Many employers are under misconceptions about which employees are required by federal and state law to be paid overtime. Some employers wrongly believe an employee is “exempt” from the overtime law if an employee has a college degree and is paid an annual salary. However, an employer cannot Continue Reading
The Agency 100 | The Secret Sauce of the Most Successful Firms: Effective Long-Term Incentive Strategies
In today’s competitive environment, integrated communications and digital firms are on the lookout for effective ways to attract, retain and incentivize their key employees. An increasingly important component of the overall compensation package is long–term incentive arrangements. Implemented Continue Reading
The Agency 100 | A Hot M&A Market for Public Relations and Integrated Marketing Firms
Last year at this time, with the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, the dealmaking environment for 2020 was unknown. The year had gotten off to a fast start, with more than 20 publicly reported M&A transactions completed by early March. However, the sudden shutdown of economies worldwide, and Continue Reading
The Agency 100 | Non-Competes Come Under Attack In More Jurisdictions
A number of states have enacted restrictions on non-competes in recent years. For example, in 2018 Massachusetts passed its Noncompetition Agreement Act, which prohibited certain non-compete agreements. But only three states — California, North Dakota and Oklahoma — have imposed a total ban. Continue Reading
The Agency 100 | States Seek to Tax Digital Advertising Revenue
The economic impact of COVID-19 cannot be understated. States have experienced significant budget shortfalls due to limited economic activity, and as a result, state legislatures are searching for ways to raise revenue. Several states are looking into ways to close the budget gap by taxing digital Continue Reading
The Agency 100 | Planning Media Productions and Events During COVID-19
As the one-year anniversary of the first coronavirus shutdown orders in the U.S. was marked the lessons learned, and best practices distilled from entertainment and advertising productions should be applied more broadly throughout the communications and marketing industries. Communications firms Continue Reading
The Agency 100 | Keeping Your Employees Safe – The COVID-19 Vaccine
Unfortunately, COVID-19 continues to infect people throughout the U.S. As vaccines become more widely available, integrated marketing communication firms have many questions about what that will mean for their workforces. Can we now safely return to the office (if still working remotely)? Can we Continue Reading
The Agency 100 | 4 More States Give Green Light to Legalize Recreational Marijuana
Recreational marijuana has been legalized in Arizona, Montana, New Jersey and South Dakota, as ballot initiatives legalizing marijuana have passed in all four states. This brings the tally up to 15 states plus Washington D.C. that permit recreational marijuana, and legalization efforts are also Continue Reading
The Agency 100 | How Agencies Thrived Rather Than Survived in a Challenging Year
The public relations industry has undergone seismic changes shaped by this year’s unprecedented public health, economic, social and equal justice developments. Each year, my law firm Davis & Gilbert conducts a survey focused on the changes experienced by the public relations sector, and Continue Reading
The Agency 100 | Cybersecurity and Privacy Risks Rise with Remote Workforce
With striking speed, the arrival and spread of the coronavirus pushed much of the U.S. workforce to a remote environment. The shift to a remote workforce is not expected to end any time soon. Many companies are extending their work from home policies, including Google, which announced that their Continue Reading