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Newsroom image for the post Nilan Johnson Lewis Announces New President and Attorney Promotions

Posted January 3, 2019

Nilan Johnson Lewis Announces New President and Attorney Promotions

Nilan Johnson Lewis is pleased to announce Heidi Christianson as the law firm’s next president, effective January 1, 2019. Christianson succeeds Stephen Warch, who will remain as a Board member, shareholder and co-chair of the firm’s health care group. At Nilan Johnson Lewis, Christianson previously served as the chair of the corporate and transactional services practice group and has an extensive background in health care law and nonprofit governance.

Newsroom image for the post Michigan Passes Paid Sick Leave Requirements

Posted December 7, 2018 with Tags , , , , , ,

Michigan Passes Paid Sick Leave Requirements

On December 5, 2018, Michigan lawmakers presented a bill to the governor's desk to roll back paid sick leave requirements that were set to go into effect next year. Although opponents challenge the move as unconstitutional, Gov. Rick Snyder is expected to sign the scaled-back bill into law. If he does, the new law will take effect 90 days after lawmakers adjourn the 2018 session, sometime in March 2019.

Newsroom image for the post Don Lewis to Receive “Profiles in Courage” Award from MABL

Posted November 5, 2018

Don Lewis to Receive “Profiles in Courage” Award from MABL

The award is given to those who have “demonstrated courage, excellence, and integrity in furthering the Association's mission of representing the interests of black citizens in the legal profession and judicial system.” Don will be recognized for his career-long work on highly visible and controversial investigations—including his appointment as special prosecutor on the Jeronimo Yanez/Philando Castile case (Castile was fatally shot by police officer Yanez during a traffic stop in 2016).

Newsroom image for the post Don Lewis Named Outstanding Director for Work with HealthPartners

Posted September 17, 2018

Don Lewis Named Outstanding Director for Work with HealthPartners

Nilan Johnson Lewis is proud to announce that Don Lewis has been recognized by Twin Cities Business as a “2018 Outstanding Director” honoree for his work on the Board of Directors of HealthPartners. Lewis will be honored for his dedication and exceptional work in the course of his board service at an award ceremony on the evening of October 10, 2018.

Newsroom image for the post San Antonio Becomes Second City in Texas to Require Paid Sick Leave

Posted August 21, 2018 with Tags , , ,

San Antonio Becomes Second City in Texas to Require Paid Sick Leave

On August 16, 2018, San Antonio became the second city in Texas to pass a paid sick leave ordinance, which requires that employers provide one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked. While the ordinance takes effect on January 1, 2019, most of the requirements do not become effective until August 2019.

Posted July 27, 2018

California Employers On the Hook for Tracking Employee Time

On Thursday, July 26, the California Supreme Court held that California employers may no longer ignore or fail to compensate for small amounts of time that non-exempt employees work simply because recording that time is administratively difficult. This is an alarming departure from the de minimis defense employers have for federal wage-and-hour claims and warrants immediate attention by California employers.

Newsroom image for the post Massachusetts Reforms Employment Laws to Include Generous Paid Family Leave Program

Posted July 16, 2018 with Tags , , ,

Massachusetts Reforms Employment Laws to Include Generous Paid Family Leave Program

On June 28, 2018, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker signed a bill reforming several employment laws and creates one of the most employee-generous paid family and medical leave programs in the country. The program, which will be funded by a combination of payroll deductions and employer contributions, guarantees up to 26 weeks of paid leave for current and some former employees, and allows self-employed contractors to opt into the program.

Posted June 2, 2018

Nilan Johnson Lewis Named a Best Law Firm for Female Attorneys

Nilan Johnson Lewis (NJL) is proud to announce that it has again been named to Law 360’s “Best Law Firms for Female Attorneys” list, a ranking published as part of the news organization’s annual Glass Ceiling report. The firm placed No. 18 among all U.S. legal services firms employing at least 20 but fewer than 150 lawyers.

Newsroom image for the post Duluth Adopts Paid Sick and Safe Leave Beginning in 2020

Posted June 1, 2018 with Tags , , , , , ,

Duluth Adopts Paid Sick and Safe Leave Beginning in 2020

On May 30, 2018, the Duluth City Council passed an ordinance requiring private employers to provide paid sick and safe leave to employees, following other Minnesota cities like Minneapolis and St. Paul. The ordinance takes effect on January 1, 2020. Because this is a contentious issue, we expect to see additional amendments before the ordinance takes effect.

Posted May 22, 2018

Supreme Court Gifts Employers with Big Arbitration Win

On May 21, 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a huge win to employers in its much-anticipated decision in Epic Systems Corp. v. Lewis. Writing for a five-person majority, Justice Gorsuch upheld the validity of agreements that require employees to arbitrate claims against their employer or an individual—as opposed to a class or collective—basis. The court had been called to determine whether such class/collective waivers violate an employee’s right to engage in “concerted activities” as provided in the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). Federal courts had been at odds on this issue, and the Supreme Court consolidated three cases to resolve the disagreement.

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