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Missouri Gives Go-Ahead to Public-Private Partnerships for Universities
On July 10, 2019, Missouri Governor Mike Parson signed legislation that permits state universities to use public-private partnerships (also known as “P3s”) to deliver projects on their campuses. Specifically, the law will allow a higher-education institution to enter into “a long-term concession with a private developer to construct, operate, maintain, and finance the project in […]
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HIRING AND RECRUITING IN TIGHT LABOR MARKETS
The unemployment rate hovered at a 49-year low of 3.6 percent in both April and May of 2019. Low unemployment typically creates a jobseeker’s market in which workers find plentiful attractive job openings. On the other side of the equation, however, employers usually have a more difficult time locating highly qualified candidates well-suited to the […]
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GREEN LIGHT FOR POTTY-MOUTH BRANDING!
SUPREME COURT RULES LAW PROHIBITING REGISTRATION OF IMMORAL OR SCANDALOUS TRADEMARKS IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL Only two years ago, in the case of In re Tam, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the federal law (the Lanham Act) that prohibited registration of “disparaging” marks violated the First Amendment’s Free Speech Clause. This week, in the case of […]
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ILLINOIS EMPLOYERS NO LONGER HAVE IMMUNITY FROM ASBESTOS LAWSUITS BROUGHT BY FORMER EMPLOYEES
On May 17 , 2019, Governor J.B. Pritzker signed legislation that lifted restrictions for workers suffering from occupational diseases resulting from exposure to toxic substances such as mesothelioma and lung cancer resulting from asbestos exposure for filing civil actions against their former employers. Supported primarily by the plaintiffs’ attorney trial bar, Public Act 101-0006 changes […]
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Missouri Legislature Expands Opportunities for Industrial Hemp in the State
The Missouri General Assembly recently passed legislation to expand the cultivation and processing of industrial hemp in Missouri. Senate Bill 133, passed on May 15, 2019, has been sent to Governor Parson’s desk for his signing. Before we discuss the 2019 legislation, a brief overview of Missouri’s current legal landscape with respect to industrial hemp […]
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The United States Patent & Trademark Office Issues Guide for Applications to Register Cannabis-Related Marks
On May 2, 2019 the United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) issued new guidelines for businesses seeking to obtain registrations for cannabis-related marks. Any company that is in – or wants to be in – the CBD, hemp or medical marijuana business and is looking for maximum brand protection, needs to understand the new […]
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DON’T LET ME TOO HAPPEN TO YOU
1. Abuse of Power Produced the Me Too Movement. In the past three years, many well-known executives and personalities have made headlines because of their unwelcome conduct directed at female associates. Roger Ailes resigned from Fox News on July 22, 2016 after more than 20 female accused him of sexual harassment, including a lawsuit that […]
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Missouri Expands Opportunity for Public-Private Partnerships for Municipal Infrastructure Projects
Communities throughout the Midwest realize that to grow and thrive, they must invest in infrastructure. Many local governments have infrastructure facilities built in the mid-1900s or before—whether public buildings, transportation facilities, or water treatment systems—that need to be replaced, expanded, or upgraded. But few communities have funding readily available for such long-term capital improvements. Traditional […]
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U.S. SUPREME COURT MAKES IT EASIER TO SEEK DAMAGES AGAINST DEFENDANTS WHO ONLY SUPPLIED METAL PARTS TO BE SUED IN MARITIME CASES
On March 29, 2019, the United States Supreme Court made it easier for asbestos plaintiffs to recover damages against a group of defendants who never sold or supplied any asbestos materials. In Air & Liquid Systems Corp., v. DeVries, the Supreme Court held that so called “bare metal” defendants could be found liable to two […]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR INCREASES THE MINIMUM SALARY TO EXEMPT WHITE COLLAR WORKERS FROM OVERTIME PAY
On March 7, 2019, the United States Department of Labor (“Department”) announced its Notice of Proposed rule making to update the regulations that interpret the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”). < https://www.dol.gov/whd/overtime2019/index.htm > This law requires employers to pay overtime pay to most workers who work more than 40 hours in the same workweek. It, […]
