Legal

Amazon's Treatment of Workers Make Headlines Again
May 3, 2013

Amazon.com's treatment of workers at its distribution centers is making headlines yet again, both home and abroad, thanks to a lawsuit in the U.S. and a possible strike by workers in Germany. The Allentown Morning Call newspaper said workers in Amazon's Breinigsville, Pennsylvania distribution center are suing the company for more than $100 million.

 

Video: Will Online Taxes Level the Retail Playing Field?
April 25, 2013

David French, senior vice president of government relations at the National Retail Federation talks with Tom Keene about the potential impact of an online sales tax on the business of both e-commerce and brick-and-mortar retailers.

Joe Fresh Confirms Clothing Was Produced in Bangladesh Factory That Collapsed, Killing At Least 87
April 25, 2013

The collapse of a Bangladesh building that killed at least 87 people yesterday is prompting renewed calls for retailers and clothing companies to ensure the safety of workers in the Asian nation. An eight-story building housing several garment factories collapsed near Bangladesh's capital Wednesday morning, killing at least 87 people and trapping many more in a jumbled mess of shattered concrete and bricks, officials said. 

J.C. Penney Investigating Whether Execs Told Builders Not to Worry About Permits
April 23, 2013

J.C. Penney is allegedly investigating whether its construction teams are remodeling stores without proper building permits. In-house lawyers have been questioning employees about bending rules as the retailer rushes to unveil 700 new shop-in-shops nationwide, reports James Covert at the New York Post.

eBay Enlists Users to Fight Tax Plan
April 23, 2013

eBay is calling on some 40 million of its users to fight national legislation that would give states the power to collect sales tax from out-of-state online retailers. John Donahoe, eBay's CEO, sent the first of the emails out Sunday morning. The message, aimed at users and sellers in eBay's Marketplace, charges that the proposed legislation, known as the Marketplace Fairness Act, would burden small entrepreneurs. The Act, which the Senate may vote on this week, applies to businesses with more than $1 million in out-of-state revenues.

eBay and Retailers Bicker on Twitter Over Sales Tax Legislation
April 22, 2013

A minute after eBay's government relations team tweeted on Sunday that Congress should not pass online sales tax legislation, a retail lobbying group called the Alliance for Main Street Fairness shot back with its own tweet accusing eBay of looking for special treatment. The social media rhetoric is heating up as the Senate gets close to voting on the Marketplace Fairness Act.

Ralph Lauren to Pay $1.6M to Settle Bribery Case
April 22, 2013

Ralph Lauren Corp. has agreed to pay $1.6 million to resolve allegations that it bribed government officials in Argentina to get customs clearance for its merchandise. The Securities and Exchange Commission said Monday that the clothing maker

Woman Sues CVS for $1M for Racist Receipt
April 19, 2013

A New Jersey woman of Korean descent is suing CVS for $1 million after claiming that a store employee used a racial Asian slur on her receipt. Hyun Lee, 37, of Egg Harbor, N.J., was picking up photos from a CVS, also in Egg Harbor, N.J., when she noticed that the cashier had identified her as "Ching Chong Lee" on her receipt. According to her attorney, Lee contacted CVS customer relations, but was apparently told by CVS in an email response that the employee would be "counseled and trained."

Online Sales Tax Bill Gaining Senate Momentum
April 19, 2013

The contentious ongoing issue of charging and collecting sales tax for e-commerce transactions has been a point of concern for many states, all desperate for additional revenue that they feel should be gained as an intrinsic part of making purchases online. Some states, like California, enacted legislation to force sites to collect that sales tax when its residents make purchases. The state-by-state approach may soon see the much-debated federal version of an online sales tax bill up and running sooner rather than later. 

Manhattan Lawyer Sues Brooks Brothers Over a Suit
April 18, 2013

Leave it to a lawyer to file suit over a suit. A Manhattan attorney has filed a $7,646.51 lawsuit against Brooks Brothers for sending him home with the wrong suit and then refusing to exchange it. Robert Ginsberg, a Manhattan negligence lawyer, says he was supposed to be getting a stylish new brownish-gray tailored suit and wound up with a used gray jacket and the wrong size pants. "The jacket was the right size, but it was the wrong color and it was used," Ginsberg told the Daily News.