Law/Legal
Here's a look at documents from law firms and legal groups
Featured Stories
Vorys Elevates Six Attorneys to Partner
COLUMBUS, Ohio, Jan. 9 -- Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease, a law firm, issued the following news:
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Vorys Elevates Six Attorneys to Partner
Vorys is pleased to announce that six attorneys -- Brian Baxter, Daniel Bross, Brian Dressel, Robert Grise, Thomas Whaling and Ryan Wheeler -- became partners on January 1, 2026.
COLUMBUS
Brian Dressel is a member of the firm's labor and employment group. His practice focuses on a wide range of employment law matters. Brian has significant experience litigating a variety of employment cases, including discrimination, retaliation, trade secrets, wage-and-hour
... Show Full Article
COLUMBUS, Ohio, Jan. 9 -- Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease, a law firm, issued the following news:
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Vorys Elevates Six Attorneys to Partner
Vorys is pleased to announce that six attorneys -- Brian Baxter, Daniel Bross, Brian Dressel, Robert Grise, Thomas Whaling and Ryan Wheeler -- became partners on January 1, 2026.
COLUMBUS
Brian Dressel is a member of the firm's labor and employment group. His practice focuses on a wide range of employment law matters. Brian has significant experience litigating a variety of employment cases, including discrimination, retaliation, trade secrets, wage-and-hourand FMLA matters. He has litigated matters in the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio and the Ohio Supreme Court. He is also a member of the firm's appellate subgroup and has litigated several appeals in state and federal courts.
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Thomas Whaling is a member of the firm's litigation group. He represents individuals and companies in a wide variety of litigation matters, including complex business, commercial and contract litigation. Tom's practice includes an emphasis on the construction industry, in which he advises owners, developers and contractors on disputed matters ranging from breach of contract claims and change orders to bonding, liens, delays and more. Tom also leads the firm's cannabis, hemp and CBD practice.
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Ryan Wheeler is a member of the Vorys eControl group. His practice focuses on eCommerce, brand protection, product diversion and intellectual property enforcement. Ryan counsels numerous consumer products manufacturers and brands around the world on strategies to strengthen their eCommerce business and avoid third-party disruption to their sales and distribution channels.
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CINCINNATI
Brian Baxter is a member of the firm's corporate group. His practice focuses on representing both public and private companies in corporate and transactional matters, including mergers and acquisitions, securities, periodic reporting and disclosure and corporate governance. He has represented Fortune 500 companies and other publicly listed companies in acquisitions and a range of other transactional matters across manufacturing, banking, transportation and other industries.
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Daniel Bross is a member of the firm's finance, energy and real estate practice group. His practice focuses on real estate financing transactions and general real estate matters, with experience in the development and sale of office buildings, lab and medical research buildings, apartment projects, industrial facilities and other commercial properties. He has particular experience representing lenders, owners and developers in Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) transactions.
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Robert Grise is a member of the Vorys eControl group. His practice focuses on counseling manufacturers and brands on issues related to eCommerce and online brand protection, including developing strategies to assist companies with product distribution issues, product diversion, unauthorized importation of grey market goods and counterfeit sales. He helps to protect clients' brand reputation and value, allowing them to focus attention on expansion and growth.
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About Vorys: Vorys was established in 1909 and currently has nearly 375 attorneys in 10 offices in Ohio, Washington, D.C., Texas, Pennsylvania, California, London and Berlin. Vorys currently ranks as one of the 200 largest law firms in the United States according to American Lawyer magazine.
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Original text here: https://www.vorys.com/news-vorys-elevates-six-attorneys-to-partner-in-2026
[Category: BizLaw/Legal]
Ropes & Gray Named a Finalist for Three 2026 Legalweek Leaders in Tech Law Awards
BOSTON, Massachusetts, Jan. 9 [Category: BizLaw/Legal] -- Ropes and Gray, a law firm, issued the following news:
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Ropes & Gray Named a Finalist for Three 2026 Legalweek Leaders in Tech Law Awards
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Ropes & Gray has been named a finalist in three categories as part of the 2026 Legalweek Leaders in Tech Law Awards. The annual awards honors individuals and organizations who have been at the forefront of legal innovation over the past year.
