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Jackie Coffman

Businesses of all sizes, across sectors, rely on Jackie’s guidance to manage workforce issues and quickly changing regulations at a local, state and federal level. As part of the firm’s Labor & Employment team, Jackie monitors, researches and analyzes developing labor law and how it impacts clients at an industry and state level, as well as businesses operating across state lines or in multiple sectors.

U.S. Supreme Court, in Viking River Cruises, Inc. v. Moriana

For the past year, businesses and attorneys alike have been impatiently awaiting the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on whether a “tester” plaintiff – a person with a disability who examines compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) – has standing to bring a lawsuit when a place of public accommodation is allegedly out of compliance with the ADA. Unfortunately, the unanimous opinion issued by the Court on December 5, 2023 kicked the can down the road on this critical issue, leaving us longing for more.

On August 1, 2022, the California Court of Appeals issued an opinion that will put a stop to website accessibility discrimination cases against online-only businesses brought pursuant to the state’s Unruh Act. The case, Martinez v. Cot’n Wash, Inc., clarified that websites standing alone are not places of public accommodation under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Website Accessibility

On March 18, 2022, the Department of Justice (“DOJ” or “Department”) published guidance on web accessibility and the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”). The guidance addresses how state and local governments (covered by Title II of the ADA) and businesses that are open to the public (otherwise known as “places of public accommodation,” covered by Title III of the ADA) can ensure their websites are compliant with the ADA.