Featured Stories
Gary Kalbaugh, Lewis Rinaudo Cohen, and Frank Weigand to Present IIB Webinar on Lending and Hedging in the AI Buildout
NEW YORK, Oct. 29 [Category: BizLaw/Legal] -- Cahill Gordon and Reindel, a law firm, posted the following news:
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Gary Kalbaugh, Lewis Rinaudo Cohen, and Frank Weigand to Present IIB Webinar on Lending and Hedging in the AI Buildout
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Cahill partner Gary Kalbaugh, along with partner and co-chair of CahillNXT Lewis Rinaudo Cohen, and partner Frank Weigand will present the "Lending and Hedging in the AI Buildout" webinar with the Institute of International Bankers (IIB).
Gary, Lewis, and Frank will discuss how artificial intelligence is driving extraordinary demand for computational capacity
... Show Full Article
NEW YORK, Oct. 29 [Category: BizLaw/Legal] -- Cahill Gordon and Reindel, a law firm, posted the following news:
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Gary Kalbaugh, Lewis Rinaudo Cohen, and Frank Weigand to Present IIB Webinar on Lending and Hedging in the AI Buildout
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Cahill partner Gary Kalbaugh, along with partner and co-chair of CahillNXT Lewis Rinaudo Cohen, and partner Frank Weigand will present the "Lending and Hedging in the AI Buildout" webinar with the Institute of International Bankers (IIB).
Gary, Lewis, and Frank will discuss how artificial intelligence is driving extraordinary demand for computational capacityand creating new financing, trading, and hedging opportunities for international banks. The webinar will define what compute markets are and explain how they are reshaping data center finance, including how futures and swaps can help address revenue uncertainty for lenders. The panelists will also examine how these developments present cross-selling opportunities, potential new revenue streams, and ways for international banks to deepen client relationships across lending and trading businesses.
The webinar is designed for IIB's membership of internationally headquartered institutions. This program has been accredited with New York CLE credit in Professional Practice.
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Original text here: https://www.cahill.com/news/events/2026-10-29-gary-kalbaugh-lewis-rinaudo-cohen-and-frank-weigand-to-present-iib-webinar-on-lending-and-hedging-in-the-ai-buildout
Pillsbury Secures Sweeping Appellate Victory for Directors and Officers of Tower Group International, Ltd.
NEW YORK, Oct. 22 -- Pillsbury, a law firm, issued the following news release:
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Pillsbury Secures Sweeping Appellate Victory for Directors and Officers of Tower Group International, Ltd.
10.21.26
Pillsbury secured a sweeping appellate victory for directors and officers of Tower Group International, Ltd., defeating sophisticated investors' efforts to hold the companies and individuals involved in a corporate rescue responsible for their investment losses. The litigation involved more than $400 million in judgments.
Holders of $228 million in trust preferred securities issued by subsidiaries
... Show Full Article
NEW YORK, Oct. 22 -- Pillsbury, a law firm, issued the following news release:
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Pillsbury Secures Sweeping Appellate Victory for Directors and Officers of Tower Group International, Ltd.
10.21.26
Pillsbury secured a sweeping appellate victory for directors and officers of Tower Group International, Ltd., defeating sophisticated investors' efforts to hold the companies and individuals involved in a corporate rescue responsible for their investment losses. The litigation involved more than $400 million in judgments.
Holders of $228 million in trust preferred securities issued by subsidiariesof Tower Group, an insurance holding company, pursued contract, fraud, tortious interference, fiduciary duty, and related aiding and abetting claims, along with successor and alter ego liability theories. Plaintiffs initially secured a favorable summary judgment ruling and subsequently obtained the money judgments against the securities' issuers.
However, on appeal, Pillsbury Litigation partner Rolando T. Acosta and associates Dante W. Apuzzo and Ahmed Halim, working alongside teams from Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan and Dorf Nelson & Zauderer in representing defendants, secured dismissal of all claims against the non-issuer defendants.
