Federal and state prevailing wage mandates are colliding on construction projects in Illinois, exposing owners, developers, and contractors to conflicting compliance obligations and increased project costs. 
With the enactment of Illinois HB 1189, projects that long fell exclusively under the federal prevailing wage law (Davis-Bacon) may now also be subject to the state’s prevailing wage law mandates.While the Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL) has issued guidance for contractors, there is little clarity on how to reconcile fundamental and incompatible
Continue Reading Are Your Federal Construction Projects Now Subject to the Illinois
Prevailing Wage? What Contractors Must Know
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GLP‑1s, Direct‑to‑Consumer Pricing, and the HRA Opportunity Most EmployersAre Missing
Why the Compliance Answer You’re Getting May Not Be the Answer You Need
If your company offers health benefits, someone has probably asked about GLP‑1 coverage in the last six months. The drugs work, employees want access, and the sticker price through traditional pharmacy channels can run north of $1,000 per month per employee.
Direct‑to‑consumer platforms like TrumpRx.gov, Hims, Lilly Direct, and NovoCare now offer the same medications between $149 and $449 per month, cash pay. The obvious question:
DOL Issues Proposed Rule on Joint Employer Status Under FLSA and FMLA
On April 22, 2026, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued a proposed rule that would set a single standard for joint employer status under the FLSA, FMLA, and the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act (“MSPA”).
The proposed rule would offer clarity for employers around when multiple employers are jointly responsible for protecting employee wages and other rights.
Many will recall that during the first Trump administration, the DOL issued a similar final rule on this very
Continue Reading DOL Issues Proposed Rule on Joint Employer Status Under FLSA and FMLA
OSHA Revises Heat Enforcement Program for Construction Jobsites, Signaling Continued Enforcement Instead of a Federal Heat Rule
ArticleAmundsen Davis Construction AlertApril 27, 2026
The U.S. Department of Labor has revised OSHA’s National Emphasis Program (NEP) on outdoor and indoor heat-related hazards, signaling that construction employers should expect continued heat inspections rather than the rollout of a new federal heat standard. 
The updated NEP, which takes effect immediately and continues through April 10, 2031, refines how OSHA targets employers, including construction jobsites, for heat-related inspections when the heat index is expected to be 80 degrees or higher.
The updated NEP, which takes effect immediately and continues through April 10, 2031, refines how OSHA targets employers, including construction jobsites, for heat-related inspections when the heat index is expected to be 80 degrees or higher.
Seventh Circuit Ruling Curbs BIPA Damages for Illinois Businesses
In a major win for businesses facing Biometric Information Privacy Act (“BIPA”) claims, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit recently held that the 2024 amendment limiting damages applies retroactively to cases pending at the time of enactment.
This decision significantly reduces potential exposure by limiting plaintiffs who allege multiple, biometric data collections or disclosures to a single recovery, rather than per-scan statutory damages, even for actions that predate the amendment. The ruling also undercuts the
Continue Reading Seventh Circuit Ruling Curbs BIPA Damages for Illinois Businesses
OSHA Revises Heat Enforcement Program, Signaling Continued Enforcement Instead of a Federal Heat Rule
OSHA Revises Heat Enforcement Program, Signaling Continued Enforcement Instead of a Federal Heat Rule
The U.S. Department of Labor has revised OSHA’s National Emphasis Program (NEP) on outdoor and indoor heat-related hazards, signaling that OSHA will continue enforcing heat safety through inspections rather than the rollout of a new federal heat standard. 
The updated NEP, which takes effect immediately and continues through April 10, 2031, refines how OSHA targets employers for heat-related inspections when the heat index is expected
The updated NEP, which takes effect immediately and continues through April 10, 2031, refines how OSHA targets employers for heat-related inspections when the heat index is expected
Defamation or Comedy? Lion King Composer’s Lawsuit Tests the Limits of Reputation Protection
A new lawsuit filed by Lebohang “Lebo M” Morake, the Grammy‑winning composer behind the iconic opening chant in Disney’s The Lion King, raises important questions about defamation, comedy, and reputational harm. Morake has sued comedian Learnmore “Jonasi” Mwanyenyeka for $27 million, alleging that a joking “translation” of the chant during a podcast appearance damaged his reputation by misrepresenting the meaning of the lyrics to a global audience.
At the center of the dispute is a viral podcast clip
Federal Court Draws the Line on PIPS After Muldrow: A Win for Employers in Walsh v. HNTB
Federal Court Draws the Line on PIPS After Muldrow: A Win for Employers in Walsh v. HNTB
In the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2024 Muldrow v. City of St. Louis decision, the Court expanded the legal standard for what qualifies as an “adverse employment action” by pivoting from asking whether a change to an employee’s terms or conditions of employment was “material” to whether the change left the employee worse off in those terms or conditions. 
