Newsletters

09.21.21

Is California’s Open Meetings Law a ‘Long Haul’ COVID-19 Victim?

California’s historic open meeting law, the Ralph M. Brown Act, requires that local governments conduct their business in public meetings and permit in-person public participation.


09.17.21

Ninth Circuit Circumvents the FAA by Upholding Portions of CA Law Banning Mandatory Arbitration

On September 15, 2021, a split Ninth Circuit panel ruled that certain portions of California’s Assembly Bill 51 (2019) were not preempted by the Federal Arbitration Act, raising questions as to whether many employers’ current practices of implementing mandatory arbitration agreements ...


09.16.21

Post-Facebook v. Duguid Litigation Roundup

A summary of some recent noteworthy district-level decisions applying and interpreting Facebook follows.


09.14.21

Mental Health Parity Update: DOL and NY AG Actions Highlight Ongoing Scrutiny of NQTLs

On August 11, 2021, United Healthcare and its affiliates were served with separate enforcement lawsuits by the Department of Labor and the New York Attorney General involving mental health parity, among other things.


09.10.21

Biden Administration Imposes a Workplace Vaccination Mandate, While CA Sets Aside a Similar Proposal

On September 9, 2021, President Biden announced a new COVID-19 plan, aimed to control the spread of the Delta variant and increase vaccination rates nationwide.


09.10.21

CA Court Affirms That Courts Have Authority to Ensure Manageability of PAGA Claims

The California Court of Appeal issued its opinion in Wesson v. Staples, Inc., holding that (1) courts have inherent authority to ensure that Private Attorneys General Act claims can be fairly and efficiently tried.


09.09.21

Executive Summary: Tracking Telehealth Changes State-by-State in Response to COVID-19

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues across the United States, states, payers, and providers are looking for ways to expand access to telehealth services.


09.08.21

DOJ, OCC Announce Major Settlement of Fair Lending Allegations

In the largest fair lending enforcement action in several years, the Department of Justice and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency on August 30 announced simultaneous settlements with a national banking association regarding alleged violations of the Fair Housing Act and, in the ...


09.07.21

Commissioner Given Authority to Require COVID-19 Testing and Reporting

The Department of Health (DOH) and Public Health and Health Planning Council (PHHPC) issued another emergency regulation this week to respond to the increasing circulation of the COVID-19 Delta variant.


09.07.21

COVID-19 Designated as Airborne Infectious Disease Under HERO Act

On September 6, 2021, Governor Hochul announced that the commissioner of health has designated COVID-19 a highly contagious communicable disease that presents a serious risk of harm to the public health under New York State's HERO Act.