Acosta presented oral argument for the directors and officers, with Quinn Emanuel's John Bash and Dorf Nelson & Zauderer's Mark C. Zauderer also arguing the appeals. The First Department's unanimous decision in Alesco Preferred Funding VIII, Ltd. v. ACP Re, Ltd. and Preferred Term Securities XXV, Ltd. v. ACP Re, Ltd. rejected an effort by investors, including hedge funds and collateralized debt obligation vehicles, to recover from the issuers' parent companies and individual directors and officers.
The Court recognized that the rescue transaction, designed to preserve Tower's struggling insurance businesses and protect policyholders, was an arm's-length deal approved by eight regulatory bodies with no viable alternative. It found no evidence of fraud or bad faith concerning the transaction and highlighted unrebutted expert evidence tying the securities' nonpayment to unforeseen liabilities on earlier insurance policies.
Applying Bermuda law, the Court held that directors of a parent company do not owe fiduciary duties to creditors of its subsidiaries, even when the parent or subsidiary is insolvent or approaching insolvency. The Court also dismissed the fraud claim against Tower's former CFO, rejecting investors' reliance on his statements about anticipated interest payments and capital levels as a basis for concluding that another company had assumed the debt. Pillsbury and its co-counsel turned an adverse summary judgment ruling into a complete dismissal of the claims against the non-issuer defendants.
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Original text here: https://www.pillsburylaw.com/en/news-and-insights/pillsbury-secures-sweeping-appellate-victory-directors-officers-tower-group-international.html
[Category: BizLaw/Legal]
Pillsbury Advises on Used Aircraft Deal of the Year Award
NEW YORK, Oct. 22 -- Pillsbury, a law firm, issued the following news release:
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Pillsbury Advises on Used Aircraft Deal of the Year Award
10.21.26
Blue Owl Capital's acquisition of 10 Airbus A321 aircraft leased to Vietnam Airlines was named Used Aircraft Deal of the Year at Ishka Airfinance's 2025 Global Deal of the Year Awards. Pillsbury advised the borrowers and purchasers on the transaction.
Blue Owl Capital acquired the aircraft from Vietnam Aircraft Leasing Joint Stock Company, with the aircraft remaining on lease to Vietnam Airlines.
Crestone Air Partners, LLC (successor to Arena
... Show Full Article
NEW YORK, Oct. 22 -- Pillsbury, a law firm, issued the following news release:
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Pillsbury Advises on Used Aircraft Deal of the Year Award
10.21.26
Blue Owl Capital's acquisition of 10 Airbus A321 aircraft leased to Vietnam Airlines was named Used Aircraft Deal of the Year at Ishka Airfinance's 2025 Global Deal of the Year Awards. Pillsbury advised the borrowers and purchasers on the transaction.
Blue Owl Capital acquired the aircraft from Vietnam Aircraft Leasing Joint Stock Company, with the aircraft remaining on lease to Vietnam Airlines.
Crestone Air Partners, LLC (successor to ArenaAviation Capital) provided servicing, while PK AirFinance financed six of the aircraft.
The awards were presented on October 20, 2026, during the Ishka Aviation Investival: North America in New York City.
The Pillsbury team was led by Finance partner Melissa Jones-Prus and included Asset Finance senior associate Maria Bun and associate Nicolas St-Amant.
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Original text here: https://www.pillsburylaw.com/en/news-and-insights/pillsbury-used-aircraft-deal-of-the-year-award.html
[Category: BizLaw/Legal]
Pillsbury Adds Former EPA Air and Radiation Chief Aaron Szabo to Washington, DC Office
NEW YORK, Oct. 22 -- Pillsbury, a law firm, issued the following news release:
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Pillsbury Adds Former EPA Air and Radiation Chief Aaron Szabo to Washington, DC Office
10.21.26
As part of the continued strategic expansion of its energy, nuclear projects, environmental and regulatory capabilities, Pillsbury is welcoming Aaron Szabo, former Senate-confirmed Assistant Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Office of Air and Radiation, to its Washington, DC office as a partner in the Regulatory Business Unit and Environmental Practice Group. As Assistant Administrator,
... Show Full Article
NEW YORK, Oct. 22 -- Pillsbury, a law firm, issued the following news release:
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Pillsbury Adds Former EPA Air and Radiation Chief Aaron Szabo to Washington, DC Office
10.21.26
As part of the continued strategic expansion of its energy, nuclear projects, environmental and regulatory capabilities, Pillsbury is welcoming Aaron Szabo, former Senate-confirmed Assistant Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Office of Air and Radiation, to its Washington, DC office as a partner in the Regulatory Business Unit and Environmental Practice Group. As Assistant Administrator,Szabo was the U.S. government's top air regulator.
