Startups and small businesses: Along with new opportunities, new year brings new laws, regulations
The New Year brings new opportunities to launch, grow, and strengthen your business, but also carries new challenges from new laws and regulations being implemented in 2019. I…
Debate over Uber, Lyft driver pay highlights discrepancies between definitions of ‘employee,’ ‘independent contractor’
Uber, Lyft and other for-hire vehicle (FHV) rides in New York City are going to cost more starting in January. The fare increase brings to light a larger employment issue that…
Vacant MSPB Means No Potential Recourse For Appeal-Filing Federal Employees Any Time Soon
What happens when a federal board has no members? Not much. The stalemate that continues the longest-ever stretch without a quorum at the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board…
Non-parent custody: Courts may consider third parties in certain situations
New York law recognizes that biological parents have a superior right to raise their children. However, in cases where there are extraordinary circumstances, a court may consider…
Take back what’s yours: Name change after divorce
Whether married for a few years or many, divorcing spouses often ask “can I change my name once I am divorced?” or “can I force my spouse to drop my last name after we are…
Travel documents: Changes may be coming for pending Forms I-131
It appears that United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) may end its practice of denying pending Form I-131, the application for travel documents, while…
Strengthened Human Rights Law means NYC employers must take specific, written action in response to reasonable accommodation requests
A recent amendment to the New York City Human Rights Law that requires employers to respond to reasonable accommodation requests from employees in writing likely comes as good…
Can an employee be fired because his or her spouse works for a competitor?
A New York Court recently answered the question whether an employer, in order to protect trade secrets and proprietary information, can fire an employee whose spouse works for a…
Are you the subject of an OIG investigation? Here’s what to expect
As a federal employee, it can be a scary thing to be contacted by an Office of Inspector General (OIG) investigator and told that you are under investigation. You probably won’t…
Orders of protection can protect spouses in contentious divorces
Divorce is never easy and often can be contentious. Divorcing couples have a lot on their minds and last thing either spouse wants to think about is the prospect of facing…