Articles by Allison O'Neil's Profile | The Minnesota Star Tribune, JD Supra, Troutman Pepper Podcasts Journalist

Public Employers Face Heightened Scrutiny on Investigation Confidentiality Requirements

Sep 24, 2026 |

| JD Supra

New Jersey public employers face heightened First Amendment scrutiny when workplace investigation confidentiality policies broadly prohibit all discussion of investigations without meaningful exceptions, time limits, or allowances for disclosure to counsel. The New Jersey Supreme Court in Usachenok v.

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Public Employers Face Heightened Scrutiny on Investigation Confidentiality Requirements

Sep 23, 2026 |

By Allison O'Neil, Michael Schwartz, Max Gessman

| Troutman Pepper Podcasts

New Jersey public employers face heightened First Amendment scrutiny when workplace investigation confidentiality policies broadly prohibit all discussion of investigations without meaningful exceptions, time limits, or allowances for disclosure to counsel. The New Jersey Supreme Court in Usachenok v.

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A Costly Recipe: Flat-Rate Pay, Long Hours, and Retaliation Lead to DOL Consent Judgment | JD Supra

Dec 23, 2025 |

By Allison O'Neil

| JD Supra

Summary Two related Framingham, MA, restaurants, Samba Steak and Sushi (Samba) and China Gourmet, and their owners entered into a consent judgment with the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) resolving claims that they violated the Fair Labor Standards Act’s (FLSA) overtime, recordkeeping, and anti-retaliation provisions. The matter underscores several key enforcement themes: The DOL’s increasing focus on repeat violators.

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FCA Settlement Signals Increased Cybersecurity Focus | JD Supra

Dec 16, 2025 |

By Jessica McClellan, Allison O'Neil, Jaycee Parker

| JD Supra

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) recently announced a $421,234 settlement with Swiss Automation Inc. to resolve alleged False Claims Act (FCA) violations related to its failure to provide adequate cybersecurity for technical drawings of parts supplied to Department of Defense (DoD) contractors. This settlement resolves a qui tam action filed under the whistleblower provisions of the FCA in the Northern District of Illinois. (United States ex rel. Gomez v.

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Massachusetts Announces Relief for Businesses Hit Hardest by COVID | JD Supra

Jan 04, 2021 |

By Matthew McTygue, Allison O'Neil, Douglas Sweeney

| JD Supra

Massachusetts businesses that have been the hardest hit by the COVD-19 pandemic will be able ‎to apply for up to $75,000 in relief from the Commonwealth beginning at noon on December 31, ‎‎2020.‎ Charlie Baker’s administration announced that it had made an additional $668 million available ‎to support Massachusetts businesses, and that the Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation ‎‎(“MGCC”) will help funnel a portion of these funds to sectors that have severely impacted by the ‎pandemic...

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SBA Issues New Guidance Reducing Risk of Government Investigations for Paycheck Protection Program Borrowers | JD Supra

May 20, 2020 |

By Brian Devine, Kaitlin Levine-Brown, Allison O'Neil

| JD Supra

Businesses applying for loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) must make certain ‎certifications to the government in their application, including a certification that the loan is ‎‎“necessary” to support the borrower’s ongoing operations.

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Borrower Beware: Potential Pitfalls and Government Oversight of PPP Loan Certifications | JD Supra

May 06, 2020 |

By Brian Devine, Kaitlin Levine-Brown, Allison O'Neil

| JD Supra

This is a critical week for many borrowers under the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) established by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”), pursuant to which businesses may apply for federally-guaranteed, forgivable loans to support payroll and ongoing operations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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