Szabo brings extensive experience at the intersection of environmental law, federal regulation, and public policy. As head of EPA's Office of Air and Radiation, he oversaw some of the agency's most significant air-quality, climate, and energy regulatory programs, including the Clean Air Act, the Renewable Fuel Standard, implementing programs governing air pollution, data center and advanced technology permitting, vehicle emissions and renewable-fuel requirements.
Before that, he spent more than a decade in federal regulatory work, including serving as a senior counsel at the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) and at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), where his work involved nuclear-reactor rulemakings, including the agency's filtering-strategies rulemaking for severe reactor accidents.
"Aaron has operated at the highest levels of energy and environmental regulation and understands not only the substance of these rules, but also how federal agencies develop, defend, implement, and reconsider them," said Firm Chair and CEO David Dekker. "His firsthand experience leading one of EPA's largest regulatory offices will provide tremendous value to clients confronting an increasingly complex and rapidly changing environmental and energy landscape."
At Pillsbury, Szabo will advise clients on environmental and administrative law, federal regulatory matters, energy and infrastructure projects, and interactions with federal agencies, with a particular focus on matters involving the EPA, the Clean Air Act, the Renewable Fuel Standard, transportation fuel regulation and nuclear energy regulations.
"We are thrilled to welcome Aaron," said Nancy Fischer, global head of Pillsbury's Regulatory practice. "His knowledge and experience in energy and environmental rules will be instrumental to advising clients across these regulated industries."
"I am excited to join Pillsbury and work with the firm's sophisticated environmental, energy, and regulatory practices," said Szabo. "I look forward to helping clients navigate the evolving federal regulatory environment and the legal and practical challenges presented by environmental policy."
Szabo is the 51stlateral partner to join Pillsbury since the beginning of 2025 and follows that of other prominent environmental and energy lawyers, including DC-based Litigation partner Todd Kim, former Senate-confirmed Assistant Attorney General for the U.S. Department of Justice's Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD); and New York-based Stephen Humes, who has more than two decades of deep legal and strategic experience in the energy, environmental, utility and infrastructure sectors.
Pillsbury has been highly recognized for its work at the intersection of energy and the environment. It is at the forefront of emerging issues, winning precedent-setting cases and providing innovative solutions to environmental challenges. The firm also has the oldest and largest nuclear energy practice, which is top ranked by Chambers Global, working continuously through six decades on large-scale nuclear energy projects and their financing around the world.
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Original text here: https://www.pillsburylaw.com/en/news-and-insights/pillsbury-adds-former-epa-air-radiation-chief-aaron-szabo-washington-dc-office.html
[Category: BizLaw/Legal]
Littler: California Bars Public Works Contractors From Defending Themselves With Records Withheld From the Labor Commissioner
SAN FRANCISCO, California, Oct. 22 -- Littler, a law firm, issued the following news:
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California Bars Public Works Contractors from Defending Themselves with Records Withheld from the Labor Commissioner
By Laura Devane and Matt Maler
October 21, 2026
At a Glance
* Beginning January 1, 2027, a public works contractor or subcontractor may be barred from defending itself with payroll, time, or employment records that it did not timely produce in response to a duly served written request from the labor commissioner.
* The new law effectively moves a critical part of hearing preparation
... Show Full Article
SAN FRANCISCO, California, Oct. 22 -- Littler, a law firm, issued the following news:
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California Bars Public Works Contractors from Defending Themselves with Records Withheld from the Labor Commissioner
By Laura Devane and Matt Maler
October 21, 2026
At a Glance
* Beginning January 1, 2027, a public works contractor or subcontractor may be barred from defending itself with payroll, time, or employment records that it did not timely produce in response to a duly served written request from the labor commissioner.
