Firm welcomes its newest “partner”, Mars Johnson

The Directors of Blair Sterling Johnson & Martinez take great pleasure in announcing that R. Marsil “Mars” Johnson has been promoted to and become the firm’s newest Principal. Mars has worked diligently for more than eight years and has developed into a committed, passionate, and capable advocate for BSJM’s clients.

Mars has litigated matters in Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and has gained invaluable experience in Guam and federal procurement matter appeals and defense of bid protests.

As a St. John’s School graduate, Mars has lifelong commitments to Guam and continues to volunteer his time for nonprofits and, coaching and judging mock trial, while still enjoying the island’s beaches and people. Mars reflects Blair Sterling Johnson & Martinez’s vision of maintaining a strong team and a robust culture of recognizing good work and client relations.

Congratulations Mars!

Blair Sterling Johnson & Martinez provides commercial and litigation representation, business advice, and legal counsel in Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of Palau, and the Federated States of Micronesia.

Firm Secures Dismissal of OSHA Complaint

Jehan Martinez and Jennifer Cornely successfully secured the dismissal of an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) complaint filed with the US Department of Labor by a former employee of a client. The client is a full-service general contractor with operations on Guam. The complaint asserted claims of retaliatory employment practices in violation of whistleblower provisions which the client strenuously denied.

After receiving a response prepared by Ms. Cornely the Secretary of the US Department of Labor dismissed the complaint stating there was no reasonable cause to believe that the client violated the Occupational Safety and Health Act or the Surface Transportation Assistance Act.

Blair Sterling Johnson & Martinez provides commercial and litigation representation, business advice, and legal counsel in Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of Palau, and the Federated States of Micronesia.

Guidance on Reopening Retail Food Establishments

As Guam begins the gradual process of reopening its economy guidance on best practices are coming from various government authorities.  This blog post supplements our May 10 post entitled, “Guam Reopening Guidelines” with a specific focus on retail food establishments.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration published its “Best Practices for Re-Opening Retail Food Establishments During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Food Safety Checklist" on May 8, 2020. The web post provides a food safety re-opening checklist addressing retail food establishment food safety considerations in the commencement of operations. The downloadable food safety checklist addresses numerous considerations, from facility operations to warewashing to employee health screening.

In addition to the food safety checklist, the FDA has designed a downloadable infographic for on-site posting and quick reference.

The FDA cautions that its checklist is not comprehensive and that retail food establishments should engage with local regulatory/health authorities “to discuss the specific requirements for their retail food establishment prior to re-opening.” 

Do not forget to keep current with general business function guidelines established by Guam officials, like COVID-19 social distancing, occupancy rules, and cleaning and sanitation requirements.  The Government of Guam’s Department of Public Health and Social Services’ May 7, 2002 Guidance Memo provides further reopening guidelines to Guam businesses. As of the date of this post, Guam is in Pandemic Condition of Readiness 2 (“PCOR 2”).

The information contained in this blog post should not be construed as legal advice. This information is provided as a service to clients and colleagues. Questions regarding the matters discussed may be directed to the lawyers at Blair Sterling Johnson & Martinez (https://www.bsjmlaw.com/attorneys).