Unsurprisingly, employers saw a
Unsurprisingly, employers saw a Federal Court Draws the Line on PIPS After Muldrow: A Win for Employers in Walsh v. HNTB
In the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2024 Muldrow v. City of St. Louis decision, the Court expanded the legal standard for what qualifies as an “adverse employment action” by pivoting from asking whether a change to an employee’s terms or conditions of employment was “material” to whether the change left the employee worse off in those terms or conditions. Unsurprisingly, employers saw a surge of challenges to everyday management decisions in the immediate aftermath.
The First Circuit’s recent decision in
The Costs of Form I-9 Mistakes Just Went Up Drastically for Employers
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recently posted a new factsheet making significant changes to Form I-9 inspections and which “mistakes” are correctable under the Immigration and Nationality Act § 274A (“Immigration Act”).
ICE reclassified many Form I-9 errors from “technical” to “substantive.” The impact is that clerical mistakes that employers formerly could correct during a Form I-9 audit are no longer correctable and instead are subject to immediate fines during a Form I-9 audit.
Under the Immigration
Continue Reading The Costs of Form I-9 Mistakes Just Went Up Drastically for Employers
Leveling the Playing Field: How Ohio’s NIL Battle Signals the Future of High School Sports
Ohio is currently at the center of one of the most significant shifts in name, image, and likeness (“NIL”) rights for high school student-athletes.
After years of focusing on NIL in college athletics, the most consequential developments are now occurring much earlier in the athletic pipeline, with direct implications for students, schools, and policymakers.
Until recently, Ohio stood as one of the last holdouts in the country, prohibiting high school student-athletes from earning compensation tied to their name, image,
Why U.S. Employment Law Is So Frustrating – and What Employers Can Do About It
If U.S. employment laws feel impossible to keep up with, you’re not imagining things.
Between federal, state, and local laws and shifting agency guidance, even well-intentioned employers can find themselves in violation of labor and employment laws without realizing it.
You probably can’t fix the system, but you can protect your business from unnecessary risk and expense. The key is investing in prevention, empowering the right people, and acting decisively before small issues escalate.
Why U.S. Employment Law Is
Continue Reading Why U.S. Employment Law Is So Frustrating – and What Employers Can Do About It
Trump Overhauls Section 232 Tariffs on Patented Pharmaceutical Products
ArticleAmundsen Davis International Trade AlertApril 9, 2026
On April 2, 2026, President Trump issued a proclamation under section 232 tariff authority imposing sweeping new tariffs on patented pharmaceutical products and ingredients imported into the U.S., with rates reaching up to 100 percent and taking effect as early as July 2026 for certain companies.
The implementation timelines and rates vary depending on the importing company’s size, product country of origin, and trade deals with partners. Companies identified in Annex III will face
The implementation timelines and rates vary depending on the importing company’s size, product country of origin, and trade deals with partners. Companies identified in Annex III will face
Continue Reading Trump Overhauls Section 232 Tariffs on Patented Pharmaceutical Products
Trump Overhauls Section 232 Tariffs on Steel, Aluminum, and Copper
On April 2, President Trump issued a new presidential proclamation adjusting his earlier issued section 232 tariffs on steel, aluminum, copper, and their respective derivative products. The changes went into effect on April 6 and alter how these tariffs are assessed and calculated.
Key Changes to Section 232 Tariffs
The “adjustments,” which are specifically provided in the accompanying Annexes I-A, I-B, II, III & IV, provide as follows:
- Articles made entirely or almost entirely of aluminum, steel, or
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Accessing New Markets While Managing Business Risks
Expanding into global markets presents major opportunities for growth, also introduces new legal, logistical, and financial risks that companies must manage proactively. In our recent webcast, Accessing New Markets While Managing Business Risks, we discussed the most common challenges exporters face and the practical steps every company should take before entering a new country or signing a cross‑border deal. Below are several key insights from the presentation.
1. Understand Whether You Can Legally Sell
Before pursuing any international sales
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Employers Beware: Courts Are Scrutinizing Mid-Lawsuit Arbitration Agreements
The Ninth Circuit has warned employers that introducing a mandatory arbitration agreement during active class litigation, particularly when done through poor or misleading communication, can invalidate the agreement entirely.
In Avery v. TEKsystems, decided January 28, 2026, the court affirmed a district court order refusing to enforce an arbitration policy introduced late in the lawsuit.
The court found that the communications used to roll it out were misleading, one-sided, and fundamentally subverted the class action process.
TEKsystems’s Arbitration Agreement
Continue Reading Employers Beware: Courts Are Scrutinizing Mid-Lawsuit Arbitration Agreements