A review of the most important labor and employment law updates of the past year from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

As we all get ready to relax and spend time with our family and friends to celebrate the holidays and the coming of a new year, it is a good time to look back at the changes in Washington law that have occurred over the past year, and the changing landscape that Washington employers will face in the next decade. 

Beginning in 2020, two new California statutes, signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom earlier this year, will increase the cost and burden of discovery on litigants and their attorneys, particularly business entity defendants.

For some time, the Administration and Congress have expressed concern about U.S. overreliance on foreign sourcing for critical, or strategic, minerals that are essential to U.S. defense and technology production.

New York Trial Partner Joelle T. Jensen obtained a defense verdict on December 5, 2019, ending a two-week jury trial held in Manhattan’s Supreme Court, New York County.

New York Partners Nicholas P. Hurzeler and Sheryl S. Fyffe recently settled a traumatic brain injury (TBI) case for $15,000, following the filing of a notice of appeal by plaintiff’s counsel in a matter where plaintiff’s counsel demanded $7.5 million throughout the litigation

Last month, in O’Grady v. Merchant Exchange Productions, Inc., the California Court of Appeal held that a mandatory “service charge” may be considered a “gratuity” for purposes of Labor Code section 351.

It's that time of year again when we show our appreciation for those who have contributed to our success in the past year, but those in the healthcare industry must be extremely careful when making gifts to referral sources, or even receiving gifts from vendors and others.