Seyfarth Synopsis: The Second District again held that issue preclusion barred plaintiff’s PAGA claim because he failed to establish any violation of the Labor Code and arbitral findings have a preclusive effect on a plaintiff’s standing in a stayed PAGA claim. The Second District again grappled with the issue of whether an arbitrator’s previous adjudication of Labor Code violations preclude a plaintiff from asserting a PAGA claim based on…
Quick Hits In 2022, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in Rouses Enterprises, L.L.C. v. Clapp, held that Louisiana law does not allow an employer to enforce a noncompete agreement signed by a prospective employee. In Gallagher & Co. v. Annison, the Louisiana Court of Appeal, First Circuit, distinguished Rouses and held that noncompete agreements signed by prospective employees are enforceable where the agreements contain an effective…
The Ontario Capital Markets Tribunal (the CMT) dismissed the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) prosecution in Re Cormark Securities Inc. The CMT held that the OSC “failed to prove any of its allegations”, that the transactions in issue were not an illegal distribution, and that the respondents’ conduct did not engage the CMT’s public interest jurisdiction. The CMT’s decision contains helpful guidance for market participants on a number of issues. BLG…
Do these comments resonate with you? Owners don’t understand that we’re not just paperwork. HR is a punching bag expected to resolve everyone’s mess. There’s no HR budget, no support, and a team of 2 for 300+ employees. Even after a workforce survey, leadership still won’t listen to me! It’s been 15 years of delivering webinars to an HR audience totalling hundreds of thousands of people. And I hear…
On the other hand, the current partners of the ANC in the ruling coalition embrace, as noted above, pro-Western and/or right-wing political views. In order to maintain unity within the coalition, certain compromises between the ANC and its partners in the government cannot be ruled out, including on foreign policy issues.In this regard, the question of whether it is possible to adjust the foreign policy of South Africa after the…
The rapid advancement of AI and generative AI (gen AI) is fundamentally transforming the cybersecurity landscape, presenting both opportunities and challenges for cybersecurity providers. As more organizations in both the private and public sectors use AI to enhance their operations, they risk inadvertently introducing new cyber-related threats. This is creating a significant and growing demand for advanced cybersecurity solutions. AI is also being used by bad actors as a tool…
Topics Culture Champions Building a healthy culture is one of the most important — and hardest — leadership jobs. These articles, based on a webinar series and research by Donald Sull and CultureX, share actionable advice from leaders whose cultures produced exceptional business results and a world-class employee experience. More in this series Aleksandar Savic As the chief operating officer responsible for leading Delta Airlines through bankruptcy in 2005, Jim…
In celebration of the recent release of the 6th Edition of the Government Contracts Compliance Handbook (authored by the Seyfarth Government Contracts Group), we’re sharing six essential questions and answers that every government contractor should be prepared to address regarding procurement fraud. This milestone edition dives into the complexities of compliance, criminal and civil penalties, and the administrative sanctions contractors may face. With procurement fraud risks continually evolving, these six…
Ontario has a new proposed pilot program for testing automated vehicles on Ontario’s public roads. While the initial program commenced in 2016 was restricted to non-commercial automated vehicles (such as passenger vehicles, light-duty delivery trucks/vans, and small shuttles), the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO) announced on Oct. 16, 2024 a 10-year pilot project called Framework for an Automated Commercial Motor Vehicles (ACMV). The new ACMV project is designed for…
A pair of red and white concrete road barriers aligned on a street against a light blue background. You know about guardrails on the highway: barriers along the edge of the road that protect vehicles from veering off course and into danger. With the advent of generative AI (gen AI), the concept of guardrails also applies to systems designed to ensure that a company’s AI tools, especially large language models (LLMs),…
Carolyn Geason-Beissel/MIT SMR | Getty Images When it comes to maximizing growth and revenue, you may be missing something — something big. It’s the harnessing of predictive AI to enhance and deploy sales performance management (SPM). Companies with sizable sales forces — whether in the technology, medical device, pharmaceutical, industrial, or consumer goods industry or some other sector — must consider adopting AI-driven SPM. Consider the example of NovaMed, a…
Rock Staar, Unsplash As we previously reported, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) announced that it is amending and reorganizing the document requirements for pre-merger notifications under the Hart Scott Rodino Act (“HSR Act”), 15 U.S.C. 18a, which also includes a requirement for buyers to indicate the existence of non-compete and non-solicit agreements among the businesses involved. The HSR Act and the associated rules require parties to specified mergers and acquisitions…
*This article was originally published on the American Bar Association website There have been several significant new developments in product-related class actions in Canada in the past two years. These decisions, arising from Ontario, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia provide important insights into how courts are deciding product liability class actions, particularly at the certification motion, and the court’s authority to dismiss putative class actions for delay. This article highlights key…
