As noted in our December 9, 2016, Client Alert, the Supreme Court in Salman v. U.S. ruled that the required “personal benefit” to the person disclosing inside information (the tipper) does not need to be “pecuniary” or something of a “similarly valuable nature.” Instead, the Supreme Court relied on its prior opinion in Dirks v. SEC, and found that a “gift” of inside information provided to the tipper’s family member or friend can be inferred by a jury as intent by the tipper to “provide the equivalent of a cash gift,” which is the personal benefit to the tipper. Salman, 137 S. Ct. 420, 427-28 (2016). “In such situations, the tipper benefits personally because giving a gift of trading information is the same thing as trading by the tipper followed by a gift of the proceeds.”  Id. at 428. The Supreme Court in Salman overruled as “inconsistent with Dirks” the Second Circuit’s 2014 holding in U.S. v. Newman that “the tipper must also receive something of a ‘pecuniary or similarly valuable nature’ in exchange for a gift to family or friends.”  Id. at 428. The Supreme Court did not directly address the other requirement in Newman that a non-pecuniary, non-monetary “personal benefit” can only be established with “proof of a meaningfully close personal relationship that generates an exchange that is objective, consequential, and represents at least a potential gain of a pecuniary or similarly valuable nature.”  U.S. v. Newman, 773 F.3d 438, 452 (2nd Cir. 2014) (emphasis added).

This is Part II of a four-part series discussing the new AIA 2017 forms. Part I discussed the agreements between the Owner and Contractor (A101-2017 and A102-2017); Part III will discuss the Owner—Architect forms (B101-2017, B102-2017 and B103-2017); Part IV will discuss miscellaneous new forms, including the new insurance exhibits and consultant forms.

USCIS announced it will resume premium processing for certain cap-exempt H-1B petitions effective July 24, 2017.

The Department of Labor (DOL) recently announced that it had submitted a proposed Request for Information, related to possible new overtime rules, to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review. The OMB review has now been completed and the DOL published the Request for Information on July 26, 2017. The DOL noted that the purpose of the Request for Information was to gather information for formulating a proposal to revise the white collar exemption regulations. The Request for Information seeks answers to 11 questions and is the strongest indication yet that the current DOL leadership will abandon the new salary basis regulations issued under President Obama.

USCIS has implemented a revised Form I-9 effective July 17, 2017. Employers have until Sept. 17, 2017, to discontinue use of the Nov. 14, 2016, edition of the Form I-9 but employers are urged to use the new version of the form as soon as possible. The new form has been updated to allow employers to accept Form FS-240, Consular Report of Birth Abroad as an acceptable List C document. The I-9 employer handbook has also been updated to reflect this change.

As previously reported, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals is currently reviewing a challenge to the recent Fair Labor Standards Act ("FLSA") overtime changes. Previously, a Texas district court entered an injunction preventing the Department of Labor ("DOL") from implementing new regulations regarding the determination of who is exempt for overtime purposes. On June 30, the DOL filed its reply brief with the Court of Appeals, stating that although it was no longer defending the overtime rule set to become effective on Dec. 1, 2016, it believed the district court erred in concluding that the DOL had no authority to set white-collar salary limitations. Therefore, the DOL requested that the court rule in its favor on that issue and reject the district court’s issuance of the injunction, which, it argued, “would call into question any salary-level test adopted by the [DOL].”  

The United States Supreme Court has allowed portions of President Trump’s travel ban to take effect; citizens from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen may be denied admission to the United States if they lack any bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States. On the other hand, the opinion stated that the travel ban may not be enforced against foreign nationals who have a credible claim of a bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States.

Brownfield redevelopment authorities and developers and owners of transformational brownfield redevelopment projects are eligible for substantial tax incentives under legislation signed by Governor Snyder on June 8, 2017.

The U.S. Department of Labor has indicated that the department will move in a new, more employer-friendly direction, leaving many businesses feeling hopeful. On June 7, 2017, the United States Department of Labor issued a press release rescinding the Department’s 2015 administrator’s interpretation memorandum regarding Independent Contractor classification under the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) and its 2016 administrator’s interpretation memorandum regarding joint employer status under the FLSA and the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Workers Protection Act.