Ropes & Gray was named a finalist in the following categories:
* "E-Discovery Technology and Innovation" for the Advanced E-Discovery and AI Strategy
... Show Full Article
BOSTON, Massachusetts, Jan. 9 [Category: BizLaw/Legal] -- Ropes and Gray, a law firm, issued the following news:
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Ropes & Gray Named a Finalist for Three 2026 Legalweek Leaders in Tech Law Awards
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Ropes & Gray has been named a finalist in three categories as part of the 2026 Legalweek Leaders in Tech Law Awards. The annual awards honors individuals and organizations who have been at the forefront of legal innovation over the past year.
Ropes & Gray was named a finalist in the following categories:
* "E-Discovery Technology and Innovation" for the Advanced E-Discovery and AI Strategypractice group's Generative AI Tool Risk Assessment Framework that embeds risk controls into E-Discovery risk management workflows to enable defensible, efficient Gen AI deployment, with a holistic, cross-functional approachflexible across industries and tool types and aligned with legal, privacy, and security standards.
* "Innovations in Dealmaking" for developing a hybrid human and AI process to support a client's asset management process by efficiently extracting key data points from across the client's portfolio of investments for use in, and integration with, the clients existing asset management platform tools.
* "Regulatory, Governance and Compliance Technology" for R&G Insights Lab. R&G Insights Lab embeds AI, data analytics, and behavioral science into legal advice, delivering actionable insights and real-time reporting. This is not simply "best use" of a tool, it is a new operating model that aligns legal, compliance, and business functions around shared, measurable goals, leveraging a range of technologies.
Winners will be announced at the Legalweek Leaders in Tech Law Awards and Dinner, taking place on Monday, March 9, at The Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers, during the Legalweek 2026 conference in New York.
The full list of finalists can be viewed here.
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Original text here: https://www.ropesgray.com/en/news-and-events/rankings-and-awards/2026/01/ropes-gray-named-a-finalist-for-three-2026-legalweek-leaders-in-tech-law-awards
Mia L. Garcia Shares Cannabis Legal Updates With Northeast Ohio Municipal Judges Association
CLEVELAND, Ohio, Jan. 9 -- Frantz Ward, a law firm, issued the following news:
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Mia L. Garcia Shares Cannabis Legal Updates with Northeast Ohio Municipal Judges Association
Partner Mia L. Garcia recently shared key cannabis industry legal updates in her presentation, "From Possession to Policy: Evolving Trends in Cannabis Law," for the Northeast Ohio Municipal Judges Association.
In her presentation, Mia discussed:
* Constitutional considerations for search and seizure related to an odor of marijuana as demonstrated by Supreme Court cases in Ohio and other states.
* Comparisons between
... Show Full Article
CLEVELAND, Ohio, Jan. 9 -- Frantz Ward, a law firm, issued the following news:
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Mia L. Garcia Shares Cannabis Legal Updates with Northeast Ohio Municipal Judges Association
Partner Mia L. Garcia recently shared key cannabis industry legal updates in her presentation, "From Possession to Policy: Evolving Trends in Cannabis Law," for the Northeast Ohio Municipal Judges Association.
In her presentation, Mia discussed:
* Constitutional considerations for search and seizure related to an odor of marijuana as demonstrated by Supreme Court cases in Ohio and other states.
* Comparisons betweenIssue 2 (Ohio's voter-approved marijuana legalization measure) and Senate Bill 56 regarding possession, transportation, and public use of marijuana.
* The status of hemp-derived consumables, including drinkable cannabinoid products, in Ohio and throughout the nation.
With a focus on complex regulatory frameworks, Mia advises clients on navigating the nuances of cannabis regulation, licensing, and operational issues. She represents operators in the medical and adult-use cannabis markets and in the hemp industry, supporting license acquisition, regulatory dispute resolution, zoning and municipal law, and mergers and acquisitions.
