Overview Oregon SB 726, known as the Oregon Workplace Fairness Act (the “OWFA”), was passed by the legislature in 2019, effective October 1st, 2020. The OWFA will require major changes to employee/employer agreements and discrimination policies. Employers in Oregon should immediately review and update their policies and agreements based on the law’s provisions. The [...]
OVERVIEW On May 8, 2019, Governor Jay Inslee signed HB 1450, a bill that effects substantial changes into the enforceability of non-compete covenants in the state of Washington. As the bill recites, the legislature found that “workforce mobility is important to economic growth and development,” and the bill introduces new limitations on the use of [...]
Arrangements between “for profit” companies and unpaid interns can lead to rewarding experiences for both parties. Interns benefit by receiving valuable real-world experience, mentorship, and connections. Companies get the opportunity to give back to students and help strengthen their industry. However, unpaid internships are not without issues and the legal landscape is shifting to require [...]
Recently, Oregon joined a growing number of cities and states adopting laws which provide for sick leave for employees. The new law which becomes effective on January 1, 2016 will apply to substantially all Oregon employers. However, only employers with ten or more employees will be required to provide paid sick leave. Employers with nine [...]
I didn’t foresee the day when words like “disrespectful, rude, disruptive or inappropriate” when used in an Employee Handbook would potentially land a business in hot water with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The “what?” you say. The NLRB is the federal government agency charged with enforcing provisions of the National Labor Relations Act [...]
Have you ever had the experience of trying to read a contract while the person waiting for you to sign dismissively tells you those terms on the last couple pages are just boilerplate, as though they aren't very important to the agreement? While that may be the common understanding, it just isn't the case. [...]
Update: The early returns are in, and the Form 1023-EZ appears to be significantly speeding up the approval process for tax-exempt status. The average age of pending applications has decreased to approximately two months (at the time of the initial post, it was approximately nine months). Indeed, we have seen an organization receive approval of [...]
Fixed Fee Legal: How general counsels are creating value beyond the billable hour We all know that the business of law is changing. Since the economic decline of 2008, firms nationwide have had to find new ways to control costs and drive value. In this environment, fixed fee legal arrangements have become a key player. [...]