PENNSYLVANIA RECORD

PHILADELPHIA - An August decision by a Philadelphia judge affirmed a Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital's right to fire an employee who refused a flu shot as it was determined the employee's denial wasn't based on religion.

HARRISBURG – Lawsuits alleging "robo-calling" on the part of telemarketers, as well as debt collectors, have been on the rise in recent years, in parallel with the growing use of automated telephone dialing and voice calling systems.

PITTSBURGH – Attorneys for Brinkers International, the Dallas-based owner of casual dining restaurants including more than 800 Chili's Grill & Bar outlets, will need to respond to a class-action lawsuit filed July 22 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania.

PHILADELPHIA – Philadelphia recently became the first major U.S. city to enact a tax on sodas and other sweetened beverages.

HARRISBURG–A recent judicial opinion issued in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania reinforces precedent and emphasizes the need for attorneys to comply with rules governing the manner and extent to which they can guide and influence clients' deposition testimony.

PHILADELPHIA – When the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) began publishing data based on more than 11 million leaked files from a Panama law firm's information and communications system this spring, it highlighted the threats and liabilities law firms face when confronted with cyber-security threats, a Philadelphia attorney says.

The Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas judge earlier this year awarded plaintiff Tamika Ortiz $39,000 in a lawsuit brought against Giant Food Stores, which was far less than the $65,000 her lawyers originally were seeking in the slip-and-fall case.