The U.S. Supreme Court extended the whistle-blower protections provided in the Sarbanes-Oxley Act to include employees of privately held companies that are contractors or subcontractors of a public company.  The high court’s ruling in Lawson v. FMR LLC, marks a significant expansion of the statute and opens the door for claims of a new class of workers from roughly 5,000 public companies to potentially 6 million private ones, including even the smallest “Mom and Pop” businesses.

Joe Orlet participated in an American Chemistry Council (ACC) and Society of Chemical Manufacturers & Affiliates (SOCMA) panel discussion. He spoke on consumer product class actions applicable to value chain chemical assessment and procurement tools and marketplace initiatives. ACC and SOCMA’s GlobalChem conference was held in Baltimore March 3-5, 2014. View Joe’s presentation here.

U.S. businesses often use the H-1B visa classification to employ non-U.S. workers in positions requiring a college degree or the equivalent. In most cases, H-1B classification conveys work authorization for a period of up to six years. The law sets a limit of 65,000 new H-1Bs per fiscal year, with an additional 20,000 set aside for workers with a master’s degree or higher. These limits are known as the “H-1B caps.” In 2013, the H-1B cap was exceeded for both categories in the first week applications were accepted. Many employers were disappointed when their applications were rejected in the ensuing lottery conducted to select the applications that would be accepted for processing under the caps.

As you’ve likely heard, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has now officially taken the position that greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide are fair game for regulation and in fact are required to be regulated under the Clean Air Act. While this development may be cheered by environmental conservation groups and climate scientists, those who will actually have to implement the technology necessary to comply with EPA’s new regulations are less thrilled. Another pitched battle is about to take place before the Supreme Court on this issue, and large manufacturers, utilities, and other owners of large sources of greenhouse gases should take note.

Adam Miller is presenting “Eat, Drink, but Be Wary: Plaintiffs’ New Attack on Chemicals in the Food Chain” today at the DRI Toxic Torts and Environmental Law Seminar. Plaintiffs allege a link between chemicals in food and various diseases. Their theories create unprecedented burdens on product manufacturers, essentially making them insurers of their products from…

John G. Stafford Jr. has joined Husch Blackwell’s Washington, D.C., office as the newest Partner of the firm’s Technology, Manufacturing & Transportation team. With his deep knowledge of federal contracting and regulatory compliance law, Stafford will assist industry clients with Government Contracts and Transportation matters and related business issues.  Visit Huschblackwell.com for more information.

On-site attorneys bring industry expertise to St. Louis’ newest research and technology address – @4240 facility

Wexford Science & Technology, creators of Knowledge Communities in eight cities across the nation, has recruited Husch Blackwell as its newest contributor to St. Louis’ CORTEX District. Moving into the @4240 facility in early summer, Husch Blackwell…