Featured Stories
To Halloween and Beyond: Southwest Airlines Celebrates the Holiday with Customers
DALLAS, Texas, Oct. 30 [Category: BizAerospace] -- Southwest Airlines posted the following news release:
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To Halloween and Beyond: Southwest Airlines Celebrates the Holiday with Customers
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Halloween has been Southwest Airlines' biggest Company celebration since the airline's founding in the 1970s.
From first-time celebrants to 20-year Halloween veterans, Southwest Employees wear festive accessories and costumes, decorate airport gate areas, and help Customers get into the spirit.
Southwest Executives revealed their costumes on the morning of the Halloween celebration, and this year,
... Show Full Article
DALLAS, Texas, Oct. 30 [Category: BizAerospace] -- Southwest Airlines posted the following news release:
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To Halloween and Beyond: Southwest Airlines Celebrates the Holiday with Customers
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Halloween has been Southwest Airlines' biggest Company celebration since the airline's founding in the 1970s.
From first-time celebrants to 20-year Halloween veterans, Southwest Employees wear festive accessories and costumes, decorate airport gate areas, and help Customers get into the spirit.
Southwest Executives revealed their costumes on the morning of the Halloween celebration, and this year,the Boardroom went to infinity and beyond. Buzz Lightyear, Woody, Hamm, Rex, Jessie, and Duke Caboom took the places of Bob Jordan, Andrew Watterson, Tony Roach, Tom Doxey, Lauren Woods, and Justin Jones, as they transformed into favorite characters from the latest installment of the beloved animated film franchise.
Southwest Leaders have long championed Halloween as a way for Employees to have fun with Customers and celebrate the legendary Southwest Culture. If you're traveling today, join the festivities at the airport and enjoy a complimentary alcoholic beverage onboard if you're 21 or older. Happy Halloween from Southwest Airlines--You've got a friend in SWA!
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Original text here: https://www.swamedia.com/news-and-stories/news-release/MCVK32IR6B7JAM5FAIRAFPPANMFQ
New York Super Lawyers Recognizes 21 WilmerHale Lawyers in Its 2026 Lists
WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 [Category: BizLaw/Legal] -- WilmerHale, a law firm, posted the following news:
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New York Super Lawyers Recognizes 21 WilmerHale Lawyers in Its 2026 Lists
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Super Lawyers has selected 21 WilmerHale lawyers for inclusion in its 2026 New York Metro Super Lawyers and New York Metro Rising Stars lists. Sixteen lawyers were named to the Super Lawyers list, and five were named to the Rising Stars list.
Super Lawyers recognizes attorneys from all firm sizes and over 70 practice areas throughout the United States. According to the publication, its "patented selection process
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 [Category: BizLaw/Legal] -- WilmerHale, a law firm, posted the following news:
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New York Super Lawyers Recognizes 21 WilmerHale Lawyers in Its 2026 Lists
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Super Lawyers has selected 21 WilmerHale lawyers for inclusion in its 2026 New York Metro Super Lawyers and New York Metro Rising Stars lists. Sixteen lawyers were named to the Super Lawyers list, and five were named to the Rising Stars list.
Super Lawyers recognizes attorneys from all firm sizes and over 70 practice areas throughout the United States. According to the publication, its "patented selection processis peer influenced and research driven, selecting the top 5% of attorneys to the Super Lawyers lists each year." Rising Stars uses the same selection process for attorneys who are 40 or younger or who have been in practice for 10 years or less, and it names the top 2.5% of lawyers in each state.