The U.S. Supreme Court continues to limit the timeframe in which the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“S.E.C.”) can seek to levy monetary penalties in enforcement actions it brings against violators of the federal securities laws. Most recently, the Court limited to five years the window of time in which the S.E.C. can bring a claim to “disgorge,” or take away, ill-gotten gains from a defendant’s securities fraud. These rulings may result in quicker or more aggressive enforcement actions by the S.E.C. against companies or individuals accused of securities fraud, even perhaps before investigations are complete. The holdings may also affect the willingness of corporate or individual defendants to enter into “tolling agreements” with the S.E.C. that would toll (or stop) the limitations period while the parties discuss a potential resolution or settlement.

Information provides the cornerstone to the modern economy. Information flows across information technology networks similar to water naturally flowing down our mountains, into our streams and rivers, and out to the oceans. Within organizations, however, information must be damned to restrict access and the release of export-controlled information.

On Thursday, May 25, 2017, Governor Rick Snyder signed a bill to extend the deadline for filing Personal Property Tax (PPT) statements to claim the exemption for manufacturing personal property until tomorrow, Wednesday, May 31, 2017.  

[This is Part I of a four-part series discussing the new AIA 2017 forms. Part II will discuss the general conditions to the construction contract (A201-2017); Part III will discuss the Owner—Architect forms (B101-2017, B102-2017 and B103-2017); Part IV will discuss miscellaneous new forms, including the new insurance exhibits and consultant forms]

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued Revenue Procedure 2017-13 (Rev. Proc. 2017-13) on Jan. 17, 2017. The procedure provides more flexible, modern rules for structuring management contracts involving tax-exempt financed facilities. Twenty years after the IRS released Revenue Procedure 97-13 (Rev. Proc. 97-13), which helped to establish the previous safe harbor framework for management contracts, Rev. Proc. 2017-13 modifies, amplifies and supersedes Rev. Proc. 97-13, Notice 2014-67, and the most recent safe harbor published in Notice 2016-44.

The U.S. Supreme Court just shook up the patent world with its decision in TC Heartland LLC v. Kraft Foods Group Brands LLC. For nearly 30 years, companies accused of patent infringement could be sued in nearly any place they sold accused products. This led to a concentration of patent cases in geographically inconvenient and arguably plaintiff-friendly jurisdictions. TC Heartland, however, will limit such forum shopping by requiring patent cases to be filed in one of two places: where companies are incorporated or where they both have a regular, established place of business, and are committing infringement. The days of patent cases in uncertain and out-of-the-way jurisdictions are over.

When does the statute of limitations start running on claims for minority shareholder/member oppression under Michigan law? In its recent decision in Frank v. Linkner, a unanimous Michigan Supreme Court answered that question. It held that the statute of limitations accrues “when defendants’ actions allegedly interfered with the interests of a plaintiff as a member” and not necessarily “when a plaintiff incurs a calculable financial injury.”

In a departure from past interpretation, the Michigan Supreme Court issued a ruling on May 1, 2017 expanding the use of personal property tax exemptions available to for-profit institutions. In SBC Health Midwest, Inc. v City of Kentwood, the court held that Sanford-Brown College of Grand Rapids could qualify for Michigan personal property tax exemptions as an “educational institution,” despite its lack of non-profit status. This decision could result in expanded personal property tax exemptions and refunds for educational institutions in Michigan that could not previously claim exemption(s).

On May 2, 2017, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals clarified whether a bankruptcy debtor retains any property rights in rents after defaulting on a loan that includes an assignment of rents.

On Friday, April 21, 2017, a regional director for the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ordered that a union representation election must be held in a unit composed of 110 undergraduate student residential advisors at George Washington University (Slip Opinion in Full). The decision is a major extension of last year’s decision in Columbia University, which extended bargaining rights to units composed of graduate student assistants. Until the decision in George Washington, attempts to organize units of undergraduate students employed by the institution they were attending had been rejected by the Board.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order: “Buy American and Hire American,” which focuses on reviewing the current employment-based visa programs and considers ways to alter immigration laws.

On April 17, 2017, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it has completed the random computer-generated lottery selection process for fiscal year 2018.

On April 7, 2017, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it has reached the H-1B cap for fiscal year 2018. USCIS has received enough petitions to fill both the regular 65,000 H-1B cap and the U.S. advanced degree 20,000 H-1B cap.

