Amundsen Davis

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Plaintiffs’ attorneys use “Reptile Theory” tactics in transportation litigation to push for higher verdicts by appealing to jurors’ primal need for safety, distracting from the relevant facts of the case. They attempt to get witnesses to agree to sweeping absolute statements about safety precautions and broaden motor carriers’ responsibility beyond what state and federal regulations require, thereby portraying motor carriers and their drivers as an inherent risk to public safety. For motor carriers, understanding how these arguments work and

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Continue Reading What Motor Carriers Need to Know About Reptile Theory in Transportation Litigation

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that would place strict deadlines for employers and newly certified unions to reach a first collective bargaining agreement (CBA).

The bill, which garnered some bi-partisan support to pass the GOP-led House, would potentially place the terms of such initial collective bargaining agreements in the hands of federal arbitrators, instead of being negotiated to conclusion by the parties.
Current Legal Framework for Initial Union Contracts
Once a union gains recognition as the

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Continue Reading U.S. House Passes Bill to Fast-Track Initial Union Contracts

Employers with operations in Chicago and Cook County should prepare for local minimum wage increases effective July 1, 2026, along with related notice, posting, and compliance obligations. While the Illinois statewide minimum wage remains unchanged, Chicago and Cook County will implement higher local rates that apply based on employer size and location.

Chicago and Cook County Minimum Wage Increases
The city of Chicago is increasing its set minimum wage on July 1, 2026, for employers with four or more

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Continue Reading Chicago and Cook County Minimum Wage Increases Take Effect July 1: EmployerCompliance Updates

New house building at the construction site.
New house under construction, front view from garage door entry with clouds blue sky. Framing of home exterior structure with a pile of lumber and siding plank leftover. Real estate business industry.

In the world of real estate, what lies beneath the surface can be just as important as what stands above it.

Buyers frequently focus their commercial real estate due diligence on topics including structural integrity, environmental factors, title and survey, zoning, and financing. However, there is one critical issue that is frequently overlooked: the condition of underground sewer and drain systems.

Sewer and drain systems are essential infrastructure for any building, whether that be industrial, retail, office, or multifamily…
Continue Reading Real Estate Due Diligence: Sewer Inspection Risks and Buyer Protections

A new legal opinion from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is reshaping how employment discrimination claims based on unequal outcomes may be handled. On June 9, 2026, the U.S. DOJ’s Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) issued a formal legal opinion concluding that the EEOC’s approach to disparate-impact liability is unconstitutional. While this theory of discrimination still exists, the opinion narrows it and raises the bar for employees who bring these claims. As a result, employers may have increased…
Continue Reading New DOJ Opinion Changes Hiring Discrimination Rules for U.S. Employers

On June 4, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued a new National Enforcement Plan (NEP), effective immediately, replacing the Biden-era Strategic Enforcement Plan (SEP). The NEP realigns federal enforcement around the current administration’s priorities and signals a significant shift in how workplace discrimination claims will be investigated and litigated. For employers, the change reshapes where federal risk will change and diverge from state law obligations.EEOC Deprioritizes Disparate Impact
EEOCWhere the SEP prioritized adverse/disproportionate impact, the NEP (using…
Continue Reading New EEOC Enforcement Plan Immediately Reshapes Employer Compliance Risks

Significant changes to federal contracting rules are reshaping how businesses interact with the U.S. government, particularly when it comes to compliance, workforce policies, and pricing strategies.

These changes stem largely from Executive Order 14173 (EO 14173), signed in January 2025, which revokes long‑standing affirmative action requirements and introduces new certification obligations for contractors.

For companies that rely on federal funding or work on federally supported projects, understanding the new expectations is critical to staying compliant and minimizing risk.

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Continue Reading New Rules for Government Contractors: Compliance Changes for the Construction Industry

Employers operating in Columbus, Ohio, have approximately six months left to prepare for a significant change in hiring practices.

Effective January 1, 2027, the City of Columbus will begin enforcing its pay transparency requirements under Ordinance 2898-2025, which will require covered employers to include a “reasonable salary range or scale” in employment postings.

