Royal

The Royal Law Firm Announces Of Counsel Collaboration with Women-Owned Law Firms

Jan 26, 2024

The Royal Law Firm has joined a unique collaboration of women-owned law firms, in a continued expansion of its New England and New York Metropolitan area footprint for providing exceptional litigation defense and advice to business clients.

 

The Royal Law Firm has entered into an Of Counsel agreement with two other women-owned law firms: Perez Morris and Sobel Pevzner, LLC. This Of Counsel collaboration further bolsters The Royal Law Firm’s labor and employment law, business litigation, workers’ compensation and transactional practices and extends the firm’s reach into new jurisdictions including OH, PA, and NJ.

 

Through these strategic relationships, Royal can leverage the deep experience of these women-owned firms for the benefit of the clients. Likewise, by sharing resources, each firm in the collaboration will be able grow its practice area and geographic coverage. This collaboration will also enable new opportunities for clients to increase their diverse legal spend with women-owned law firms.

 

The Royal Law Firm’s client relationships will continue to be managed by the firm, with integrated billings. All of The Royal Law Firm’s rate structures and client agreements will remain the same. The goal is a seamless expansion of the firm’s bench, with the top quality service and case administration our clients have come to expect. The collaborating firm’s attorneys are seasoned counsel in their jurisdictions and will share knowledge and resources such as forms, best practices and office space for witness interviews, depositions, mediations and other needs.

 

About our Collaborators:

 

Perez Morris is a women-owned business law firm with offices in OH, PA, NY, NJ, CT, and MA, and attorneys licensed to practice across the country. The firm guides its business clients to manage their risks and make deals happen. The firm’s attorneys provide general counsel, business litigation, medical malpractice, pharmacy liability, and commercial transactional services nationwide with a focus on cost-effective, practical, industry-savvy advice that allows its clients to continue to grow and thrive.

 

Sobel Pevzner, LLC, is a woman-owned defense firm serving clients in New York, New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania, which, for more than 25 years, has been engaged in all aspects of negligence defense litigation. Since its inception, the firm has consistently and successfully represented prominent members of the insurance, hospitality, retail, transportation, habitation and construction industries in the greater New York Metropolitan area. The firm remains committed to providing the highest quality defense in the most cost effective manner. Managing Partner Bella Pevzner has significant experience in the defense of civil lawsuits as well as workers’ compensation matters in NY and NJ and oversees the day-to-day operations of the firm’s NY and NJ offices.

Non-Compete Agreements Are in Jeopardy

26 Apr, 2024
On April 23, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) issued a final rule banning non-competition agreements for all employees except for very narrow exceptions. The FTC’s Final Rule banning all non-competition agreements is effective 120 days after its publication in the Federal Register, which is expected in the next few days.  As of the effective date, all non-competition agreements are banned, except for franchisor/franchisee relationships and for sales of a business between buyer and seller. The FTC’s Rule is retroactive, prohibiting certain non-competition agreements before the effective date of the Rule as well. Existing non-competition agreements can remain in effect as to senior executives, which are defined in the Rule as employees in “policy-making positions” making at least $151,164 annually. The FTC’s Final Rule is already being challenged through the court system and a challenge from the Chamber of Commerce will most likely follow suit. Therefore, if an employer has existing non-competition agreements, the employer may not need to rescind them just yet. Stay tuned for updates as these challenges take their due course.

ALERT: US Department of Labor Increases Salary Threshold for White Collar Overtime and Minimum Wage Exemptions

26 Apr, 2024
By: Trevor Brice, Esq. On April 23, 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) announced a Final Rule updating regulations governing Executive, Administrative and Professional exemptions (“EAP exemptions”) from the minimum wage and overtime rules. This Final Rule significantly increases the salary threshold for workers to qualify for EAP exemptions. In general, to qualify for EAP exemptions, an employee must 1) be paid on a salary basis, 2) at a threshold level, and 3) primarily perform EAP duties as defined by the DOL. The Final Rule does not impose any changes on the salary basis or job duties relevant in determining EAP exemptions. After issuance of a proposed rule that received approximately 33,000 comments, the DOL in the Final Rule is increasing the salary thresholds in waves. As of July 1, 2024, the salary threshold for EAP exemptions applies to employees making $844 per week ($43,888 annually) on a salary basis. As of January 1, 2025, the threshold increases to $1,128 per week ($58,656 annually). This means that employees making under these amounts on a salary basis as of these dates are no longer exempt from overtime, as long as the other criteria for determining EAP exemptions by the DOL are met. Additionally, the rule increases the salary threshold for the “highly compensated” employee exemption. This exemption applies when an employee meets the greater salary threshold, their primary duty includes performing office or non-manual work and the employee customarily and regularly performs at least one of the duties or responsibilities defined in the EAP exemptions. The DOL also issued the increased salary threshold for the highly compensated exemption in waves. As of July 1, 2024, the salary threshold for the highly compensated employee exemption applies to employees making $132,964 annually, including at least $844 per week paid on a salary or fee basis. As of January 1, 2025, the salary threshold for the highly compensated employee exemption raises to $151, 164 annually, including at least $1,128 per week on a salary or fee basis. The DOL estimates that under the Final Rule, there will be four million workers newly entitled to overtime protection as of 2025. As with the FTC’s Final Rule passed on the same day, the DOL’s Final Rule will most likely be subject to challenge through the court system. However, for employers concerned with this new rule, it would be prudent to identify those positions below or close to the new salary thresholds, consider whether to change salaries given the new thresholds and conduct training as to who will now be exempt under the DOL’s final rule. If there is any gray area as to the DOL’s final rule, reach out to the local employment and labor counsel to determine if there is potential liability. Trevor Brice is an attorney who specializes in labor and employment-law matters at the Royal Law Firm LLP, a woman-owned, women-managed corporate law firm that is certified as a women’s business enterprise with the Massachusetts Supplier Diversity Office, the National Assoc. of Minority and Women Owned Law Firms, and the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council.
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