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Posted April 29, 2019 with Tags veena iyer

Non-Resident Employers Must Comply with Minneapolis Paid Sick-and-Safe Leave, Appellate Court Rules

On April 29, the Minnesota Court of Appeals issued a key decision regarding Minneapolis’ sick-and-safe-time (SST) ordinance. As a result of the decision, the Minneapolis SST ordinance not only remains in effect, but it can now be enforced against non-resident employers. The court also affirmed the district court’s determination that the ordinance is not preempted by state law.

Posted April 26, 2019

Ask a Lawyer: As an Employer, What Are My Parental Leave Obligations?

Question: One of my employees recently shared with me that she is expecting a baby. We’re a small, but growing company, with about 25 employees. I know we’re not covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act, but I want to make sure we handle everything in the right way. What are our obligations for parental leave, if any, and how do other companies handle that process?

Posted April 25, 2019

NLRB Redefines Protected Concerted Activity in Workplace

In January 2019, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) narrowed the standard for when an employee’s conduct is considered protected concerted activity. The 3-1 ruling upheld the dismissal of a complaint accusing Alstate Maintenance LLC of violating the National Labor …

Posted April 19, 2019

Nilan Johnson Lewis Announces New Associate Katie Eisler

Nilan Johnson Lewis is excited to announce the hire of Katie Eisler. Effective immediately, she joins the Minneapolis-based firm’s Corporate and Transactional Services practice, where she will work with clients to handle general corporate, intellectual property and transactional matters.

Posted April 17, 2019

Candid Job Applicant Feedback: A Cool Favor That Can Put You in Hot Water

For employers turning down applicants, frank feedback hasn’t exactly been standard protocol. Historically, employers have used boilerplate rejection letters, or simply silence, to turn down applicants. Yet whether it’s due to shortages in talent, generational changes in the workforce, online …

Posted April 11, 2019 with Tags FELA, FELA Trials, Women attorneys, Women litigators

She’s Been Working (And Winning) on the Railroad

In 1908, Congress enacted the Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA) to protect and compensate railroad employees injured on the job. While the railroad industry and overall employee protections (workers compensation, etc.) have evolved over the last century, FELA has remained intact, offering plaintiffs lenient thresholds that have rendered a challenging environment when defending FELA cases. While these cases are often handled by male-dominated teams, over the past few years, women at Nilan Johnson Lewis (NJL) have shaken up the traditional FELA landscape, garnishing an undefeated string of defense wins.

Posted April 10, 2019

Workplace Biometrics Put to the Test

More than 10 years ago, the Illinois State Legislature passed the Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA), which requires private sector companies to gain authorization before collecting employees’ biometric data, such as fingerprints, iris scans, voiceprints and facial recognition. While the …

Posted April 3, 2019

Is AI Innovation and Background Check Regulation Putting Employers on a Collision Course?

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in hiring is growing at a furious pace. While AI can increase efficiencies, some business applications present significant legal risk. For example, using algorithms rather than people to score background checks and other data …

Posted April 1, 2019 with Tags Cort Sylvester, legal ethics

Snowballs and Iceballs: Crossing the Line in Settlement Negotiations

Children of northern climes remember the joys of a snowball fight. We also remember the bully who ruined the fun by packing iceballs. (Those from more temperate zones might consider the line between brushback pitches and beanballs.) What is true in projectile sports is also true in law—there is a boundary between being aggressive and breaking the (express or implied) rules. Recent news of criminal charges against a prominent attorney has focused attention on this boundary in the context of settlement negotiations. Prosecutors allege that Michael Avenatti demanded that Nike not only pay his client, but also hire Avenatti himself to conduct a $15 to $25 million internal investigation. Otherwise, he threatened to take billions of dollars off the company’s market capitalization by going public with his client’s allegations immediately before an earnings call and the NCAA basketball tournament.

Posted March 27, 2019

Top 10 Nonprofit Association Legal Questions for 2019

Nonprofit association attorneys Heidi Christianson and Zach Crain have compiled a list of the top 10 questions their association clients have been asking about in 2019.

