Brody and Associates LLC » Firm News and Victories

Lawyer as Employer – Six Part Series

Brody and Associates — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 14:39:39 +0000

Brody and Associates recently published a six part series in the Connecticut Law Tribune regarding how employment law issues specifically affect law firms. Below are the first three of the six articles. We will publish the next three in our September Monthly Legal Update.

Lawyer as Employer – Firms Aren’t Exempt From Employment Law Issues

Lawyer as Employer – Who in Your Office is Entitled to Overtime?

Lawyer as Employer – Office Managers, Document Review Attorneys Raise Pay Issues

Bob Brody Interviewed on TV

Brody and Associates — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 14:24:33 +0000

Bob was a guest speaker on Today’s Verdict, a news program on BronxNet TV which broadcasts in the New York City area. Bob spoke about the NFL lockout and the current NBA labor disputes. To see Bob in action, click here.

Bob Brody Appointed to ACLU-CT Legal Committee

Brody and Associates — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 19:59:35 +0000

Bob Brody is honored to join the American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut’s (ACLU-CT) Legal Committee. The ACLU –CT deals with legal issues such as women’s rights, desegregation, voting rights, and takes on various pro bono legal matters. Bob is excited to lend his years of legal expertise to such a deserving organization. If anyone is interested in volunteering their services, they can visit the ACLU-CT’s website.

Bob Brody Quoted in Article on E-Verify

Brody and Associates — Thu, 12 May 2011 15:58:34 +0000

Bob Brody was quoted in an article titled “The Fine Print in Employment” on Westfaironline.com on April 8, 2011. Click here to read the full article.

Brody and Associates Guides a Veteran to Victory

Brody and Associates — Thu, 12 May 2011 15:42:47 +0000

A veteran returning from his second tour of duty in Afghanistan came home to a lawsuit wrongfully blaming him for injuries he did not cause. With nowhere to turn, Brody and Associates agreed to represent him pro bono.

The lawsuit claimed the plaintiff suffered serious injuries when he fell in a stairwell in a condominium complex. Although the plaintiff was renting our client’s condominium unit at the time, the stairwell was not inside the unit, but rather a “common element” of the condominium complex. After careful research, we found cases interpreting the state’s condominium laws as protecting condominium unit owners from liability due to accidents occurring outside the unit. With this research, we successfully obtained a withdrawal of the litigation as against our client. By acting quickly, we led our client to victory without him having to answer interrogatories, produce documents, sit through depositions, or ever set foot inside a courtroom.

We are honored to have had this opportunity to serve someone who has spent years training, serving, and sacrificing for his country.

Brody and Associates Attorneys Present Seminars to Wide Audiences on a Wide Range of Topics

Brody and Associates — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 14:38:58 +0000

Last month, when we announced two seminar presentations (one on telecommuting and one on employee exemptions from overtime), many inquired whether we offer other seminars or speaking engagements. The fact is, Brody and Associates attorneys frequently speak on various labor and employment topics. In March, we presented five seminars, including:

Workers’ Compensation Trust (an association of employers in the Health Care industry): regarding appropriate policies and practices for drivers;
New York City In-House Counsel group: an update on New York’s new Wage Theft Prevention Act and other wage and hour laws; and
Credit Union League of Connecticut CEO Round Table: our annual discussion of hot topics in employment law.

If you belong to an association focusing on Human Resources, in-house counsel, or senior executives, and would like us to present, please give us a call. You can find a list of some of the many topics we have discussed on our Training Programs page.

Brody and Associates to Present Seminars

Robert G. Brody — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 13:03:02 +0000

“Telecommuting: Should You? Shouldn’t You? How Do You Make It Happen?”

The webinar will discuss the benefits to working off-site and the pitfalls if compliance with employment laws is not maintained. Some of the issues we will address include: how do you track time for telecommuting employees?; who pays for which business expense?; who is responsible for providing a safe work environment and complying with OSHA’s safety guidelines? and; is the worker an employee or an independent contractor?

When: April 14, 2011 at 1:30 p.m.
Venue: Online Webinar
Registration: If you are interested, we have arranged a 10% discount for our clients and friends of the Firm. You can register for the webinar at: https://secure.confertel.net/tsregister.asp?course=515958&mcode=brody. Enter the promotion code “brody” to receive the discount.

“Exempt v. Non-Exempt: Can You Pass DOL Scrutiny”

This seminar will discuss how to correctly classify employees as exempt or nonexempt, what deductions employers may make from an exempt employee’s salary, what causes the loss of exempt status, and strategies for how to convert the proper classifications without creating a smoking gun of guilt. This seminar has been very successful and has previously attracted over 250 participants.

When: April 29, 2011 at 8:00 a.m.
Venue: The Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce, 900 Chaple Street, 10^th Floor, New Haven, CT
Registration: If you are interested, please register online at www.gnhcc.com.

When: May 12, 2011 at 1:30 p.m.
Venue: Online Webinar
Registration: If you are interested, we have arranged a 10% discount for our clients and friends of the Firm. You can register for the webinar at: https://secure.confertel.net/tsregister.asp?course=515959&mcode=brody. Enter the promotion code “brody” to receive the discount.

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If you have questions about these seminars, or would like us to present these seminars to your company, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Firm Successfully Settles Arbitration Case; Defeats NLRB Charge

Robert G. Brody — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 11:14:04 +0000

Many people probably do not expect an employment issue to come before a financial regulatory agency, but when there is a dispute between a registered agent and a broker/dealer or investment institution, the parties are typically bound to arbitrate before FINRA. We recently negotiated a favorable settlement in a FINRA arbitration case in New York City.

In another notable victory, we successfully defeated a bad faith bargaining charge brought by a powerful union against an employer in the hospitality industry. We were able to defeat this charge by providing the National Labor Relations Board with a strong position statement and affidavit, saving our client thousands of dollars in further defense costs.

Extended Federal Unemployment Benefits to Continue Until December 2011

Robert G. Brody — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 11:12:54 +0000

President Obama signed a bill which allows many people to collect an extra thirteen weeks of unemployment benefits. The Federal government often provides extended benefits when there is a period of high unemployment. If a person’s unemployment benefits run out between now and December 2011, he/she is eligible for this extra thirteen weeks of benefits in the same amount he/she was receiving before the extension. The Federal government cautions that eligibility for the extension will be determined on a case-by-case basis. Some people may get less than thirteen weeks. Employees should contact their state unemployment insurance agency to find out if they are eligible for the extended benefits. Although former employees may see an increase in benefits, employers need not worry about a rise in their unemployment insurance premiums.

Brody and Associates regularly advises management on complying and remaining up to date with state and federal employment laws. If we can be of assistance in this area, please contact us at info@brodyandassociates.com or 203.965.0560.

Allison Smith Passed the New York State Bar Exam

Robert G. Brody — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 14:34:29 +0000

We are very pleased to announce that Allison Smith recently passed the New York State bar examination and is awaiting admission to practice before New York state courts. A swearing-in ceremony will take place in January. Allison plans to sit for the Connecticut State bar examination in February. Congratulations Allison!