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Original text here: https://www.frantzward.com/mia-l-garcia-shares-cannabis-legal-updates-with-northeast-ohio-municipal-judges-association/
[Category: BizLaw/Legal]
Littler Issues Commentary: DOL Issues Opinion Letter Regarding Compensability of Pre-Shift Activities Covered by a Collective Bargaining Agreement
SAN FRANCISCO, California, Jan. 9 -- Littler, a law firm, issued the following commentary on Jan. 8, 2026:
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DOL Issues Opinion Letter Regarding Compensability of Pre-Shift Activities Covered by a Collective Bargaining Agreement
By Megan Smith and Rob Pritchard
On January 5, 2026, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued an opinion letter addressing whether an employer and union could enter into a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) that mandates a 15-minute "roll call" before each shift but excludes that time when calculating overtime premiums under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
... Show Full Article
SAN FRANCISCO, California, Jan. 9 -- Littler, a law firm, issued the following commentary on Jan. 8, 2026:
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DOL Issues Opinion Letter Regarding Compensability of Pre-Shift Activities Covered by a Collective Bargaining Agreement
By Megan Smith and Rob Pritchard
On January 5, 2026, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued an opinion letter addressing whether an employer and union could enter into a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) that mandates a 15-minute "roll call" before each shift but excludes that time when calculating overtime premiums under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).The opinion letter contains important reminders about the compensability of certain pre- and post-shift work activities as well as partial overtime exemptions available to unionized employers.
The opinion letter involved employees working under a CBA with fixed eight-hour shifts on a "four days on and two days off" schedule, working 32 hours over each six-day period. The employer and union were considering adding a mandatory 15-minute roll call prior to each shift to bring employees closer to 2,080 hours per year, a number that is typical of a full-time work year (40 hours per week x 52 weeks). The DOL was asked three questions:
1. Whether the mandatory 15-minute roll call period was "hours worked" under the FLSA;
2. Whether the roll call period can be used to supplement pay periods that would otherwise fall below 80 hours on an ongoing basis; and
3. Whether the roll call period can be excluded from the overtime calculation given that its sole purpose is to bring employees closer to 2,080 annual hours.
In response to the first question, the DOL concluded that the mandatory roll call time must be counted as "hours worked" under the FLSA. While certain activities before or after a shift might be excluded as "preliminary" or "postliminary," those exclusions do not apply when the time has been made compensable by contract, custom or practice. The proposed CBA made the roll call time compensable by contract; therefore, the time must be classified as "hours worked" under the FLSA.
In response to the second question, the DOL concluded that because an employer must compensate all employees for all hours worked and because the 15-minute roll call time constitutes compensable hours worked, it must be counted as part of the workweek of each employee who attends the roll call, regardless of the number of hours each employee works that week.
As to the third question, the DOL explained that the employer may be able to avoid paying overtime premiums for this additional time if the CBA is structured to qualify for one of two partial overtime exemptions available to unionized employers.
Under section 7(b)(1) of the FLSA, employers can claim a partial overtime exemption if: (a) the employee is employed pursuant to a CBA between the employer and a union certified as "bona fide" by the NLRB; (b) the employer pays the employee overtime compensation for all hours worked over 12 in a day or over 56 in a week; and (c) the CBA states that no employee will work more than 1,040 hours in any consecutive 26-week period. 29 U.S.C. Sec. 207(b)(1). The DOL calculated that adding 15 minutes per shift to the schedule at issue would not result in an employee working more than the maximum threshold of 1,040 hours over a 26-week period. It would not cause an employee to work more than 12 hours in a day or 56 hours in a week. Therefore, the DOL concluded that if the CBA includes the required language of section 7(b)(1) and the employer adheres to the statutory requirements, the FLSA would not require the employer to pay overtime compensation for the additional 15-minute roll call periods.
Under section 7(b)(2), a partial overtime exemption applies when the CBA: (a) specifies the rate at which the employee is paid for all hours worked or guaranteed; (b) guarantees the employee, during a specified consecutive 52-week period, at least 1,840 hours of employment (or not less than 46 weeks at the normal number of hours worked per week if not less than 30), and not more than 2,080 hours, at the specified rate; (c) provides the employee shall not work more than 2,240 hours during the specified 52-week period; and (d) requires the employer to pay the employee overtime compensation for all hours worked over the guaranteed number of hours that are also over 40 in a given workweek and for all hours worked over 2,080 in the specified 52-week period. 29 U.S.C. Sec. 207(b)(2).
