Cases of Note

Case Summary In a civil suit filed on December 21st in Los Angeles Superior Court stemming from a 2010 incident in which Vin Diesel’s former assistant, Asta Jonasson alleges that Diesel forcibly groped, restrained and kissed her in a hotel suite in Atlanta and masturbated in front of her. The complaint states Diesel ignored Jonasson’s “clear statements of non-consent,” and after she “screamed and ran towards the nearby bathroom,” he “pinned her against the wall with his body." Jonasson claims that Samantha Vincent, the president of Diesel’s company One Race at the time, called her “mere hours” after the alleged assault and “terminated Ms. Jonasson’s employment.” “No one is too famous or powerful to evade justice,” Claire-Lise Kutlay of Greenberg Gross LLP, attorney for Jonasson, wrote in a statement. “We hope her courageous decision to come forward helps create lasting change and empowers other survivors.” “Vin Diesel categorically denies this claim in its entirety,” Bryan Freedma

(L-R) Pitcher - Trevor Bauer, Martha Stewart, Golfer, Tiger Woods and Actor, Mel Gibson This article covers: Why Have a Moral Turpitude Clause? Why are Celebrities Involved in a Scandal not Reinstated? Sportscaster Marv Albert pleads guilty to misdemeanor assault and battery and is subsequently terminated by NBC. Mel Gibson makes anti-Semitic remarks during an arrest for drunk driving and ABC cancels his contract for a miniseries on the Holocaust. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen are eliminated from “Got Milk?” advertisements because of Mary-Kate's eating disorder. Tiger Woods loses endorsement deals with brands such as Gatorade, AT&T and Accenture following his professed infidelity in late 2009 - losing him an estimated $20 million.  Why do companies such as AT&T, H&M, NBC, ABC, and the Milk Processor Education Program have the right to do this? Usually, these companies are permitted to terminate an agreement with talent based on actions like those of Marv Albert, Mel Gibson

Your Rights in the Workplace: Minimum Wage and Overtime Rules The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) establishes minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and youth employment standards affecting employees in the private sector and in Federal, State, and local governments. Overtime pays at a rate not less than one and one-half times the regular rate of pay is required after 40 hours of work in a workweek.  What is the minimum wage? The current federal standard for covered nonexempt workers being entitled to a minimum wage of not less than $7.25 per hour effective July 24, 2009. Additionally, most states have their own minimum wage laws that require a higher rate of pay. For example, the minimum wage in Illinois is $13.00 per hour in 2023. Employers must pay whichever minimum wage rate is higher. To find out the minimum wages in the 50 states and the District of Columbia, go to the DOL website . and select your state from the list. You can also contact your state labor department for inf

President Joe Biden signed the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act , or H.R. 4445 into law on March 3, 2022 at a White House ceremony. The law amends the Federal Arbitration Act and allows employees subject to pre-dispute mandatory arbitration agreements to pursue their claims in court related to sexual assault or sexual harassment.  As the #MeToo movement brought to light, in the worst cases, arbitration and nondisclosure agreements can shield serial harassers from accountability and allow them to habitually abuse employees. Court decisions and orders make the identity of violators of the law and their conduct public, which can serve to influence behavior and deter sexual harassment and assault from occurring in the first place. Some of America’s most prominent employers have already voluntarily discontinued mandatory arbitration for sexual harassment claims, and several states have passed laws directed at restricting mandatory arbitration of harassm