In this episode of the Thought Leaders in Law and Business podcast, presented by Hodgson Russ and The Business Journals, Jodyann Galvin, a partner with the law firm, discusses the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) proposed rule to ban certain types of noncompete agreements across the nation and the likelihood it will become law in 2024.
 
“One in five employees has either a current noncompete obligation or has had one in the past, and many employees don't really understand what the contours of that obligation are,” Galvin said. “What the FTC concluded was noncompetes generally are bad for business, they're bad for innovation and they're bad for employees being able to move around in the fields they have chosen.”

The opinions about this hot topic vary widely and many commentators are questioning whether the FTC has the authority to be involved in a state matter, according to Galvin.

Listen to this podcast to learn more. 

Learn more about Hodgson Russ at hodgsonruss.com.

This podcast does not provide legal advice.

As experienced litigators who defend accounting firms against allegations of audit malpractice, Hodgson Russ Partners Erin Teske and Mark Harmon have gained firsthand knowledge worth sharing.
 
“The public often has an unrealistic idea of the role auditors perform … They (accounting firms) have insurance and may be viewed as having deep pockets,” Teske said. For those reasons, she believes they can be easy targets for lawsuits.

In this episode of the Thought Leaders in Law and Business podcast, presented by Hodgson Russ and The Business Journals, Teske and Harmon share auditing best practices and how accounting firms can limit their exposure to lawsuits.
 
Learn more about Hodgson Russ at hodgsonruss.com.

This podcast does not provide legal advice.

Starbucks, Amazon, Chipotle, Trader Joe’s and other household names have been in the news lately for their union organization campaigns, a post-pandemic trend that likely won’t change anytime soon, according to Elizabeth McPhail, partner with Hodgson Russ. She said some of these unionization efforts are a “product of the social justice movements” and they’re changing labor union organizing. 

In the latest episode of the Thought Leaders in Law and Business podcast, presented by Hodgson Russ and The Business Journals, Buffalo Business First Publisher John Tebeau interviews McPhail and her colleague Asia Evans, associate and member of the labor and employment practice at Hodgson Russ, on what employers should consider when navigating a union organizing campaign.

“When you get a union organizing campaign and they are coming with social justice issues and cultural connectivity (concerns), if the response is just, we're paying 50 cents an hour more than the competitor down the road and their union, and we're not union free, that is not a message that's going to resonate with employees,” McPhail said. 
Listen to this episode to learn more about:

• New organizing trends and how campaigns have changed post-pandemic.
• The importance of understanding employees’ wants and needs. 
• Regulatory concerns to consider when responding to efforts to unionize.
• Anti-unionizing efforts that don’t violate labor laws. 
• Bargaining with employees in good faith. 
• Lessons learned from high-profile organizing campaigns (Starbucks, Amazon, etc.). 
• The prominent senator Evans worked with during one of her internships.

Learn more about Hodgson Russ at hodgsonruss.com.

This podcast does not provide legal advice.