Non-compete Agreements Have Potential to Hurt and Trap Employees
Non-compete agreements have become more common to lock in employees from working with competitors. Traditionally non-compete agreements were used for senior executives, inventors and highly paid employees, but recently non-compete agreements have become more widespread among American workers. Enforcement of these agreements has led to legal battles that substantially impact employees, depleting savings and forcing…
Read MoreVIOLATION OF THE FAIR HOUSING ACT-Supreme Court Ruling of Bank of America and Wells Fargo in Violation of the Fair Housing Act
The City of Miami filed suit against Bank of America and Wells Fargo alleging violations of the Fair Housing Act (FHA). The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of dwellings and in other housing-related transactions. The City charged that the Banks intentionally targeted African-American and Latino neighborhoods and residents. They…
Read MoreCONTINGENCY FEE BUSINESS CASES (NO ATTORNEYS’ FEES PAID UNLESS YOU PREVAIL)
For many years, the legal profession has charged businesses hourly fees for business dispute litigation where the law firm is paid win or lose. However, results oriented contingency or hybrid attorney fee arrangements allow the pursuit of business claims for companies or individuals that may not have the budget for hourly representation. Henrichsen Siegel, P.L.L.C.…
Read MoreThe Mask of Corporate Procedures for Sex Discrimination
Many employees call company hotlines to report problems anonymously. Many companies have hotlines that work well and guarantee anonymity. They can be a useful tool for Human Resources but a question arises of what is done with the information once it’s provided to the people inside. The attorney who represented Gretchen Carlson in her sex…
Read MoreJP Morgan Chase Settles for $55 Million on Charges of Discriminatory Mortgage Practices
On January 18, 2017, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York filed a lawsuit against J.P. Morgan Chase with claims that the bank had engaged in discriminatory mortgage practices from 2006 to 2009. These discriminatory practices occurred when brokers charged African-American and Hispanic borrowers higher rates for mortgages than white borrowers with…
Read MoreEEOC Released a New Question & Answer Guide on National Origin Discrimination
National origin discrimination is defined by the EEOC as “Treating people unfavorably because they are from a particular country or part of the world, because of ethnicity or accent, or because they appear to be of a certain ethnic background (even if they are not)”. National origin discrimination is covered under the Title VII of…
Read MoreNational Origin and Citizenship Employment Discrimination: New Regulation
A new regulation takes effect today, January 18, 2017, to prevent national origin and citizenship discrimination in employment. The Department of Justice stated that treating a worker differently when requesting documents during the employment verification process, no matter the intent, will be prohibited. The department redefined this type of discrimination as “The act of intentionally…
Read MoreCosby Accusers Act as Catalyst for Conversation on Statutes of Limitations
The seven women who have said they were sexually assaulted by Bill Cosby have helped bring the discussion on statutes of limitation on sexual assault cases to the table. These seven women live in different places and have different lives but in each of their cases, by the time they decided to come forward, many…
Read MoreSupreme Court to Deliberate on Racial Bias Among Jurors
Up to this point, the United States Supreme Court has said that even grievous misconduct in the jury room can’t be used to challenge a conviction if it would require jurors to testify about what was said there. But the court has never completely dealt with whether racial or ethnic prejudice requires an exception to…
Read MoreAirbnb Addresses Users’ Concerns of Discrimination
This year, many people took to social media to express frustration with Airbnb, the popular home rental platform. Many people have felt racially discriminated against in the rental process. A 2016 study, by professors at Harvard Business School, demonstrated “that requests from guests with distinctively African-American names are roughly 16% less likely to be accepted…
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