On April 4, 2017, the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, sitting en banc, issued a landmark opinion becoming the first appellate court to hold that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, Kimberly Hively v. Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana.

On March 22, 2017, the Senate, by a vote of 50-48, passed a House of Representatives’ resolution which overturned the OSHA Rule seeking to expand the statute of limitations period for citations it issues to employers.

On March 15, 2017, a federal judge in Hawaii froze President Trump’s March 6, 2017 executive order. The ruling suspends the executive order just one day before it was set to go into effect on March 16, 2017. Arguments made by the state of Hawaii convinced the judge that the state showed a strong likelihood of success in proving that the executive order violates the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which prevents the government from disfavoring a particular religion. Litigation surrounding the executive order remains ongoing and foreign nationals from the six listed countries (Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen) should contact their Miller Canfield immigration attorney prior to traveling to or departing from the United States.

For the first time, the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) and the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) have updated the Antitrust Guidelines for the Licensing of Intellectual Property (“IP Licensing Guidelines”). First issued in 1995, the IP Licensing Guidelines describe the FTC’s and DOJ’s enforcement policies regarding intellectual property licensing.

Several Hollywood companies have agreed to pay $170 million to settle a class-action lawsuit by animators who claimed their wages were depressed by unlawful anti-poaching agreements. The recent settlements highlight that now more than ever, human resources executives must understand antitrust laws.

A short while ago, China finally granted the Trump Organization a trademark registration after a 10-year struggle. The timing of the announcement has fueled concern because just days before, President Trump had a phone call with Mr. Xi Jinping, China’s president. Despite speculation that the approval was a favor by the Chinese government, offered in light of President Trump’s friendliness the timing of the trademark approval was almost certainly a coincidence.

USCIS announced that it will suspend premium processing of all H-1B filings beginning April 3, 2017. The suspension includes all FY 2018 H-1B cap-subject petitions, cap-exempt cases, extensions, amendments, and change of employer petitions filed on or after April 3, 2017.

On March 6, 2017, President Trump signed an executive order, “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States.” The order is an updated version of the previous order issued on Jan. 27, 2017.

It is now a lot easier to enforce commercial noncompete agreements in Michigan. In its recent decision in Innovation Ventures v. Liquid Manufacturing, a unanimous Michigan Supreme Court holds that commercial noncompete agreements—for example, agreements with vendors, customers, or joint venture partners—are enforceable so long as they satisfy the Michigan Antitrust Reform Act (MARA). Commercial agreements not to compete no longer need to satisfy the common law “balancing test,” which still applies by statute to employee covenants not to compete.

Emboldened by public outcry and the growing reach of social media, athletes are increasingly finding their voices on social issues. As a result, the intersection of politics and sports has never been more destined for collisions.

The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) Antitrust Division offers immunity from prosecution to applicants who are the first to self-report antitrust violations. That immunity carries with it limited protection from damages in civil litigation. Last month, in the final days of the Obama administration, the Antitrust Division released a revised version of its “Frequently Asked Questions about the Antitrust Division’s Leniency Program” (FAQs), the most important published resource for prospective immunity applicants since 2008. Many of the updated FAQs narrow the immunity protections offered under the program. Accordingly, the revised FAQs should be reviewed carefully before making a determination whether to self-disclose to the division as an applicant. It remains to be seen whether these policies will remain in effect under the Trump administration.

On Feb. 9, 2017, the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit unanimously ruled against the government’s request to reinstate the executive order’s entry ban. As a result, the entry ban will remain suspended until the matter can be addressed on the full merits. While the ban could ultimately be re-instated, the ruling is based in large part on the court's determination that the Government is not likely to succeed on the merits. Although the ruling permits foreign nationals from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen to enter the United States, international travel is not without risk. Litigation surrounding the executive order remains ongoing and foreign nationals from the seven listed countries should contact their Miller Canfield immigration attorney prior to traveling to or departing from the United States.

Many businesses routinely make telemarketing calls to prior customers. However, a recent ruling holds that this may violate the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (“TCPA)” and may open up businesses and franchises to class action suits, even when a business thought it had written permission to call.

