Construing the Colorado Ski Safety Act of 1979, on May 31, the Colorado Supreme Court, in Fleury v. IntraWest Winter Park Operations Corp., held that a fatal avalanche that occurred within the bounds of the Winter Park ski resort was an “inherent danger and risk of skiing” and the Act…
Caring Hearts Personal Home Serv., Inc. v. Burwell, a U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit Medicare reimbursement case, describes the challenges confronting federal administrative agencies and the regulated community at a time when the demands on and the growth of government are somewhat astonishing. Judge Gorsuch begins his…
Many construction projects are subject to the regulatory requirements of the Clean Water Act (CWA), including the determination whether an earth-moving operation is covered by a “dredge and fill” permits administered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. If there is a question about the applicability of the CWA to…
A case that has been closely followed by oil and gas and other interests which involves groundwater disputes has now been decided by the Texas Supreme Court. In Coyote Lake Ranch, LLC, v. The City of Lubbock, decided on May 27, the Court held that the “accommodation doctrine,” a doctrine developed…
At the age of 21, in 1861, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. and many of his friends enlisted in the Massachusetts Infantry after the outbreak of the Civil War. He saw the worst of the war, and was nearly killed several times and suffered two grave wounds. By 1864, at the…
For bid requests issued on or after July 1, 2016, California school districts, with approval of their governing board, may procure design-build contracts for projects in excess of $1M, awarding the contract to either the low bid or the best value. The threshold currently is $2.5M. The new threshold was enacted as part…
Public works contracts awarded on or after July 1, 2016 will be subject to the more expansive definition of public works added by California Assembly Bill 219 (Daly). For purposes of Article 2 of California’s Labor Code, commencing with Section 1770, the term “public works” will include “the hauling and delivery…
In A New Cybersecurity Regime and a New Regulation to Mandate Secure Information Systems for Government Contractors, my colleague Travis Mullaney and I discuss Congress’ recent enactment of a wave of legislation to address ongoing cybersecurity threats, the Executive Branch’s recent adoption of new cybersecurity regulations, and other Federal initiatives…
On May 20, 2016, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, in Ebert, et al., v. General Mills, Inc., reversed the federal district court’s decision to grant class certification in an environmental contamination lawsuit. The district court had found that the requisites of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23 had…
In U.S. Department of Labor More Than Doubles Minimum Salary Levels for FLSA Overtime Exemptions, Pillsbury attorneys Julia Judish, Rebecca Carr Rizzo and John Scalia discuss the U.S. Department of Labor’s much-anticipated Final Rule amending the Fair Labor Standards Act regulations implementing the exemption from minimum wage and overtime pay for…