Feds raid 7-Eleven stores at 54 sites, allege $180M ‘plantation system’ immigrant fraud

In one of the biggest criminal cases ever brought by the Department of Justice over the employment of immigrants, federal agents have seized the franchise rights of 14 7-Eleven stores and announced charges against nine individuals responsible for their operation. The feds also seized five homes and are executing search…

Jun 18, 2013 8:36 PM CDT

Winning, so far, in trial court, Hearst wants 2nd Circuit to clarify intern issue after new ruling

In an unusual effort to obtain federal appellate court clarification, Hearst Corp., which has been successfully defending a case over the use of unpaid interns in its publishing ventures, is supporting the plaintiffs in their request for an interlocutory appeal of a recent trial court ruling, Reuters reports. In a…

Jun 18, 2013 6:40 PM CDT

Labor Department lawyer accused in stun-gun assault is found dead in his jail cell

Updated: A Labor Department lawyer accused of assaulting a co-worker was found dead today in his jail cell in Washington, D.C. The lawyer, 58-year-old Paul Mannina, was found dead a day after a detective summarized the allegations during a preliminary hearing, the Washington Post reports. Mannina sobbed in court; his…

Jun 18, 2013 4:00 PM CDT

Is a fee-laden debit card ‘lawful money’ for worker pay purposes? Class action seeks court ruling

A worker at a Pennsylvania McDonald’s who says she was told she would not be paid unless she accepted her money in the form of a debit card that carried hefty charges for virtually every transaction has filed suit against her employers. Natalie Gunshannon, a single mom who was to…

Jun 17, 2013 7:09 PM CDT

Retired partner sues Patton Boggs, says firm discriminated by cutting his pay when he hurt his back

A retired income partner of Patton Boggs has sued the law firm for alleged disability discrimination, contending that the firm treated him less favorably than other attorneys after he suffered a disabling back injury that limited his ability to work. Although he was called a partner, Roy P. Lessy Jr.,…

Jun 14, 2013 1:45 PM CDT

Law firm versions of big-box stores; IRS summer hours; Airbnb for the bar exam?

Some law firms have a “big box” model, New York City-based law firm consultant Bruce MacEwen writes at Adam Smith, Esq. Which is to say that they are highly specialized in one practice area, have a great depth of resources and expertise in that practice area and are deeply invested…

Jun 14, 2013 1:30 PM CDT

Seyfarth Shaw opens 2 offices in Australia

Seyfarth Shaw has recruited eight partners from three different law firms to open two new offices in Australia. The offices, which are in Sydney and Melbourne, are part of a global strategy to offer major corporate clients a one-stop shop for dealing with international labor and employment matters, Reuters reports.…

Jun 12, 2013 6:50 PM CDT

Federal judge rules unpaid interns were misclassified employees, certifies class action

In a ruling that is likely to catch the attention of employers nationwide, a federal judge in New York has ruled that unpaid interns were misclassified employees and has certified a class action against Fox Entertainment Group in which internships throughout the company’s corporate offices will be reviewed. Granting, in…

Jun 12, 2013 4:30 PM CDT

Criminal background checks are targeted in two new EEOC suits

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has sued Dollar General Corp. and a BMW manufacturing plant for their use of criminal background checks in hiring or firing. The EEOC claims the background checks had a disparate impact on African-Americans, report the Washington Post, the Associated Press, Reuters and a press release.…

Jun 12, 2013 12:12 PM CDT

Track job outcomes 9 or 10 months after graduation? ABA legal ed council to take it up in August

The governing council of the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar has voted to defer action until August on a proposal to push back by a month the date on which law schools measure graduate employment outcomes. The council, which met Friday in St. Louis, decided…

Jun 10, 2013 9:05 PM CDT

Former SEC lawyer uses crowdfunding to bring whistleblower actions

Jun 1, 2013 9:10 AM CDT

Along with political speech, many companies also claim they have religious liberty rights

Jun 1, 2013 8:30 AM CDT

Hotel strike, thought to be the world’s longest, is over

Cleaning and maintenance workers are ending their nearly 10-year-old strike against the Congress Plaza hotel in Chicago. The strike is thought to be the world’s longest, the Chicago Tribune reports. Unite Here Local 1 offered an unconditional return to work, says hotel lawyer Peter Andjelkovich. “Frankly we’re as surprised as…

May 30, 2013 3:03 PM CDT

Do unpaid pro bono internships violate the law? ABA says they should be allowed

The ABA wants to pave the way for law students and recent grads to work on pro bono matters in unpaid internships with for-profit law firms and corporate legal offices. ABA President Laurel Bellows, in a letter (PDF) to the U.S. Department of Labor, seeks assurances that the agency will…

May 30, 2013 11:30 AM CDT

Ex-partner settles suit claiming ‘boys club’ hogged origination credit at Greenberg Traurig

A former partner has settled her lawsuit contending that male lawyers at Greenberg Traurig hogged origination credit, excluded women from client pitches and favored themselves in work assignments. The suit filed in December by Francine Griesing was settled for an undisclosed amount, report Reuters and the Legal Intelligencer. The would-be…

May 29, 2013 12:53 PM CDT