On Feb. 1, 2017, Donald F. McGahn II, counsel to President Donald Trump, issued a memorandum clarifying that the provisions of the executive order titled “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States” do not apply to lawful permanent residents of the United States.

On Jan. 27, 2017, President Donald Trump signed an executive order, “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States.” The order focuses on visa issuance, screening procedures, and refugees.

As of Jan. 22, 2017, employers are now required to switch over to the revised Form I-9 for all newly hired employees. This new “smart” Form I-9 can be downloaded at https://www.uscis.gov/i-9.

An owner of a US business that manufactures export-controlled items (“Export Business”) nears retirement. The owner decides to sell the Export Business. In a win for the owner, the sale of the Export Business interests both US and foreign purchasers. However, selling an Export Business to a foreign purchaser immediately subjects the Export Business to US law affecting the transfer of export-controlled items, including software and technology, to foreign nationals. Is the Export Business prepared for a sale to a foreign purchaser?

Przedsiębiorstwa importujące produkty do USA powinny zwrócić uwagę na obecnie toczącą się w Waszyngtonie dyskusję dotyczącą rozważanej reformy federalnego systemu podatku dochodowego od osób prawnych i objęcia nim tzw. „podatku granicznego” (“border tax”). Jeśli ta propozycja zostanie przyjęta i uzupełni obecnie istniejący amerykański system prawa podatkowego, co w świetle ostatnich wydarzeń wydaje się możliwe, może to znacząco wpłynąć na zasady międzynarodowej wymiany towarów.

Las empresas que importan bienes a los Estados Unidos deben prestar mucha atención a las serias discusiones que se están llevando a cabo actualmente en Washington, DC con respecto a una importante reestructuración fiscal la cual podría incluir un “impuesto de ajuste fronterizo”. Si tal propuesta se convierte en ley, que recientemente parece ser posible, podría tener un efecto radical en el comercio transfronterizo.

The influential Delaware bankruptcy court issued a recent decision that all secured lenders need to be aware of. In this decision, the bankruptcy court held that the fees of the official creditors’ committee were not limited by the dollar-amount cap in the financing order because the debtors confirmed their chapter 11 plan. The creditors’ committee argued that it was entitled to over $8 million in fees while the secured lender asserted that the committee’s fees were capped at $250,000 due to what the bankruptcy court referred to as a “standard carve-out provision” in the financing order. The bankruptcy court sided with the creditors’ committee because it found that the carve-out provision applied only in the event of failure and became irrelevant upon confirmation of the debtor’s chapter 11 plan. This decision demonstrates that the term “carve-out” is subject to differing interpretations despite its frequent use in bankruptcy parlance.

On Jan. 9, 2017, Michigan Governor Snyder signed into law a package of bills, all with immediate effect, that would exempt certain taxes levied for library purposes from being captured by tax increment financing authorities, including downtown development authorities (DDAs), tax increment finance authorities (TIFAs), local development finance authorities (LDFAs), and corridor improvement authorities (CIAs), (collectively, the “TIF Authorities”). The new laws do not affect the ability of brownfield redevelopment authorities to capture library millages.

Companies importing goods into the U.S. should pay very close attention to the serious discussions now taking place in Washington, D.C. regarding a major restructuring of the U.S. corporate income tax scheme to include a “border adjustment tax” feature. If such a proposal becomes law, which suddenly looks possible, it would have a radical effect on cross-border trade, mooting concerns about any threats to renegotiate NAFTA and other free-trade agreements.

In October 2015, we discussed Cook County, Illinois circuit court cases City of Chicago v. KTCP and Halsted West v. City of Chicago, which held that an assignment of a mortgage is a transfer of a “beneficial interest in real property” and therefore taxable under the City of Chicago’s Real Property Transfer Tax Ordinance (“Transfer Tax Ordinance”). On Dec. 22, 2016, the Illinois appellate court overturned the circuit court’s ruling in the Halsted West case and in similar circuit court case involving another note purchaser, in the consolidated case City of Chicago v. Elm State Property.

A package of recently signed Michigan laws will solidify the state’s position as the leader in automated vehicle development. However the four bills, which were signed into law by Gov. Rick Snyder on Dec. 9, 2016, contain some ambiguities in areas such as safety on public roadways, and traffic enforcement where there is no human driver, requiring further rulemaking and clarification. Michigan should act swiftly to address these issues to remain at the cutting edge of the automated vehicle industry.

