Paul Hughes
Subscribe to Paul Hughes's PostsPaul Hughes is co-chair of the Firm’s Supreme Court and Appellate Practice Group. He briefs and argues complex appeals, and he develops legal strategy for trial litigation. Read Paul Hughes' full bio.
DOL Wage Rule for Immigrants and H-1B Visa Holders Could Be History
By Paul Hughes on Jul 27, 2023
Posted In Employment
The Biden administration may eliminate a US Department of Labor rule that would have modified how the US government sets prevailing wages for H-1B professionals and employment-based green card applicants, according to this Forbes article. The Trump administration originally sought to use the wage rule to make it more challenging for foreign-born scientists and engineers to...
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The Latest Court Ruling’s Impact On H-1B Spouses and Immigration
By Paul Hughes on Apr 12, 2023
Posted In Employment, Labor
A federal judge recently ruled in favor of a Department of Homeland Security regulation that permits the spouses of H-1B visa holders to work. According to this Forbes article, McDermott Partner Paul Hughes drafted the amicus brief for more than 40 companies and organizations. “This decision confirms that tens of thousands of H-4 employees—highly skilled...
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FTC Proposes Rule Banning Noncompete Agreements
By Paul Hughes, Brian Mead and Emily Starbuck on Jan 19, 2023
Posted In Employment
On January 5, 2023, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a proposed rule that would prohibit employers from using noncompete agreements with their employees or independent contractors. This proposal arises from a preliminary finding by the FTC that noncompetes constitute an unfair method of competition in violation of Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act (FTC...
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H-1B Visa Rule About to Die for Good
By Paul Hughes on Jan 4, 2022
Posted In Employment, Labor
The Biden administration is no longer defending a Trump administration H-1B visa regulation that would have made it more challenging for international students to work in the United States. As noted in this Forbes article, McDermott Partner Paul Hughes recently successfully argued on behalf of plaintiffs that the H-1B rule violated current law. Access the...
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Judge Kills the Last Trump H-1B Visa Rule Left Standing
By Paul Hughes on Oct 8, 2021
Posted In Employment
International students will have an easier time obtaining H-1B status after a federal judge ended a Trump administration regulation that made the process more difficult. According to this Forbes article, Trump administration officials increased H-1B denial rates via memos and policies that were later ruled unlawful. McDermott Partner Paul Hughes—who represented plaintiffs in an complaint...
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Biz Groups Seek to Save Foreign Student Work Permits
By Paul Hughes on Jul 29, 2021
Posted In Employment
Multiple business groups have sided with the Biden administration in a plea to a US appeals court to uphold the federal government’s practice of providing work permits to student visa holders. According to a Reuters article, the Washington Alliance of Technology Workers (Washtech) is requesting that the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit...
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New H-1B Rules Struck Down
By Paul Hughes on Dec 7, 2020
Posted In Employment, Labor
On December 1, Judge Jeffrey White of the US District Court for the Northern District of California invalidated two new regulations that raised prevailing wages and eligibility criteria for foreign workers to receive H-1B visas. “This decision ensures the continued viability of the H-1B program, which supplies work authorization to more than 580,000 individuals in...
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