The WilmerHale New York Metro Super Lawyers honorees are:
* Debo Adegbile (Appellate)
* Philip Anker (Bankruptcy: Business)
* Michael Bongiorno (Securities Litigation)
* Robert Finkel (Technology Transactions)
* Robert Gunther (Intellectual Property Litigation)
* Jay Holtmeier (Criminal Defense: White Collar)
* Fraser Hunter (Securities Litigation)
* Boyd Johnson (Criminal Defense: White Collar)
* Tamar Kaplan-Marans (Securities Litigation)
* Omar Khan (Intellectual Property Litigation)
* Hallie Levin (Business Litigation)
* Lori Martin (Securities Litigation)
* Peter Neiman (Criminal Defense: White Collar)
* Christopher Noyes (Intellectual Property Litigation)
* Anjan Sahni (Criminal Defense: White Collar)
* Alan Schoenfeld (Business Litigation)
The WilmerHale New York Metro Rising Stars honorees are:
* Emma Bennett (Securities Litigation)
* Charles Bridge (Business Litigation)
* Sara Hershman (Business Litigation)
* Laura Macro (Intellectual Property)
* Andres Salinas (Appellate)
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Original text here: https://www.wilmerhale.com/en/insights/news/20261030-new-york-super-lawyers-recognizes-21-wilmerhale-lawyers-in-its-2026-lists
Littler: NLRB Returns to Mixed-Motive Standard for Punishment of Employee Misconduct
SAN FRANCISCO, California, Oct. 30 -- Littler, a law firm, issued the following news:
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NLRB Returns to Mixed-Motive Standard for Punishment of Employee Misconduct
By Esther Redman, Jason Stanevich, and Michelle Devlin
October 29, 2026
At a Glance
* The NLRB has reinstated the General Motors mixed-motive standard governing discipline for employee misconduct occurring in connection with protected concerted activity.
* Under that framework, employers may avoid liability by showing that they would have imposed the same discipline even absent the employee's protected activity.
* Because
... Show Full Article
SAN FRANCISCO, California, Oct. 30 -- Littler, a law firm, issued the following news:
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NLRB Returns to Mixed-Motive Standard for Punishment of Employee Misconduct
By Esther Redman, Jason Stanevich, and Michelle Devlin
October 29, 2026
At a Glance
* The NLRB has reinstated the General Motors mixed-motive standard governing discipline for employee misconduct occurring in connection with protected concerted activity.
* Under that framework, employers may avoid liability by showing that they would have imposed the same discipline even absent the employee's protected activity.
* Becausethe Board relied on procedural grounds rather than affirmatively embracing General Motors, employers should not assume that the Board will readily overturn other Biden-era labor precedents.
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On September 23, 2026, with a new three-member Republican majority, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued a significant decision on how it will analyze discipline of employees who commit misconduct while engaged in activity otherwise protected under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). The decision in Lion Elastomers III overturns, mostly on procedural grounds, the Biden Board's 2023 decision Lion Elastomers II, which had supplanted the more employer-friendly framework established by an earlier Trump Board in its 2020 General Motors decision.
This shift is important for employers in two respects. First, it represents an important change in how the Board will evaluate discipline of employees for abusive, offensive, or inappropriate conduct while participating in activity protected under Section 7 of the NLRA. Second, the decision raises questions about how willing Trump Board 2.0 will be to aggressively reverse policies of the Biden Board.
The Evolution from General Motors to Lion Elastomers and Back Again
The NLRB is notorious for doctrinal pendulum swings, and the analysis of when an employee's union advocacy or other concerted activity loses NLRA protection is a prime example. The Lion Elastomers cases arose from discipline of an employee who complained about working conditions during a safety meeting that turned heated. At that time, the Board's approach was to weigh setting-specific factors to determine whether employee misconduct was so abusive or offensive to lose the protection of the NLRA. For workplace confrontations, these factors were: (1) the place of the discussion; (2) the subject matter of the discussion; (3) the nature of the employee's outburst; and (4) whether the outburst was, in any way, provoked by an employer's unfair labor practice. Atlantic Steel, 245 NLRB 814 (1979). The Board concluded that Lion Elastomers violated the NLRA by threatening, disciplining, and ultimately discharging the employee.