As in section 7(b)(1), this exemption also requires that the employee be employed pursuant to a CBA between the employer and a "bona fide" union and that the employer pay the employee overtime compensation for all hours worked over 12 in a day or over 56 in a week. The DOL calculated that the addition of 15 minutes of roll call time per shift based on the schedule at issue would not cause the employees to work more than the maximum threshold of 2,240 hours in the specified 52-week period. Therefore, the DOL concluded that the CBA provision at issue could also be structured to comply with the requirements of section 7(b)(2) such that the 15-minute roll call periods do not automatically trigger the requirement to pay overtime when an employee's weekly hours exceed 40, and should result in minimal, if any, overtime liability on its own.
These partial exemptions come with an important caveat: If an employee works more than the maximum hours specified in the exemption, the employer must recalculate that employee's earnings for the entire period without the exemption and pay all overtime premiums due.
The opinion letter provides important guidance for employers and unions negotiating the compensability of pre- and post-shift activities. While employers cannot simply contract away their overtime obligations under the FLSA, it is possible to obtain a partial exemption from the traditional overtime requirement through a carefully structured collective bargaining agreement. Employers considering similar arrangements should work with experienced counsel.
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Authors
Megan A. Smith
Associate
Pittsburgh
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Robert W. Pritchard
Shareholder
Pittsburgh
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Original text here: https://www.littler.com/news-analysis/asap/dol-issues-opinion-letter-regarding-compensability-pre-shift-activities-covered
[Category: BizLaw/Legal]
Faegre Drinker Biddle and Reath Issues Commentary: Roth Catch Up Contribution Requirement and a Statutory Merger
MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota, Jan. 9 -- Faegre Drinker Biddle and Reath, a law firm, issued the following commentary on Jan. 7, 2026:
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Roth Catch Up Contribution Requirement and a Statutory Merger
Spotlight on Benefits blog
Authors: Page D. Fleeger and Mark P. Rosenfeld
As the Roth catch-up contributions become effective this month, issues not addressed in the final regulations are coming to light.
Question: Our company completed a statutory merger -- how does that impact the Roth catch-up contributions requirement?
Answer: Based on past IRS guidance, it is more than likely that an employee
... Show Full Article
MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota, Jan. 9 -- Faegre Drinker Biddle and Reath, a law firm, issued the following commentary on Jan. 7, 2026:
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Roth Catch Up Contribution Requirement and a Statutory Merger
Spotlight on Benefits blog
Authors: Page D. Fleeger and Mark P. Rosenfeld
As the Roth catch-up contributions become effective this month, issues not addressed in the final regulations are coming to light.
Question: Our company completed a statutory merger -- how does that impact the Roth catch-up contributions requirement?
Answer: Based on past IRS guidance, it is more than likely that an employeeof either company in a statutory merger that was subject to the Roth catch-up contribution requirements of SECURE 2.0 Act prior to the statutory merger will continue to be subject to the Roth catch-up contribution requirements after the merger. Similarly, if the statutory merger occurs midyear, the employee's compensation for the year of the merger will include compensation paid by either entity.
The material contained in this communication is informational, general in nature and does not constitute legal advice. The material contained in this communication should not be relied upon or used without consulting a lawyer to consider your specific circumstances. This communication was published on the date specified and may not include any changes in the topics, laws, rules or regulations covered. Receipt of this communication does not establish an attorney-client relationship. In some jurisdictions, this communication may be considered attorney advertising.
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Meet the Authors
Page D. Fleeger
Partner
Minneapolis
+1 612 766 7230
page.fleeger@faegredrinker.com
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Mark P. Rosenfeld
Partner
Minneapolis
+1 612 766 8882
mark.rosenfeld@faegredrinker.com
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Original text here: https://www.faegredrinker.com/en/insights/publications/2026/1/the-roth-catch-up-contribution-requirement-and-a-statutory-merger
[Category: BizLaw/Legal]
Carlucci Quoted in Legal Tech News
MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota, Jan. 9 [Category: BizLaw/Legal] -- Taft, a law firm, issued the following news:
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Carlucci Quoted in Legal Tech News
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Taft's Matt Carlucci was quoted in "Legal Tech's Predictions for Artificial Intelligence in 2026," which was published on Law.com. The article examines the predictions of legal industry experts regarding how AI will influence legal services, transform the legal business, and impact the courts and law in 2026.
