latest news and insights
Intellectual Property E-News: Trademark Clearance is a Sound Business Decision for New Business Names or Product Lines
Trademark Clearance is a Sound Business Decision for New Business Names or Product Lines Before investing in a new business name or product line, it is a good idea to evaluate whether the proposed trademark conflicts with preexisting marks. There...
L&E Alert: Collective Bargaining Agreement Can Prevent Employers from Modifying Retiree Healthcare Coverage
Collective Bargaining Agreement Can Prevent Employers from Modifying Retiree Healthcare Coverage Alday v. Raytheon Co., __ F.3d __, 2012 WL 1815674 (9th Cir. May 21, 2012) The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals recently held that an employer was contractually obligated...
Q&A: Social Media Policies
by Sharon Rudnick Q: Can I institute a policy addressing what employees can say about my business on Facebook? A: Yes. However, the policy must be specific enough to avoid interfering with employees’ rights under the NLRA to engage in...
Intellectual Property E-News: Nastygrams Can Backfire on Trademark Owners
Nastygrams Can Backfire on Trademark Owners Brand owners should consider benefits, consequences, and alternatives of trademark enforcement cease-and-desist letters. Trademark owners have a duty to monitor and enforce their trademark rights by identifying and stopping unauthorized uses. Cease-and-desist letters (commonly...
L&E Alert: BOLI Finalizes Rules Interpreting Veterans’ Preference in Hiring and Promotions
BOLI Finalizes Rules Interpreting Veterans’ Preference in Hiring and Promotions Under Oregon law, public employers are subject to a variety of statutory and regulatory obligations regarding veterans’ preference in hiring and promotions. These obligations were recently expanded through several bills...
Chiefly L&E: Winter Issue 2012
CHIEFLY L&E HLGR’s Quarterly Labor and Employment Law Bulletin (Winter 2012) This issue contains two articles addressing timely employment topics: employee/independent contractor misclassification; and record requirements for employer-provided cell phones. Summaries of some recent Oregon cases and a federal Ninth...
Closely-Held Business E-News: New Frontiers in Internet Domain Names
New Frontiers in Internet Domain Names Expansion of domain name possibilities presents new frontiers and challenges for brand owners Brand owners should be aware of two recent actions of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the international...
Supreme Court Affirms Employer Liability Under “Cat’s Paw” Theory
Supreme Court Affirms Employer Liability Under “Cat’s Paw” Theory In Staub v. Proctor Hospital, 562 U.S.___ (2011) LW 691244, Case No. 09-400 (March 1, 2011), the United States Supreme Court affirmed employer liability under the “Cat’s Paw” theory,1 which attributes...
Harrang Long Gary Rudnick Supports Program for Enhancing Student Education
Harrang Long recently received this thank you letter from the principal of an area elementary school for funding that the school received as a result of HLGR’s support of the Newspaper in Education program: “I would like to thank Harrang...
Employment Law Alert: Recent Developments Regarding Workplace Privacy Rights
Recent Developments Regarding Workplace Privacy Rights New Jersey Supreme Court Upholds Privacy of Employee Personal Emails Accessed on Work Computer On March 30, 2010, the New Jersey Supreme Court issued a decision in Stengart v. Loving Care Agency, Inc., 201...