With the original Lion Elastomers case pending on appeal in the Fifth Circuit, the first Trump Board issued the landmark 2020 decision General Motors, fundamentally changing the way to evaluate employee misconduct during protected activity. Rather than apply setting-specific tests, the Board opted to replace them with the familiar Wright Line framework for analyzing mixed motives. Under that approach, the general counsel must prove that the employee's protected activity was a motivating factor in the employer's disciplinary decision. Even then the employer could avoid liability, however, by establishing that it would have taken the same action regardless of the protected activity./1 The Board in General Motors reasoned that Wright Line properly balanced the parties' rights and aligned with modern antidiscrimination laws. The Fifth Circuit then remanded Lion Elastomers to the Board to determine whether the General Motors decision should affect the Board's analysis.
Eventually Lion Elastomers II came before the Biden Board, which in 2023 rejected General Motors and returned to the Board's earlier context-specific tests for evaluating employee misconduct during protected activity. When the case was appealed again the Fifth Circuit vacated the Board decision. The court refused to enforce the Board's order because it found both that the Board had exceeded the scope of the remand when it overruled General Motors, and that it had violated the employer's due process rights by failing to provide it with an opportunity to address that issue. The court directed the Board to apply General Motors, and therefore a Wright Line analysis, to the case. Now with a Republican majority, on September 23, 2026, Trump Board 2.0 declared in Lion Elastomers III that, because the Fifth Circuit invalidated the Board's attempt to overrule General Motors, the Wright Line framework remains the operative precedent that that Board will apply to employee misconduct cases.
Considerations and Potential Implications
While commentary on Lion Elastomers has focused on the immediate result of reinstating General Motors, employers should also pay close attention to what the decision does not say. The majority did not embrace General Motors on policy grounds or agree that the Wright Line standard is superior to the setting-specific tests of Lion Elastomers II. The decision rests solely on narrow procedural grounds. In fact, Republican-appointed Chair Murphy emphasized in a separate concurrence that he "is not reaching the merits of whether General Motors is a better test to apply than that set forth in Lion Elastomers II, or whether an entirely different standard would be preferable." The decision gives no clear direction about what the current Board majority would decide is the proper policy approach when presented with this question in a future case.
Looking Ahead
An employer deciding whether to discipline an employee for misconduct while engaged in concerted activity generally consults counsel and weighs the severity of the misconduct and the lawful business reasons for imposing discipline against the risks and costs of litigation regardless of what specific legal test the Board says is in place. Right now, the Board seems to have said that the Wright Line mixed-motive analysis will apply.
However, the Board's refusal to endorse the first Trump Board's policy decision in General Motors could turn out to be as significant as the outcome itself. Does resolving the case on procedural rather than policy grounds indicate whether this Board is prepared to act aggressively to swing the policy pendulum back in the direction of employers? At this point the answer is unclear. Employers should therefore be cautious not to prematurely anticipate the end of Biden-era precedents concerning employer policies, protected concerted activity, bargaining orders, waivers of bargaining and other important issues. At the same time, the decision is a reminder that employers defending unfair labor practice charges should consider their appellate strategy from the outset, preserve all applicable defenses, and create the thorough evidentiary record that may enable them to make the case for meaningful policy changes in a judicial forum when necessary.
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See Footnotes
1/ General Motors overruled: (1) the Atlantic Steel test governing employees' conduct towards management in the workplace; (2) the totality-of-the circumstances test governing social-media posts and most conversations among employees in the workplace set forth in Pier Sixty, LLC, 362 NLRB 505, 506 (2015), and Desert Springs Hosp.l Med. Ctr., 363 NLRB 1824, 1824 fn. 3 (2016); and (3) the test governing picket-line conduct of Clear Pine Mouldings, 268 NLRB 1044, 1046 (1984).