H-1B petitions subject to the Fiscal Year 2018 cap (FY 2018) must be received by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) during the first five days of April 2017. As April 1 falls on a Saturday in 2017, employers should be prepared for the filing period to begin on Monday, April 3.

The latest developments for companies doing business in Poland, including: new regulations on the posting of workers for the provision of services, the obligation to make business payments of over PLN 15,000 through a bank account, adopting management and supervisory board resolutions via means of distance communication, the act of the out-of-court settlement of consumer disputes, new rules for modifying public contracts, employee liability for damage caused to the employer, draft bill on real estate investment trusts, securing the interests of management and the company through D&O insurance, sea change in personal data protection rules, the sole shareholder as an employee of the limited liability company; and more.

In two separate cases, a Michigan Court of Appeals panel determined that state law does not preempt public school policies relating to the possession of firearms in schools and at school-sponsored events. In the lead case, Michigan Gun Owners Inc and Ulysses Wong v Ann Arbor Public Schools plaintiff Wong, who possesses a concealed weapons license, is the father of an AAPS student. In the other case, Michigan Open Carry Inc and Kenneth Herman v Clio Area School District plaintiff Herman was barred from visiting his child’s elementary school while openly carrying a pistol for which he possessed a concealed weapons license. In both cases, the school districts maintain policies that ban possession of firearms on school property and at school-sponsored activities. With the exception of law enforcement personnel, the prohibitions broadly apply even where a person is otherwise authorized by law to possess a weapon or has a concealed weapons permit.

On Nov. 22, 2016, the recent revisions to the Fair Labor Standards Act overtime provisions - slated to become effective Dec. 1, 2016 - were enjoined by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. In its decision, the court prohibited the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) from enforcing its new salary regulations for exempt employees. The DOL has now appealed that decision to Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. The Court of Appeals has now granted the DOL’s motion for expedited review.

In May 2014, Michigan enacted a law that will gradually increase the minimum wage from $7.40 to $9.25 per hour by January 1, 2018. On January 1, 2017, the minimum hourly wage for employees will increase by 40 cents, from $8.50 to $8.90 per hour.

To be liable for insider trading in violation of the federal securities laws, the insider “tipper” who discloses the inside information must personally benefit, directly or indirectly, from his disclosure to a “tippee” who trades on the inside information — this establishes the liability requirement that the disclosure was in violation of the tipper’s fiduciary duty of trust and confidence to the source of the information. In criminal insider trading cases, the government must also prove that a “downstream tippee” knew the information upon which he traded came from an insider or that the insider tipper received a personal benefit in exchange for the tip.

Yesterday, the Seventh Circuit released a decision broadly ruling that student-athletes are not employees for purposes of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). In Berger v. National Collegiate Athletic Association, two women track and field athletes who ran at the University of Pennsylvania sued Penn, the NCAA and 120 other colleges claiming that they were employees entitled to minimum wage for all hours spent in track and field activities. Each received a scholarship, but consistent with Ivy League rules, their scholarships were not dependent on athletic participation.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) has announced a revised Form I-9. The old Form I-9 may only be used until Jan. 21, 2017, but employers are urged to transition to the new digital version of the form as soon as possible.

The new guidance discusses Title VII’s prohibition against national origin discrimination and its application to all types of workplace settings, including hiring, firing, and discipline, in order to prevent employment discrimination on the basis of national origin.

Just eight days before the Dec. 1, 2016, effective date, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas entered a nationwide injunction prohibiting the U.S. Department of Labor from enforcing the recent regulatory changes issued pursuant to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The DOL had previously published a proposed Notice of Rulemaking and, thereafter, a Final Rule which, as of Dec. 1, would have raised the minimum salary level for exempt employees from $455 per week ($23,660 annually) to $913 per week ($47,476 annually). In addition, the Final Rule would have established an automatic updating mechanism that would have adjusted the minimum salary level every three years; the first automatic increase was scheduled to occur on Jan. 1, 2020.

Poland’s Ministry of Finance published a draft bill which would authorize the establishment and operation of Polish Real Estate Investment Trusts (Spółki Rynku Wynajmu Nieruchomości) in Poland. At this stage, the proposal has not been officially presented as a bill to the Parliament, so the bill proposal may still undergo significant changes before becoming effective, but the main points are outlined below.