Posted March 26, 2019 with Tags fire and explosions, fire and explosion litigation, lithium ion battery litigation, lithium ion battery defense, vape explosions

Plaintiffs’ Lawyers Seek to Bring E-Cigarette Lawsuits to Minnesota

High-profile cases of exploding e-cigarettes and vaping devices have made front-page news in recent months. In January 2019, a Texas man died after a vape pen he was using exploded in his face. This followed a similar death of a Florida man in May 2018, which was believed to be the first death from an exploding e-cigarette or vape device. January and February of this year saw two different instances of vaping devices exploding while in overhead storage on commercial flights. Overall, there have been hundreds of e-cigarette fire and explosion incidents reported in the United States over the past several years, with those instances increasing in number as the popularity of vaping increases.  

Posted March 25, 2019

Minnesota Restaurateurs: Get Compliant with Tip Statutes Before the Final Four

The Final Four at U.S. Bank Stadium presents a great opportunity for Minneapolis restaurateurs to generate significant income from parties hosted before and during the big games. With that opportunity, though, comes the challenge of complying with Minnesota’s unique tip-pooling statute—unlike federal laws and those of other states—and avoiding the potential for greater liability. Restaurants planning Final Four parties should prepare now to meet the law’s requirements and avoid litigation after the tournament ends.

Posted March 22, 2019

A Business Tip Before Tipoff: Minnesota Restaurants Face Compliance Issues for Tips During Final Four

As Minneapolis’ US Bank Stadium gears up to host its second national sporting event in over a year, nearby restaurants are looking to once again capitalize on the added foot traffic from the NCAA Men’s Basketball “Final Four” competition. However, Minnesota bars and restaurants need to think now about compliance with tip-pooling and service charge requirements to avoid litigation after the final buzzer sounds.

Posted March 20, 2019

Pharaoh Lewis Joins Nilan Johnson Lewis as Associate

Minneapolis-based law firm Nilan Johnson Lewis is thrilled to announce its newest associate hire, Pharaoh Lewis, who joins the firm’s product liability/mass tort and business litigation practices effective immediately.

Posted March 8, 2019

Department of Labor Proposes Latest Overtime Exemption Rules

On March 7, 2019, the Department of Labor announced its latest proposed rulemaking regarding the salary threshold for exemption from overtime. The salary threshold has been $455 per week ($23,660 annually) since 2004. In 2016, the DOL attempted to raise …

Posted March 8, 2019

U.S. Supreme Court Deems FELA Payments as Taxable

Earlier this week, the United States Supreme Court issued an opinion in BNSF Railway Co. v. Loos, holding that a railroad’s payment to an injured worker for lost wages is taxable under the Railroad Retirement Tax Act (RRTA). In so …

Posted February 28, 2019

Heath Care in the Minnesota Legislature: Update

Things are heating up in the Minnesota legislature for nonprofit health care entities. Here are breakdowns of local bills that may affect these types of businesses should they become law.

Posted February 26, 2019

Veena Iyer Named as 2019 LCLD Fellow

Veena, a labor and employment attorney at NJL, is an active member of several professional and community associations. She’s earned leadership roles on Minnesota’s Asian Pacific American Bar Association (MNAPABA) and Minnesota Women Lawyers. Veena also chairs the firm’s Diversity & Inclusion Working Group. In 2018, Veena was honored for her D&I work by both Minnesota Lawyer (Diversity & Inclusion honoree) and Minnesota Women Lawyers (Service to MWL Award).

Posted February 22, 2019

Manufacturers Take Note: Three Significant Product Liability Cases from Minnesota

Product liability issues are mainly grounded in seldom-changing legal doctrines. However, manufacturers everywhere need to be aware of three relatively recent court rulings should they find themselves facing litigation in Minnesota, says product liability/mass tort attorney Cort Sylvester of Nilan Johnson Lewis in Minneapolis.

Posted February 13, 2019

Illinois Jury Awards FELA Plaintiff Less Than 1% of Ask

Nilan Johnson Lewis’ Christy Mennen, along with attorneys Ray Groble and Matt Hammer from Daley Mohan Groble in Chicago, prevailed in Velasco v. Canadian Pacific Railway for client Canadian Pacific after a two-week long district court jury trial in Cook County, …