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Authors
Esther Redman
Associate
Phoenix
eredman@littler.com
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Jason R. Stanevich
Shareholder
New Haven
jstanevich@littler.com
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Michelle L. Devlin
Knowledge Management Counsel
New Haven
mdevlin@littler.com
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Original text here: https://www.littler.com/news-analysis/asap/nlrb-returns-mixed-motive-standard-punishment-employee-misconduct
[Category: BizLaw/Legal]
Geisinger Recognized as 2026 Wellbeing First Champion for Supporting Health Workers' Access to Mental Healthcare
DANVILLE, Pennsylvania, Oct. 30 -- Geisinger Health posted the following news release:
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Geisinger recognized as 2026 Wellbeing First Champion for supporting health workers' access to mental healthcare
Oct. 29, 2026
Verified by ALL IN: Wellbeing First for Healthcare, ensuring no invasive mental health questions on applications
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DANVILLE, Pa. - Geisinger has been recognized as a 2026 Wellbeing First Champion by ALL IN: Wellbeing First for Healthcare.
As a Wellbeing First Champion, the healthcare system has verified that its credentials applications are free from intrusive, stigmatizing
... Show Full Article
DANVILLE, Pennsylvania, Oct. 30 -- Geisinger Health posted the following news release:
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Geisinger recognized as 2026 Wellbeing First Champion for supporting health workers' access to mental healthcare
Oct. 29, 2026
Verified by ALL IN: Wellbeing First for Healthcare, ensuring no invasive mental health questions on applications
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DANVILLE, Pa. - Geisinger has been recognized as a 2026 Wellbeing First Champion by ALL IN: Wellbeing First for Healthcare.
As a Wellbeing First Champion, the healthcare system has verified that its credentials applications are free from intrusive, stigmatizingmental health questions. This means that healthcare workers at Geisinger can seek mental healthcare or treatment for substance abuse without fear of losing their job.
"This recognition reflects Geisinger's ongoing commitment to supporting the mental health and well-being of our workforce," said Tricia Richards-Service, Ph.D., program director of Geisinger's Center for Well-being. "While there's still more work to do, we're proud of this progress and remain focused on building a culture of well-being at work -- one that supports the whole person, not just the person who shows up for a shift."
This is the third year Geisinger has been recognized as a Wellbeing First Champion for credentialing. Removing intrusive, stigmatizing mental health and substance use questions was a key step in supporting its health workers' access to care and treatment. However, ongoing, consistent communication is critical for changing the culture in healthcare and ensuring Geisinger health workers know their mental health and well-being is a priority.
"Every health worker is a human being who carries the immense weight of caring for others. For too long, our caregivers have suffered in silence, fearing that seeking the confidential mental healthcare they need would cost them the career they love," said Corey Feist, CEO and Co-Founder of the Dr. Lorna Breen Foundation, which leads the ALL IN: Wellbeing First for Healthcare coalition. Geisinger is breaking that silence by sending a powerful, compassionate message to its workforce that its employees' lives matter as much as their livelihood, and they never have to choose between the two.
Geisinger's Center for Well-being is a multidisciplinary team that supports the mental health and well-being of its employees through confidential individual consultations, team support and a variety of programs, resources and services.
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About Geisinger
Geisinger is among the nation's leading providers of value-based care, serving 1.2 million people in rural and urban communities across central and northeastern Pennsylvania. Founded in 1915 by philanthropist Abigail Geisinger, the nonprofit system generates $9 billion in annual revenues across more than 130 care sites -- including 10 hospital campuses -- and Geisinger Health Plan, with 509,000+ enrollees in commercial and government plans. Geisinger College of Health Sciences educates more than 600 medical professionals annually and conducts more than 1,600 clinical research studies. With 28,000 employees, including 1,900 employed physicians and 5,400 registered nurses, Geisinger is among Pennsylvania's largest employers with an estimated economic impact of $18 billion on the state's economy. In 2024, Geisinger joined Risant Health, a nonprofit charitable organization created to expand and accelerate value-based care across the country. Learn more at geisinger.org or connect with us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
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Original text here: https://www.geisinger.org/about-geisinger/news-and-media/news-releases/2026/10/29/14/27/geisinger-recognized-as-2026-wellbeing-first-champion
[Category: BizHospital]
Fried Frank: ADT to Be Acquired by Thrive Holdings
NEW YORK, Oct. 30 -- Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver and Jacobson LLP, a law firm, issued the following news release:
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ADT to be Acquired by Thrive Holdings
October 29, 2026
Fried Frank is advising Citi and Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC as financial advisors to ADT on its agreement to be acquired by Thrive Holdings, a permanent capital holding company focused on investing in established businesses and advancing their capabilities through technology, in a transaction valuing ADT at approximately $7.6 billion in equity value and $15.3 billion in enterprise value.
