By Steve Hall
Having been sworn in as the Forty-Fifth president of the United States, Donald Trump will now appoint individuals who will leave their fingerprints on the intellectual property landscape. Although it might not happen overnight, at some point in 2017 the President is expected to appoint a Director of the United States Patent and ...
By Glen Krebs
Beginning January 22, 2017, Employers must use the new Form I-9 when hiring a new employee. The new form is dated 11/14/2016. The old form (dated 03/08/2013) will not be acceptable for a date of hire after January 22, 2017. The old and new forms are not too different. Regarding the new form, United States Citizenship and Immigration ...
In a matter of great interest to many employers, last week, the United States Supreme Court agreed to decide whether arbitration agreements that prohibit employees from pursuing class and collective remedies are enforceable. Courts are currently divided on the issue. The Supreme Court granted certiorari in three cases ...
Last week, the United States Supreme Court agreed to decide whether the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals is the proper venue for challenges to the “Clean Water Rule.” As previously detailed on this blog, the Clean Water Rule was promulgated by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers to clarify and ...
Last week, the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals decided a case that sheds further light on a relatively new phenomenon associated with the term “reverse patent troll.” (Phigenix, Inc. v. ImmunoGen, Inc., January 9, 2017.) The notion of “abusive patent litigation” in the language of the Patent Office has existed for more than a decade ...
This week, Kentucky joined a growing majority of states across the country as a “Right to Work” state. This means employees in Kentucky cannot be forced to join a union and pay dues. The new law applies to all collective bargaining agreements (including extensions) entered into after January 7, 2017. The Right to Work law will not impact ...
Last Friday, January 6, 2017, Wyatt reported that Kentucky was poised to join 26 other states that have enacted right-to-work laws, as Kentucky’s new GOP House majority passed HB1. Over the weekend, HB1 was approved by the GOP Senate majority, and on Monday, January 9, 2017, Governor Matt Bevin signed HB1 into law. The new ...
Now that Republicans control the Executive Branch as well as both Houses of the Kentucky General Assembly, Kentucky will soon join 26 other states that have enacted right-to-work laws. In states with right-to-work laws, no employee can be required as a condition of employment, to join a union or to pay dues to a labor union.