New York Governor Kathy Hochul has now signed into law Senate Bill 7882A, which encompasses the revision and the chapter amendment to the Comprehensive Insurance Disclosure Act (CIDA).

For many reasons, 2021 felt like déjà vu all over again. The pandemic dragged on, Tom Brady won another Superbowl, and swarms of cicadas greeted us on their 17-year cycle. However, at least for Maryland employers, the more things remained the same, the more they changed. There were several important developments in labor and employment law last year in the State of Maryland, including expansions to the Flexible Leave Act, modifications to COVID-19 workplace safety laws, and amendments to filing deadlines.

On February 24, 2022, Senate Bill 7882A, which encompasses the revision and the chapter amendment to the Comprehensive Insurance Disclosure Act (CIDA), was sent to New York Governor Kathy Hochul to be signed into law, ahead of the March 1, 2022 deadline.

he Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently announced the revised thresholds for the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 (HSR), Section 7A of the Clayton Act. HSR requires the parties to transactions that exceed the revised thresholds to file a premerger notification report to the FTC and the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice.

Taking effect on January 1, 2022, California’s Senate Bill 331, known as the Silenced No More Act, expands existing law aimed at preventing or restricting the disclosure of certain factual information in settlement agreements to apply to all claims of harassment, discrimination, or retaliation under the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). 

In 2021, the New York State Legislature and the New York City Council were customarily active in adopting new laws and amending existing laws touching on labor and employment. Employers in these jurisdictions must continue to stay nimble in adjusting themselves to changes in the law that impact how they operate in a myriad of respects. We summarize the key developments in this alert.

Two decisions from New York's Appellate Division, Second Department, demonstrate the unpredictability of the courts when reviewing jury verdicts in personal injury matters involving expert testimony. 

Virginia courts are renowned for denying motions for summary judgment, at both the state and federal level. Indeed, it is difficult to prevail on a motion for summary judgment on simple liability defenses, but even more rare to secure summary judgment on an affirmative defense such as contributory negligence. In Admassu v. Speedway LLC, 1:21-cv-00581, the United States District for the Eastern District of Virginia (Alexandria Division) granted a motion for summary judgment in a slip-and-fall case, giving hope to defense lawyers who are considering whether to file such a motion in such cases in the future.