Cordray was asked about this remark from Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, when he rolled out a bill to overhaul the Dodd-Frank financial reform law: “I can’t do a good James Brown, but I feel good.” Cordray told the L.A. Times: “I’m more inclined toward easy listening, such as the Mamas and the Papas.”
We also know Cordray’s a fan of Bob Dylan. Months ago he invoked Dylan lyrics—from the song “Forever Young”—to lift spirits at the agency.
Uber’s clashing with regulators—again
San Francisco city lawyers are taking Uber Technologies Inc. to court over the company’s refusal to reveal the names and addresses of its drivers. The city contends the drivers—as independent contractors—are required to procure a business license. Uber’s lawyers at Davis Wright Tremaine argue the disclosure of that information would violate drivers’ privacy rights. Read San Francisco’s complaint here.
Uber potentially has bigger problems on its hands—a federal judge Thursday night said prosecutors should look at whether to investigate trade-secret theft claims brought by rival Waymo, Google’s driverless-car spinoff. “The court takes no position on whether a prosecution is or is not warranted, a decision entirely up to the United States Attorney,” U.S. District Judge William Alsup wrote. Alsup, ruling for Waymo, refused Uber’s bid to send the civil case to arbitration.
Focus on fiduciary rule
U.S. Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta wants to find a way to stop the June 9 compliance date for the Obama-era retirement savings rule that places a new burden on investment advisers to place the interests of clients ahead of profits.
The National Association for Fixed Annuities, which unsuccessfully sought an injunction to stop the so-called fiduciary rule, has launched a campaign to appeal to Acosta and the Trump administration to stop the regulations from taking effect. The law firm Bryan Cave represents the annuities group in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.
Trump’s NLRB picks?
Bloomberg BNA had the scoop this week on two lawyers being vetted for slots on the National Labor Relations Board.
The White House has submitted attorneys Marvin Kaplan and William Emanuel for FBI background checks and plans to nominate them by June to flip the five-member board to a Republican majority. Kaplan is an attorney for the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission, an independent federal agency that hears cases involving alleged workplace safety violations and adjudicates disputes between the Labor Department and employers. Emanuel is a partner in Littler Mendelson’s Los Angeles office.
In case you missed it, Littler Mendelson this week published an annual employer survey addressing legal, tech and social trends facing companies. The big takeaway: employers face “unprecedented” uncertainty from the Trump administration.
