Page 18: Michael P. Maslanka | Legal News Coverage

March 03, 2014 | Texas Lawyer

Work Matters: Facebook, nondisclosure clauses and the high cost of gloating

Gulliver Schools Inc. v. Snay from the Third District Court of Appeal in Florida is a sad tale of employment law, Facebook, and a post too far.

By Michael P. Maslanka

2 minute read

March 03, 2014 | Texas Lawyer

Machiavelli's 6 Insights for General Counsel

Contrary to his bad rap, Niccolo Machiavelli is not a Dr. Evil, and "The Prince" is not a version of "Evil for Dummies." Its lessons for GCs and for the executives they counsel are timeless.

By Michael P. Maslanka

6 minute read

February 25, 2014 | Texas Lawyer

Machiavelli's Six Insights for General Counsel

Jim Hightower, former Texas agriculture commissioner, famously remarked that the only items in the middle of the road are yellow stripes and dead armadillos. Niccolo Machiavelli could not have agreed more.

By Michael P. Maslanka

6 minute read

February 21, 2014 | Texas Lawyer

Work Matters: Mindfulness can help lawyers worried about losing their jobs

A change in perspective can alleviate stress and help with solving problems.

By Michael P. Maslanka

1 minute read

February 19, 2014 | Texas Lawyer

Work Matters: Can a temporary impairment rise to the level of a covered disability?

The Fourth Circuit noted EEOC regulations establishing that impairments that last only a short period of time typically aren't covered, unless they're sufficiently severe.

By Michael P. Maslanka

2 minute read

February 18, 2014 | Texas Lawyer

Work Matters: Tenth Circuit Decision Aids FMLA Plaintiffs

"Although there is no clear legal rule as to how much overlap is needed among decision-maker groups for employees to be similarly situated, requiring absolute congruence would too easily enable employers to evade liability for violation of federal employment laws," wrote the Tenth Circuit.

By Michael P. Maslanka

3 minute read

February 18, 2014 | Texas Lawyer

Work Matters: Refining But-For Causation in Retaliation Cases

Plaintiffs lawyers wailed after the U.S. Supreme Court decided University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center v. Nassar in 2013. But fear not, all is not lost, at least according to a decision last year by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

By Michael P. Maslanka

2 minute read