Allan Bloom
Allan S. Bloom is a nationally recognized trial lawyer and advisor who represents management in a broad range of employment and labor law matters. As a litigator, Allan has successfully defended a number of the world’s leading companies against claims for unpaid wages, employment discrimination, breach of contract and wrongful discharge, both at the trial and appellate court levels as well as in arbitration. He has secured complete defense verdicts for clients in front of juries, as well as injunctions to protect clients’ confidential information and assets.
As the leader of Proskauer’s Wage and Hour Practice Group, Allan has been a strategic partner to a number of Fortune 500 companies to help them avoid, minimize and manage exposure to wage and hour-related risk. Allan’s views on wage and hour issues have been featured in The New York Times, Reuters, Bloomberg and Fortune, among other leading publications. His class-action defense work for clients has saved hundreds of millions of dollars in potential damages.
Allan is regularly called on to advise boards of directors and senior leadership on highly sensitive matters such as executive transitions, internal investigations and strategic workforce planning. He also has particular expertise in the financial services industry, where he has litigated and arbitrated cases, including at FINRA and its predecessors, for more than 20 years.
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On April 9, 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) rescinded the Trump-era enforcement practice of abstaining from seeking liquidated damages in connection with pre-litigation investigations and settlements of wage and hour claims. In Field Assistance Bulletin No. 2021-2, issued by the Wage and Hour Division’s Principal Deputy Administrator, Jessica Looman, the agency announced that … Continue Reading
In a complaint filed on March 26, 2021, business groups challenged a U.S. Department of Labor March 4, 2021 final rule to delay the effective date of the Trump-era regulation on independent contractor classification. As we previously reported, that Trump-era rule, which was finalized two weeks before President Biden took office, was initially scheduled to … Continue Reading
We’re 50 days into the Biden administration. Here’s an update on where things stand with respect to wage and hour law at the federal level: On March 11, 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD)—as expected—announced its proposals to rescind the Trump-era rules on independent contractor classification and joint employment. WHD’s … Continue Reading
In this episode of The Proskauer Brief, partners Harris Mufson, Evandro Gigante, and Allan Bloom discuss key potential employment law changes under the Biden Administration. Tune in as we explore an evolving legal landscape – from new health and safety requirements to wage and hour regulations and expanded anti-discrimination laws. Listen to the podcast. … Continue Reading
In accordance with the Biden administration’s January 20 regulatory freeze memorandum, the U.S Department of Labor issued proposals to delay the effective dates of the Final Rules on independent contractor classification and tip regulations by 60 days, to allow the agency “the opportunity to review and consider the questions of law, policy, and fact raised … Continue Reading
On January 29, the U.S. Department of Labor announced that it was discontinuing the Payroll Audit Independent Determination (“PAID”) program, effective immediately. Under the program, which began in 2018, employers could self-report wage and hour violations to the DOL with the promise that the agency would supervise a settlement of the violations without seeking liquidated … Continue Reading
***UPDATE: According to a Bloomberg Law Report, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee will hold a confirmation hearing for Julie Su on March 16, 2021. We will continue to monitor updates to Su’s nomination as the Deputy Labor Secretary.*** According to a Bloomberg Law report, President Biden plans to nominate Julie Su as … Continue Reading
As expected, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) announced the withdrawal of three opinion letters issued in the waning days of the Trump administration. The opinion letters being withdrawn are: FLSA2021-4, which addressed whether a restaurant may institute a tip pool under the Fair Labor Standards Act that includes both servers, … Continue Reading
As expected, one of the first orders of business from the U.S. Department of Labor under the Biden administration was to scrap the 2020 “PRO Good Guidance Rule,” which imposed heightened burdens on the agency in connection with issuing guidance. The rule, issued last August in response to Trump’s Executive Order 13891—which directed federal agencies … Continue Reading
As expected, the White House issued a memorandum to the heads of all executive departments and agencies within the first few hours after President Biden’s inauguration on January 20, requesting that they halt all non-emergency rulemaking and regulatory activity pending review by the new administration. The memo asks the executive agencies, which include the U.S. … Continue Reading
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) issued two new opinion letters on January 8, 2021, bringing the number of “lame duck” wage and hour opinion letters—issued since Election Day 2020—to six. In FLSA2021-1, WHD determined that account managers at a life sciences manufacturer qualify for the FLSA’s administrative exemption. The account … Continue Reading
