In representing pharmaceutical manufacturers against product liability claims, a common claim we see is that the manufacturer failed to warn the consumer about some side effect or unintended result of using the medicine. One of our standard first-line arguments against that claim is that the lawsuit is “preempted” by federal law. That is, the federal … Read More
Christian & Small is pleased to announce that Partner Daniel D. Sparks has been appointed to the Southeastern Bankruptcy Law Institute’s (SBLI) board of directors. The SBLI is known as the premier bankruptcy education seminar in the country. Sparks was appointed director by fellow SBLI board members. “I am honored to be nominated and selected … Read More
Large public works construction projects can give rise to complex disputes. Often these disputes center around compensation owed, and sometimes withheld, by one party to a downstream party (e.g., prime contractor to a sub-sub contractor). The upstream, non-paying party might forgo immediate payment as a means of leveraging increased productivity from the downstream party, achieving … Read More
Christian & Small is pleased to announce two attorneys have been recognized in Birmingham Magazine’s seventh annual “Top Attorneys” issue. Partner Daniel D. Sparks, who also chairs the firm’s Creditors’ Rights and Bankruptcy Practice Group, was recognized for both banking and bankruptcy law. Partner David B. Walston, chair of the firm’s Labor and Employment Practice … Read More
The Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (“WHD”), through its Administrator, David Weil, recently issued an Administrator’s Interpretation (“AI”) to provide guidance on identifying those scenarios in which two or more employers jointly employ an employee and are thus jointly liable for compliance under the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) and Migrant and Seasonal … Read More
Partner David B. Walston, who chairs Christian & Small’s Labor and Employment Practice Group, was quoted in the recent Birmingham Business Journal article, “Local law experts recount clients’ strange requests.” The question “What’s the strangest request you’ve received regarding employment suits?” was posed in a Birmingham Business Journal survey prior to the March 25, 2016 … Read More
