Keep your finger on the legal world's pulse

Walmart is terminating some jobs in Florida following recent Supreme Court rulings about the legal residency of migrants, the latest sign that such orders are hitting U.S. workplaces. The terminations, the exact number of which is unclear, are connected to I-9 forms that U.S. employers use to check the identity and employment authorization of staff. Walmart is among U.S. companies responding to the Supreme Court rulings, which ended legal protections for as many as 500,000 people from countries including Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela, who were allowed to legally enter the country during the Biden administration.

 

Bloomberg

According to a recent EdWeek Research Center Survey, nearly half of school and district leaders anticipate an increase in legal expenses over the next year due to changes in federal education policies. Specifically, 48% of principals and district leaders expect rising costs, while 43% foresee no impact. John Borkowski, an education attorney, noted: “In these first few months, all of us in the legal world and education space sort of feel like we've been drinking from a fire hose trying to digest everything that's going on. But I don't know that that pace and level of change is sustainable.” The survey, conducted from March 26 to April 22, included responses from 126 principals and 157 district leaders. Experts recommend that districts consult with legal counsel to navigate the complex legal landscape, as the Trump administration's directives may impose significant obligations on schools.

 

Education Week News

A Washington woman, Misti Leon, has filed a groundbreaking wrongful-death lawsuit against seven major oil and gas companies, claiming their actions contributed to her mother Juliana Leon's death from hyperthermia during a record-breaking heat wave in June 2021. The lawsuit, filed in King County Superior Court, alleges that these companies were aware of the climate-altering effects of their products and failed to warn the public. Legal experts, including Korey Silverman-Roati from Columbia Law School, suggest that this case could clarify the consequences of climate change and corporate behavior. Richard Wiles, president of the Center for Climate Integrity, emphasised that “Big Oil companies have known for decades that their products would cause catastrophic climate disasters.”

 

The Columbian

The ACLU of Kentucky has voluntarily dropped its lawsuit challenging two laws that enforce a near-total abortion ban in the state. The lawsuit, filed in late 2024, contested the "trigger law" that banned abortions following the overturning of Roe v. Wade and another law prohibiting abortions before a fetal heartbeat is detected. Executive Director Amber Duke said: "We are strategizing our next steps in this fight," as she highlighted the ongoing struggle for reproductive rights. Attorney General Russell Coleman expressed satisfaction with the outcome, asserting that "pro-life values won the day." The ACLU's decision leaves Kentucky's stringent abortion laws in place, with no exceptions for cases of rape or incest, despite ongoing discussions among lawmakers about potential changes.

 

Cincinnati.com

Fishing companies and opponents of offshore wind energy have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration to block the resumption of construction on the Empire Wind project, a $5bn wind farm off New York's coast. The lawsuit argues that the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management failed to follow proper procedures when it reinstated work permits after a previous stop-work order was issued due to environmental concerns. Plaintiffs' attorney Bruce Afran said: "The administration correctly pulled the Empire Wind work permit because of these concerns and had no basis to reinstate the work orders a month later."

 

Reuters

A former human resources manager has filed a federal lawsuit against law firm Costello, Mains & Silverman, alleging discrimination after revealing her pregnancy. Kristin Marchesani claims she was treated poorly following the announcement in May 2023, and faced exclusion from meetings, excessive workloads, and denial of a raise. The lawsuit says: “She was treated differently and worse and in a more hostile and dismissive manner.” After giving birth on November 25, 2023, Marchesani was informed of her termination effective February 19, 2024, the same day she was set to return from maternity leave. The suit accuses the firm of violating federal civil rights laws and New Jersey's family leave protections, as well as retaliating against Marchesani for taking protected leave. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued Marchesani a right-to-sue notice in March, allowing her to proceed with the civil suit.

 

NJ.com

The legal battle for licensed manicurists to work as self-employed individuals without passing a test has reached federal court. Republican Assemblyman Tri Ta announced the filing of a discrimination lawsuit, saying: “Earlier this year, our office received many concerns from Vietnamese American manicurists and nail salon owners . . . Their lives were turned upside down overnight when the independent contractor status expired on January 1.” The suit represents several Orange County nail salon businesses and individual manicurists, with Governor Gavin Newsom and heads of five state agencies named as defendants. Ta highlighted that 82% of manicurists in California are Vietnamese and  85% are women, arguing that the law unfairly restricts their ability to work independently. Attorney Scott Wellman, representing the plaintiffs, claimed that the lack of exemption violates their equal protection rights. The lawsuit follows failed legislative attempts to reinstate the exemption for manicurists under Assembly Bill 5, which has left many in the industry confused about their employment status.

 

Los Angeles Times

An investigation into the cyberattack in Hoboken last year has concluded. The cyberattack forced the closure of City Hall and affected city services and the municipal court. An investigation revealed that between Nov. 26 and Nov. 27, certain files on the city's network were accessed without authorization. The Russia-linked ransomware group ThreeAM , also known as 3AM, claimed responsibility for the attack, two cybersecurity experts told NJ.com. The city is urging anyone affected to enroll in free credit monitoring and identity protection.

 

NJ.com

The Federal Reserve announced that it has lifted the restrictions imposed on Wells Fargo in 2018 due to its problematic sales culture. The asset-cap removal “reflects the substantial progress the bank has made in addressing its deficiencies,” the Fed said, although other provisions from the 2018 order “will remain in place until the bank satisfies the requirements.” Chief executive Charlie Scharf said “We are a different and far stronger company today because of the work we've done," adding that the bank's 215,000 employees will receive a $2,000 award for turning the bank around. Compensation and performance evaluations had been tied to sales goals; however, to hit the targets, employees opened deposit and credit-card accounts without the knowledge or permission of customers. Some created fake email addresses to enroll customers in online bank services and asked family members to open ghost accounts.  Between 2009 and 2016, around 3.5m million accounts were opened that may have been unauthorized, according to the bank. Tens of thousands of those accounts led to fees and charges for customers. The lifting of the restrictions means that the bank will now be able to expand its lending, increase its deposits and potentially acquire other financial providers. 

 

New York Times

The Oregonian

Reuters

Wall Street Journal

Austin Rainwater has joined Holland & Knight as a partner in its West Coast litigation practice group based in Seattle. His expertise lies in complex commercial litigation, consumer and privacy class actions, as well as insurance bad faith and fraud investigations. Rainwater defends clients in class action lawsuits, intellectual property disputes, and significant aviation accidents. He previously worked at DLA Piper. 

 

Bloomberg Law

Sharaf Islam has joined McGuireWoods as a partner in its energy and infrastructure finance practice in New York. He will support sponsors, developers, financial institutions, and institutional investors in financing large-scale projects, including renewable energy facilities and power plants. Islam previously worked at Kirkland & Ellis.

 

Bloomberg Law

This week's London International Disputes Week has brought together thousands of commercial lawyers from more than 100 jurisdictions for events designed to showcase the U.K. capital’s role as the forum of choice for international dispute resolution. The main conference event was addressed by justice minister Sarah Sackman KC MP, who said: "I’m proud to speak at London International Disputes Week, to highlight the U.K.’s world-class legal expertise on the global stage. Our legal sector is a huge part of our economy, and our firms are at the cutting edge – taking advantage of new technologies so the U.K. can maintain its pole position in the legal world. As markets rapidly change, innovative dispute resolution not only settles disagreements but drives economic growth and transforms industries, which are vital in our fast-evolving world."

 

Law Society Gazette