News

New Jersey transportation companies gained some new leverage in fighting employment class actions after the state Supreme Court reinforced employers' arbitration agreements under Garden State law, even if their workers are exempt from arbitration under a federal law.

The U.S. Supreme Court's decision to bless class action waivers in Epic Systems Corp. v. Lewis was seen as a clear-cut win for employers, but on its first birthday, practitioners say the decision's impact has been muted as businesses weigh the potential costs of arbitration and growing public backlash against denying workers a day in court.

A California appeals court decision sinking Winston & Strawn LLP's arbitration agreement with a former attorney suing the firm for discrimination will encourage "for hire" lawyers and others outside firms' power structures to fight contracts that seek to block legal disputes from reaching the courtroom, experts say.