* The new law effectively moves a critical part of hearing preparationinto the investigation stage. A contractor's initial response to a records request may determine what evidence it later has available to challenge a civil wage and penalty assessment.
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On August 27, 2026, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 1316 (SB 1316), adding section 1742.05 to the California Labor Code. Effective January 1, 2027, the new section creates a potentially case-dispositive consequence for public works contractors and subcontractors that do not timely produce requested payroll, time, and employment records: They may be unable to introduce, use, rely on, or use the withheld records to dispute penalties or for impeachment at the administrative hearing or a later writ proceeding.
The statute is short, but its practical effect is significant. Contractors have historically faced penalties, withholding, and subpoena enforcement for record-production failures. SB 1316 adds a separate evidentiary consequence. Records omitted during the investigation may be unavailable after issuance of an assessment, when the contractor needs them to contest the labor commissioner's calculations, to support worker classifications, or to rebut testimony.
SB 1316 also amends Labor Code sections 98.2 and 1174.1. Those amendments address renewal of certain labor commissioner liens and expand a similar evidence-preclusion rule outside the public works context.
What Section 1742.05 Does
Section 1742.05 does not require production of every document that may be relevant to an investigation. The evidence bar applies when all of the following conditions are present:
* The request comes from the labor commissioner, rather than an awarding body, labor compliance program, or other third party;
* The request is written and duly served;
* The request seeks payroll, time, or employment records that the contractor or subcontractor is legally required to maintain at the place of employment or at a central location in California; and
* The contractor or subcontractor does not produce the records within the time stated in the request, and no statutory exception applies.
Which Records Are Covered?
The statute identifies a nonexclusive set of covered records tied to existing recordkeeping duties, including:
* Payroll and time records maintained under Labor Code section 1174 and Industrial Welfare Commission Wage Order 16;
* Certified payroll records under Labor Code section 1776;
* Monthly skilled and trained workforce reports under Public Contract Code section 2602;
* Apprenticeship contract-award notices and dispatch requests under title 8, California Code of Regulations, sections 229, 230, and 230.1; and
* Payroll records under title 8, section 16000, including timecards, canceled checks, cash receipts, trust fund forms, and other records showing work assignments, classifications, and wage disbursements.
The statute is not a general discovery rule. To trigger preclusion, the material must be a payroll, time, or employment record that the contractor was required to maintain. Project correspondence, legal advice, and purely operational materials do not become covered records merely because they may be relevant to the investigation.
Deadlines, Extensions, and Limited Exceptions
A records request ordinarily must provide at least 10 days for the employer to respond. The labor commissioner may set a shorter period only after determining that a shorter deadline is necessary to complete the investigation, and the written request must state that necessity.
The available relief is limited and deadline-driven:
* Automatic 15-day extension. A contractor that timely responds in good faith stating that it needs additional time to gather the requested records is entitled to an automatic 15-day extension. This extension does not apply, however, to certified payroll requests under Labor Code section 1776.
* Clerical-error cure. If the request allowed at least 10 days, a late production may be excused when the delay resulted from an "inadvertent error," defined as a clerical mistake, and the records are produced no later than 20 days after the original due date.
* Reasonable extension request. The labor commissioner must consider a reasonable request for additional time and may take into account the location and volume of the records. Any extension remains subject to the separate statutory deadline for certified payroll records under section 1776.
* Discretionary admission of late records. Late-produced records may be admitted if the labor commissioner finds timely cooperation, or substantial and good-faith compliance efforts, including later discovery of the records.
* Preassessment court challenge. The evidence bar does not apply if the contractor challenges the request in court before the civil wage and penalty assessment issues and obtains a ruling that production is not required.
The statute contains no express exception based on lack of prejudice, substantial justification, or the importance of the excluded evidence. Contractors therefore should not assume that a strong merits defense will excuse incomplete production.
