Articles by Daniel Wiessner and Robert Iafolla

OSHA Issues Final Rule on Silica Exposure Protections; Industries Vow to Overturn

Capping a decades-long effort, U.S. workplace regulators on Thursday announced a final rule to boost protections against occupational exposure to crystalline silica, a carcinogenic dust ubiquitous in construction, foundries and fracking. Some industry groups have vowed to fight it in …

Court Now Likely for Joint Employer, Franchise Company Liability Case

A sanitation company at the center of a major U.S. labor board ruling that could force companies like McDonald’s Corp. to negotiate directly with franchise and contract workers has refused to bargain with workers hired by a staffing agency. The …

Joint Employer Ruling Hikes Parent Companies’ Liability, Unions’ Bargaining Power

A major ruling handed down on Thursday by the U.S. National Labor Relations Board could give unions greater bargaining power by enabling them to negotiate directly with large parent companies like McDonald’s that rely heavily on franchisees and contractors. The …

Court Upholds Unpaid Internships with Educational Value

Unpaid internships are legal when they are closely tied to interns’ educations, a U.S. appeals court in Manhattan said on Thursday in reversing a decision that Fox Searchlight Pictures Inc. broke the law by not paying interns. The lower courts …

Bipartisan Bill Targets Pregnancy Discrimination in Workplace

A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers introduced legislation last Thursday to boost protections for pregnant workers in response to a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that revived discrimination claims by a former United Parcel Service Inc. driver. Federal law currently …

N.Y. Court Revives Bond Insurer’s $120M Lawsuit Against Goldman Sachs

New York’s top state court on Thursday revived a bond insurer’s $120 million lawsuit claiming Goldman Sachs Group Inc lied about a pool of securities backed by subprime mortgages during the period leading up the financial crisis. The New York …

Barclays Wins Reversal of Liability Ruling in $300M Black Diamond Suit

New York state’s top court on Thursday reversed a 2013 ruling that found Barclays Plc liable in a $300 million dispute with hedge fund Black Diamond Capital over the British bank’s refusal to pay back collateral. Connecticut-based Black Diamond filed …

Court Rules New York Shooting Victim Can Sue Gun Maker

A Buffalo man who was shot nearly a decade ago can sue the manufacturer, the distributor and the dealer of the semi-automatic pistol used to shoot him, a New York state appeals court ruled on Friday. Attorneys for Daniel Williams, …