When you destroy the evidence that could justify a termination, don’t be surprised when a court refuses to take your side. That’s the message from the 6th Circuit’s recent decision in Kean v. Brinker International, Inc., where a 59-year-old general manager of a Chili’s, owned and operated by Brinker International, was fired despite running
Employment & Labor
Navigating Labor’s Response to AI: Proactive Strategies for Multinational Employers Across the Atlantic
As AI adoption accelerates across workplaces, labor organizations around the world are beginning to take notice—and action. The current regulatory focus in the US centers on state-specific laws like those in California, Illinois, Colorado and New York City, but the labor implications of AI are quickly becoming a front-line issue for unions, potentially signaling a…
WIRTW #763: the ‘shiny and new’ edition
I am excited to share that Wickens Herzer Panza has officially launched a completely redesigned website.
Our goal was simple: make it faster and easier to find our insights, resources, and people—while showcasing our depth and agility.
Our new site features a clean, modern design, along with refreshed and
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How to Future-Proof Your Workforce for the AI Revolution
The AI revolution has begun
AI is changing how work is done, and people are taking notice.
According to a recent Gallup poll, 22% of employees in the U.S. are concerned that they will lose their jobs to generative AI. Four years ago, it was 15%.

Globally, AI is expected to transform the workforce…
BakerHostetler Earns Innovation Influencer Recognition in Inaugural BTI Innovation Icons Report
WASHINGTON — June 19, 2025 — BakerHostetler is pleased to announce that the firm achieved outstanding results in the inaugural BTI Innovation Icons report, which ranks the nation’s most innovative law firms.
“Clients increasingly see innovation as the solution to their most complex problems — and only a select few firms deliver at this level,”…
🚨 SCOTUS refused to extend Bostock—but it also didn’t gut it. That matters, a lot.
Yesterday, in U.S. v. Skrmetti, the Supreme Court held that states can constitutionally prohibit puberty blockers and hormone therapy for transgender teenagers, rejecting a Equal Protection challenge to the law. It’s a dangerous decision. Because of the votes of six Supreme Court justices, many children will suffer and some will even die.
The Court…
When immigration policy change overnight…
What’s an employer supposed to do when immigration policy shifts overnight?
That’s the question employers across the country are now facing. More than 500,000 immigrant workers—who entered the U.S. legally under a humanitarian parole program—were recently told to leave their jobs and “self-deport” after the Department of Homeland Security abruptly ended the program.
The…
Where Are We Now With the Use of AI in the Workplace?
As we previously reported here, here, and here, employers must navigate a rapidly evolving legal landscape as artificial intelligence (AI) continues to transform the modern workplace. From federal rollbacks to aggressive state-level regulation, the use of AI in employment decisions—particularly in hiring, performance management, and surveillance—has become a focal point for lawmakers,…
WIRTW #762: the ‘cheers’ edition
🚨 BREAKING: The death of craft beer has been greatly exaggerated.
📊 Consider this:
- $1.29 billion in economic output (up from $1.22 billion in 2022).
- 12,255 jobs supporting 8,095
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Risk Management in the Modern Era of Workplace Generative AI
As human resources (HR) leaders plan to expand the use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in the workplace, nearly a dozen states have enacted or are considering legislation to regulate its use in employment practices. Additionally, courts are seeing class actions involving alleged disparate impact discrimination and wage and hour violations related to GenAI. Implementing…




