New York Lawyer Interviews

New York, NY: The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has been relentless in its pursuit of wrongdoers in the financial industry. Since 2011 it has recovered $975 million in enforcement actions ranging from elaborate investment schemes to financial advisors that work to benefit themselves rather than investors.

Fresno, CA: Opponents and families involved in lawsuits against the makers of the chemical herbicide known as Roundup are hailing a “tentative decision” by a California judge based on written arguments to allow glyphosate to be added to the “list of chemicals known to the state of California to cause cancer” under California’s Proposition 65  (Prop 65). Prop 65 makes it mandatory for the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), a division of the California Environment Protection Agency, to list all known cancer causing chemicals.  

New York, NY Truth remains supreme in the courtrooms of America and the facts revealed in the recent litigation against Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiary DePuy Orthopaedics Inc. tell a “shocking” story of “fraud and conspiracy”, says attorney Jayne Conroy from the firm of Simmons Hanly Conroy of New York.

New York, NY: The phrase donning and doffing is used to describe situations where employees put on or take off special gear or clothing for their work, but donning and doffing lawsuits are part of a larger area of litigation known as unpaid wages litigation, where employees are not properly paid for all their time involved in work-related activities. Employees may have employers who demand they complete work-related activities before or after their shifts but refuse to pay employees for that time. Unpaid wages litigation is increasing as workers become more aware of their rights, and of what activities employers must pay them for.

Los Angeles, CA: Several food supplements lawsuits claiming deceptive marketing and labelling have been filed against Jessica Alba’s Honest Company, arguing its products are "falsely" labeled as natural and plant-based. But what does “natural” mean? “From a liability standpoint, I don’t see the merit in these false advertising suits when there is no agreed upon definition of natural in the first place,” says attorney Ann Marie Mortimer, partner at Hunton & Williams law firm.

Bakersfield, CA Just when you think the water situation in California can’t get much worse, fracking in Kern County has resulted in contaminated water that has so far killed one plaintiff’s cherry orchard. A RICO lawsuit filed two days ago claims that Governor Jerry Brown’s office ordered the California Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR) to approve permits to inject contaminated water, which violates the Safe Drinking Water Act.

Jericho, NY Judges recently dismissed a wage and hour overtime case brought against a group of Catholic Hospitals on Long Island by a respiratory therapist and two nurses.

New York, NY When it comes to securities fraud claims, one of the areas of concern is suitability violations--when a broker-dealer or financial advisor recommends investment products that are unsuitable for the client. Christopher Gray, senior attorney at Law Office of Christopher J. Gray, PC, says he is seeing numerous suitability violation claims related to the sale of non-exchange traded real estate investment trusts. Those claims may result in an arbitration being filed on behalf of the investor.

Bradford County, PA Depending upon how you look at it, fracking may be good news--if it doesn’t affect you personally. It helps with the global climate because burning gas emits less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than burning coal. And by supplying 30 percent of America’s natural gas, it’s arguably better for national security. But fracking comes at a cost: Attorney Ben Stewart has some advice for people who have suffered personal injury, property loss and more.

Mineola, NY Never doubt the strength and durability of the American justice system says attorney Mark Bernstein—there is justice for all. "If you ever doubted it," says Bernstein, "this is the case that should prove to you we are still living in the right country at the right time."