On January 7, 2021, President-elect Joe Biden announced Boston Mayor Marty Walsh as his nominee for Secretary of Labor. If confirmed, Mayor Walsh would represent a stark contrast to incumbent Labor Secretary, longtime management attorney Eugene Scalia. Walsh served as the president of Laborers’ Union Local 223 prior to being elected Mayor. AFL-CIO President Richard … Continue Reading
From pay equity to an increased minimum wage, pro-worker and pro-union labor policies, and additional anti-discrimination protections, President-elect Biden has touted support for numerous legislative and regulatory proposals that would significantly change the employment and labor law landscape. Bolstered by Democrat victories in the Georgia Senate runoff elections (and the resulting unified Congress, the first … Continue Reading
On December 31, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) issued two opinion letters—one on home-to-office travel time and one on live-in caregivers. Such “lame duck” opinion letters—issued post-Election Day when there is a change in both administration and political party—were at one point in recent memory quite uncommon. The Carter … Continue Reading
On November 3, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (“WHD”) issued new opinion letters addressing the compensability of time spent by employees attending voluntary training programs and in work-related travel. The rules at issue only apply to non-exempt (e.g., overtime-eligible) employees. If the time is considered “hours worked” under the FLSA, … Continue Reading
With Election Day just around the corner, we are highlighting some of the issues facing employers in a series of posts on election-related issues. In our first installment, we looked at employee protections around political speech and activity both in and outside the workplace. In this second installment, we’ll examine employees’ rights to take time … Continue Reading
In this episode of The Proskauer Brief, partners Harris Mufson and Allan Bloom discuss the U.S. Department of Labor’s proposed new rule on independent contractor classification. In recent years, the misclassification of workers as independent contractors has been the subject of a number of private lawsuits and investigations by government agencies. This is true for traditional industries and … Continue Reading
With Election Day just around the corner, we’ll be highlighting some of the issues facing employers in a two-part series on elections and the workplace. In this first installment, we’ll look at employee protections around political speech and activity both in and outside the workplace. In Part 2, we’ll address statutory leave entitlements for employees … Continue Reading
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) published a proposed rule in the Federal Register on September 25, 2020 to clarify whether a worker is or isn’t an independent contractor for purposes of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The proposed rule adds a new Part 795 to Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations, … Continue Reading
On September 2, 2020, the Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit held that employees bear the burden of proof on whether bonuses should have been included in the regular rate of pay for purposes of calculating overtime compensation under the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”). The plaintiffs in Edwards v. 4JLJ, L.L.C. alleged that … Continue Reading
In an opinion letter issued on August 31, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor restated its position that an employee’s hours need not fluctuate above and below 40 hours to qualify for the fluctuating workweek (“FWW”) method of calculating overtime pay in 29 C.F.R. § 778.114. Under the FWW method of pay, an overtime-eligible employee … Continue Reading
On August 28, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) published in the Federal Register a final rule that substantially revises its practices with respect to guidance documents. The “Promoting Regulatory Openness through Good Guidance Rule,” referred to as the “PRO Good Guidance Rule,” implements President Trump’s Executive Order 13891, which directed federal agencies to … Continue Reading
On August 24, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (“WHD”) issued a Field Assistance Bulletin (“FAB”) providing guidance on employers’ obligations under the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) to track and pay for the hours of compensable work performed by employees who are working remotely. While timely in light of the … Continue Reading
Effective July 1, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) will pull back on seeking liquidated damages in pre-litigation settlements of wage claims and investigations. The change in policy, announced in Field Assistance Bulletin 2020-2, is significant, as liquidated damages can equal 100% of the back pay deemed to be owing, potentially resulting in “double … Continue Reading
DOL and Liquidated Damages: The Breakup Only Lasted 9 Months
By Allan Bloom on Posted in Biden Administration Coverage, FLSA, Wage and Hour
Business Groups Challenge Biden Administration’s Delay of Trump-era Independent Contractor Rule
By Allan Bloom and Eric Novak on Posted in Biden Administration Coverage, FLSA, Independent Contractor, Wage and Hour
Biden Administration Wage and Hour Update: 50 Days In…
[Podcast]: What Can Employers Expect from the Biden Administration?
