The Inbox: Sunny Summer Skies Edition

| Jason M. Knott

Summer humidity has arrived here in the mid-Atlantic, but the skies are blue and the thermometer isn’t creeping above 90 as of yet.  Here are some tidbits of executive-employer news to print and read in the shade when it’s time to cool off: 

  • Not that the White House needed more controversy right now, but the Office of Special Counsel is investigating 37 whistleblower claims arising from 19 different Veterans Administration facilities, reports Jack Moore of Federal News Radio.  The range of misconduct that the whistleblowers allegedly disclosed includes “improper scheduling practices, the misuse of agency funds and inappropriately restraining patients.”
  • Chris Cassidy of the Boston Herald writes that the Massachusetts House Speaker, Robert DeLeo, and the state’s governor, Deval Patrick, are clashing over noncompete agreements.  Patrick has been pushing to ban the prohibitions, while DeLeo and his allies argue that they should remain because employees have shown a willingness to live with them.
  • “I’m Number One!”  In the CEO world, the top-ranked executive in terms of compensation is Charif Souki of Cheniere Energy Inc., who raked in $142 million last year.  Now, Souki’s compensation has sparked a disgruntled shareholder lawsuit, according to Zain Shauk, Caleb Melby and Laura Marcinek of Bloomberg.  The lawsuit has led Cheniere to push off its annual meeting by three months.  Shareholder advisory firms are telling the company’s stockholders that they should not vote to approve further expansion of its executive compensation.
  • Darren Heitner, writing for Forbes, brought us the story of a football agent’s lawsuit against Octagon, his former employer.   Doug Hendrickson, who now works for Relativity Sports, alleges that the noncompete provision in his employment agreement with Octagon is an illegal restraint of trade under California law.  Hendrickson has represented Marshawn Lynch in the past; no word as to whether his lawyers are familiar with Beast Mode.

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.