The Inbox - Beach Getaway Edition

| Zuckerman Spaeder Team

Here at the Suits by Suits Executive Employment Dispute Resolution and Litigation Centre, we’re closing the door and shutting things down, to paraphrase Alan Jackson, as Memorial Day approaches (our history of that day is here, by the way).  We’ve decided to walk to the beach this year because it may actually be faster than getting on the highway – given that fifteen percent of our Washington, D.C. home base clogs the roads to get out of town, while more than that come in to wander around the National Mall in search of restrooms

Assuming you are not reading this while you’re driving, you may find this collection of developments in the world of executive employment disputes and related fields to be interesting:

  • Some interesting thoughts about the criticism The New York Times faces after its surprise firing of executive editor Jill Abramson is here; it includes this truism: “An important lesson is for employers to understand that the leverage that they may have over employees in the workplace does not necessarily extend to the court of public opinion.” 
  • An alleged whistleblower who worked at Dish Network in its South Asian business alleges the satellite TV provider is blacklisting him from working in Bollywood
  • The growing scandal surrounding the Veterans’ Affairs department has, of course, whistleblower implications – we’ll likely be writing about this more in the future, but here’s one note about an allegedly blown whistle at a Colorado VA facility
  • Those cyber-thieves got more than data; they got a chunk taken out of his pay too: former Target CEO Gregg Steinhafel had his 2013 compensation slashed by more than one-third by the retailer’s board of directors this week; he’ll also have to repay over $5 million in retirement benefits.  Don’t cry too loudly for the CEO whose exit was an “involuntary termination” after a data breach scandal rocked the company’s holiday shopping season last year: he still has a golden parachute worth more than $54 million.  
  • Maybe he’s not an executive, but he’s certainly a high flyer: an air marshal who was fired after discussing cutbacks to the air marshal program on television will have to defend his appellate victory at the United States Supreme Court.  Robert MacLean convinced the U. S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit that he should have been allowed to use a whistleblower defense when the TSA undertook to fire him; this week, the Supremes agreed to hear the government’s appeal of that ruling.  
  • Insert the Memorial Day beer-drinking pun of your choice here: A St. Louis jury returned a verdict in favor of megabrewer Anheuser Busch this week, finding that it did not discriminate against a former top-ranking executive when it paid her less than men in similar positions.  Even though her bonus and salary were over 40 percent lower than her male predecessor’s, the jury found no evidence to support the executive’s claim of gender discrimination.  

Information provided on InsightZS should not be considered legal advice and expressed views are those of the authors alone. Readers should seek specific legal guidance before acting in any particular circumstance.

As the regulatory and business environments in which our clients operate grow increasingly complex, we identify and offer perspectives on significant legal developments affecting businesses, organizations, and individuals. Each post aims to address timely issues and trends by evaluating impactful decisions, sharing observations of key enforcement changes, or distilling best practices drawn from experience. InsightZS also features personal interest pieces about the impact of our legal work in our communities and about associate life at Zuckerman Spaeder.

Information provided on InsightZS should not be considered legal advice and expressed views are those of the authors alone. Readers should seek specific legal guidance before acting in any particular circumstance.