Why the New Rule Matters
The preclusion rule applies at a hearing under Labor Code section 1742 and in a later writ of mandate proceeding. It reaches more than formal admission of the record as an exhibit. A contractor may not use or rely on a covered record "in any other way," including to impeach a witness. Depending on how the statute is applied, the bar may prevent counsel from using an excluded record to establish a foundation, test the labor commissioner's calculations, refresh recollection, challenge testimony, or support an alternative account of the work performed.
The practical consequence is straightforward: The investigation record may circumscribe the evidentiary record for the defense. A contractor that waits until after an assessment to conduct full records collection may discover otherwise helpful evidence that it can no longer use.
Important Questions Remain
The Department of Industrial Relations has not yet issued guidance specific to section 1742.05. Among the issues likely to require administrative or judicial interpretation are:
* What constitutes due service, especially for corporations, joint ventures, and represented parties;
* Whether the statute applies to a request served before January 1, 2027, if the assessment or hearing occurs after that date;
* Which decision-maker determines whether late-produced records satisfy the statutory standards for admission;
* What evidence establishes substantial compliance, cooperation, and good faith; and
* Whether the bar reaches testimony, summaries, or calculations derived from an excluded record, or only the record itself.
Practical Steps for Public Works Contractors
Before January 1, 2027, public works contractors and subcontractors should consider strengthening their response protocols in the following areas:
* Centralize intake. Designate recipients for labor commissioner communications and require immediate routing to legal, payroll, and project-compliance personnel.
* Preserve records immediately. Upon receipt of a request, suspend routine deletion of potentially responsive payroll, timekeeping, apprenticeship, benefit-contribution, and workforce records for the relevant project, workers, and pay periods.
* Calendar every deadline separately. Track the service date, production deadline, automatic-extension deadline, 20-day clerical-error cure period, and any independent section 1776 deadline.
* Map the request to source records and custodians. Do not limit collection to certified payroll. Identify source timecards, wage-payment records, trust fund support, apprenticeship records, dispatch requests, and workforce reports.
* Respond before the deadline. Produce available records, identify any gaps, document collection efforts, and submit a timely extension request supported by concrete facts about volume, location, systems, and custodians.
* Create a defensible production record. Retain the request, proof of service, search documentation, a production index, transmittal communications, delivery confirmation, extension correspondence, and an exact copy of the production.
* Supplement promptly and evaluate objections early. Later-discovered records should be produced without delay. Any court challenge to the request must be pursued and resolved before the assessment issues.
Bottom Line
SB 1316 does not expand the records public works contractors must maintain, but it materially raises the stakes when responding to a labor commissioner request. Beginning January 1, 2027, incomplete or late production may restrict the evidence available to contest a civil wage and penalty assessment. Contractors should treat each request as the beginning of the defense, not a preliminary administrative step, and should build their production process around early preservation, documented collection, and strict deadline control.
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Authors
Laura E. Devane
Shareholder
Fresno
ldevane@littler.com
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Matthew Maler
Associate
Fresno
mmaler@littler.com
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Original text here: https://www.littler.com/news-analysis/asap/california-bars-public-works-contractors-defending-themselves-records-withheld
[Category: BizLaw/Legal]
Fisher Phillips Issues Insight: Why Every Employer Needs an Environmental Safety Plan + Where to Start
ATLANTA, Georgia, Oct. 22 -- Fisher Phillips, a law firm, issued the following Insight:
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Why Every Employer Needs an Environmental Safety Plan + Where to Start
Oct 21, 2026
Many businesses fail to realize that everyday materials like cleaning products, refrigerants, or even trash can present environmental health and safety risks for your staff and the community where you operate. Environmental safety and health compliance is not just a concern for factories with smokestacks or businesses handling large quantities of hazardous chemicals. Chemicals or other materials may create an employee
... Show Full Article
ATLANTA, Georgia, Oct. 22 -- Fisher Phillips, a law firm, issued the following Insight:
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Why Every Employer Needs an Environmental Safety Plan + Where to Start
Oct 21, 2026
Many businesses fail to realize that everyday materials like cleaning products, refrigerants, or even trash can present environmental health and safety risks for your staff and the community where you operate. Environmental safety and health compliance is not just a concern for factories with smokestacks or businesses handling large quantities of hazardous chemicals. Chemicals or other materials may create an employeeexposure concern when they're used, an environmental concern when they're discarded, and an emergency response concern if they spill. Environmental accidents can happen to retailers, hotels, warehouses, transportation companies, and even office-based businesses through everyday activities, from using cleaning products to disposing of unwanted materials. Do you have a plan in place if a member of your staff spills a material? Do you know what chemicals are on-site? Here's everything you need to better understand the hazards in your operations and to create an environmental safety and health plan before an exposure happens.
