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Lawsuits Aug 31, 2016

Animal Legal Defense Fund Lawsuit Shuts Down Inhumane Pennsylvania Roadside Zoo

The notorious Animal and Zoological Park in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania has closed in response to the March 2016 lawsuit filed by nonprofit Animal Legal Defense Fund, the nation’s preeminent legal advocacy organization for animals, with pro bono assistance from Partner John W. Caldwell and Associate Brian L. Saunders, members of the Intellectual Property Group of the law firm BakerHostetler in Philadelphia. The group filed the suit on behalf of concerned local residents against …

Legal News Aug 24, 2016

U.S. Appeals Court Strikes Down Ernst & Young Class Action Waiver

Ernst & Young LLP [ERNY.UL] cannot require its employees to give up their rights to pursue work-related claims together, a federal appeals court ruled on Monday, giving a major boost to the U.S. National Labor Relations Board’s campaign against so-called class action waivers. Companies have increasingly included provisions in employment contracts forcing workers to arbitrate …

Legal News Aug 22, 2016

Appeals Court Tosses Lawsuit Against Broadcasters for Violating Publicity Rights During Football Game Broadcasts

Javon Marshall — a former college athlete spearheading a putative class action against several broadcasters for uncompensated use of his likeness — has just seen the Sixth Circuit Appeals Court send him (and everyone “similarly situated”) back home without a parting gift. Marshall — like many others who believe the mere existence of intellectual property protections entitles them to a …

Lawsuits Aug 16, 2016

US Aid to Israel Illegal: Lawsuit

American aid to Israel is illegal under a decades-old law that prohibits aid to nuclear powers that have not signed the international Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), according to a lawsuit filed in federal court in Washington, DC. The lawsuit, filed this week by Grant Smith, the director of the Institute for Research: Middle Eastern Policy, comes as the US and Israel have closed many of …

Lawsuits Aug 9, 2016

Gwinnett County Faces Voting Rights Lawsuit

A group of advocacy organizations filed a federal lawsuit against Gwinnett County Monday over district lines and at-large voting, claiming the voting method prevents minority voters from being able to elect candidates of their choosing. The suit argues that no minority has ever been elected to the county’s Board of Commissioners and Board of Education.

Lawsuits Aug 8, 2016

Lawsuit Challenges Recent Amendment to Illinois Health Care Right of Conscience Act

A recently enacted law amending Illinois’ Health Care Right of Conscience Act (HRC Act) is the subject of a new lawsuit claiming the change unlawfully limits the conscience rights of health care personnel by requiring them to refer patients to other providers for procedures they object to on religious grounds. SB 1564 requires health care facilities to develop protocols that …

News Aug 8, 2016

Lawsuit Blames Texas’ At-Large Districts for Lack of Latino Judges

A lawsuit has been filed against Texas’ governor and secretary of state regarding the alleged denial of equal opportunity for Latino voters in electing judges of their race. The suit filed by five Latino voters alleges that Texas is in violation of the Voting Rights Act for the process used to elect judges to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeal and the Supreme Court. The legal team …

Legal News Aug 5, 2016

WorkCompCentral Workers’ Compensation News and Education

One of the more interesting issues on the horizon that has implications for workers’ comp is the question of whether “gig economy” workers will have rights as employees. In various posts I’ve been commenting on the Lyft and Uber class actions, since those seem to be the poster children for the disruptive companies who seek to change the legal landscape. Julius Young So it was with interest when …

Lawsuits Jul 30, 2016

Surfrider Files Lawsuit to Halt Water Pollution on Kauai’s Westside

Surfrider Foundation Kaua’i Chapter has been working tirelessly to protect coastal water quality throughout Kaua‘i County. In May 2016, Surfrider along with other local Kaua‘i groups filed a Notice of Intent to sue the state agency Agribusiness Development Corporation (“ADC”) for …

Legal News Jul 30, 2016

Federal Judge Dismisses Alabama’s Lawsuit Against U.S. Government Over Syrian Refugees

A Chief United States Magistrate Judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by the state of Alabama against the federal government. The lawsuit was concerning the relocation of refugees, particularly Syrian refugees. Governor Robert Bentley announced the lawsuit in January and said the government violated the Refugee Act of 1980.