Monthly Archives: May 2016

The inside threat: Why employee behavior and opinions impact cyber risk

by Adeola Adele, Patrick Kulesa The human element as a risk factor in data security breaches is as enduring as it is troubling. Compromised laptops and phishing email scams continue to appeal to hackers as avenues to damage corporate servers and the confidential, sensitive information they maintain. Effective risk management strategy must therefore acknowledge and ...
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Major Changes In Attitudes and Approaches to Workplace Violence Prevention

We just completed the second of two Fisher Phillips webinars including panelists and contributors who were active and former Department of Homeland Security, Secret Service, and other law enforcement professionals.  We solicited questions and concerns from employers and used the panel discussions and preparation to develop more effective practices to prevent and respond to workplace ...
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Department of Labor Announces Final Overtime Rule

by: Andrea Kirshenbaum Today the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) formally announced its Final Rule which more than doubles the minimum salary threshold for “executive,” “administrative,” and “professional,” employees to qualify as exempt from overtime pay under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The DOL estimates that the Final Rule, which will become effective on ...
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Combating cybercrime in the hospitality business

Technology has changed our lives for the better, but like every other development it has its downside. Data breaches have become common news, and the latest victim is the hospitality industry. The 2016 Trustwave Global Security Report has found the hospitality industry to be the second-most vulnerable to security breaches behind the retail industry. The ...
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Pilot Program May Soon Help Streamline Employment-based Visa Process

On March 3, 2016, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) launched a pilot program called “Known Employer” to streamline the process by which employers who sponsor foreign national workers send documents and information to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The program utilizes an online platform that allows certain employers who regularly ...
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Can SafeHer, a Women-For-Women Ridesharing Company, Overcome the Challenges of Anti-Discrimination Laws?

Despite lawsuits and persistent legal uncertainties, the “sharing economy” is booming, and the companies at its forefront continue to grow.  Some of these businesses are a natural complement to the hotel industry, while others directly compete with it.  Whatever may become of these companies as they are reined in by regulation, one thing is certain: the ...
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Lyft agrees to revised $27 mln deal in driver lawsuit

Lyft has agreed to pay $27 million to settle a class action lawsuit brought by California drivers who claimed they should be deemed employees instead of independent contractors, after a U.S. judge rejected a previous $12.25 million deal as too small. Lyft and larger rival Uber are attempting to resolve lawsuits by drivers who contend ...
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It’s still a buyer’s market, but…

2016 Marketplace Realities Spring Update A complex commercial insurance market is slowing the pricing declines most buyers have enjoyed for several renewal cycles and raising the likelihood that companies will experience some price increases in various commercial lines of insurance, according to Willis Towers Watson’s 2016 Marketplace Realities Spring Update report. The report, a line-by-line ...
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New Texas M&A Broker Exemption

Effective February 16, 2015, the Texas State Securities Board (the “Securities Board”) adopted a new rule, Section 139.27 of Title 7 of the Texas Administrative Code (the “Rule”), that exempts certain mergers-and-acquisitions brokers from dealer registration under the Texas Securities Act.  An exempt mergers-and-acquisitions broker is defined in the Rule as an “M&A Dealer.”  The ...
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The Zika Virus – How Is It Impacting the Meetings and Travel Industry

Chances are if you’ve been on the internet or watched more than five minutes of TV, you’ve heard of the Zika virus. But how is it “impacting the meetings and travel industry?” With the continuing spread of the zika virus, “more than one-third of respondents had moved or canceled meeting that were scheduled to take ...
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