From virtual assistants to self-driving cars to medical imaging analysis, the use of modern AI technologies based on deep-learning architectures has increased dramatically in recent years. But what makes us put our faith in such technologies to, say, get us safely to our destination without running off the road? And why do we perceive some forms of AI to be more trustworthy than others?It may depend on how much agency…
On this page: Opportunity | Solution | Impact 0Kdocumentseasily searchable in database$0K+per hourestimated saved via recouped downtime0%improvement inapprox. 1st-time resolution rates The Opportunity Enhancing field service support with generative AI Ascendum is a Portugal-based global provider of machinery and equipment for the construction, infrastructure, haulage, and agriculture sectors. The company distributes and maintains over 25 different brands of construction machinery, industrial and infrastructure equipment, trucks, agricultural machinery, and specialized gear…
On November 18 at 12:00 noon Moscow time, the Valdai Club will host a presentation of the Valdai Paper "Russia-Africa: Overcoming Challenges". Today, Russia is pursuing an active policy of expanding cooperation with African countries. The first ministerial conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum was held in Sochi on November 9-10. Its participants defined the tasks for the coming years and summed up the first results of the second Russia-Africa…
As India embraces digital transformation, inclusion, and a new role as a tech leader exemplified by a decade of technology transformation, or “techade,” new opportunities open up for the insurance sector and the wider financial services industry. With strong valuations and a significant growth trajectory, India’s insurance industry is poised for continued success. Accompanying this positive outlook, however, are concerns about profitability and notably slow innovation within the industry in…
14 November 2024 By Yıldız Akkaya, John Hutchinson, Kasper Jørgensen and Emanuel SkeppåsThe Eurosystem has started to reduce its bond holdings. This ECB Blog post investigates how strongly the shrinking balance sheet affects long-term interest rates. Estimates based on the Survey of Monetary Analysts suggest: an expected €1 trillion reduction in bond holdings may raise long-term risk-free interest rates by about 35 bps.The ECB reacted forcefully in response to the…
Carolyn Geason-Beissel/MIT SMR | Getty Images Employee engagement — the measure of individual commitment to organizational success — positively correlates with discretionary effort and meaningfully impacts every individual and organizational performance metric that matters. However, despite significant investments across most industries, leading engagement studies have never found more than 36% of employees engaged at work. The Gallup Q12 survey tool, which some consider the gold standard for measuring employee engagement,…
On November 12, 2024, the final rule issued by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) amending premerger notification requirements under the Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) Antitrust Act was published in the Federal Register. The HSR Act typically requires parties to mergers and acquisitions over a certain size ($119.5 million in 2024) to provide to the FTC and U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) advance notice of the proposed transaction and observe a 30-day waiting…
Discover prompts for educators to manage last-minute tasks efficiently and keep students engaged as the term winds down. The weeks before a term ends and break begins are filled with opportunities for growth and creativity. Final assessments, lesson prep, and keeping students engaged as they eagerly anticipate the coming break presents creative challenges for educators. Whether you’re a classroom educator, special education or learning support educator, paraprofessional, or librarian, Copilot…
You might think of your financial plan as being a way to help you reach your life goals. But it could benefit more than just you. As a financial plan focuses on your goals, you might choose to include ways to create a legacy for your loved ones. It could mean your wealth provides long-term financial security to your children, grandchildren, and others who are important to you. So, how…
A great aviator is constantly aware of their surroundings. Watching for changes in the weather and in the paths of other aircraft is vital. The same is true for being a great CEO, which is why the business press is full of information about what’s happening in the business environment: geopolitics, regulatory changes, inflation, generative AI, and so on. Equally important for a pilot’s success is understanding their aircraft and…
Professor Myles Allen, Oxford University Physics, Head of Climate Science. Credit: Martin Small. The science of net zero, developed over 15 years ago,* does not include these natural carbon sinks in the definition of net human-induced CO2 emissions.Natural sinks play a vital role to moderate the impact of current emissions and draw down atmospheric CO2 concentrations after the date of net zero, stabilizing global temperatures. Yet governments and corporations are…
Research suggests that a worrying number of families are putting off major life decisions until they receive an expected inheritance. It could place their long-term finances at risk, but talking to your loved ones may identify ways you could offer support. According to a Canada Life survey, more than 1 in 5 UK adults who expect to benefit from the estate of a loved one are delaying major life events…
People in their late teens experience an increased sensitivity to threats after just a few hours left in a room on their own – an effect that endures even if they are interacting online with friends and family.This is according to latest findings from a cognitive neuroscience experiment conducted at the University of Cambridge, which saw 40 young people aged 16-19 undergo testing before and after several hours alone –…