By Harris Mufson, Evandro Gigante and Allan Bloom on Posted in Biden Administration Coverage, The Proskauer Brief Podcast
DOL Takes First Step to Revisit Independent Contractor and Tip Rules
By Allan Bloom on Posted in Biden Administration Coverage, FLSA, Wage and Hour
DOL Ends PAID Program
By Allan Bloom on Posted in Biden Administration Coverage, FLSA, Wage and Hour
Biden Continues to Address Administration’s Top Labor Positions, Plans to Nominate Julie Su as Deputy Labor Secretary
By Allan Bloom and Heylee Bernstein on Posted in Biden Administration Coverage
DOL Begins Withdrawal of Trump-Era Opinion Letters
Biden DOL Tosses Trump-Era “PRO Good Guidance Rule”
By Allan Bloom on Posted in Biden Administration Coverage, FLSA, Wage and Hour
White House “Regulatory Freeze” Memo Dooms DOL Independent Contractor Rule
By Allan Bloom on Posted in Biden Administration Coverage, FLSA, Wage and Hour
DOL Issues Opinion Letters on Administrative Exemption and Ministerial Exception
By Allan Bloom on Posted in FLSA, Wage and Hour
President-Elect Biden Nominates Marty Walsh for Secretary of Labor
By Allan Bloom and Thomas B. Fiascone on Posted in Biden Administration Coverage
Significant Workplace Changes in Store Under the Biden Administration
By Allan Bloom, Tony Oncidi, Dominique Kilmartin, Elizabeth Dailey, Joshua Fox, Steven Porzio and Tony S. Martinez on Posted in Biden Administration Coverage
Trump DOL Issues Two More “Lame Duck” Opinion Letters, on Home-to-Office Travel Time and Live-In Caregivers
By Allan Bloom on Posted in FLSA, Wage and Hour
DOL’s New Opinion Letters Examine Rules on Voluntary Training Time, Travel Time
By Allan Bloom on Posted in FLSA, Wage and Hour
Election Season and the Workplace, Part 2: Political Leave Laws
By Allan Bloom, Alex Downie and Laura Fant on Posted in Leaves of Absences, Workplace Policies and Procedures
[Podcast]: DOL’s Proposed Rule on Independent Contractors
By Allan Bloom and Harris Mufson on Posted in Independent Contractor, The Proskauer Brief Podcast, Wage and Hour
Election Season and the Workplace, Part 1: Employee “Free Speech” and Political Activities
By Allan Bloom, Alex Downie and Laura Fant on Posted in Workplace Policies and Procedures
DOL Proposes New Rule on Independent Contractor Classification
By Allan Bloom on Posted in FLSA, Wage and Hour
Fifth Circuit Confirms Burden of Proof on Regular Rate Miscalculation Claim
By Allan Bloom on Posted in FLSA, Wage and Hour
DOL Reiterates That Hours Need Not Fluctuate Above and Below 40 in Fluctuating Workweek Method of Pay
By Allan Bloom on Posted in FLSA, Wage and Hour
DOL Announces Substantial Changes to Guidance Practices
By Allan Bloom and Jordan Glassberg on Posted in Wage and Hour
DOL Guidance Reminds Employers of Obligations to Track and Pay For Remote Work
By Allan Bloom on Posted in FLSA, Wage and Hour
DOL To Refrain From Seeking Liquidated Damages in Most Pre-Litigation Settlements
By Allan Bloom and Samantha Shear on Posted in FLSA, Wage and Hour
