Friday, February 13, 2009

WIRTW #66


Overlawyered brings us the story of the week. File this one under what goes around comes around. A California attorney settled a consumer class action via the payment of gift cards for the class members. Since the class was being paid by gift cards, the court thought it was only fair that the lawyer be paid his fees the same way, 12,500 ten-dollar gift cards.

Gruntled Employees ticks off eight ways for a company to lose a non-compete case. Number 8 is the best tip, and its lesson translates to any employment case, not just non-compete cases:

Focus on the law instead of on the story. This is the most important lesson. Lawyers often fall in love with their legal arguments. But noncompete cases are equity cases, not law cases. To be sure, that distinction means less than it did a hundred years ago. But if you have a brilliant, clever, technical legal argument and an unsympathetic story, you are way more likely to lose.

Did you know that part of the Economic Stimulus Package will require employers to pay at least half of the COBRA premiums for involuntarily terminated employees? Me neither, until I read this article from HR Observations.

The Connecticut Employment Law Blog issue-spots the legal risks for employers using Google Map’s new locator service.

George’s Employment Blawg summarizes the FMLA’s new notice rules.

World of Work lists words to avoid in describing employees over 40.

The Delaware Employment Law Blog asks if the recession is going to put work-life balance initiatives at risk.

Trading Secrets correlates mass layoffs with the risk for mass theft of intellectual property.

Work Matters discusses the “one free dog bite” rule in retaliation cases.