Since 2016, strategic competition between the United States and the People's Republic of China has become a prominent feature of the evolution of the international system. Analysing the reasons for this rivalry is an important task in understanding contemporary international relations. Despite the recent 2024 US presidential election, which resulted in a change of leadership, most experts believe that the basic principles of American policy towards China will remain unchanged.In…
Taking a Slice Out of Parker: District Court Rejects Sixth Circuit’s Reimbursement Standard for Pizza Delivery Drivers | Wage & Hour Litigation Blog Skip to content
Launching a social justice startup takes more than a moving story. Ask Harley Blakeman, the 32-year-old founder of Honest Jobs.He has perfected his elevator pitch, but that doesn’t mean launching his business has been easy. A once-homeless teenager from Florida, Blakeman turned to selling drugs—a lucrative gig that taught him a lot about business but ultimately landed him in prison. Once he’d served his 14 months, Blakeman sought to build…
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is providing scammers with new ways to try and dupe you. One type of scam that’s on the rise that you should be aware of is “voice cloning”. Voice cloning uses AI technology to replicate the voice of a friend or family member. Fraudsters then use this to contact you to ask you to transfer funds or share sensitive information. It can be incredibly difficult to spot…
Today, banks use risk management to help drive strategic development for growth. This is a comprehensive approach to risk that insurers should aspire to emulate, especially as new risks are emerging more quickly and creating new challenges. According to a 2023–24 benchmarking survey from McKinsey, leading European insurers should look to reorganize their risk functions, build out the necessary capabilities, and elevate the status of chief risk officers (CROs) within…
Topics Leadership Talent Management Frontiers An MIT SMR initiative exploring how technology is reshaping the practice of management. More in this series Alex Nabaum/theispot.com Sarah, a manager in a bustling tech company, consistently delivers top results. Her team outperforms others, her strategic insights drive innovation, and her emotional intelligence allows her to easily navigate complex stakeholder relationships. By all measures, Sarah is an exemplary leader. Yet, when asked if she…
While inflation is stabilising in many major economies, markets continue to experience some volatility, which may have affected your investment portfolio. According to the latest International Monetary Fund’s Global Financial Stability Report, markets could be underestimating the risks of conflicts and upcoming elections. Indeed, the rising price of gold suggests some investors are seeking a safe haven amid news of interest rate cuts, the upcoming US election, and escalating tensions…
Yet the industry powers the New Caledonian economy, accounting for 20% of private sector jobs and 94% of exports. A nickel giant… Yet New Caledonia is one of the world’s top three producers of nickel, accounting for 6% of global production in 2023, albeit far behind Indonesia (50%) and the Philippines (11%). In 2023, the nearly 150-year-old New Caledonian nickel industry mined 230,000 metric tons of nickel to produce just over…
12 November 2024Christine LagardeComplacency in fighting climate change and preserving biodiversity is endangering our economic survival. The longer we wait, the higher the costs will be. Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank, warns of the growing gap between the commitments made and the investment needed.We’ve all heard it time and again: either we tackle climate change and safeguard nature, or we face the steep price of our inaction.…
The Nusantara Archipelago has long been known to the Russian people. A merchant from the city of Tver, Afanasy Nikitin, mentioned a mysterious country in Southeast Asia called Shabot in his travel notes “Journey Beyond Three Seas” (1466-1472). According to historians, it could have been one of the kingdoms on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia. The writer Ivan Aleksandrovich Goncharov, in his work "The Frigate Pallada", talks about his…
Active portfolio management should always be “Plan A.” Corporations that consistently refresh their business mix outperform their peers in TSR by 3.5 percent over the long term, honing their portfolios to develop, acquire, and divest businesses to realize their enterprise strategy. The goal, after all, is not growth for growth’s sake but to maximize returns—which is achieved through a combination of growth and investing capital in an enterprise’s most important…
In a deSPAC transaction, the SPAC raises money through an initial public offering (IPO) with the intention of acquiring a company within a certain timeframe. When a suitable target is found, the SPAC and the target (could be a public company issuer) company merge, allowing the target company to go public without having to go through the traditional IPO process. You can learn more about this process and how public…
Topics Column Our expert columnists offer opinion and analysis on important issues facing modern businesses and managers. More in this series subscribe-icon Subscribe Share Carolyn Geason-Beissel/MIT SMR | Getty Images The rise of the gig economy and remote work has blurred the boundaries between primary jobs and side hustles. As employees seek to diversify their incomes or explore passions outside of their 9-to-5 jobs, side hustles are becoming a standard…
Quick Hits Nebraska voters approved marijuana use for medical purposes, but legal challenges remain. Ballot measures to legalize recreational marijuana failed in Florida, North Dakota, and South Dakota. A ballot measure to legalize psychedelic drugs was defeated in Massachusetts. On November 5, 2024, voters in Nebraska approved a ballot measure to legalize medical marijuana use, while voters in Florida, North Dakota, and South Dakota rejected measures to legalize recreational marijuana…