Compliance Stuff

A  recent Illinois federal court decision  shows that when AI listens in on calls, legal questions follow. The putative class action case is  Megan Lisota v. Heartland Dental, LLC, et al . It was brought against two entities: Heartland Dental, LLC and its partner, RingCentral, Inc. Heartland Dental provides administrative and overflow call center services to dental clinics. In providing its services, it contracts with RingCentral. RingCentral is a provider of cloud-based, AI-supported telephone services. According to plaintiff’s complaint, RingCentral's AI software is designed to capture and transcribe real time call details from patient, payer, and provider calls. Heartland used these details, the plaintiffs alleged, to identify and triage callers. It also used them to identify missed opportunities to schedule dental appointments. The plaintiff, a patient, alleged these activities constituted eavesdropping in violation of the Federal Wiretap Act . The court ruled the pl...

On March 18, 2026, an Ohio jury awarded $22.5 million in a wrongful death lawsuit related to a company’s denial of a pregnant worker’s work-from-home accommodation request, finding that the company’s action was a substantial factor in the death of the employee’s baby. 0:00 6:10 Quick Hits In  Larkin v. Total Quality Logistics, LLC , a logistics firm was sued after it denied a work-from-home accommodation request from an employee with a high-risk pregnancy. A jury found the accommodation denial contributed to the baby’s premature birth and death. The case shows how an accommodation denial may create liability for employers if they aggravate a worker’s medical condition. Background on the Case In 2021, a claims associate for a Cincinnati-based logistics firm, T otal Quality Logistics, LLC (TQL), was pregnant and required bed rest after a related surgery. When she requested to work from home and provided medical documentation, the company denied the request and placed her on an unpaid...

Corporate governance & compliance preserves the corporate veil and is a duty of any officer of an LLC or Corporation. What is corporate governance and compliance, and why is it important to protect the integrity of the “corporate veil” throughout California and the U.S.? Important Takeaways of How and Why Corporate Governance & Compliance Preserves the Corporate Veil: The "corporate veil" is the primary reason for having any business entity. The business entity shields the company's owners from personal liability that might otherwise arise out of the risks and disputes of business. Protecting the corporate veil through governance and compliance is a key duty of any officer of the corporation, and should always be a focus. Depending on the size and scope of the corporation or LLC, governance and compliance should be an annual priority, and at least a quarterly focus. Governance is about setting the policies and direction of the corporation. Compliance is preci...

It’s said that an ant can carry fifty times its own weight. That’s nothing. A recent decision out of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit provides a compelling reminder to policyholders and their counsel: Even the smallest word in an insurance policy—and even the  placement of a punctuation mark —can carry tremendous weight . In fact, it can alter the meaning of an entire insurance policy. In  Paloma Resources, L.L.C. v. Axis Insurance Co. , the court vacated summary judgment in favor of the insurer based on the placement of a single word— “the” —in an exclusion clause. The decision reaffirms the bedrock principle in insurance policy interpretation that where a policy purports to bar coverage for an insured’s claim, it must do so in an unambiguous and clear manner . When a policy exclusion is unclear, courts will construe the provision in favor of coverage for the policyholder. Paloma’s Claim: A Trade Secrets Lawsuit, a Settlement and a Denial of Coverage In 2017,...

  The Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO) is an  Executive Order  that seeks to reform the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to eliminate barriers to doing business with the Federal Government. This monumental change is akin to removing the traffic light at a four-way intersection and replacing it with a stop sign. So, will the government’s signal change improve efficiency, or will it cause more traffic and accidents? Let’s take a look. What is the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul? The  White House  intends for the RFO to streamline the procurement process. To achieve this goal, the FAR Council, the heads of agencies, and senior acquisition officials will amend the FAR so that it only contains provisions that are required by statute or “are otherwise necessary to support simplicity and usability, strengthen the efficacy of the procurement system, or protect economic or national security interests.” To date, little guidance has been issued to determine which regulatio...

Working from home has become the new norm for many workers. Even before COVID-19 forced businesses to send their employees home, there were around 4 million Americans who worked remotely for at least half of the week. In addition, many companies now see remote or hybrid work as a benefit to attracting and retaining workplace talent. This article covers: Payroll requirements Foreign qualification Permits for your remote employees Tax nexus considerations Classification of remote workers Privacy and data security Workers compensation Unemployment insurance Hybrid employees Properly document working arrangements But there may be additional compliance requirements when an employee works outside a business’ home state. With remote workers, there may be tax implications, new registration requirements, and more. Unfortunately, such considerations are sometimes a surprise to employers who don’t have an HR department or lack an understanding of the implications of having remote employees. Here...