Guest Blog

Written By: Ann-Marie Luciano Maria Colsey Heard Cozen O’Connor In January, President Trump signed Executive Orders opposing the use of policies designed to promote diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace.  Despite subsequent guidance issued by New Jersey State Attorney General Matthew Platkin and other state attorneys general (AGs) arguing that DEI policies are consistent with state and federal anti-discrimination laws and touting the benefits of such policies, businesses, especially those that receive federal or state funds or contract with state agencies, face urgency to review their DEI policies and consider ways to mitigate against regulatory and litigation risk…

Written By: Courtney Gaccione Ashley Whitney Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi PC As an update to our January 2025 New York and New Jersey Employment Law Alert, we want to remind employers that in addition to the newly enacted New York Paid Prenatal Leave and the updates to the New York Paid Family Leave discussed in the January Alert, New York employers also now have an obligation to provide paid lactation breaks discussed further below. New York Paid Lactation Breaks As of June 20, 2024, the New York State Labor Law (“NYSLL”), which already required employers to permit nursing employees to…

Written By: Fay Szakal Partner Greenbaum, Rowe, Smith & Davis LLP   We previously reported that on December 26, 2024, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit vacated the Fifth Circuit motion panel’s stay of the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) of the temporary injunction granted by the U.S. District Court for Eastern Texas, stating specifically that it was vacating the order to “preserve the constitutional status quo while the merits panel considers the parties’ weighty substantive arguments.” Therefore, enforcement of the CTA was temporarily halted nationwide once again. We continue to await oral argument before the Fifth Circuit…

Written By: Kenneth A. Rosenberg Kelly McNaughton Fox Rothschild   President Donald Trump’s recission of a 1965 Executive Order (EO) raised questions about how the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) would handle open investigations, pending cases, audits and complaints, as well as whether active conciliation agreements would be enforced. The answer came on Jan. 24, 2025 when Acting Secretary of Labor Vincent N. Micone III directed DOL employees to cease all investigative and enforcement activity under rescinded EO 11246. Those covered by Secretary’s Order 03-2025 include employees of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), the Office of Administrative Law Judges and the…

Written By: David H. Nachman, Esq. Ludka Zimovcak, Esq. Snehal Batra, Esq. Samantha Oberstein, Esq. Nachman, Phulwani, Zimovcak (NPZ) Law Group, P.C. With immigration enforcement expected to intensify under the current administration, U.S. businesses face heightened scrutiny of their hiring and employment practices. One area of particular focus is Form I-9 compliance. The consequences of non-compliance can be steep, including hefty fines and potential workforce disruptions. Here’s how businesses can act now to prepare and protect their operations. Why I-9 Compliance Matters Form I-9 is used to verify the identity and work authorization of every employee in the U.S. While…

Written By: Kenneth A. Rosenberg Kelly McNaughton Fox Rothschild   President Donald Trump’s recission of a 1965 Executive Order (EO) raised questions about how the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) would handle open investigations, pending cases, audits and complaints, as well as whether active conciliation agreements would be enforced. The answer came on Jan. 24, 2025 when Acting Secretary of Labor Vincent N. Micone III directed DOL employees to cease all investigative and enforcement activity under rescinded EO 11246. Those covered by Secretary’s Order 03-2025 include employees of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), the Office of Administrative Law Judges and the…

Written By: Kenneth A. Rosenberg Partner Fox Rothschild   President Donald Trump issued an Executive Order (EO) on Jan. 22, 2025 revoking several previous executive orders, including one that prohibited federal contractors and subcontractors from discriminating in employment based upon race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin and that required them to take affirmative action to ensure equal opportunity in all aspects of employment One of the orders it revokes, EO 11246, was originally issued by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965, establishing the requirement that certain federal contractors and subcontractors establish affirmative action programs. As a result, not only…

Written By: David H. Nachman, Esq. Ludka Zimovcak, Esq. Snehal Batra, Esq. Samantha Oberstein, Esq. Nachman, Phulwani, Zimovcak (NPZ) Law Group, P.C. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently issued two critical final rules that promise to transform key aspects of the H-1B visa program and Employment Authorization Documents (EADs). These updates, effective mid-January 2025, aim to modernize immigration pathways, enhance program integrity, and provide much-needed flexibility for employers and foreign workers alike. Permanent Extension of EAD Validity Periods Effective January 13, 2025, the DHS will permanently extend the automatic renewal period for EADs from 180 days to 540…

Written By: Mike Simon Principal The DAK Group msimon@dakgroup.com M&A in the middle market has been strong and active in 2024, following a relatively subdued 2023.  Since the middle market is primarily made up of privately held companies, the ebb and flow of M&A has always been fairly consistent, unlike M&A in large publicly traded businesses which see large swings in M&A activity.  With the Presidential Election behind us and a number of positive economic indicators, we see 2025 as a great time to buy or sell a business. The M&A business cycle is cyclical, driven by many factors, but…

Written By: Gianfranco A. Pietrafesa Partner Archer & Greiner PC On December 3, 2024, in Texas Top Cop Shop, Inc. v. Garland, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas issued a nationwide preliminary injunction temporarily preventing the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) from enforcing the Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”). See our Advisory. On December 23, 2024, a “motion panel” of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit entered an order staying the preliminary injunction, thus allowing FinCEN to enforce the CTA. See our Advisory.  Shortly thereafter, FinCEN issued an alert extending certain deadlines to…