Faegre Drinker

As we celebrate this season of gratitude, we want to thank our incredible clients, colleagues, and friends of the firm all around the globe. Your trust and teamwork help make us who we are, and we’re beyond grateful for each and every one of you. Happy Thanksgiving!

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services has officially designated Lebanon for Temporary Protected Status for the next 18 months. Sixteen other countries, including Ukraine, are currently under active TPS designation as well. This alert by Helena Wasey Abebe and Kirat (Sandhu) Goraya explains the parameters of the designation in more detail.

President-elect Donald Trump announced that he intends to implement 25% tariffs on all imports from Mexico and Canada and a 10% tariff on all goods from China on day one of his new administration. He cited issues like illegal immigration and drug trafficking — in particular, Fentanyl — for justification. These measures are expected to increase costs for U.S. businesses and consumers while risking retaliation from trade partners and disrupting the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. We dive into further details in this alert ⬇️

In a decision with far-reaching impact, a Texas federal court struck down the Department of Labor’s 2024 rule raising the overtime exemption salary threshold. Now, the 2019 salary thresholds for EAP employees are in effect again. Employers no longer need to plan for the additional automatic salary threshold increase that was scheduled for January 1, 2025. They also are no longer required to adhere to the previous increase that went into effect on July 1, 2024. You can learn more about the decision and its significance in this alert by Dan Prokott, Lance Lange, Joelle Groshek, Kristin Halsing and Molly Nelson-Regan.

Developments in ERISA litigation have been at the forefront of employee benefits discussions throughout 2024. As we approach the new year, join us on December 5, 2024, as we unpack the most significant issues and trends over the past year. Attendees will hear from Faegre Drinker’s Stephanie Gutwein, Emily Kile-Maxwell, Eli Burriss, Phil Gutwein, W. Glenn Merten and Rick Pearl. Topics covered will include: • developments in 401(k) litigation • updates on litigation involving health and welfare plans • multiemployer plan litigation developments • litigation over agency regulations, including the ESG rules Register today and secure your spot for this event!

The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs released its FY 2025 Corporate Scheduling Announcement List, notifying 2000 supply and service establishments of upcoming audits. Federal contractors should immediately review the OFCCP’s list, as it’s the only advance notification to contractors of upcoming audits. You can learn more in this alert by Lindsey Hogan and Zoey Twyford.

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but that doesn’t make the camera an expert witness. But as a plaintiff in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania recently learned, pictures alone are insufficient. Defect and causation still require an expert’s testimony — even in cases involving products as simple as a loaf of bread. Read this post on the “Faegre Drinker on Products” blog by Josie Pechous and Eric Friedman to learn more.

A Faegre Drinker litigation team made up of members of our class action and appellate teams has persuaded the Sixth Circuit to vacate class certification in an appeal for Nissan Motor Corporation arising from a case involving automatic emergency braking systems. The ruling is significant because in granting permission to appeal, the Sixth Circuit noted that automotive defect cases are increasingly common, and review of the case was likely to be relevant to other class actions as well. The Faegre Drinker team was led by E. Paul Cauley, Jr., co-leader of the firm’s class action team and Aaron Van Oort, co-leader of the firm’s appellate team, who argued the case before the Sixth Circuit. S. Vance Wittie and John Rockenbach were also instrumental, and Bruce Jones, Mark Taticchi and Anderson Tuggle provided valuable contributions as well. The ruling has garnered coverage from several media outlets, including Law360, Bloomberg Law, MSN and Reuters.

A little over a year ago, the Biden administration issued its Executive Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence. On December 4, 2024, we’re hosting a webinar to explore recent AI-related federal agency guidance, enforcement actions and state legislative changes relevant to health and life sciences companies. Attendees will hear from Faegre Drinker’s Hannah Anderson, Simonne Brousseau, Jim Frederick, Aliyah Price and Joy Sharp. Register now for this event!

Antidumping and countervailing duty petitions have been filed on float glass products from China and Malaysia. Investigations are expected to begin on December 11, 2024, and could impact both price and supply. Read this alert by Richard Ferrin, Douglas Heffner and Carrie Bethea Connolly to learn more about the scope and potential impact of the petitions.