The transaction brings together
... Show Full Article
NEW YORK, Oct. 30 -- Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver and Jacobson LLP, a law firm, issued the following news release:
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ADT to be Acquired by Thrive Holdings
October 29, 2026
Fried Frank is advising Citi and Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC as financial advisors to ADT on its agreement to be acquired by Thrive Holdings, a permanent capital holding company focused on investing in established businesses and advancing their capabilities through technology, in a transaction valuing ADT at approximately $7.6 billion in equity value and $15.3 billion in enterprise value.
The transaction brings togetherADT's more than 150 years of security experience, nationwide service network and customer trust with Thrive Holdings' long-term capital and engineering capabilities. Following the closing of the transaction, ADT will form the foundation of Thrive Holdings' smart home security business. For more on the transaction, which is expected to close in in the first quarter of 2027, read ADT's press release.
This transaction is a continuation of Fried Frank's work advising leading financial institutions and banks as the financial advisors on high-value deals.
M&A and private equity partners Philip Richter and Roy Tannenbaum are leading the Fried Frank team, which includes M&A and private equity associate Morgan Smith.
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This communication is for general information only. It is not intended, nor should it be relied upon, as legal advice. In some jurisdictions, this may be considered attorney advertising. Please refer to the firm's data policy page for further information.
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Original text here: https://www.friedfrank.com/news-and-insights/adt-to-be-acquired-by-thrive-holdings-13236
[Category: BizLaw/Legal]
Bloomberg Commodity Index 2027 Target Weights Announced
NEW YORK, Oct. 30 -- Bloomberg issued the following news:
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Bloomberg Commodity Index 2027 Target Weights Announced
October 29, 2026
Bloomberg announced the 2027 target weights and composition for the Bloomberg Commodity Index ("BCOM"). Launched in 1998, with historical information dating back to 1960, BCOM is a widely tracked benchmark for the commodities market. As of January 2027, BCOM will remain composed of 25 exchange traded contracts on physical commodities. The new target weights will take effect during the January 2027 roll period.
Following the 2026 BCOM reconstitution, the 2027
... Show Full Article
NEW YORK, Oct. 30 -- Bloomberg issued the following news:
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Bloomberg Commodity Index 2027 Target Weights Announced
October 29, 2026
Bloomberg announced the 2027 target weights and composition for the Bloomberg Commodity Index ("BCOM"). Launched in 1998, with historical information dating back to 1960, BCOM is a widely tracked benchmark for the commodities market. As of January 2027, BCOM will remain composed of 25 exchange traded contracts on physical commodities. The new target weights will take effect during the January 2027 roll period.
Following the 2026 BCOM reconstitution, the 2027target weights reflect a continued trend in commodity weightings. Precious Metals recorded the largest increase among commodity groups, while Grains declined to a historical low. In addition, the relative weightings between Brent and WTI crude oil continued to diverge. Notable changes for the 2027 BCOM target weights include:
* Precious Metals: Increased to 19.49%, its second highest weight in history, driven by an increase in Silver's weight which rose to 4.56%. Gold remains the index's largest individual component with its weight edging higher to 14.93%, slightly below the 15% limit.
* Grains: Declined to 20.61%, its lowest level in the history of BCOM. Corn, Soybeans and Wheat each reached their lowest level target weights historically, contributing to the reduced weight within the index.