While some employers may view this as a simple change to job advertisements, the reality is that pay transparency laws often expose broader compensation, equity, and…
Continue Reading The Countdown to Columbus Pay Transparency: What Employers Should Be Doing Now

ArticleAmundsen Davis International Trade AlertJune 3, 2026
On June 1, 2026, President Trump issued a new proclamation further amending the Section 232 tariffs on steel, aluminum, and copper that it issued on April 2, 2026. These changes, which potentially lower costs for U.S. importers, will be effective June 8, 2026 and expand eligibility for preferential tariff rates.
For U.S. businesses that import goods or rely on global supply chains—especially in manufacturing, construction, and agriculture—these updates may affect duty rates,

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Continue Reading Section 232 Tariff Cuts: What Lower Steel, Aluminum, and Copper Duties Mean
for U.S. Businesses

Employers that rely on transportation workers, delivery drivers, and gig drivers may face significantly increased litigation risk following a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision. In Flowers Foods v. Brock, the Court ruled that “last mile” local delivery drivers qualify for the Federal Arbitration Act’s exemption for “transportation workers engaged in interstate commerce,” even if the drivers do not cross state lines. As a result, some transportation workers and gig drivers now have the green light to pursue their disputes…
Continue Reading ‘Last Mile’ Drivers Are NOT Covered by Mandatory Arbitration Agreements

Companies operating in the online payments ecosystem should be aware of a limited window to secure branded domain names in the newly launched .pay top-level domain before it opens to broader public registration in 2027.

Strategic Brand Considerations for Businesses
Amazon Registry Services has recently launched a .pay generic top-level domain (“gTLD”) within a Limited Registration Period (“LRP”), which will run from May 13, 2026‒February 1, 2027, by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (“ICANN”).

During this

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Continue Reading Limited Registration Period for .PAY gTLD Now Open

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Although they may not realize it, even non-union employers face risk under the National Labor Relations Act. Everyday workplace decisions can trigger scrutiny and while the enforcement climate is shifting, the underlying risk remains. For employers, this is no longer a niche legal issue. It’s a legitimate business risk.

Business owners used to lose sleep over ordinary problems: rising costs, staffing shortages, difficult customers, and whether anyone in the office can operate the printer without filing a support ticket.
Continue Reading Inside the NLRB: What Non-Union Employers Need to Know About NLRA Risk in 2026

When a business owner sells only part of their company, social media accounts are too often treated as an afterthought. Yet these accounts are an overlooked asset holding enormous value: brand recognition, customer goodwill, and a strong existing audience that both sides of the transaction may expect to use after closing.

In scenarios where one location, division, or product line of a business is being sold while the rest is being retained, a single social media account for the

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Continue Reading Who Owns the Social Media Account? Managing Digital Assets in Partial Business Sales

FMLA family medical leave act symbol. Concept words FMLA family medical leave act on wooden blocks on beautiful wooden background. Medical FMLA family medical leave act concept.
FMLA family medical leave act symbol. Concept words FMLA family medical leave act on wooden blocks on beautiful wooden background. Medical FMLA family medical leave act concept.

When a key employee takes FMLA leave under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), staying in touch may feel necessary to keep business operations running. But what many employers underestimate is that liability under the FMLA extends well beyond denying leave for an unlawful reason. It can arise from everyday decisions about communication, workload, and expectations during that leave.

Courts across the country continue to see a steady stream of litigation from employees who claim their employers

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Continue Reading OOTO but Not Out of the Woods: Legal Risks for Employers During and After FMLA Leave

It’s not just a crying baby keeping many new parents up at night—rising education costs have made planning for a child’s future a top concern. Section 529 accounts have long served as a powerful tax‑advantaged tool to help families save for education, allowing investment earnings to grow tax‑free when used for qualifying expenses.
What Is a Section 529 Account?
A 529 account, named for the section of the Tax Code under which such accounts have been granted tax

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Continue Reading Section 529 Accounts: Expanded Education Uses and New Tax‑Free Planning Opportunities

If your business has more than 16 employees in Illinois, a new law—the Family Neonatal Intensive Care Leave Act—requires you to provide additional job-protected leave for parents with a newborn or newly adopted child in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

The Illinois Neonatal Intensive Care Leave Act (NICLA) takes effect June 1, 2026. Here’s what you need to know.
What Is NICLA?
NICLA is a new Illinois law that gives employees the right to take unpaid, job-protected leave…
Continue Reading Understanding the New Illinois Neonatal Intensive Care Leave Act (NICLA)