In addition to actions already taken on his first day in office, which included rejoining the Paris climate agreement and revoking the Keystone XL oil pipeline’s permit, on January 27, 2021, President Biden released several new initiatives that represent a major shift in climate policy (see our previous alert from January 19).

On January 12, 2021, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit articulated a new framework for collective actions under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), eliminating the current “conditional certification” process.

On January 13, 2021, the Illinois General Assembly passed HB 3360, which will enable pre-judgment interest of 9% in personal injury cases. If signed by the governor, personal injury actions in Illinois will be subject to 9% per annum pre-judgment interest accruing “on the date the defendant has notice of the injury from the incident itself or a written notice."

President-Elect Biden is expected to shift executive branch climate policy dramatically, assigning priorities to incentives for renewable energy, support for carbon pricing, and other aggressive measures aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The new Administration’s goals include increased attention to sustainable investing, standardization of corporate disclosures, and environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria. These changes create opportunities, but also challenges, for businesses open to the potential for competitive advantage.

In contrast to years past, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in fewer changes to employment laws in Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. The alert contains a summary of the major employment law developments of the past year in those three states.

Thsi alert contains a summary of the most noteworthy judicial decisions and legislative changes related to employment law that took place in Kansas and Missouri in 2020, including changes to the Kansas Human Rights Commission, the expansion of Missouri's whistleblower law, and COVID-19 updates for both states.

2020 was certainly a year for the books. While the international community experienced shut downs and standstills as the COVID-19 pandemic swept the globe, everyone had to adjust to a “new normal.” Although many New York and New Jersey businesses closed their doors, and court operations went virtual starting in March, that did not stop new legal developments from paving the path to a new pandemic-centric landscape. 

On New Year’s Eve, Florida’s Supreme Court issued an amendment to essentially apply the federal summary judgment standard to cases in Florida state courts starting on May 1, 2021.