* Energy: Declined slightly to 29.37%, marking its third consecutive annual decline, while remaining the index's largest commodity group. Brent Crude Oil increased to a record-high weighting of 8.59%, while WTI Crude Oil declined to a record-low weighting of 6.41%.
* Livestock: Increased from 5.64% to 5.94%, driven by a higher weighting in Live Cattle.
* Softs: Declined from 9.17% to 8.84%.
* Industrial Metals: Remained relatively unchanged at 15.75%.
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TABLE: Target weights of all BCOM components and groups for 2027, as well as their comparative weights in 2026, are listed below
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The annual BCOM Target Weights are determined in accordance with the rules described in the BCOM methodology. The index rules weight liquidity at two-thirds and world production at one-third, and are subject to the following requirements for diversification and minimum weights:
* No group may see its weight exceed 33%
* No single commodity, together with its derivatives, may see its weight exceed 25%
* No single commodity may see its weight exceed 15%
* No single commodity may constitute less than 2% of the Index as liquidity allows
Bloomberg Terminal users can visit IN on the Bloomberg Terminal for index performance and analytics. For additional information and licensing opportunities, please contact commodities@bloombergindices.com or visit bloombergindices.com.
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About Bloomberg Index Services Limited
Bloomberg's index team has a proven track record in creating industry-leading and bespoke indices across asset classes, including their flagship fixed income, commodity and equity indices. Bloomberg Index Services Limited (BISL) takes an innovative approach to delivering strategic benchmarks that help market participants address their evolving investment needs. The indices, which are seamlessly integrated with other Bloomberg solutions, draw on a comprehensive range of trusted data and reliable technology for calculations, analytics and workflow automation, along with distribution capabilities that can help amplify the visibility of our customers' products.
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About Bloomberg
Bloomberg is a global leader in business and financial information, delivering trusted data, news, and insights that bring transparency, efficiency, and fairness to markets. The company helps connect influential communities across the global financial ecosystem via reliable technology solutions that enable our customers to make more informed decisions and foster better collaboration. For more information, visit Bloomberg.com/company or request a demo.
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Original text here: https://www.bloomberg.com/company/press/bloomberg-commodity-index-2027-target-weights-announced/
[Category: BizMedia]
Akin Attorneys Author Corporate Counsel Article on White Collar Considerations in Congressional Investigations
WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 -- Akin Gump, a law firm, issued the following news release:
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Akin Attorneys Author Corporate Counsel Article on White Collar Considerations in Congressional Investigations
October 29, 2026
Law.com's Corporate Counsel has published an article titled, "Congressional Corruption Probes Call for a White Collar Playbook," authored by Akin congressional investigations co-head Abigail Kohlman, white collar defense & government investigations partner Gerald Moody and congressional investigations co-head Marcus Childress.
The authors examine why companies facing congressional
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 -- Akin Gump, a law firm, issued the following news release:
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Akin Attorneys Author Corporate Counsel Article on White Collar Considerations in Congressional Investigations
October 29, 2026
Law.com's Corporate Counsel has published an article titled, "Congressional Corruption Probes Call for a White Collar Playbook," authored by Akin congressional investigations co-head Abigail Kohlman, white collar defense & government investigations partner Gerald Moody and congressional investigations co-head Marcus Childress.
The authors examine why companies facing congressionalcorruption probes should integrate their congressional response and white collar defense strategies from the outset, particularly because congressional records may later be used by prosecutors, and identify key considerations for document production, witness preparation and public communications.
The authors highlight that "A congressional investigation of alleged corruption can be both an oversight exercise and the first draft of an enforcement record."
To read the full piece, please click here (https://www.law.com/corpcounsel/2026/10/28/congressional-corruption-probes-call-for-a-white-collar-playbook/).
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Original text here: https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/media-mentions/akin-attorneys-author-corporate-counsel-article-on-white-collar-considerations-in-congressional-investigations
[Category: BizLaw/Legal]
