Employment Law and Labour Law

Family offices are grappling with mounting operational complexity, talent shortages, and succession challenges that strain traditional in-house models. As wealth structures expand across investments, entities, and philanthropic activities, many families are reconsidering whether every function should remain internal or if outsourced support could provide stronger continuity, specialized expertise, and improved coordination.

The modern workforce has transformed dramatically, with individuals building client bases and working across state lines through digital platforms. Yet the employment laws governing these arrangements often date back to the 1930s, creating complex legal challenges when contemporary business models collide with outdated regulatory frameworks. This discussion examines the critical questions surrounding independent contractors, joint employment, gig work, and workforce design in today's evolving labor landscap

Generative AI is fundamentally reshaping the economics that drove decades of outsourcing growth, automating routine tasks that companies previously sent offshore for cost savings. As AI capabilities expand, organizations face critical decisions about which work to keep in-house, what to automate, and how to restructure their relationships with outsourcing partners.

Tennessee has enacted its first comprehensive non-compete law outside healthcare, establishing a $70,000 salary threshold below which such agreements are prohibited and creating a presumption of reasonableness for agreements lasting two years or less. How will this middle-ground approach affect employers' ability to protect their business interests while providing greater predictability in enforcement?

Remote work is reshaping employment law as traditional workplace boundaries dissolve. A recent California court ruling offers critical guidance on how the state's protections regarding arrest records apply to employees working remotely, raising important questions about jurisdictional reach and worker protections in the digital age.

A New Jersey limousine company faces a stop-work order after misclassifying 80 drivers as independent contractors, owing over $200,000 in unpaid benefits and contributions. The case highlights the strict application of New Jersey's ABC test for worker classification and the significant financial and legal consequences companies face when they improperly deny workers employee status.

When workforce reductions happen in multiple waves across related corporate entities, how does federal law treat them in the aggregate? The recent Ubisoft layoffs at Red Storm Entertainment in North Carolina illustrate critical compliance questions under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act that every employer must understand before implementing workforce changes.

A federal district court ruling in Tennessee has determined that fully remote employees do not establish a "single site of employment" under the federal WARN Act, creating uncertainty for employers navigating workforce reductions in an increasingly remote-first business environment. With lower courts divided on this issue and no appellate guidance yet available, the legal landscape for WARN Act compliance in distributed workforces remains unsettled and fact-dependent.

As companies like Cisco, Amazon, and Meta announce layoffs while simultaneously reporting record profits, a troubling pattern emerges: are these workforce reductions truly driven by AI automation, or is something else at play? This analysis examines the phenomenon of "AI-washing" and explores whether artificial intelligence is genuinely replacing workers or simply serving as a convenient justification for cost-cutting measures that free up capital for future technology investments.

Between July 2011 and June 2014, California-based Perfectus Aluminum Inc., Perfectus Aluminum Acquisitions LLC, and four affiliated warehousing companies imported more than 2.2 million aluminum extrusions from China.

The U.S. Department of Labor Administrative Review Board (“ARB”) extended the potential reach of SOX whistleblower coverage to private companies whose subsidiaries are partially owned by a publicly traded company. It also confirmed that reports to external auditors and concerns raised through an employee’s ordinary job duties may constitute protected activity.

AI-generated applications, deepfakes, and new background check requirements are changing how employers vet candidates. This episode explores common vetting mistakes, compliance considerations under the FCRA and EEOC guidance, and practical strategies for implementing effective background check processes that balance legal risk with business needs.