In order to decrease the spread of COVID-19, and in compliance with the CDC's recommendations to implement the use of social distancing strategies, Drew Eckl & Farnham has made the decision to close all of our Atlanta office starting on March 17. Despite the closing of our physical offices, we will continue providing our clients with exceptional legal services. In order to decrease the spread of COVID-19, and in compliance with the CDC's recommendations to implement the use of social distancing strategies, Drew Eckl & Farnham has made the decision to close all of our Atlanta offices starting on March 17. This decision was made for the health of our staff and the public and will ... Continue Reading
COVID-19: An Update on Our Preparations
As a valued client of Drew Eckl & Farnham, we appreciate the trust you place in us to provide quality legal services. We understand the need for our firm to provide continuous and uninterrupted legal services, and want to take this opportunity to update you on the proactive steps we’re taking to be prepared for the evolving situation with COVID-19 (the coronavirus). We take business continuity seriously and have been preparing for this situation. We have updated our business continuity plans to address infectious disease scenarios and have identified the team in Atlanta to coordinate our response, with a redundant command center prepared in Albany, GA. Our Emergency Response ... Continue Reading
Reminder of Lockout/Tagout Procedures
When is the last time you reviewed your lockout/tagout procedures? Just a reminder below of some of the basics for Lockout/tagout procedures. Develop procedures for the control of potentially hazardous energy.Document those procedures.Train employees on the procedures, including the purpose and function of the procedures.Not only train but confirm the employees understand the purpose and function of the procedures.Train employees on the skills required for safe application, usage, and removal of energy control procedures.Put the procedures in place and utilize them.Periodically inspect the procedures to confirm the procedures are appropriate and being followed.Retrain when ... Continue Reading
Partner Whitney Lay Greene speaking on The Ghost of Treatment Past: Phantom Medical Bills, Medical Litigation Funding, and How to Fight Them Webinar
Whiteny Lay Greene will be speaking in an upcoming DRI webinar, "The Ghost of Treatment Past: Phantom Medical Bills, Medical Litigation Funding, and How to Fight Them" on Thursday, March 5th from 1:00PM - 2:00PM EST. The webinar aims to educate listeners on topics including varying types of medical funding models, discovery tactics that can be utilized by defense lawyers to obtain relevant and critical medical funding information, and case law addressing the relevance of medical funding discovery and the admissibility of medical funding information at trial. Register ... Continue Reading
Neil Brunetz Quoted in Newsday
Attorney Neil Brunetz was quoted in "Safety First, or it Will Cost You" an article by Newsday discussing why he believes companies must remain proactive about maintaining a safe work place. Neil strongly advises against waiting for OSHA coming in and administering citations to take the appropriate precautions, as inspections and penalties have increased for 2020. “Companies should be proactive and not wait for OSHA to come in and cite you for a violation,” says Neil Brunetz, an attorney at Drew Eckl & Farnham in Atlanta. “It’s kind of like paying them to be your safety consultant.”Neil Brunetz ... Continue Reading
Fourteen Drew Eckl & Farnham Attorneys Selected for Georgia Super Lawyers® and Rising Stars®
We are proud to announce that fourteen of our attorneys have been selected for inclusion on the Georgia Super Lawyers® and Rising Stars® lists for 2020.We are proud to announce that fourteen of our attorneys have been selected for inclusion on the Georgia Super Lawyers® and Rising Stars® lists for 2020. Super Lawyer Honorees Only five percent of the lawyers in the state are named by Super Lawyers. The selections for this esteemed list are made by the research team at Super Lawyers, which is a service of the Thomson Reuters, Legal division based in Eagan, MN. Each year, the research team at Super Lawyers undertakes a rigorous multi-phase selection process that includes ... Continue Reading
Do you fall under OSHA’s General Industry Classification? Do you need an Emergency Action Plan (EAP)? Do you have one in place that is in compliance?
General Industry Emergency Action plans under OSHA (CFR 1910.38) are broken down into 6 parts. 1. You need one whenever an OSHA standard requires one. Find out if the OSHA standards that apply to your business mandate an EAP. 2. If you have fewer than 10 employees you can communicate the EAP orally, but if you have more than 10 employees the EAP must be in writing, must be kept in the workplace and must be available for employees to review. 3. The EAP must have at a minimum: Procedures for reporting a fire or other emergency. Procedures for emergency evacuation, including type of evacuation and exit route assignments.Procedures to be followed by employees who remain to ... Continue Reading
Hard Rock Hotel Project Collapse Sparks New Investigation
ConstructionDrive quoted Attorney Neil Brunetz in "Hard Rock Hotel Project Collapse Sparks New Investigation", which discusses a number of different claims that have emerged from the investigation, that may have contributed to the building collapsing. Neil stresses the importance that any evidence that OSHA or the Department of Safety and Permits may need later should not be disturbed or contaminated. Neil additionally gives his opinion on if hearings focused on the collapse will impede the investigation. "Is it possible they could interfere? Yes," said attorney Neil Brunetz, who specializes in OSHA cases at the law firm of Drew Eckl and Farnham in Atlanta. "Is it likely? No. Based on the ... Continue Reading
Hard Rock Hotel project collapse sparks new investigation
ConstructionDive quoted Attorney Neil Brunetz in "Hard Rock Hotel Project Collapse Sparks New Investigation", which explores a number of different claims that have emerged from the investigation, that may have contributed to the building collapsing. Neil stresses how important it is that none of the evidence is disturbed or contaminated, in the case that OSHA or the Department of Safety and Permits may need to evaluate it at a later time. Additionally, Neil discusses his opinion on if hearings pertaining to the collapse would impede the investigation. "Is it possible they could interfere? Yes," said attorney Neil Brunetz, who specializes in OSHA cases at the law firm of Drew Eckl and ... Continue Reading
Attorney Neil Brunetz Quoted in ConstructionDive
Attorney Neil Brunetz was quoted in "The Dotted Line: Legal Steps For Shutting Down a Dangerous Jobsite", an article on ConstructionDive that thoroughly analyzes the complex legal landscape of the construction industry. Neil explains that when a hazardous condition is not properly addressed and resolved, Federal OSHA or the OSHA approved state program agency will have OSHA investigators observe the safety hazard. "If the contractor or employee who called OSHA end up being fired because he notified the agency, he said, then it is possible that the terminated person could have a whistleblower claim, in addition to contractual remedies, as long as he followed procedure and tried to resolve ... Continue Reading