The Holding: On February 17, 2026, Judge Jed Rakoff of the Southern District of New York ruled in U.S. v. Bradley Heppner that conversations with an AI chatbot are not protected by attorney-client or work product privileges. The Facts: Mr. Heppner is a former CEO of a publicly traded company and was indicted on charges […]
Artificial intelligence (“AI”) is transforming the workplace. However, the misuse of AI to generate fake, sexually explicit, or harassing images, videos, or audio, known as “deepfakes,” is quickly becoming a new source of workplace disputes and potential liability for employers. Courts are already seeing lawsuits tied to AI-generated deepfakes. In one example, a Washington State […]
The test for independent contractor classification is changing again at the federal level, and these developments may directly affect your legal rights. On February 26, 2026 the U.S. Department of Labor issued a proposal to rescind the 2024 independent contractor rule established by President Biden and largely reinstate the 2021 analytical framework that existed under […]
Significant updates to New York City’s Earned Safe and Sick Time Act (ESSTA) took effect on February 22, 2026, and they directly expand the leave rights and protections available to employees working in any of the five boroughs. One of the most important changes is the creation of a mandatory bank of 32 hours of […]
On December 19, 2025, Governor Kathy Hochul signed into law the Trapped At Work Act, which outlaws stay or pay clauses that require workers to pay back training expenses to their employers if they leave their jobs before a specific time period. These clauses are harmful, as they restrict workers’ ability to leave hostile work […]
On December 1, 2025, New York City (the “City”) Mayor Eric Adams and the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (“DCWP”) announced the largest worker protection settlement in its history. The City and DCWP reached a $38.9 million settlement with Starbucks after a multi-year investigation found more than 500,000 violations of the City’s Fair Workweek […]
On December 5, 2025, Governor Hochul signed the Reasonable Accommodation Anti-Retaliation Act (S3398/A4898), which clarifies the scope of the New York State Human Rights Law’s (NYSHRL) anti-retaliation provisions. The Act reinforces that it is discriminatory to retaliate against an individual who requests an accommodation in employment, housing, or at a place of public accommodations. Previously, […]
[NEW YORK, NY]—December 4, 2025—Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP, a business specializing in legal services, is proud to announce national re-certification as a Women’s Business Enterprise by the Women President’s Educational Organization, a regional certifying partner of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). WBENC Certification is the gold standard for women-owned business certification in the […]
On November 21, 2025, a Black former IT director at Merck, Richard Davis, won a $6 million judgment after a Manhattan federal jury found that the company fired him because of his race. The verdict followed a five-day trial before Judge Vincent Briccetti in the Southern District of New York. Davis filed suit in 2022 […]
On November 14, 2025, the New Jersey Superior Court ruled that Ms. Elaine Chen can proceed in court with her discrimination and retaliation claims pursuant to the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (“NJLAD”) against the NY Jets. Ms. Chen worked as the Vice President of Finance for the Jets for approximately fifteen years until she […]
Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP is pleased to announce that 8 of our attorneys have been recognized by Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters business, as top-rated attorneys in the United States. Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional […]
On October 23, 2025, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in Brown v. Montefiore Health System found that a former Montefiore employee has sufficiently alleged race discrimination and hostile work environment claims, overturning a trial court ruling that had dismissed the case. The plaintiff, Brown, is a Black dietician who worked […]
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