Your Business Likely Has Environmental Risks
Employers may assume environmental requirements don't apply to them because they don't manufacture products, discharge wastewater, or operate an obvious industrial facility. But these risks can arise in less obvious and even commonplace situations on your job site.
Almost anyone who owns a building or has developed a piece of land has some measure of environmental responsibility, said Jamie Spataro, a partner in FP's Pittsburgh office. In California and on the West Coast, for example, simply operating vehicles can create environmental responsibilities. These risks could also be hiding in your building. Water leaks, old construction materials like lead and asbestos, and even pests, could expose your employees to environmental risks that are regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
Understanding what materials are entering and exiting your worksite is not only important for EPA compliance, but many safety regulations tie directly into environmental regulations, noted John Surma, a partner in FP's Houston office.
"You have obligations relating to your employees' exposure to chemicals and other materials, along with corresponding obligations concerning employee training and waste streams. Taking the 'E' out of EHS is a huge mistake," Surma said. For any employer that handles a significant quantity of chemicals or generates regulated materials, environmental compliance and workplace safety go hand in hand.
Common sources of environmental exposure:
* Cleaning chemicals and industrial disinfectants.
* Vehicles and storage tanks.
* Paints, coatings, and aerosol cans.
* Pharmaceutical products.
* Sharps or blood-containing materials encountered by employees.
* Damaged or leaking containers received during transportation or delivery.
The Workplace Hazard Assessment
Employers often seek help only after their options have narrowed, or when an inspector or notice of violation arrives. Don't assume that the absence of a serious accident means your practices are perfect. "Roll out your plan on your own timeline, not on EPA's or OSHA's timeline," said FP's Spataro.
Having a well-maintained environmental response plan also tells a compelling story to a jury: This is a responsible company that had an unfortunate accident. "That's a much better position than trying to explain why you developed a policy five minutes after the accident happened," added Karl Kumli, Of Counsel in FP's Boston office.
The best place to start is the hazard assessment: What exposures are reasonably anticipated, who may encounter them, and what procedures and training are appropriate?
Begin with the biggest potential hazards on the jobsite and work down from there. Large propane or process tanks, ammonia systems, vehicles, and anything stored in 55-gallon drums are obvious risks to start with. But "start with the biggest" doesn't mean "ignore the smallest," said Kumli.
Cleaning products under a sink, for example, may still create responsibilities, but the likelihood of being cited for those supplies is significantly smaller than if you have a massive propane tank out back running a large system.
An initial assessment should explore:
* What chemicals and other potentially hazardous materials do we use or store?
* What equipment, vehicles, or processes could create an exposure or release?
* What materials or waste do we generate onsite?
* What arrives at the facility, and what leaves it?
* What could employees encounter during routine work, cleanup, or an emergency?
Don't forget a waste stream audit: A major source of employer environmental liability comes from what you're throwing out. Employers should not assume that a material belongs in ordinary trash simply because it came from an everyday business activity. You may be throwing away things you don't realize require different handling, potentially making part of your waste stream hazardous.
Waste-handling risks can come from all types of materials. Common examples across industries include: sandblasting media, excess paint and coatings, pharmaceutical materials, sharps, packages containing blood products, among other products.
A key part of your workplace hazard assessment should include reviewing what the business discards, how employees identify or label discarded material, and how materials are stored. Employees should be trained on what materials require special handling or labeling as well as who to contact when a container is leaking, unlabeled, or otherwise unfamiliar.
