New England Biz Law Update

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has agreed to pay $45 million to resolve a class action lawsuit alleging widespread pregnancy discrimination. The case highlights the need to provide equal opportunities and accommodations for pregnant employees, as well as the ...

A U.S. District Court judge in Massachusetts has reduced a jury’s award of $150,000 in “nominal” damages to just $1. The case, Lawless v. Town of Freetown, involved a wrongful discharge suit brought by a municipal employee against her former ...

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has ordered Care.com to pay $8.5 million to settle allegations of deceptive practices. Care.com, an online “gig work” platform connecting families with childcare and senior care providers, has been accused of misleading both caregivers and ...

In a ruling with nationwide effect, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas blocked the enforcement of the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) new rule intended to restrict the use of most non-compete agreements. The rule, which would ...

The National Labor Relations Board has decided that it will no longer accept “consent orders,” where an Administrative Law Judge resolves an unfair labor practice case based on terms offered by the respondent but objected to by both the charging party ...

At the end of its recently concluded session, the Massachusetts Legislature hopped aboard a trend that gives employees and applicants more information about the pay ranges for jobs they are seeking or already hold. But in doing so, legislators seemingly ...

Earlier this month, the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida issued a preliminary order finding that the Federal Trade Commission’s noncompete ban was unlawful. However, the ruling only applies to the plaintiff who brought the lawsuit. This ...

A 2018 Massachusetts state statute that prohibits certain noncompete agreements rendered invalid a provision requiring a former employee to forfeit severance payments for violating a non-solicitation clause originally included in an employment contract executed in 2017, a trial court judge ...

A minority shareholder in a limited liability corporation could be considered an employee for purposes of bringing misclassification and Wage Act claims, a Superior Court judge in Massachusetts has ruled. Plaintiff James Raleigh was a member and 10-percent owner of ...

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued its Fair Choice–Employee Voice Final Rule in late July, restoring three policies that the agency says provide workers with a “fair opportunity” to decide whether they want union representation in the workplace and a process ...