remains, a North Carolina employment attorney says.
Federal courts can't intervene 'too deeply' in EEOC class actions, attorney says
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) – After a 2015 U.S. Supreme Court ruling, companies facing class action Equal Employment Opportunity Commission complaints will have a tough time mounting a certain defense, a Charlotte, N.C., attorney says
Future of False Claims Act recoveries unclear, attorney says
According to a U.S. Department of Justice statistics overview, more than $1 billion of FCA recoveries in Fiscal Year 2015 came from cases in which the government declined to intervene.