Seyfarth Shaw LLP

By: Mecole Tate and Chelsea Hoffman Seyfarth Synopsis: San Francisco just delivered a bundle of joy for new parents. The city reduced the employment tenure requirement under its Paid Parental Leave Ordinance from 180 days to 90 days, meaning eligible employees can start accessing employer-paid supplemental compensation benefits faster. Covered employers may want to start baby-proofing their policies now, ahead of phased-in compliance beginning January 1, 2027. New parents in…

Seyfarth Synopsis: San Francisco just delivered a bundle of joy for new parents. The city reduced the employment tenure requirement under its Paid Parental Leave Ordinance from 180 days to 90 days, meaning eligible employees can start accessing employer-paid supplemental compensation benefits faster. Covered employers may want to start baby-proofing their policies now, ahead of phased-in compliance beginning January 1, 2027. New parents in San Francisco have a reason to…

Seyfarth Synopsis: The U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) has issued a final rule substantially revising the regulations implementing Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act. Most notably, the rule rescinds the longstanding 7% disability utilization goal under 41 C.F.R. § 60-741.45 and the disability-related data collection requirements under 41 C.F.R. § 60-741.44(k). The rule reflects the DOL's opinion that the prior framework created tension with the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”),…

On August 11, 2026, the Colorado Department of Law released a single set of proposed rules  substantially building out two 2026 statutes: the Automated Decision-Making Technology Act (“ADMT Act”) and the Conversational Artificial Intelligence Service Operator Requirements (the “Chatbot Safety Act”). Both laws take effect January 1, 2027, and the proposed rules would become effective the same day. The Rules are not yet final – for covered organizations and interested parties the weeks until September…

After years of rulemakings, filing deadlines, court challenges, injunctions, extensions, and client alerts, the Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”) appears to have reached its conclusion for most US businesses. On August 11, 2026, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) released a final rule adopting, with limited changes, the March 2025 interim final rule narrowing the CTA’s BOI reporting requirements. Most importantly, the final rule permanently removes BOI reporting requirements for US…

Just hours after publication of our earlier alert, USCIS issued updated guidance confirming that Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for both Burma (Myanmar) and South Sudan is terminated effective August 7, 2026. USCIS stated that TPS-based Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) issued under categories A12 and C19 for beneficiaries from both countries are no longer valid, and employers must reverify affected employees who previously presented those documents. The announcements supersede all prior…

Understanding Louisiana’s New Workplace Violence Law: Behind the Counter | Workplace Safety and Environmental Law Alert Blog Skip to content

The pace of change in employment authorization policy has long been relentless, but the developments of the last several days have been particularly significant. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released updated guidance, courts permitted several Temporary Protected Status (TPS) terminations to proceed, and a stay was denied in litigation challenging the TPS provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). Judge Lifts Haiti Stay; USCIS Issues Additional Guidance…

Key Takeaways Governor Greg Abbott has directed the PUCT and ERCOT to pause pending data center interconnection requests until each project completes a comprehensive audit. The audit will examine project power demand and generation strategy, water use, public incentives, community impacts, and ownership. ERCOT’s existing Batch Zero schedule calls for initial project classifications by August 7, but neither ERCOT nor the PUCT has publicly announced how the new audit will…

August 6, 2026 -  Seyfarth Shaw LLP continues to extend its litigation and investigations platform with the addition of nationally recognized trial lawyer Nathan Muyskens as a partner in Washington, DC. Muyskens will serve as co-chair of Seyfarth's White Collar practice and as a key member of the firm's national Trial team. Muyskens’ arrival at Seyfarth follows months after another preeminent trial lawyer, Marc Mukasey, moved to Seyfarth along with…

August 4, 2026 – Seyfarth Shaw LLP has significantly boosted its Seattle Labor & Employment practice with the addition of partner Meg Burnham and six other lawyers, building on the firm's recent additions of leading employment litigators Kathryn (Katie) Rosen and Devin Smith. Burnham is being joined in Seyfarth’s Seattle Labor & Employment practice by senior counsel Scott Prange and Darrah Hinton, counsel Rebecca Lynch, and associates Katie Gould, Kathleen…

Thursday, August 6, 20262:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Eastern1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Central12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Mountain11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Pacific About the Decoding Data Privacy Series Data privacy and cybersecurity have become critical business risks for companies as they increasingly rely on technology to collect, store, monitor, and manage employee and customer information. From biometric data, workplace monitoring tools, marketing-based communication systems and connected tracking technologies, and AI-enabled…

The Temporary Protected Status (TPS) landscape continues to evolve rapidly. On July 29, 2026, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued updated guidance for Haiti and Syria stating that TPS and associated employment authorization have terminated effective July 27, 2026. USCIS also instructed employers to reverify employment authorization for affected TPS beneficiaries from Haiti, Syria, and Yemen. On July 30, 2026, USCIS issued updated guidance for Ethiopia and Burma (Myanmar).The…

