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Are inside sales representatives working for a construction supply company entitled to overtime pay? The United States Supreme Court, in declining further review, has let stand a federal appellate court’s decision that the employees were misclassified as exempt and are entitled to overtime pay. In Su v. FW Webb Company, a wholesale plumbing and HVAC supply company, F.W. Webb Company (Webb), classified its Inside Sales Representatives (ISRs) as administrative employees. After concluding an investigation that began in 2017, the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Wage and Hour Division filed su

Is an empty head, but pure heart a legal defense to using generative artificial intelligence to do your work? For attorneys, the answer has been and continues to be, no. Two recent cases illustrate why. In February 2025, U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark Dinsmore for the U.S District Court for the Southern District of Indiana in Mid Central Operating Engineers Health and Welfare Fund v. HoosierVac, LLC, recommended that Rafael Ramirez, a Texas attorney, be sanctioned $15,000 for relying entirely on generative AI to perform legal research. After the Magistrate Judge was unable to find a case that Ram

What happens when a plaintiff mistakenly dismisses his lawsuit, but then seeks to reopen it later? The U.S. Supreme Court recently visited this issue and held that a court can reopen a dismissed proceeding under certain circumstances. In Waetzig v. Halliburton Energy Services, Inc., Gary Waetzig filed a lawsuit in the federal court in the U.S. District Court of the District of Colorado against his former employer Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. arguing that he was terminated illegally on the basis of his age. Specifically, Waetzig alleged his termination was in violation of the Age Discrimin

The Texas Legislature went into Session on January 14th until June 2nd.  There are numerous bills filed which have a general interest such as ad valorum tax revisions and school finance.  This review of recently filed bills will focus on potential legislation which could be of interest to the construction industry. Administrative Law  HB 606 – De Novo Review and Interpretation of State Laws and Agency Rules by Reviewing Court Judges Summary: HB 606, filed by Rep. Brian Harrison (R – Midlothian), would require a judge or administrative law judge (ALJ) to interpret a statute, rule, or ot

Does an insurer of a commercial general liability policy owe a duty to defend an architect in a malpractice lawsuit? The US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit recently held, yes. We provide a roadmap for the Court’s controversial decision. In Cornice & Rose International, LLC v. Acuity, Cornice, an architectural firm based in Illinois, was retained to design and oversee construction of a building in Iowa. According to the contract between Cornice and the building’s owner, Cornice agreed to, among other services, prepare drawings and specifications detailing the quality levels of