Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed into law House Bill 19-1025 (the Act), making Colorado the latest state to prohibit certain employers from inquiring into a prospective employee’s criminal history on a job application. Starting September 1, 2019, certain employers will no longer be able to ask job applicants to disclose prior criminal history on job applications, but employers are explicitly permitted to perform a publicly available criminal background check at any point in the hiring process.

On June 5, 2019 the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted a package of regulatory items in four parts intended to “substantially enhance” the standards of conduct for financial professionals.

Colorado Supreme Court recently issued an important ruling to address whether litigants may pursue a civil theft claim (including theft or unauthorized use of trade secrets) where such acts also constitute a breach of contract. Colorado civil theft, codified in C.R.S. § 18-4-405, awards the rightful owner of stolen property the greater of $200 or three times the loss suffered.

On May 16, 2019, Governor Jared Polis signed into law bipartisan House Bill 19-1267 (the Act), which creates criminal liability for employers that intentionally refuse to pay, or that underpay, their employees. Starting January 1, 2020, employers could face criminal charges of petty offense, misdemeanor, or felony, depending on the amount of unpaid or underpaid wages. This means that employers or their agents could face imprisonment of up to a maximum of 24 years and a fine of up to $1 million for the most egregious offenses.

In the state of Florida, defendants often fall victim to inflated verdicts. Laws currently allow a plaintiff to present evidence of medical expenses that do not accurately reflect a plaintiff’s actual economic damages. This can result in significantly unfair verdicts. The Florida legislature attempted to address this issue in their last session.

Cash flow is the life blood of every business. Companies rely on receiving timely payments from B2B customers to keep a positive cash flow and to smoothly and profitably operate their businesses. Commercial clients and customers who fail to pay for goods and services can negatively impact your company, including the ability to pay your own bills or grow your business.

Recently, New York Partner David L. Rosenthal secured the dismissal of spinal fusion case that came with a $3 million settlement demand, based upon the plaintiff’s failure to disclose prior treatment.

“What are the meds?” This is a common question when valuing a personal injury case. The question is critically important because plaintiffs are unlikely to settle their cases before getting their medical bills paid. Further, in order to cultivate large awards, plaintiffs employ a variety of methods to artificially inflate the value of the medical care.