The Library

Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (collectively, “PFAS”) are a group of nearly 5,000 human-made chemicals that are resistant to heat, water and oil. Due to these “resistance” properties, since the 1940s, PFAS have been used in a broad spectrum of industrial applications and commercial products, including everyday household items and packaging. Some examples of PFAS usage include carpeting, waterproof clothing, upholstery, food paper wrappings, cookware, personal care products, fire-fighting foams, and metal plating. In the environment, PFAS rapidly move through groundwater. Thus, PFAS frequently are found in public and private water sources throughout the United States. Unfortunately, the same resistance to water, […]

During the 2022 Session, the Virginia General Assembly passed SB 550, which, among other things, prohibits the application of contingent payment or condition precedent payment clauses (known as “pay-if-paid” clauses) under most circumstances. The bill also establishes prompt payment clauses for prime contracts and subcontracts on private projects, whereas, Virginia’s Prompt Payment Act was formerly applicable only to public projects. The final language of the bill included a delayed enactment clause so that the statutory changes in SB 550 will not take effect until January 1, 2023. This delay gives project owners, developers, design professionals, general contractors, and subcontractors the opportunity […]

The question regarding whether a worker is properly classified as an independent contractor or employee is fraught with controversy, legal risk and uncertainty.   A recent case illustrates the issue in the trucking world. On June 30, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court declined a petition for writ of certiorari filed by a group representing California’s trucking industry, California Trucking Association (“CTA”).  CTA’s petition sought to challenge a California worker classification law that will have a devastating impact on the trucking and transportation industries.  These industries are already in the midst of multiple, overlapping crises. The high court denied CTA’s petition challenging the […]

It is the job of the Virginia legislature to make and change the laws of our Commonwealth. Sometimes, these new or changed laws are plastered all over the news. More often than not, new and changed laws are put into effect with little to no publicity. Nevertheless, there they are, ready to be used as a tool, or weapon, when the time presents itself. Despite the world’s reaction to COVID-19, the Virginia legislature was hard at work in 2020. Part of its work included amending an existing law concerning indemnification provisions in contracts with design professionals. Historically, indemnification provisions included […]

In one of the more significant Virginia administrative law decisions in recent years, the Supreme Court of Virginia held that the “harmless error” standard does not apply to most issues in administrative appeals, restricting the standard only to procedural defects.  The decision in Chesapeake Hospital Auth., d/b/a Chesapeake Regional Medical Center v. State Health Commissioner, et al., Record No. 201510 (Va. May 19, 2022) sweeps broadly, impacting judicial review of all agency decisions subject to the Virginia Administrative Process Act (“VAPA”).  The result is likely more delay, more uncertainty, and more litigation in regulatory matters, increasing regulatory risk for clients—particularly […]

Are you naked? Are you fully covered? Look, don’t be embarrassed. I’m talking about insurance. Let me ask again: Are you covered? In my work, I often talk to clients who don’t have enough insurance coverage. The problem is that many of them didn’t know they were naked — that is, they lacked adequate insurance coverage — until it was too late. They didn’t have enough coverage to protect their family or themselves, or enough to cover claims paid to someone they might have injured in an accident. They didn’t have enough coverage to replace a home that might have […]

Cross-examination can determine whether you win or lose your case. It’s a crucial opportunity to reinforce advantageous points and undermine problematic ones. Maintaining control of the process is key. Here are some ways to do so. Know where you are going. Organize your strategy and questions, prepare rigorously, and know what you want to accomplish with each witness. Pay close attention to the order of your questions, because jurors tend to remember the first and last things they hear the most. Always ask yourself: Is it even necessary to cross-examine this witness? Never ask open-ended questions. Ask only questions you […]

Environmental justice is rapidly evolving in Virginia. As a result, regulators are unsure of how to incorporate, or weigh, environmental justice considerations in their decision-making process. However increasingly progressive legislation and landmark judicial decisions that check the power of state’s regulatory bodies have made environmental justice not only a significant but required element in permitting decisions. Gentry Locke Environmental and Government and Regulatory Affairs attorneys Jasdeep Singh Khaira, Patrice Lewis, D. Scott Foster, and Government Affairs Specialist Abigail Thompson provide a legal update on environmental justice in Virginia within the University of Richmond Public Interest Law Review. In general, with […]

On July  15, 2020, Virginia, adopted the first in the nation COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard (the “ETS”). The ETS required Virginia employers to take certain actions to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 infections in the workplace. On January 23, 2021, VOSH replaced the ETS with a permanent Standard for Infectious Disease Prevention (the “Permanent Standard”), which it amended in August 2021. On January 15, 2022, Governor Youngkin issued an Executive Order directing the Virginia Safety and Health Codes Board (the “Board”) to convene an emergency meeting to discuss if there is an ongoing need for the Permanent Standard. The Board […]