On April 16, 2013, Nancy Sutley, Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality, and John Holdren, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and Co-Chairs of the President's National Ocean Council, released the Administration's action plan for implementing the National Ocean Policy established under E.O. 13547

Action Item: The Supreme Court's ruling in favor of gay marriage will have profound implications for individuals and employers across the country.

Blank Rome Partners Joan N. Stern and Dacia A. Haddad co-authored a chapter titled "Public Finance Law—Building America" in the book Lawyers as Economic Drivers: The Business Case for Legal Services.

The U.S. Department of Labor ("DOL") and the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") recently signed a memorandum of understanding to coordinate efforts to stop businesses from misclassifying employees as independent contractors.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently issued guidance highlighting how Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) may apply to situations involving applicants and employees who experience domestic or dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has recently released updated guidance on protections against disability discrimination for employees and job applicants with cancer, diabetes, epilepsy, and intellectual disabilities.

The National Labor Relations Board ("NLRB") has again postponed its rule requiring employers subject to NLRB jurisdiction to post a notice informing employees of their federal labor law rights.

The National Labor Relations Board ("NLRB") recently released memoranda analyzing at-will employment clauses in two employee handbooks that the NLRB concluded do not violate the National Labor Relations Act ("NLRA").

The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs has recently issued a directive to the federal contractors and subcontractors on their use of criminal records in the hiring process.

The United States Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration ("OSHA") recently issued a memorandum identifying several types of employer safety policies that may violate the Occupational Safety and Health Act and other whistleblower protection laws.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration published an interim final rule on February 27, 2013 in the Federal Register governing whistleblower complaints under the Affordable Care Act. Section 1558 of the Act prohibits employers from retaliating against employees who report alleged violations of insurance company accountability policies or participate in a proceeding concerning a violation

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit recently held that an employment agreement provision that shortened the statutes of limitations for employee claims brought under the FLSA and the Equal Pay Act from three years to six months was an impermissible waiver of claims under both statutes.

The Sixth Circuit recently affirmed a district court ruling rejecting a challenge by the EEOC to employers’ use of credit checks in the hiring process.

On November 26, 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Vance v. Ball State University, a case that may resolve a split between the federal appellate courts regarding the definition of a "supervisor" for purposes of employer liability under Title VII.

In a closely watched decision that will undoubtedly impact both public and private employers, the Supreme Court of the United States recently held, in "City of Ontario, California v. Quon", that the City of Ontario's review of a police officer's text messages transmitted on a City-issued device were reasonable and did not violate the Fourth Amendment.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit recently held that that an employee is entitled to whistleblower protection under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit recently issued a significant decision, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. GEO Group, Inc., that will likely have widespread implications concerning employers' obligations to provide religious accommodations.

New York’s highest court recently held oral argument in one of the most closely-watched cases to come out of New York in some time.

In "Bimbo Bakeries USA, Inc. v. Botticella", No. 10-0194 (E.D. Pa. Feb. 9, 2010), the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania enjoined a Bimbo Bakeries executive from taking a position with Hostess Brands, Inc., a direct competitor, holding that it was "substantially likely" that he would disclose Bimbo Bakeries' trade secrets.

Ian M. Comisky, Matthew D. Lee and Abraham C. Reich were featured in the Philadelphia Business Journal article, "Two Key Blank Rome Litigators, Including Co-Founder's Son, Leave for Rival Firm."