Labor & Employment Alert – Title VII and Gender Identity Discrimination
Washington has always been on the cutting edge of employment law, expanding the boundaries of employee protections. For example, Washington has expressly prohibited gender identity discrimination for years. RCW 49.60, et. seq. The federal government has been slow to adopt the same protections. Now, at the end of the Obama presidency, it appears that federal employment law will begin...
Construction Law Newsletter – Construction Requirements for Medical Marijuana Facilities
Cardholders under the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program can obtain medical marijuana from registered facilities. Medical marijuana facilities are strictly regulated by the Oregon Health Authority. The regulations are found at OAR 333-008-0000 through 333-008-1400. Contractors performing tenant improvements or original construction work for such facilities would do well to familiarize themselves with the security requirements...
Alphabet Soup – A Few Things You Need to Know: Developments in Federal Laws That May Have Applicability to Public Sector Employees
Regulatory schemes are often referred to by the initials of the regulatory agencies that enforce them or by the acronyms for the laws—a veritable alphabet soup. Regardless of the acronym or the letters that are used, many of the federal laws apply not just to private sector employers but also to public sector employers. Although...
USLAW Spring / Summer 2014 – The Duty to Defend: When Does it End?
Insurers must often provide a defense to a policyholder on the barest of allegations, but at least in some jurisdictions, there can be rest for the weary: While a duty to defend may be required initially, extrinsic evidence can be used to terminate the defense. In many jurisdictions, however, the task of obtaining a court order allowing withdrawal from the defense may...