The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission announced ten recalls during the week of February 1, 2016. The recalls include a diverse set of products ranging from a computer used for SCUBA diving to decorative baby rattles. The following is a list of those recalls with links to the respective announcements from CPSC.
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The House Energy & Commerce Committee will hold a hearing entitled “Industry Perspectives on the Consumer Product Safety Commission.” The hearing will take place on Wednesday, March 10, 2016, at 10:15 a.m. (ET). The Energy & Commerce Committee has oversight over the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the hearing will focus on “evaluating…
On February 3, 2016, Representatives Bill Schuster of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee introduced H.R. 4441, the Aviation Innovation, Reform and Reauthorization Act of 2016 (“AIRR Act”). The AIRR Act is a six year re-authorization of the Federal Aviation Administration (“FAA”) and addresses, for example, reforms to air traffic control, FAA’s certification processes, and funding for airport infrastructure. The full text of the AIRR Act can be found here, and a summary prepared by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee can be found here. Importantly, the AIRR Act also contains a number of proposed reforms to facilitate the greater introduction of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (“UAS”) into the national air-space system.
The Supreme Court, in a 6-2 landmark decision issued January 25, 2016, in Fed. Energy Regulatory Comm’n v. Elec. Power Supply Ass’n, 136 S.Ct. 760, 193 L.Ed.2d 661 (2016), upheld FERC Order No. 745 and ruled that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has authority to establish demand response rules and rates in wholesale power markets. FERC’s rules call for payments to large energy users that reduce their electric usage during periods of high electricity demand.
The Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit had vacated Order No. 745, ruling among other things that FERC had overstepped its authority and directly interfered with the states’ exclusive right to regulate the retail electricity market.
Employment litigation is one of the fasted growing areas of litigation. One in five lawsuits nationwide is filed by a current or former employee, therefore employers need to understand the legal do’s and don’ts before terminating an employee.
Husch Blackwell partner Joe Guffey discusses the five things to do before discharging an employee.
On Wednesday, Judge Richard Sullivan of the Southern District of New York relieved the Bank of China from an order issuing $50,000 of daily fines for failing to comply with two subpoenas for information on account holders accused of selling goods counterfeit “Gucci” goods. The matter provides an interesting case study of at least one dilemma facing foreign companies doing business in the United States – whether to comply with a US-issued subpoena knowing that compliance would break foreign law.
Provide the individual with a “Disclosure & Authorization” form. [Version 1] [Version 2]
Obtain his/her signature (electronic signature is OK)
Provide the individual with “A Summary of Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act”
(Extra) Provide any required state-specific disclosures
It’s time to begin preparing H-1B petitions for an early April filing and October 1, 2016 effective date.
What is H-1B Classification?
The H-1B classification provides work authorization to foreign nationals seeking long-term, but temporary, positions in “specialty occupations” with U.S. employers. A specialty occupation is one which requires theoretical or technical expertise in specialized fields including, but not limited to, architecture, engineering, business, mathematics, science, arts, law and medicine, and which require a bachelor’s degree or higher.
On December 17, 2015, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that its Environmental and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) will increase efforts to work with the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to investigate and prosecute crimes related to workplace violations. According to the DOJ’s Deputy Attorney General Sally Quillian Yates, “On an average day in America, 13 workers die on the job, thousands are injured and 150 succumb to diseases they obtained from exposure to carcinogens and other toxic and hazardous substances while they worked.” As such, Ms. Yates said the DOJ is “redoubling its efforts to hold accountable those who unlawfully jeopardize workers’ health and safety.”
3D Printing: Evaluating Product Safety and Liability Risks, Avoiding and Defending Claims
This CLE webinar will examine product liability concerns surrounding 3D printing and best practices in avoiding and defending claims over defects. Topics discussed will include many industries including the automotive industry, consumer products, and medical devices. After the presentations, there will be a live question and answer session.
