Tag: Tim Matthew Singhel

There is no denying that the untimely death of Justice Antonin Scalia has upset the Supreme Court. Does Justice Scalia’s death have further implications? Here, Timothy Singhel, an attorney with numerous years of experience and a federal court clerkship background, discusses some of the many ways that Justice Scalia’s passing may alter the process and outcome of the 2016 Presidential Election.

Q: Who is Antonin Scalia?

Timothy Singhel: Justice Antonin Scalia, who died unexpectedly on a hunting trip in February 2016, was an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court appointed by Republican President Ronald Reagan in 1986. He has been a leader of the conservative Justices on the Court.  He is known for championing a limited role for federal governmental authority and an original intent view of the Constitution. Somel of the legal issues that have led to controversial decisions are again before the Court this term, such as abortion and privacy rights, affirmative action, labor relations, and voting rights.

Q: When was the last time a Supreme Court opening coincided with the conclusion of a Democratic presidency?

Timothy Singhel: It was 1968, under President Lyndon B. Johnson, when Chief Justice Earl Warren retired.

Continue reading “Attorney Timothy Singhel on How Justice Scalia’s Death May Affect 2016 Election” →

Apple believes it’s doing the right thing by refusing the FBI’s request to bypass the self-destruct security feature on 2014 iPhones, says Timothy Singhel, an attorney with many years of experience in compliance issues. The government argues otherwise. Both parties have gained support and fielded outrage from concerned citizens. Some posit that this decision threatens American security; others say it doesn’t. Here, Timothy Singhel touches on both sides of this hotly debated topic.

The Issue in San Bernardino

In 2014, two militant Islamic radicals murdered 14 people in cold blood at a holiday party in San Bernardino, California. The couple, Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik, were killed in a shootout with police, says Timothy Singhel. The FBI takes the position that the shooters’ iPhones may contain information which would help the US government identify other terrorists and have requested that Apple disable the self-destruct security feature on those devices. This would allow investigators the chance to gain access to this information, according to Timothy Singhel.

Apple’s Stance

Apple has taken the position that the FBI is essentially requesting a backdoor into all users’ personal and private data. According to Timothy Singhel, the company believes that once software is developed to grant this request, it cannot be contained and may threaten all Apple customers’ privacy. Apple believes there is no way to limit the use of this software to a single case.  Once the precedent has been set, there is no turning back.

Continue reading “Timothy Singhel Explains Why Apple Refuses to Compromise Security” →

Today’s employees consider more factors than any previous generation when seeking a new position, reports Timothy Singhel. Issues such as healthcare coverage options and whether or not an employee wanted to be an independent contractor weren’t really questioned just a decade ago.

According to Timothy Singhel, an attorney with many years of expertise in labor and employment law, there are a number of factors that could influence a person’s decision on where and how they want to work. Take for instance the legalization of same-sex marriage. Some employers have chosen to drop healthcare coverage altogether to avoid having to provide insurance to same-sex partners. Today, a freely-out and legally married workforce of LGBT citizens must consider their company’s environment and whether or not it is hostile to private lifestyle choices, says Timothy Singhel. Although the Supreme Court ruled in favor of same-sex marriage, a majority of states still have laws that make it easy for LGBT Americans to be denied basic civil rights and workplace equality.  Even with the federal government stepping in through rulings by the EEOC making it more difficult to discriminate against employees with alternate lifestyles, workers in many states are still faced with a challenging landscape.

Another question employees tend to ask these days is whether or not they have the option of functioning as an independent contractor versus an employee. Timothy Singhel explains that many millennials might prefer independent contractor status for its perceived freedom and mobility as opposed to a salaried worker locked in to set hours at a set location and benefits they may or may not use.  However, there are many legal considerations at play here, that I will not expound upon at length.  In short, there have been a several recent regulations and legal interpretations issued by the federal government and several states, including in tax withholding, labor relations, wage and hour law and other areas that are re-defining and cementing the boundaries between independent contractor and employee status.  Increasingly, far more is determined by the law and far less is up to individual choice.

Continue reading “Seeking Employment: Timothy Singhel on What Today’s Employees Really Want” →