Originally appointed as an Associate Justice in 2006, Hon. Lorie S. Gildea stepped down from the Minnesota Supreme Court on October 1, 2023 after thirteen years as Chief Justice. “During her tenure leading the Court, the outgoing chief justice navigated a tumultuous era, beginning with emergence from the recession of 2007-09 and encompassing the subsequent […]

Jennifer Lammers, a partner in our Private Wealth Planning practice group, recently contributed to the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal’s Estate Planning Table of Experts panel discussion. Featuring expertise from across the financial management industry, this discussion explores everything from the simpler concepts of how to develop your estate plan (Who should have one? Where to start?) to […]

Section 409A was added to the Internal Revenue Code by Congress in 2004 to tighten the rules governing deferred compensation plans.  Although Section 409A does not apply to most severance plans or agreements, it will apply in some cases.  If Section 409A applies and the agreement fails to comply with the fairly onerous requirements contained […]

In 2023, three new laws are expanding protections for pregnant and nursing employees in Minnesota. The federal Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) went into effect yesterday. Earlier this year, the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers (PUMP) Act took effect. And later this week a new law amending Minnesota’s nursing mothers and pregnancy accommodation law […]

Minnesota’s 2023 legislative session has resulted in numerous laws that have significant implications for Minnesota employers. The Minnesota legislature passed laws (1) banning non-competes, (2) expanding nursing mothers’ rights in the workplace, (3) legalizing recreational marijuana, (4) prohibiting inquiries into job applicant’s salary history, (5) mandating statewide paid sick leave, and (6) mandating paid family […]

On November 4, 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (“OSHA”) emergency temporary standard (“ETS”) was issued. As explained in our prior alerts, the ETS generally requires employers with 100 or more employees to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations or, alternatively, to allow non-vaccinated employees to test for COVID-19 on a weekly basis […]

Last Friday evening, December 17, 2021, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit upheld OSHA’s Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) on COVID-19 vaccination applicable to employers with more than 100 employees.  The ETS was originally issued on November 5 and quickly stayed by the federal Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.  As explained in our […]

UPDATE: On November 6, 2021, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued an order staying the OSHA rule below. This means that the rule is not in effect at this time. We will continue to follow, monitor, and update these actions closely.  In the rapidly changing COVID-19 environment, we continue to monitor action […]

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (or “ARPA”) created both new obligations and new options for employers, which provide a health insurance safety net for employees who are laid off or terminated and allow employers to receive tax credits for voluntarily allowing COVID-related leaves between April and September 2021.  The following is a summary […]

As 2020 draws to a close, we want to update you on recent labor and employment law developments, including the federal government’s year-end stimulus package signed into law yesterday and 2021 increases to the minimum wage in Minnesota. Highlights of Federal Year-End Stimulus PackageYesterday, the President signed the $900 billion economic stimulus bill that was […]