Deena R. Merlen Archives

October 24, 2024 RPJ News & Publications

Helen D. (“Heidi”) Reavis, Alice K. Jump, Deena R. Merlen, Jill Kahn Marshall, Frederick R. Fucci, and John A. Beranbaum Honored by Super Lawyers Selection

RPJ is proud to announce that Helen D. (Heidi) Reavis, Alice K. Jump, Deena R. Merlen, Frederick R. Fucci, and John A. Beranbaum have been selected to the 2024 Metro New York Super Lawyers list and Jill Kahn Marshall has been selected to the 2024 Metro New York Rising Stars list! Following a vigorous and highly-competitive selection process each...

September 17, 2024 Intellectual Property Law, RPJ News & Publications

RPJ Partner Deena Merlen on AI, Deepfakes and the Copyright Office Recommendations

By Deena R. Merlen In today’s digital age, the question of whether we can trust what we see or hear has become increasingly complex. As generative artificial intelligence (“AI”) technologies advance, distinguishing between reality and AI-generated fakes is more challenging than ever. This controversy touches various aspects of our lives,...

June 13, 2024 Corporate Law, Employment Law, RPJ News & Publications

RPJ Partner Deena R. Merlen Interviewed by Forbes After Activist Employees Fired by Google File NLRA Complaint

RPJ Partner Deena R. Merlen was interviewed by Forbes for an article published recently, titled "All Hands Memo: Why Activism At Work Could Get You Fired." As noted in the article, “Forbes spoke with legal experts about the protections employees have – and don’t have – when it comes to...

May 21, 2024 Employment Law, Legal News, RPJ News & Publications

RPJ Partners Jill Kahn Marshall and Deena R. Merlen Published in Fast Company

RPJ Partners Marshall and Merlen recently published an article titled “Do Managers Have a Right to Fire Workers for Divisive Social Media Posts?” in the business magazine, Fast Company. Their article explores the extent to which employees’ speech on social media is (or is not) protected, including differences between public...

April 24, 2024 Employment Law, Legal News, RPJ News & Publications

RPJ Partner Deena Merlen Discusses New FTC Non-Compete Clause Rule

The FTC announced yesterday that a rule banning most non-compete agreements has been approved. Under the Non-Compete Clause Rule, existing non-competes for senior executives (which refers to workers earning more than $151,164 annually and who are in policy-making positions) can remain in force, but for-profit employers will be banned from...

March 20, 2024 Community & Civic Engagement, Intellectual Property Law, RPJ News & Publications

Nafsika Karavida joins Deena Merlen as Co-Chair of CT Chapter of LES (USA and Canada)

We are pleased to announce that RPJ Associate Nafsika Karavida is joining RPJ Partner Deena R. Merlen as Co-Chair of the Connecticut Chapter of the Licensing Executives Society (LES) of the USA and Canada, an independent professional organization that facilitates global intellectual property commerce through education, networking, standards development and certification. Founded over...

February 12, 2024 Community & Civic Engagement, Employment Law, RPJ News & Publications

RPJ Partners Deena Merlen and Jill Kahn Marshall’s Article “When Political Discourse Leads to Dismissal” Published in New York Law Journal

RPJ Partners Deena Merlen and Jill Kahn Marshall recently published an article for the New York Law Journal entitled “When Political Discourse Leads to Dismissal”. This article explores how political speech on public social media platforms can lead to termination by one’s employer, and how such termination can lead to...

February 12, 2024 Employment Law, Legal News, RPJ News & Publications

When Political Discourse Leads to Dismissal

Conventional wisdom used to dictate that employers should refrain from taking political positions, and employees' personal political views had no place in the workplace. The widespread use of social media has changed this calculus today. While technically not part of an employee's workplace behavior, employees' personal social media accounts are...

January 16, 2024 Employment Law, Legal News, RPJ News & Publications

RPJ Partner Deena Merlen Discusses Developments in Worker Classification under the FLSA

The classification of a worker as an employee or an independent contractor can make a big difference in terms of the worker’s rights and the employer’s obligations. For example, under the Fair Labor Standards Act (the “FLSA”), covered employers must pay their non-exempt employees no less than the then-current federal...

December 8, 2023 Entertainment Law, Legal News, RPJ News & Publications

AP Interviews RPJ Partner Deena Merlen on Hall & Oates – or should we say, Hall v. Oates…!

RPJ Partner Deena Merlen was interviewed this week by an Associated Press reporter on the Hall & Oates legal situation, specifically the legal details surrounding Daryl Hall suing John Oates and attempting to prevent Mr. Oates from selling his share of a Hall & Oates business partnership to Primary Wave....

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