Columbus’ new pay transparency law took effect on December 3, 2025, but enforcement does not start until January 1, 2027, giving Columbus employers ample time to update their hiring practices. Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Toledo each have similar salary history laws on the books that prohibit inquiries into an applicant’s salary history. With the amendment
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Living in a Material World: Issues Arising from Sole Source Projects (Properties Magazine)
By Hitomi Maeno & Demari Muff
Whether contractors are involved during early project planning or become involved at the time of bidding when project drawings and specifications have been established, there may be risk factors involved with specified sole-source materials. When faced with a sole-source requirement, it is important to proceed with caution and take the necessary steps to avoid risks…
AAA-ICDR® Introduces AI Arbitrator to Streamline Construction Dispute Resolution – Great Promise or Reason for Concern?
The American Arbitration Association (AAA-ICDR®) is launching a first-of-its-kind AI arbitrator this November 2025, designed to handle smaller “documents-only” construction disputes. This change will take small disputes, typically handled on a fixed fee by a single arbitrator, and offer instead AI serving as a finder of fact and law. For an industry where time is…
Cuyahoga County Bans Discrimination Based on Hair Style and Texture
By Andrew Wolf & Gary Baker
On October 14, 2025, Cuyahoga County Council voted to pass the Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair (“CROWN”) Act. This new ordinance bans discrimination based on hair texture and style, if such hair texture or style is “commonly associated with a particular race or national origin.” The ordinance lists hair that is…
Cleveland Salary Transparency Ordinance Takes Effect October 27, 2025
By Ann E. Knuth & Jeradon Mura
Effective October 27, 2025, Cleveland employers must comply with Ordinance No. 104-2025, which imposes strict requirements on salary transparency and bars inquiries into applicants’ compensation history. For easy reference, collected below are the key provisions of the ordinance and actionable steps for compliance.
Who is covered?
The ordinance applies to any employer with 15 or…
Slippery Scope – Understanding Your Scope of Work (Properties Magazine)
By Tara J. Rose
Would it surprise you to learn that one of the most important sections in your construction contract is the one your lawyer will probably spend the least amount of time on? In your lawyer’s defense, lawyers aren’t always privy to the nitty gritty details of a project’s scope of work – details which are often…
Department of Justice Issues Guidance on Unlawful Conduct in Executive Order 14173
The Department of Justice recently released a memorandum titled “Guidance for Recipients of Federal Funding Regarding Unlawful Discrimination.” In this blog post, Hahn Loeser attorneys Matthew Wagner, J. Patrick White, and Matthew Grashoff analyze that memorandum, discuss what it does—and doesn’t—say about what may constitute “unlawful discrimination,” and provide key takeaways for federal contractors and…
DEI and Local Governments
In the July 2025 issue of the Illinois Local Government Lawyers Association Journal, Hahn Loeser attorneys Matthew K. Grashoff, Matthew F. Wagner and J. Patrick White were heavily referenced in the Director’s Column by ILGL President Patricia Johnson Lord, who also serves as Senior Assistant Attorney for the City of Naperville.
At the April…
U.S. Northern District of California Grants Limited Preliminary Injunction of DEI-Related Executive Orders
On June 9, 2025, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California issued a preliminary injunction in San Francisco A.I.D.S. Foundation, et. al. v. Trump, 25-cv-01824-JST (N.D. Cal.), enjoining three of the nine provisions of Executive Orders 14151, 14173, and 14168. Specifically, the Court enjoined the named defendants from enforcing (1) the provision…
When The CSPA Doesn’t Apply: Orion v. Kaeka and Ohio’s Construction Service Exemption
Case Overview: Orion Mgt., Inc. v. Kaeka, 2025-Ohio-1047 (9th Dist. 2025)
In a recent Ohio Ninth District Court of Appeals decision, homeowners who experienced significant property damage from both a fallen tree and inadequate contractor work were left without the protection of Ohio’s Consumer Sales Practices Act (CSPA). In Orion Management, Inc. v. Kaeka, the…