In the article, Carlucci predicts that AI will become normalized as a "junior associate," with attorneys increasingly using it as a critical
... Show Full Article
MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota, Jan. 9 [Category: BizLaw/Legal] -- Taft, a law firm, issued the following news:
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Carlucci Quoted in Legal Tech News
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Taft's Matt Carlucci was quoted in "Legal Tech's Predictions for Artificial Intelligence in 2026," which was published on Law.com. The article examines the predictions of legal industry experts regarding how AI will influence legal services, transform the legal business, and impact the courts and law in 2026.
In the article, Carlucci predicts that AI will become normalized as a "junior associate," with attorneys increasingly using it as a criticalreviewer that critiques reasoning and arguments and warns that lawyers who resist adoption will be outpaced by peers who embrace AI.
Read the full article here.
Carlucci is a corporate attorney whose practice focuses on advising high-growth companies and their private equity, growth capital, and venture capital investors on a range of corporate matters, including M&A and financing rounds. He also supports emerging companies throughout the corporate lifecycle, from early-stage funding to growth equity financings, bolt-on acquisitions, and exits.
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Original text here: https://www.taftlaw.com/news-events/news/carlucci-quoted-in-legal-tech-news/
Berger Montague Investigates Reports That Elon Musk's Chatbot Grok Creates Nonconsensual Pornographic Images of Women and Children
PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania, Jan. 9 -- Berger Montague, a law firm, issued the following news:
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Berger Montague Investigates Reports that Elon Musk's Chatbot Grok Creates Nonconsensual Pornographic Images of Women and Children
Berger Montague, a leading national plaintiffs' law firm, is investigating claims that xAI's chatbot Grok is being used for the large-scale unauthorized creation of lewd and sexually abusive images of women and underage girls, which are published on Grok's official account on the social media website X, formerly Twitter.
"These reports of exploitation are disturbing,"
... Show Full Article
PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania, Jan. 9 -- Berger Montague, a law firm, issued the following news:
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Berger Montague Investigates Reports that Elon Musk's Chatbot Grok Creates Nonconsensual Pornographic Images of Women and Children
Berger Montague, a leading national plaintiffs' law firm, is investigating claims that xAI's chatbot Grok is being used for the large-scale unauthorized creation of lewd and sexually abusive images of women and underage girls, which are published on Grok's official account on the social media website X, formerly Twitter.
"These reports of exploitation are disturbing,"said Shareholder E. Michelle Drake. "Sexual humiliation by a chatbot shouldn't be the price for a woman existing online. The idea that underage girls may be subject to this disgusting abuse of technology is unconscionable."
According to ABC News, Elon Musk's companies xAI and X face global backlash over Grok's production of sexually explicit deepfake depictions of real women and children without their consent. On Tuesday Britian's top technology official demanded X take urgent action. The European Union, France, India, Malaysia and Brazil have also condemned the platform. NBC News has also reported the phenomenon.
If you or a family member has been victimized by a sexually explicit picture created by Grok without consent and you would like to learn about your legal options, you can contact Berger Montague at completing this form, emailing us at info@bergermontague.com,or by calling us at 1-800-424-6690. For more information please visit www.bergermontague.com/grok. Berger Montague is one of the nation's preeminent law firms focusing on complex civil litigation, class actions, and mass torts in federal and state courts throughout the United States. With more than $2.4 billion in 2025 post-trial judgments alone, the Firm is a leader in the fields of complex litigation, antitrust, consumer protection, defective products, environmental law, employment law, securities, and whistleblower cases, among many other practice areas. For over 55 years, Berger Montague has played leading roles in precedent-setting cases and has recovered over $50 billion for its clients and the classes they have represented. Berger Montague is headquartered in Philadelphia and has offices in Chicago; Malvern, PA; Minneapolis; San Diego; San Francisco; Toronto, Canada; Washington, D.C., and Wilmington, DE.
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Original text here: https://bergermontague.com/news/berger-montague-investigates-reports-that-elon-musks-chatbot-grok-creates-nonconsensual-pornographic-images-of-women-and-children/
[Category: BizLaw/Legal]
