Fraud Claim Can't Be Forced to Arbitration, Third Circuit Rules
A man who alleged that he was defrauded in the sale of his $8.4 million life insurance policy can't be forced into arbitration under the terms of the contract, the Third Circuit has ruled. READ MORE »
McCaffery Seeks to Enjoin Papers' Publication of Personal Info
Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice Seamus P. McCaffery and his wife and chief judicial aide, Lise Rapaport, have filed a motion for a mandatory injunction seeking to prohibit Philadelphia's two major daily newspapers from publishing any personal information about the couple. READ MORE »
Dechert Gets License to Practice in Singapore
Dechert has officially been granted a license to practice law in Singapore, eight months after the firm applied for permission to practice in the country. READ MORE »
Judge: Shareholders, Not Company, Have Attorney-Client Privilege
Because a closely held company and three of its minority shareholders are now at odds, a federal judge must decide which side holds the attorney-client privilege with the law firm that was paid by the company but used by the shareholders. READ MORE »
What to Expect When Your Employees Are Expecting
Does an employer have to provide a modified work schedule to a pregnant employee with morning sickness or light duty to a pregnant employee with lifting restrictions? The answer depends on who you ask. Most federal courts say no, but the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission says yes. Fortunately for employers, resolution of this issue is on the horizon. READ MORE »
Employer Not Liable for Assault on Restrained Scofflaw
Employer Not Liable for Assault on Restrained Scofflaw
A cab company will not be liable for a driver punching and kicking a passenger who was being restrained after trying to skip out on paying the fare, the state Superior Court has ruled. READ MORE »
Spitsin v. WGM Transp., PICS Case No. 14-1216 (Pa. Super. July 29, 2014) Wecht, J. (16 pages).
Assault and Battery • Respondeat Superior • Scope of Employment • Excessive and Dangerous Force • Vicarious Liability READ MORE »
Vague Reference to Injury Enough to Trigger ADA/FMLA Issues
The baseball adage that "a tie always goes to the runner" has a legal equivalent in a court looking at a summary judgment record in a light most favorable to the non-moving party—which is almost always the former employee in employment litigation. This standard seems particularly apt in the recent decision of Munoz v. Nutrisystem, No. 13-4416, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 104465 (E.D. Pa. July 30, 2014), where a former employee's vague references to the reason for a leave were sufficient (at least in part) to support claims under both the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act. READ MORE »