July 31, 2026 – Seyfarth Shaw LLP represented Torq Consulting in its combination with Sendero Consulting, bringing together two Dallas-based, founder-led consulting firms with complementary strengths in digital transformation, data analytics, and AI-enabled business solutions. The combination creates a larger platform positioned to help clients navigate increasingly complex business and technology challenges while preserving the entrepreneurial culture and client-first approach that have driven the success of both organizations. The transaction…

Seyfarth Synopsis: On July 23, 2026, the Department of Labor (DOL) issued proposed regulations that would significantly expand the ability of group health plans to furnish required ERISA disclosures electronically (“Proposed Rule”). The proposal would create a new electronic disclosure safe harbor for group health plans modeled largely after the DOL’s 2020 electronic disclosure framework for retirement plan notices.  For too long, plan administrators  have been required to comply with…

Venezuela’s legal and commercial environment is entering a new phase. Recent hydrocarbons reforms and implementing regulations have expanded opportunities for private participation across the oil value chain, while the United States has issued a series of general licenses permitting defined categories of energy, minerals, financial-services and investment-related activity. These developments may create meaningful opportunities for Venezuelan businesses seeking foreign capital, technology, services, financing and access to international markets. They do…

In a July 21, 2026 decision, the D.C. Circuit struck down the National Labor Relations Board’s “successor bar” doctrine, holding that it is inconsistent with the National Labor Relations Act. In doing so, the majority opinion in Hospital Menonita de Guayama v. NLRB relied on Loper Bright and the court’s obligation to independently interpret statutes rather than to defer to an agency’s own interpretation of its statutory authority. The decision…

WASHINGTON – Several nonprofit solar grantees have now filed claims against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the Court of Federal Claims, challenging the agency’s decision to break grant agreements that had been awarded competitively under a nationwide program, Solar for All, meant to accelerate deployment of solar on residential homes and slash energy bills for millions of Americans. The Southern Environmental Law Center, Lawyers for Good Government, Seyfarth…

July 20, 2026 – Seyfarth Shaw LLP has further expanded its world-class Real Estate department by adding Chris McCoy as a partner in the firm’s growing Charlotte office. McCoy is the 12th Real Estate partner who has made a lateral move to Seyfarth since January 2025 – and the fifth partner since the beginning of 2026 to join Seyfarth’s Real Estate group, which ranks among the largest in the United…

By: Alison Silveira, Lilah Wylde, and Natalie Costero The House settlement was expected to bring long-awaited structure to college athletics. Instead, it has marked the beginning of a new phase of litigation, regulatory disputes, and legislative activity  that will shape how Universities implement revenue sharing, manage NIL programs, and interact with third-party partners. For Universities now one year into the effectiveness of House, the challenge is no longer simply preparing…

On Wednesday, July 8, 2026 at the NATO Summit, President Donald Trump announced his intention to “cut off all trade with Spain” due to disagreements over defense spending. He further indicated that he had instructed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to evaluate and implement corresponding measures within the applicable legal framework. Although any action of this nature would face significant legal, and regulatory constraints, as well as constraints arising from US…

Seyfarth Synopsis:  In a July 9, 2026 ruling, the Washington Supreme Court struck down Washington’s live-in caregiver exemption for adult family home caregivers, but the bigger story is not about live-in caregivers – it’s about the Court continuing to build a constitutional framework for attacking long-standing wage-and-hour exemptions. Healthcare employers should expect plaintiffs’ attorneys to start looking for the next target. What Happened? On July 9, 2026, the Washington Supreme…

A recent opinion by Justice Andrea Masley of New York County Supreme Court (Commercial Division) has meaningful implications for how lenders may consider structuring forbearance arrangements involving New York City real property. In Shanghai Commercial Bank Ltd. v. New Tent, LLC, the lender commenced suit against borrowers for breach of a Forbearance Agreement in connection with a $34 million loan secured by real property in midtown Manhattan, entered into following…

In a significant July 6, 2026 decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit held that Rhode Island cannot constitutionally require a motor vehicle manufacturer to notify its Rhode Island dealer and provide an opportunity to protest before establishing a new dealership in Massachusetts.[1] The court concluded that applying Rhode Island’s dealer-protection statute in that manner would violate the Dormant Commerce Clause because it would directly regulate an…

July 8, 2026 – Seyfarth Shaw LLP continues the strategic growth of its Corporate department with the addition of Kristin Rice-Gonzalez as a partner in the firm’s Chicago office. Rice-Gonzalez is the 12th Corporate partner to make a lateral move to Seyfarth since the start of 2025 – and the fourth since the beginning of 2026. She follows Robert Giacchetti (Boston), Jeffrey Cash (Dallas), and Daniel Valsamopoulos (New York), who joined…

June 30, 2026 – Seyfarth Shaw LLP has further bolstered its Labor & Employment practice with Steven Moore, a nationally recognized L&E litigator, as a partner based in its San Francisco office. Moore brings to Seyfarth a nationally recognized employment litigation practice, a substantial book of business, and deep experience with high‑stakes wage and hour class and collective actions. He has built a reputation as an accomplished trial lawyer with…

For years, employers have operated in a compliance environment where even well-designed, neutral policies could create liability based solely on statistical disparities. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s 2026 National Enforcement Plan (as discussed in our prior alert) and the Department of Justice’s recent legal interpretation together signal a meaningful shift: federal enforcement is now anchored in intent, not outcomes. For employers, this brings greater clarity and predictability. But it should…

Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) technology is facing increasing legal scrutiny as courts, regulators and individuals attempt to examine and expose the various ways in which license plate data is captured, collected, shared and used. Recent disputes over ALPR technology have shifted away from issues of public safety and toward whether the private sector businesses and governmental organizations, among others, that utilize ALPR adequately disclose its use and sharing, as well…

A recent federal court decision in favor of Clover Health has quickly evolved from an insurer-specific dispute into one of the most significant Medicare Advantage (“MA”) regulatory developments in recent years. On May 27, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia held that CMS improperly calculated Clover’s 2026 Star Rating and ordered the agency to set aside and recalculate the rating. The court held that CMS…

Take It or Leave It is the only law firm podcast focused exclusively on workplace leaves, absence management, and accommodations. Host Josh Seidman, Employment attorney and leader of Seyfarth’s Leave of Absence Management & Accommodations team, explores the latest legal developments, forecasts new laws, identifies workplace trends, and offers practical, business-oriented considerations within the leave, absence management, and accommodations space. Follow us on:           Episode 48: Maine Paid Family and Medical Leave Has…

June 22, 2026 – Seyfarth Shaw LLP has further bolstered its Labor & Employment practice with the move of noted labor lawyer Matthew Huntsman to the Am Law 100 firm as a partner in its expanding Dallas office. Huntsman is the fourth partner to move to Seyfarth in Dallas so far this year. Jonathan Bull, Jeff Cash, and Deborah Ryan all joined the firm’s Dallas office in lateral moves in…

On May 7, 2026, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published a 60-day notice proposing to amend Form AR-11, Alien Change of Address. The proposal would significantly expand the scope of information that foreign nationals must provide when reporting a change of address. The new form includes a requirement to list the “Alien’s” employer. The public comment period is open until July 6, 2026.  The impact on employers is nuanced…

Seyfarth Synopsis: In late May 2026, the Office of Drug and Alcohol Policy and Compliance and the Office of the General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) issued a new Question and Answer (Q&A) addressing how its drug testing regulations apply considering the recent rescheduling of certain marijuana products under federal law. The Q&A provides important clarification for employers with safety-sensitive employees subject to DOT regulations—and reinforces that,…

Seyfarth’s launch of its Miami office has generated widespread media attention across leading legal, business, and international publications, reinforcing the significance of the firm’s strategic expansion into a key US–Latin America business hub. Coverage included feature stories in Law360, Daily Business Review (American Lawyer/Law.com), International Employment Lawyer, and Latin Lawyer. Other coverage included Latinvex, Global Legal Chronicle, Global Legal Post, Corporate Counsel Business Journal, and Europe Says, among others. Collectively, the coverage highlights the firm’s continued investment in…

Seyfarth Synopsis: The Washington State Human Rights Commission recently adopted a resolution reaffirming its commitment to protecting Jewish Washingtonians from violence, threats, intimidation, discrimination, and harassment. That effort, however, was quickly overshadowed by remarks from a commissioner that many viewed as invoking longstanding antisemitic tropes. The incident has raised questions about the credibility of an agency tasked with enforcing civil rights—and whether it can maintain public trust when concerns about…

Seyfarth Synopsis: With the 2026 New York State legislative session complete, several employment-related bills have passed both chambers, and now await possible consideration by Governor Hochul. The 2026 New York State legislative session, which concluded in early June, saw a number of bills that passed both the Assembly and Senate and may become law. The ultimate fate of the bills, however, remains in flux, as it is uncertain whether they…

Seyfarth Synopsis: The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) recently upheld a $1.4 million jury verdict in Robinson v. Marshfield in favor of a fire chief who alleged retaliation after complaining that his niece, a probationary firefighter, was being discriminated against on the basis of her gender. On appeal, the town challenged the lower court’s blending of pretext and mixed-motive instructions to the jury, when only a pretext instruction was warranted.…

CRE Enters a Selective Cycle as Growth Becomes More Targeted Seyfarth’s real estate team provides a bird's-eye view of the current state of commercial real estate throughout the country—highlighting which markets and major asset types are active, slowing down, or experiencing shifts. Seyfarth’s Take: What to Know ✔ Opportunities: Data centers remain the primary growth engine, with continued acceleration in Texas, the Midwest, and key coastal markets. Industrial has stabilized…

For many California employers, immigration enforcement no longer appears as a dramatic but rare worksite event. Recent enforcement activity has required employers to shift from a reactive posture to one that is proactive and compliance focused. Even as public attention shifts, the intersection of California and federal law continues to create meaningful risk for employers that do not approach this area with care. California employers, along with employers in Oregon,…

Seyfarth Synopsis: The California Court of Appeal affirmed summary judgment for an employer on claims for disability discrimination, failure to accommodate, and failure to engage in the interactive process because the employer did not know, and could not reasonably have inferred, that the employee had a disability. The Court emphasized that erratic or unusual behavior alone is insufficient to impute knowledge of a disability unless the disability is the only…