On January 23, 2012, the United States Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the attachment of a GPS device to a suspect’s vehicle, and the use of that device to monitor the vehicle’s movements on public streets, constitutes a search under the Fourth Amendment and requires a warrant. The Court ruled that the government violated the… Read more »
In a major decision regarding how the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) applies to religious employers, the United States Supreme Court has unanimously recognized a “ministerial exception,” grounded in the First Amendment. The Court’s decision bars employment discrimination claims brought pursuant to the ADA by ministers against the religious institutions that employ them. The exception,… Read more »
Jeanette Ho, a partner with Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick & Raspanti, LLP, has been appointed to a three year term as the Western District of Pennsylvania’s representative to the Third Circuit’s Lawyers Advisory Committee. The Lawyers Advisory Committee is responsible for commenting on proposed rules and the Third Circuit’s internal operating procedures and serves as… Read more »
Joseph D. Mancano, partner in the law firm of Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick and Raspanti, LLP, was elected President of The Saint Thomas More Society of Philadelphia for a two-year term. The Saint Thomas More Society of Philadelphia is an association of Catholic lawyers, judges and law professors, organized to promote the ideals of Saint… Read more »
Jonathan C. Parks has joined the firm as an attorney in the Intellectual Property Practice Group and the Intellectual Property Litigation Group. Mr. Parks is experienced in handling all facets of patent, copyright, trademark and technology transfer counseling and protection issues. Mr. Parks also has considerable experience in patent, copyright and trademark litigation and intellectual property… Read more »
Employees often request to take leave for reasons that, at first blush, may appear to qualify under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, 29 U.S.C. §§ 2601-2654 (“FMLA”). Closer scrutiny, however, often reveals that the reason for the requested does not qualify for leave under the FMLA. One such example pertains to employees… Read more »
Complaints filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) by current and former employees are at a record high – 99,947 in fiscal year 2011. Electronic information is now the number one piece of evidence in employment discrimination cases. With so many discrimination cases being filed, an employer may wonder when its obligation to preserve… Read more »
Articles In This Issue: 1. America Invents Act Provides Sweeping Patent Reform 2. Class Actions Limited: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. v. Betty Dukes, Et Al., The Supreme Court Steps In to Rein In Class Action Litigation 3. The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act: Can Your Company Survive The Wave? Related Information: Firm Newsletter, Winter 2011
On June 20, 2011, the United States Supreme Court refused to certify a class action lawsuit against Wal-Mart, which would have comprised approximately 1.5 million members. The three named Plaintiffs seeking to represent the class claimed they had been discriminatorily denied promotions and pay in violation of Title VII because the local supervisors exercised unfettered… Read more »
COMMENTARY For years, the Securities and Exchange Commission had a whistleblower program in place that accepted information about securities violations in exchange for the possibility of a financial award if funds were recovered. Nonetheless, over the 20 years that program existed, only six whistleblower claims were ever paid. The reason appears clear. The program was… Read more »