One of the blogs that we really enjoy is the China Law Blog, which is written primarily by Dan Harris of Harris Bricken.  Dan recently wrote a post about the pitfalls of relying on a representation by a non-Chinese company that they own a manufacturing facility in China. As Dan states directly: Here’s the deal. No American or European or Australian company (or any other non-Chinese company) can own a Chinese factory directly. It is…

Before answering that question, manufacturers should ask whether the they host a website where individuals can access information about products and services, view demonstrations, submit requests for price quotes or apply for a job.  If so, then the website may not be handicap accessible. Title III of Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) requires goods, services, privileges or activities provided by places of public accommodation be equally accessible to people with disabilities.  Title I of ADA…

A recent court decision underscores the need for manufacturers to exercise caution when seeking to impose Post-Employment Restrictions on key employees. Manufacturers often seek to bind employees to Post-Employment Restrictions (non-compete, non-solicitation and confidentiality obligations) in order to protect customer lists, pricing information and other confidential or “inside” information which gives them a competitive advantage in the market-place.  While never a ‘first line” of defense, they serve an important role in protecting manufacturers from unfair…

Thank you to Jonathan Schaefer for this post. Jon is an attorney in our Environmental, Energy & Telecommunications Practice Group and his practice focuses on environmental compliance counseling, occupational health and safety, permitting, site remediation, and litigation related to federal and state regulatory programs. On October 17, 2018, the Occupational Health & Safety Administration (OSHA) announced the creation of the Site-Specific Targeting 2016 (SST-16) Program.  The SST-16 Program will, in part, use employer submitted…

We have been talking about conflict minerals for years.  And, so have our manufacturing clients.  As covered previously in this blog, the conflict minerals laws and regulations are some of the most well known, but least understood laws/regulations that face manufacturers/distributors today. The stated purpose of conflict mineral laws and regulations were laudable, namely, to prevent companies from engaging in trade that support regional conflicts in the Congo.  As many manufacturers will tell you,…

Thank you to Jonathan Schaefer for this post. Jon is an attorney in our Environmental, Energy & Telecommunications Practice Group and his practice focuses on environmental compliance counseling, occupational health and safety, permitting, site remediation, and litigation related to federal and state regulatory programs. On October 11, 2018, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) issued a memorandum to clarify its position regarding whether drug testing policies and safety incentive programs would be considered violations…

Last month, I posted about New York State’s recently enacted law mandating all New York State employers adopt Sexual Harassment Policies and train all employees annually.  See “Time to Catch the “Train” – The New York Gender-Based Harassment Train.”  The Department of Labor published for public comment its August 23, 2018 draft sexual harassment training program, checklist of minimum standards for compliant sexual-harassment policies, and list of FAQs.  Those draft materials stated that…