Key takeaway: Establish an internal process for reviewing materials and chemicals in the workplace and don't assume that ordinary or household products are exempt from scrutiny or that your staff know how to safely handle commonplace chemicals.
Impactful Training
When a spill occurs, it is too late to begin figuring out who is qualified to respond, what training is needed, or which outside resources to call. Don't expect to put staff through a 40-hour course the moment an environmental exposure happens and expect that to solve the immediate problem.
Prepare in advance and tailor your training programs accordingly. An unnecessarily broad policy can create confusion or have limited staying power with staff. Adopting a policy you don't need can also create risks. If you publish a safety policy and don't comply with it, you may face an allegation of an OSHA General Duty Clause violation based on that failure. Provide safety and health training in a form employees can understand, retain, and apply. Make clear what employees are expected to do, what they should not attempt, and when they should seek help.
Consider designating a team specifically trained to respond to more complicated incidents and to provide first aid. With large operations, if you train hundreds of employees on those policies, the likelihood that someone forgets the training or doesn't follow it increases. Instead, select people who are willing to take responsibility in those situations. With specific, targeted training, a response team is more likely to understand the policy and remember their training.
Key takeaway: Training needs to be understandable and memorable. Most importantly, employees need to implement it in practice. "The purpose isn't just to make sure employees know what to tell an inspector," said Spataro. "It's to make sure they know how to do their jobs and keep the workplace safe."
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Related People
Karl F. Kumli
Of Counsel
kkumli@fisherphillips.com
617/532-5898
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Jamie J. Spataro
Partner
jspataro@fisherphillips.com
412/822-6642
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John D. Surma
Partner
jsurma@fisherphillips.com
713/292-5633
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Original text here: https://www.fisherphillips.com/en/insights/insights/why-every-employer-needs-an-environmental-safety-plan
[Category: BizLaw/Legal]
77% of Canadian Employers Make Workforce Changes Amid Economic Pressures as U.S. Tariffs Add to Strain, Littler Survey Finds
SAN FRANCISCO, California, Oct. 22 (TNSrpt) -- Littler, a law firm, issued the following news:
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77% of Canadian Employers Make Workforce Changes Amid Economic Pressures as U.S. Tariffs Add to Strain, Littler Survey Finds
Littler's 2026 Canadian Employer Survey Report reveals uneven preparedness for AI adoption, new workplace requirements and labour relations challenges
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(October 21, 2026) - Littler, the world's largest employment and labour law practice representing management, has released its 2026 Canadian Employer Survey Report. The survey finds Canadian employers responding to business
... Show Full Article
SAN FRANCISCO, California, Oct. 22 (TNSrpt) -- Littler, a law firm, issued the following news:
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77% of Canadian Employers Make Workforce Changes Amid Economic Pressures as U.S. Tariffs Add to Strain, Littler Survey Finds
Littler's 2026 Canadian Employer Survey Report reveals uneven preparedness for AI adoption, new workplace requirements and labour relations challenges
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(October 21, 2026) - Littler, the world's largest employment and labour law practice representing management, has released its 2026 Canadian Employer Survey Report. The survey finds Canadian employers responding to businessand economic pressures--including by pausing hiring, conducting layoffs and increasing automation--while also navigating an evolving regulatory environment, rapid artificial intelligence (AI) adoption, changing workplace expectations and ongoing labour relations challenges.
The report draws on responses from 200 in-house lawyers, C-suite executives and HR leaders at organizations across a range of industries and company sizes.
Economic Pressures and U.S. Tariffs Are Impacting Canadian Workforce Decisions
Challenging economic headwinds are impacting Canadian workplaces, with 77% of respondents taking at least one workforce-related action in response to business or economic pressures over the past year. Paused or reduced hiring was the most common response, cited by 46% of respondents, followed by layoffs or reductions in force (35%) and increased use of automation or AI to reduce labour needs (28%).
U.S. tariff-related disruption is factoring into these decisions. Among employers that took workforce actions, 83% say such disruptions played a role--with 54% saying they contributed to a large or moderate extent.
