Insights

Washington – February 8, 2021: The Irish Voice named Crowell & Moring’s Christine Hawes to the annual “Irish Legal 100” list. The list is a “compilation of the most distinguished legal professionals in the United States who share one common bond: pride in their Irish roots.” The “Irish Legal 100 2020” marks the thirteenth annual edition of the list.

Washington – October 16, 2020: DV LEAP, a Washington, D.C.-based national domestic violence legal advocacy organization, has named Crowell & Moring lawyers Trina Fairley Barlow and Christine Hawes as its Pro Bono Team of the Year. The mission of the organization is to make “the law work for survivors of domestic violence by challenging unjust trial outcomes; advancing legal protections through expert pro bono advocacy; training lawyers, advocates, and judges on best practices; and spearheading domestic violence litigation in the supreme court.” The lawyers received the award at DV LEAP’s Tip the Scales of Justice Virtual Benefit on October 15.

On Inauguration Day, President Trump issued a flurry of executive orders.  Among the first he signed was the Initial Rescissions Of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions Executive Order (the “Rescinding EO”). This directive rescinded 78 executive orders issued by the Biden Administration.  The revocation of one in particular, Executive Order 14055 of November 18, 2021 Non-displacement of Qualified Workers Under Service Contracts (the “EO 14055”), will have an immediate impact on federal contractors performing and bidding on Service Contracts.

On June 24, 2024, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas issued a nationwide preliminary injunction, stopping the U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) from enforcing three key elements of regulations related to the Davis-Bacon Act and Related Acts (“DBA” or “Act”).  The court order issued in Associated General Contractors v. U.S. Department of Labor will provide significant comfort and certainty to contractors that perform work on federally funded construction projects.

On February 8, 2024, the Supreme Court decided Murray v. UBS Securities, LLC, No. 22-660, holding that a whistleblower must prove that his or her protected activity was a contributing factor in the unfavorable personnel action but does not need to prove that his or her employer acted with “retaliatory intent.”

Please join us for the next edition of Third Thursday – Crowell & Moring’s Labor and Employment Update, a webinar series dedicated to helping our clients stay on top of developing law and emerging compliance issues. The EEOC has brought several lawsuits, including a widely-publicized case filed in Chicago against the CVS pharmacy chain, challenging several provisions commonly used by employers in settlement and release agreements. EEOC claims that such provisions inappropriately chill the right of the Commission to enforce Title VII and, by implication, other EEO statutes. These cases raise tricky questions about standard language use in many settlement agreements, including non-disparagement clauses and provisions requiring ongoing cooperation by former employees. Other cases, including private party litigation challenging the terms of release agreements intended to comply with the complex provisions of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, reveal several open issues about how best to frame release agreements, particularly in workforce restructuring situations. These developments make it a good time for employers to take another look at their waiver and release agreements. A panel of Crowell & Moring lawyers will review these issues in a roundtable discussion. We will focus on practical solutions for employers seeking enforceable settlement agreements. This webinar is scheduled for Thursday, August 21 at 12:00 pm EDT. We hope that you can join us for this timely and lively discussion.

In this episode, hosts Jason Crawford and Mana Lombardo speak with Trina Fairley Barlow, a partner in the firm’s Labor and Employment and Government Contracts groups, and Christine Hawes, counsel in the Labor & Employment Group, to discuss the False Claims Act’s retaliation provision and considerations for investigating FCA allegations brought by whistleblowers. "Let's Talk FCA" is Crowell & Moring’s podcast covering the latest developments with the False Claims Act.