ALFA International Publications

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion While the merits of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (“DE&I”) in the workforce have long been discussed, it was only after the murder of George Floyd and the demand for social justice reform, did DE&I initiatives come to the forefront.  However, DE&I is often thought of as a “hot topic.”  But the term “hot topic” evokes a certain thought process that th…

Patent Due Diligence Issues Considering the purchase or substantial investment of a technology-based company?  Patent due diligence will be important. Patent due diligence can encompass a variety of reviews, but typically key purposes of patent due diligence before an investment in a technology-based company (the “target” company) are to check the patents and applications of the target compa…

The conversion from internal combustion engine (“ICE”) vehicles to electromobility is perhaps the most ambitious and largest world-wide public-private sector collaboration not prompted by a world war. It will have an extraordinary impact on the day-to-day mobility of millions of citizens on all continents who are dependent on personal vehicles, as well certain segments of those who rely on public …

Disney’s Bob Iger recently announced that remote staff will be required to return to in-office work four days a week, beginning in March.[i]  Last fall, even as Covid-19 cases were still manifesting in rollercoaster peaks and valleys, Tim Cook confirmed Apple’s hybrid work policy would now mandate three days in the office.[ii]  Both CEOs insisted that there is no substitute for in-person collabora…

Overview According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), excessive alcohol use was the cause of  more than 140,000 deaths each year between 2015-2019, or more than 380 deaths per day.[i]  This cost United States citizens more than $259 billion in 2010.[ii]  One of the CDC recommendations for addressing these issues is stringent enforcement of regulations govern…

Background Crimes against persons committed on the premises of retail and hospitality businesses are a major source of litigation in many jurisdictions around the country.  Hotels and stores, shopping malls, apartment complexes, restaurants, bars, movie theaters, nightclubs, parking facilities, dormitories and even churches are commonly named as defendants in lawsuits by Plaintiffs followi…

Watch Out for The Fall Guy:  Preparing Your A-Team  to litigate everything from slip-and-falls to Murder (she wrote)  -- What are Juries Focused on Post-Covid? The pandemic effectively ended most civil jury trials in early 2020.  Jury trials slowly began to resume under strict Covid screening and jury-protection measures. As jury trials resumed, there was speculation as to t…

What is “implicit” or “unconscious” bias? Implicit bias is a preference, whether positive or negative, for a group based upon a stereotype or attitude we hold that operates outside of human awareness. It can be understood as a lens through which someone view the world that automatically filters how a person takes in and responds to information.[i] In society, we all have attitudes toward people…

In the last decade, violence in the workplace has become tragically common.  When acts of violence occur within the workplace, it is common for employees to levy accusations against their employer for failing to prevent the incident.  Preventing violence in the workplace is one of the most important issues employers face, but addressing this issue is not simple.  Employers have conf…

Since 2020, the retail industry has been challenged by numerous threats and challenges. At first, it was the pandemic that shook the world, pushing the eCommerce adoption rate to +30% over the 2019 levels and fiercely switching the purchase behavior of consumers across the world. In 2022 and as the world tried to normalize its pace, the Ukrainian War, the energy crisis, and inf…