On April 10, 2015, a full panel of the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals (covering Michigan, Kentucky, Ohio, and Tennessee) decided in an unpublished decision that a former Ford employee, Jane Harris, was not a qualified individual with a disability because her excessive absences prevented her from performing the essential functions of a resale buyer. The Court further held that Harris’ telecommuting proposal was not reasonable because it removed an […]

The Department of Education released a Dear Colleague Letter on the implications of laws and regulations that limit the courses that may be offered by a foreign institution as part of an eligible program for students receiving Direct Loan funds. The letter emphasizes that offering ineligible courses makes the program ineligible for Title IV funds, but notes that a foreign institution may remain eligible by offering two versions of a […]

CMDA’s focuses on our employment and labor law group. Patrick Sturdy discusses Public Act 152 of 2011 and outlines the “hard cap” and 80/20 options available to public employees.   Elizabeth Rae-O’Donnell outlines a recent decision of the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals that ruled telecommuting may not be a reasonable accommodation under the ADA if an essential function of your employment is on-site attendance. Sara Lowry explains how Michigan employers […]

CMDA is honored and appreciative for the trust our clients have placed in our Firm since 1965.  As a way to give back to the community as we celebrate our 50th anniversary, every month throughout 2015 the Firm will be donating 50 items (or more) to a local charity. April is Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Michigan, and we are donating items to benefit the Dearborn Animal Shelter. The Shelter is […]

E-Verify is a federal program that employers use to verify a new employee’s employment eligibility in the United States. The use of E-Verify has grown exponentially in the last few years and its use only continues to increase. According to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, just over 1,000 employers were enrolled in E-Verify in 2001, and by 2015, over 688,000 employers were enrolled. A contributing factor to this […]

In 2011, the Governor signed into law PA 152 of 2011, known as the Publicly Funded Health Insurance Contributions Act, which caps the amount of money public employers, such as colleges, cities, townships and villages can pay towards employee health care. The law provides employers with two options for cost sharing. The default option is a monetary “hard” cap based on an employee’s marital and family status. Employees would be […]

The Chaldean American Bar Association (CABA) recently recognized Jim Acho and his run to become the executive director of the National Football League Player Association (NFLPA).  Mr. Acho is a senior attorney in our Livonia office, a CABA member and former CABA board member.  

Jim Acho’s run to become the next executive director of the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) ended Sunday evening as DeMaurice Smith was reelected to a third term. Two months ago when several retired NFL players nominated him to run for the executive director position, Mr. Acho explained, “I am honored that the retired players think enough of me to ask me to run. I will do the very best I […]

Bob Hahn’s article “Crowdfunding Bill Intended to Assist Entrepreneurs and Small Businesses” was featured in the February, 2015 edition of the International Right of Way Association (IRWA) newsletter.  On December 30, 2013, Governor Snyder signed into law Public Act 264, Michigan Invests Locally Exemption (MILE), which permits crowdfunding for small business. It is an intrastate exemption from the State of Michigan and Federal securities laws, whereby Michigan residents can invest […]

Congratulations to Jim Acho who secured the necessary nominations to appear on the ballot for NFL Players Association (NFLPA) executive director position. He will make a one-hour presentation at the union’s annual meeting on March 14, and the 32 player reps will elect an executive director the next day. His platform includes long-term health-care benefits for all players after they retire until they are eligible for Medicare, the elimination of […]