On June 24, 2020, The Tennessee Board of Parole voted unanimously to recommend that Gov. Bill Lee exonerate Adam Braseel, who spent a dozen years in prison for a killing he’s always maintained he did not commit.
Following a nearly seven-hour hearing led by Nashville partner Alex Little and associate Zack Lawson, the Tennessee Board of Parole voted unanimously to recommend that Governor Bill Lee exonerate Braseel.
In December 2019, a team from Burr’s appellate litigation group, working alongside South Carolina Congressman Jeff Duncan and sixty-one other members of U.S. House of Representatives, filed a brief in the U.S. Supreme Court to facilitate domestic energy transportation. The case involved a right-of-way under the Appalachian Trail in the George Washington National Forest for Atlantic Coast Pipeline’s 604-mile natural gas pipeline from West Virginia to North Carolina.
On June 15, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court reversed the Fourth Circuit’s decision that had blocked the construction of the natural gas pipeline. The decision is a significant victory for the energy industry. The Atlantic Coast Pipeline is a multi-billion dollar venture by Dominion Energy and Duke Energy. Upon its completion, the pipeline could carry as much as 1.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day to customers in North Carolina and Virginia.
Burr & Forman has established a dedicated team to counsel individuals, businesses and financial institutions in government audits, investigations and defense-related to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The PPP and CARES Act Audit, Investigations and Defense Team represents and advises clients in audits and investigations involving PPP loans and tax benefits that may have been claimed under the CARES Act. This multidisciplinary team combines more than 230 years of legal experience and attorneys with previous government positions, including attorneys with IRS Chief Counsel, the United States Department of Justice, and United States Attorneys’ Offices.
Burr Forman McNair has filed an Amici Curiae Brief with the South Carolina Supreme Court on behalf of 16 business organizations across the state, including state and local Chambers of Commerce and industry associations.
The brief urges the Supreme Court to take up a case in which the State Court of Appeals reinstated a punitive damages award against a major retailor for $4.5 million dollars.
“Punitive” damages are often requested in a lawsuit. They can be awarded only when a defendant’s actions were malicious, fraudulent, or grossly reckless, and they serve as a punishment and deterrent. In South Carolina, punitive damages are capped by a state statute.
On June 1, 2020, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals entered an unpublished, per curiam decision affirming the grant of summary judgment in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Jacksonville division for Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation. The plaintiff, a plant worker in the live shed area, was transferred to a different department after sustaining injuries to his rotator cuff. Plaintiff was subsequently terminated for insubordination after returning to the live shed area against the company’s occupational health department’s recommendations and plaintiff supervisor’s instructions. Plaintiff maintained that he was unlawfully terminated because of race and disability. However, the courts rejected those arguments and dismissed all claims.
Burr’s Jim Gilliam represented Marlboro County, Marlboro County Sheriff’s Office, and Sheriff Charles Lemon in two cases filed by a former deputy sheriff, Raymond Hall, and the former warden, Earl Hood. Hall and Hood worked for the Sheriff’s Office until Lemon was elected Sheriff of Marlboro County in January 2016. Upon taking office, Sheriff Lemon decided not to recommission Hall and Hood under his administration. Sheriff Lemon made this decision because of his desire to fill the Sheriff’s Office with the type of employees that fit within the platform upon which he campaigned and was elected by the people of the County. Sheriff Lemon determined that Hall and Hood did not fit within that platform.
Burr recently represented PRC Laser Corp as the company plans to invest $1.4 million into a new facility in Charleston County, SC. PRC, a company founded in 1985 that builds industrial lasers, produces carbon-dioxide and fiber lasers that are used for cutting and welding. The majority of the plant will be dedicated to fiber laser production, which is the fastest-growing sector of the market positions, on their website.
Burr & Forman remains dedicated to serving as your trusted business partner to help advise and address the unique challenges your industries now face. We have included webinars on specific Labor and Employment-related topics to help answer questions and give insight during these challenging times and will continue to record and share in the days to come.
Burr & Forman recently claimed a victory for its client CIOX Health, LLC in the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in Faber, et al. vs. CIOX Health, LLC, Case. No. 18-5896 (6th Cir. December 5, 2019). Burr serves as national counsel to CIOX, one of the nation’s largest processors of requests for medical records.
Burr & Forman announces its inclusion on the 2020 AmLaw 200 list by American Lawyer Media (ALM). The AmLaw 200 is a list of the…
The Paycheck Protection Program under the CARES Act ended June 30, 2020, and with over $520 billion loaned to nearly 4.9 million self-employed individuals and…
Columbia-based Counsel Liz Crum was recently featured in South Carolina Super Lawyers Magazine’s cover story that spotlights six female attorneys across the state who helped lead the way for women in the legal industry in the 1970’s.
Included in the feature alongside Crum is Susan Smythe, the first woman in Charleston to make partner and Alice Paylor, the fourth female president of the South Carolina Bar Association.
Burr has kicked off its new podcast series with the Take 5 Immigration Podcast. “Take 5” is a weekly high-level overview of what businesses need to know each week as it relates to immigration. The podcast is hosted by Burr partner Melissa Azallion, from the firm’s Hilton Head Island office. Episode 1 discusses the variety of Presidential Proclamations that have been issued as a result of COVID-19, and the travel bans that have been imposed on the U.S. and other countries. For a full list of our podcasts, please visit Burr’s podcast page.
Burr & Forman continues to grow and evolve to meet the changing business, legal and service needs of our clients.
