For many businesses and organizations, fall and winter are “busy seasons.” The lull of summer is gone, and demands pick up. For employees with children, autumn also means the return of school and many scheduling obligations (along with the increased spread of germs). Employees without children can also face an uptick in personal issues in fall and winter, given increased illness and family obligations. 

Zoning laws govern almost every aspect of property use and require significant governmental involvement and approval. Most jurisdictions provide the ability to contest a zoning decision via litigation. In Virginia, parties able to demonstrate particularized harm can contest both the approval or denial of a zoning application. The Virginia Court of Appeals recently reviewed the standard for contesting zoning approvals in the July decision Pendleton House Limited Dividend Housing Associates LP v. City Council for the City of Alexandria et al. (July 7, 2026).

Organizations are fueled by people. Certain businesses rely on independent contractors (also known as 1099s) to help get work done. These individuals can range from bookkeepers who produce reports to IT teams that are engaged for computer issues. 

Unfortunately, management’s intent in classifying workers is largely immaterial for purposes of liability. Employee classification is a fact-intensive analysis that requires compliance with both federal and state requirements. Earlier this year, the Department of Labor (DOL) announced that it plans to rescind the 2024 Independent Contractor Rule (still in effect) that governs the classification of workers on the federal level.

Deadlines are important in all areas of life. In the legal context, the required timeframe for a party to act is known as the statute of limitations. For Land Use claims, a failure to act before the end of the statute of limitations could mean never recovering for the loss or damage to private property (or being subject to a significant judgment affecting personal assets). 

Kramer Elias attorney Theodora Stringham recently presented a comprehensive overview of these new and forthcoming requirements, including key deadlines, benefit calculations, employer obligations, and practical best practices for policy adoption.

What we do for work is important and impacts our health, well-being, and financial security. The workplace is ultimately shaped by Employment laws, which define what is prohibited and permitted in the employment relationship. 

Starting a new job is typically a hopeful time. Both management and the employee look forward to a “fresh start” from whatever came before. However, the end of the employment relationship is typically less agreeable and more difficult. 

Harassment of any kind is inappropriate conduct in the workplace. Full stop. However, determining whether or not harassment rises to the level of illegal discrimination protected by federal and state law is a more nuanced issue. This determination depends on a variety of factors, including the size of a workplace, the type of conduct or speech at issue, and the protected classification of the employee alleging harassment or discrimination (along with the makeup of the greater workplace). 

How do you measure a year? For Real Estate, the year has been marked with uncertainty. The government shutdown, rising inflation, and heightened mortgage rates made industry professionals uneasy while affordability remained a key concern for many Americans.