As we explained in our March 24, 2016 alert, on March 23, 2016, the Department of Labor (“DOL”) finalized its “persuader” rule, which would have required that employers and legal consultants report all pay arrangements regarding attempts to persuade employees, either directly or indirectly, about their right to union representation or to bargain collectively.

Durante su campaña para presidente, el Presidente-Electo Trump prometió repetidamente renegociar el TLCAN e imponer un arancel del 35 por ciento sobre las importaciones procedentes de México y un arancel aun mayor a las importaciones procedentes de otros países. Bajo la ley actual y salvo la promulgación de nuevas leyes, el Presidente de los EE.UU. tiene autoridad legal para tomar las medidas necesarias para retirar a los Estados Unidos del TLCAN y elevar los aranceles a las importaciones.

During his campaign for president, President-elect Trump promised repeatedly to renegotiate NAFTA and impose a 35 percent tariff on imports from Mexico and even higher tariffs on imports from other countries. Under current law and absent the passage of new legislation, the U.S. President does have legal authority to take the requisite steps to withdraw the U.S. from NAFTA and raise tariffs on imports.

The Michigan Court of Appeals has ruled that email deliberations among a quorum of public body members violates the Open Meetings Act. The Nov. 1, 2016, unpublished opinion was issued by a three-judge panel in the case of Markel v Mackley, Case No. 327617.

The Michigan Senate passed HB 4388, which amends Section 1212 of the School Code to allow additional uses of sinking fund proceeds for sinking fund millage proposals authorized by the voters after the bill becomes effective.

The deadline for employers to implement changes to "white collar" overtime compensation is a month away.

There is a great likelihood that University research conducted by faculty and students, at one time or another, will be subject to U.S. export control and economic sanctions that (a) impose access, dissemination, and/or participation restrictions on transfers to foreign persons of research regulated for national security reasons or (b) prohibit or limit collaborations with certain foreign persons.

Employers making discharge and discipline decisions must consider past employee statements or conduct regarding employment health and benefit plans.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (“DOT”) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (“NHTSA”) last week finally issued the long-awaited Federal Automated Vehicles Policy (the “HAV policy”). The HAV policy, which addresses highly automated vehicles (“HAVs”) and HAV systems, raises several key issues not only for manufacturers using HAV systems in their vehicles, but also for automotive component suppliers, software and hardware tech companies, aftermarket upfitters, ride-sharing companies and fleet operators.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently issued new Enforcement Guidance on Retaliation and Related Issues, marking the first time that the EEOC has issued a formal resource document on retaliation since 1998.

The National Labor Board of Relations decision in Columbia University promises to be a potential source of litigation and headaches for college administrators regardless of whether student employees on campus choose to organize.

The benefits of simulation software can be very clear but the inherent export control implications not so. Jeffrey Richardson examines the real challenges of virtualisation.

On Wednesday July 13, 2016, the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) issued a revised proposal expanding pay data collection from federal contractors and other employers with more than 100 employees who are required to submit EEO-1 forms.

We recently alerted you to provisions affecting employer drug testing and safety incentive programs contained in the amended OSHA Injury & Illness Recordkeeping Standard.

Employers who rely on staffing agencies for employees must be aware of the significant expansion in the National Labor Relations Board’s treatment of the joint-employer doctrine as determined in two major recent decisions.

A public body must respond to a FOIA request within five days, but the Michigan Court of Appeals has opined that there is no obligation to produce the requested information within that timeframe.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) intends to enhance its enforcement efforts against employers who OSHA believes are using drug testing and safety incentives to improperly reduce recordable work-related employee injuries and illnesses.

Miller Canfield provides legal counsel and representation to companies doing business in or with Mexico.

A Department of Labor rule requiring employers to disclose when they hire lawyers and consultants during union organization campaigns has been at least temporarily put on hold.

In its second trip to the United States Supreme Court, the High Court ruled today in Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin, et al. No. 14-981 (June 23, 2016) that the University of Texas’ (“UT”) race-conscious admissions policy is constitutional.

Penalties assessed against employers for OSHA workplace health and safety violations will be adjusted for inflation under a law passed by Congress.