Health care registry companies provide matchmaking and referral services for qualified, pre-screened and vetted home caregivers. They often also provide administrative services. As part of the “gig economy,” health care registries often tread a fine line between classifying caregivers as independent contractors or employers. On July 13, 2018, the Wage and Hour Division of the…
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In City of Whiting, Indiana v. Whitney, Bailey, Cox, & Magnani, LLC, 2018 WL 1400890 (U.S. Dist. Ct., N.D. Ind. March 20, 2018), the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana held that an owner’s tort claim for damage caused by the failure of a retaining wall designed by a subconsulting engineering…
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In Auburn Hills Tax Increment Finance Authority v. Haussman Construction Co., 2018 WL 385057 (Mich. Ct. App. January 11, 2018), the Michigan Court of Appeals held that the owner of a construction project could not maintain a professional negligence claim against the architect for failing to adequately review payment applications. The Auburn Hills Tax Increment…
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On June 14, 2018, FINRA announced details of a multi-phased effort to overhaul its registration and disclosure programs, including the Central Registration Depository (CRD). FINRA operates the CRD for the U.S. securities industry and its regulators and it provides the backbone of BrokerCheck. These changes are being made in response to feedback FINRA received through…
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In Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition (OVEC) v. Pruitt, 893 F.3d 225 (4th Cir. 2018), the Fourth Circuit Court of Civil Appeals rejected the District Court’s application of the “constructive submission” doctrine, which applies when a state disregards its obligations to submit Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) required by federal law. Under this doctrine, a Court…
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In Ex parte Consol. Pipe & Supply Co., Inc., No. 1170050, 2018 WL 3083719 (Ala. June 22, 2018), the Alabama Supreme Court overturned an order granting a motion to transfer venue based upon a valid forum-selection clause. The Court held that the doctrine of forum non conveniens cannot be used to frustrate an otherwise valid…
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In Ex parte Sears Roebuck and Co., 27 ALW 20-6 (2170632), 5/11/2018, the employee, Jeffrey Donaldson, (“Donaldson”), filed a Complaint for workers’ compensation benefits against his employer, Sears Roebuck and Co. (“Sears”) alleging that he suffered a compensable injury to his back while repairing an air-ventilation unit in 2016. Donaldson received authorized treatment for his…
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In Stapleton v. Barret Crane Design & Engineering, 2018 WL 985775, (2nd Cir. 2018), the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit found that contractual privity, or its functional equivalent, did not exist between an owner and engineering firm retained by the design-builder, because there was no contract between the parties and the…
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On May 21, 2018, in Epic Systems Corp. v. Lewis, the Supreme Court upheld the enforceability of arbitration agreements containing class and collective action waivers of wage and hour disputes. In deciding the case, the majority held that the Federal Arbitration Act (“FAA”) mandates the enforcement of arbitration agreements and the right to pursue class…
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The Alabama legislature recently amended provisions of the Home Builders Licensure Board Act (the “HBLB Act”) to expand the scope of home building projects and companies required to comply with the HBLB Act. The HBLB Act was originally enacted to protect individual homeowners when engaging a Construction company to either build a new home or…
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