News & Insights

John Webb Speaks At Awco 2023 Annual Conference

John Webb, Chair of LGWM’s Workers’ Compensation Practice Group, spoke at the Alabama Workers’ Compensation Organization (AWCO) 2023 Annual Conference.  The Conference took place November 2-3 in Birmingham, Alabama.  John teamed up with Dana Mattiace (Senior Claims Adjuster) with CCMSI to provide new adjuster training for approximately 30 workers’ compensation adjusters from across the United…
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Alabama Workers’ Compensation Rate Change

Effective July 1, 2023, the maximum workers’ compensation rate payable increased to $1,084.00 per week and the minimum rate increased to $298.00 per week.

EEOC Issues Proposed Guidance On Workplace Harassment

On September 29, 2023, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) released its revised “Proposed Enforcement Guidance on Harassment in the Workplace”. If successful, the proposed guidance would be EEOC’s first update on workplace harassment since the previous update in 1999.  The new proposal considers recent changes in the law on issues of workplace discrimination and…
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Tennessee Supreme Court Rules The Economic Loss Doctrine Does Not Bar Fraud Claim By Subcontract Against A General Contractor

In Commercial Painting Co. Inc. v. Weitz Co. LLC, the Supreme Court of Tennessee ruled the economic loss doctrine does not extend to fraud related to construction contract disputes.  The case arose from a contract dispute between a general contractor, The Weitz Company, LLC (“Weitz”), and its subcontractor, Commercial Painting Company, Inc. (“Commercial”). In 2004,…
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Epa Investigates Alabama’s Management Of Sewer Infrastructure Funds

On October 3, 2023, the Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) announced it was accepting for investigation an Administrative Complaint filed by the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Natural Resources Council against the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (“ADEM”). The Complaint alleges that ADEM engages in racially discriminatory practices against residents in the Black Belt region…
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Enhancements To The Expungement Process

Effective October 16, 2023, FINRA adopted amendments to its Codes of Arbitration Procedure (Codes) to modify the process relating to requests to expunge customer dispute information in the FINRA Dispute Resolution Services (DRS) arbitration forum. FINRA operates the Central Registration Depository (CRD), and customer dispute information maintained in CRD is reported through Forms U4 and…
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Finra Faces Litigation That Questions Its Governing Authority

In an effort to delay FINRA’s expedited death sentence it imposed following its ruling that, Alpine Securities be expelled from the industry over allegations it misused customer funds and violated compliance rules, the broker dealer has taken direct action against FINRA and filed an injunction pending appeal. In its Emergency Motion for Injunction Pending Appeal,…
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Epa And Army Corps Of Engineers’ Most Recent Regulations Defining Waters Of The United States Take Effect Immediately

On September 8, 2023, the Army Corps of Engineers and Environmental Protection Agency published new standards defining “waters of the United States” as it relates to regulations under the Clean Water Act. The new regulations took effect immediately to fill a void left by the Supreme Court’s ruling in Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency, 598…
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