Lisa Coppola - The Coppola Firm

HR Alert: The Future of Non-Compete Clauses

Written by Lisa Coppola on March 31, 2025. Posted in Business, Compliance, Employment, Entrepreneurship.

As discussed previously, in May 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) finalized a regulation that would ban non-compete clauses for any employee who isn’t a senior executive. Later, in August 2024, the proposed FTC...

HR Alert: Travel Time Compensation

Written by Lisa Coppola on March 31, 2025. Posted in Business, Compliance, Employment, Entrepreneurship.

We hear an awful lot of questions about paying workers for their travel. So we thought that addressing the questions in a blog with some practical examples would be useful to our readers. In general, employees must be compensated...

HR Alert: Local Business Settles For $225k in Discrimination Damages

Written by Lisa Coppola on March 31, 2025. Posted in Business, Compliance, Employment, Entrepreneurship.

A local tavern is paying two of its former bartenders $225,000 after being sued by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The EEOC filed a lawsuit on behalf of the bartenders, alleging that New York Beer Project...

HR Alert: Fourth Circuit Reinstates Executive Orders Targeting DEI Programs

Written by Lisa Coppola on March 15, 2025. Posted in Business, Compliance, Employment, Entrepreneurship.

In a pivotal development last night, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals lifted a previous nationwide injunction, issued by Judge Adam B. Abelson of the District Court in Maryland. We talked about Judge Abelson’s temporary...

Written by Lisa Coppola on March 3, 2025. Posted in Business, Entrepreneurship.

At The Coppola Firm, we’re celebrating Women’s History Month by shining a light on the incredible women making a difference in our Buffalo community and beyond. Their stories of strength, determination, and leadership have...

HR Alert: New Law on NY Background Checks

Written by Lisa Coppola on February 28, 2025. Posted in Business, Employment, Entrepreneurship.

Sophisticated human relations professionals know that there are all sorts of rules around running background checks on employees and prospective employees. We field questions about this all the time. But do entrepreneurs and...

HR Alert: Navigating DEI in a Shifting Legal Landscape

Written by Lisa Coppola on February 22, 2025. Posted in Business, Compliance, Employment, Entrepreneurship.

Since taking office, President Trump has issued a series of Executive Orders (EOs), some of which attacked companies that believe in diversity, equity, and inclusion as means of complying with Title VII as well as various State...

HR Alert: Fair Hiring Per the EEOC

Written by Lisa Coppola on February 21, 2025. Posted in Business, Compliance, Employment, Entrepreneurship.

Employers must ensure their hiring practices comply with federal and State employment laws—or risk costly legal consequences. In a new enforcement push, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is cracking down...

$110MM Grant Opportunity for Childcare Businesses

Written by Lisa Coppola on February 12, 2025. Posted in Business.

The Governor of New York has proposed a grant program to support childcare facilities throughout the State. If and when the budget passes, this initiative will be an incredible opportunity for small business in the childcare...

HR Alert: I-9s May Become a Trump Battleground

Written by Lisa Coppola on January 31, 2025. Posted in Business, Compliance, Employment, Entrepreneurship.

You’d have to be living under a rock – or like us, perenially plugged in to classic rock on repeat – if you haven’t heard about the Trump Administration’s ramping up immigration-related enforcement...

Stay Informed!

Author: Lisa Coppola

HR Alert: The Future of Non-Compete Clauses

HR Alert: Travel Time Compensation

HR Alert: Local Business Settles For $225k in Discrimination Damages

HR Alert: Fourth Circuit Reinstates Executive Orders Targeting DEI Programs

HR Alert: New Law on NY Background Checks

HR Alert: Navigating DEI in a Shifting Legal Landscape

HR Alert: Fair Hiring Per the EEOC

$110MM Grant Opportunity for Childcare Businesses

HR Alert: I-9s May Become a Trump Battleground