"Economic uncertainty and trade disruption are clearly influencing workforce decisions, and those impacts could intensify if U.S.-Canada trade tensions escalate further," said Stephen Shore, Office Managing Partner for Littler's Canadian offices. "Employers must remain flexible as conditions change, while carefully considering the legal and workforce implications of AI adoption, layoffs and other cost-saving measures."
New Employment Requirements Test Canadian Employer Readiness
Canadian employers are confronting legal and regulatory pressures, with some more prepared than others to meet a patchwork of new and evolving requirements at the federal and provincial levels. More than half (55%) have updated job postings to address pay transparency requirements and expectations, while 37% have conducted pay equity, compensation or pay-gap reviews.
Progress also varies in response to recent and/or proposed changes addressing forced labour, child labour and human rights risks. Nearly half (48%) of respondents have developed or updated policies, codes of conduct, contractual provisions or governance processes in response to such legislation in Canada--but just 29% have conducted risk assessments or mapping of their operations or supply chains.
"Whether the issue is pay transparency or other emerging requirements, it's important for businesses to do more than just monitor developments," said Paul Pulver, a Littler partner in Vancouver. "Employers should be evaluating what the rules mean for their own policies and practices and considering practical changes to guide compliance."
Quebec Employers Navigate French Language and Psychosocial Risk Requirements
Among respondents with operations or employees in Quebec, 61% say that complying with French-language obligations presents a moderate or large challenge. Meanwhile, just 40% of Quebec employers have developed or updated prevention programs, policies or action plans to address new requirements for managing psychosocial risks in the workplace.
"Quebec employers shouldn't assume that existing policies or smaller headcounts mean they're covered as workplace regulations evolve," said Olivia Girouard, of counsel in Montreal. "When it comes to the newer psychosocial risks and other health and safety requirements, employers need to make sure they're assessing risks, putting preventive measures in place and training their people."
AI Is Influencing Workforce Decisions as Governance Develops
AI is already affecting how Canadian employers approach workflows and hiring. Nearly half of respondents (44%) have reassessed or are reassessing job responsibilities because of actual or anticipated increases in AI use. More than a third (36%) have reduced or are reducing hiring, while 33% have made or are making workforce reductions.
At the same time, many organizations are still putting formal governance structures in place. Fewer than half of respondents report having a formal workplace AI policy (49%) or a formal review or approval process for AI tools or use cases (42%). By contrast, among U.S. employers surveyed by Littler earlier this year, 68% reported having a formal AI workplace use policy and 55% reported having a formal review or approval process for AI tools and use cases.
In-Office Requirements Bring More Requests for Flexibility and Accommodations
While flexible and hybrid work arrangements remain widespread, half of respondents have increased required on-site workdays over the past two years. Among those employers, 81% report some increase in remote-work requests based on protected grounds, while 91% report more requests based on personal preference. Separately, 59% of respondents report increased requests for leaves or accommodations related to employee mental health.
Employer Preparedness Varies for Union Organizing and Collective Bargaining
The survey shows that unionized employers have fairly high confidence in their ability to respond to escalated bargaining tactics, with 81% saying they are very or moderately prepared. Nonunionized employers show considerably more uncertainty, with just 29% characterizing their organization as very or moderately prepared to respond to potential union organizing activity.
When it comes to managing differences in labour relations requirements and strategy across jurisdictions, employers report similar levels of difficulty within Canada as they do across the Canada-U.S. border. Roughly half (52%) say Canada-U.S. differences present a moderate or large challenge, compared with 44% who say the same about Canadian provinces and territories.
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About Littler
With more than 2,000 labour and employment attorneys in offices around the world, Littler provides workplace solutions that are local, everywhere. Our global team and proprietary technology foster a culture that celebrates original thinking, delivering groundbreaking innovation that prepares employers for what's happening today, and what's likely to happen tomorrow.
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REPORT: https://www.littler.com/sites/default/files/2026-10/2026_littler_canadian_employer_survey_report.pdf?147618ex98ck
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Original text here: https://www.littler.com/press/press-release/77-canadian-employers-make-workforce-changes-amid-economic-pressures-us-tariffs
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