SCOTUS takes 8 new cases, 1 about a religious mailman
The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to consider what employers must do to accommodate religious employees, among eight new cases it added.
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Proposal could ax business personal property tax for thousands
A House lawmaker is reviving an effort to make changes to the business personal property tax that would offer a bit of a windfall to small-business owners while reducing local government revenue.
CLE highlights benefits of commercial courts
At the conclusion of the three-hour CLE, presenting judges and attorneys came to similar conclusions regarding the Indiana Commercial Courts: They’ve improved efficiency and lowered costs, but more lawyers and businesses should take advantage of them.
COA: Former pet company exec had no ownership interest
The former president of a company that manufactured animal and pet products has failed to convince the Court of Appeals of Indiana that along with being an executive at the company, he also held an ownership stake.
Device firm embroiled in lawsuit filed by investors
In a lawsuit filed last month in Marion Superior Court, investors of VoCare accused top officers and board members of self-dealing, gross mismanagement and fraudulent behavior that has put the privately held company in “imminent danger” of insolvency.
Deadline tonight for 2022 Corporate Counsel Guide submissions
Today is the final day to submit company information for the 2022 Indiana Lawyer Corporate Counsel Guide.
Split 7th Circuit allows RV worker’s age discrimination claim to continue
A former Forest River employee will get a second chance to make his claim that the recreational vehicle maker constructively discharged him by refusing to address age-based harassment after a split 7th Circuit Court of Appeals revived the case and sent it back to the Northern Indiana District Court. However, one judge dissented, asserting, “there was not enough ‘constructive’ in the plaintiff’s constructive discharge claim.”
Former Merrill Lynch broker Buck ordered to pay $7.5M in damages to former client
Former powerhouse Merrill Lynch broker Thomas Buck, who was released from prison in January after serving time for securities fraud, has been ordered to pay $7.5 million in damages to a former client who says Buck mismanaged her investments.
John and Lovett: Federal Indian law in Indiana — land of the Indians
Appropriate for the Native American Heritage Month of November is a discussion about the presence of Native Americans in Indiana.
2008 Mississippi River spill: Jeffersonville barge company to pay $6.6M
An Indiana-based barge company responsible for a Mississippi River oil spill that significantly damage shoreline habitat in south Louisiana in 2008 has agreed to pay $2.1 million in damages and buy and preserve a wildlife habitat just miles from downtown New Orleans.
Carmel-based firm uncovers three separate cases of employee fraud
Maria Caceres, a former employee of Carmel-based Seven Corners Inc., stands accused of defrauding the company by submitting false claims — the third employee to face such charges within two years in separate criminal cases that allege more than $3.5 million in fraud against the travel insurance company.
Former exec loses appeal to keep his stock in $20M filtration firm
The case involved whether a co-founder of Anderson-based Hy-Pro Corp. owned stock in the business when it was sold in 2017.
Indianapolis-area employers reluctant to require employee vaccinations
Around central Indiana, employers are offering plenty of incentives to encourage their workers to get vaccinations as part of an effort to keep their office towers, stores, warehouses and factory floors safe for co-workers and visitors. But few, if any, are requiring workers to get vaccinated.
Egg dispute back in court over allegations of cracked contract
A dispute between farming companies over egg production and chickens snatched from their coops will return to court to address two breach claims after the Indiana Court of Appeals partially reversed a dismissal.
Biden repeals Trump-era rule on gig workers
The Biden administration nullified a Trump-era rule Wednesday that would have made it easier to classify workers as independent contractors, blocking a change supported by delivery and ride-hailing services.
Ponzi schemer Cochran escalates fight for early release on COVID grounds
Jim Cochran, the former Indianapolis businessman serving a 25-year prison term for his role in the massive Fair Finance Ponzi scheme, is asking a Chicago appeals court for early release on the grounds that his health problems could make contracting COVID-19 lethal and that he has undergone a religious conversion that no longer makes him a risk to society.
Biden touts $28.6B restaurant relief program, orders tacos
Setting foot in a restaurant for his first time as president, Joe Biden made a Cinco de Mayo taco and enchilada run to highlight his administration’s $28.6 billion program to help eateries that lost business because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Online provider FairShake helps consumers maneuver arbitration process
Teel Lidow, an attorney and entrepreneur, has entered the consumer arbitration space as the CEO and founder of FairShake. This online service helps individuals navigate the arbitration process when they find a billing error or have a complaint about faulty products and services.
Evansville attorney helps women engage in community through virtual nonprofit
Fulfilling a lifelong dream can be daunting, even unattainable. It can take years before someone takes steps toward fulfilling a goal set for themselves. But a young Evansville attorney is breaking walls and building new dreams daily, balancing both a legal practice and a female-focused not-for-profit organization.
7th Circuit rules for egg supplier in spoiled contract case
Despite a buyer’s ruffled feathers, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld judgment for an egg supplier in a contractual dispute. Further, the appellate panel remanded for the calculation of interest and fees resulting from the cracked relationship.