Across The Bar Podcast
Employment attorney Peter Rahbar and veteran journalist Laura Brounstein's weekly conversation about how the news is affecting the laws that govern our daily work and personal life. We cover negotiation, workplace privacy, pop culture and more!
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Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 59 - Apple Says OpenAI Stole Its Secrets, Meta's AI Fires Illegally, and a Judge Torches Trump's IRS Deal
<p>Apple and OpenAI used to be in business together. Now Apple's accusing its former partner of coaching employees to walk out the door with company files — and Peter's got thoughts on exactly how not to do that when you leave your own job (hint: never sync your work iPhone to your personal iCloud, you absolute rookie). Meanwhile, Meta's facing a lawsuit alleging its layoff algorithm had a very specific taste for people with disabilities and medical leave — which raises the fun question of who you actually sue when the firing squad is a spreadsheet. </p><p>Then a federal judg...
Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 58 - AI Isn't Coming for Your Job (Yet), Banks Ban Prediction Markets & Should You Date Your Co-Worker?
<p>Remember when every AI company was telling you your job was toast? They've quietly changed their tune — Anthropic just leased a whole building in Hudson Square and is hiring by the hundreds, OpenAI did the same in SoHo weeks earlier, and suddenly it's all "efficiency" and "job creation." Peter's not buying the whiplash and explains why so many layoffs blamed on AI have nothing to do with AI at all. Then Wall Street gets serious: Goldman just told employees they can only use prediction markets for sports and entertainment, and hedge funds like Point72 and Balyasny said forget the nu...
Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 57 - SCOTUS Handed the President A Lot More Power, Wall Street's Salami Backlash & AI Co-Worker Problems
<p>Peter and Laura are recording on the last day of June — drinks in hand, holiday weekend approaching — and the Supreme Court just had one of its biggest weeks in years. They break down what the rulings actually mean for you, your company, and the stability of the business environment Americans have long taken for granted. From the gutting of Humphrey's Executor to birthright citizenship to Citizens United getting even more toothless, the throughline is clear: power is consolidating in the executive branch, and the ripple effects on business, regulation, and predictability are just beginning.</p><p>Then: remember the sala...
Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 56 - What the World Cup Teaches Us About Work — JPMorgan Problems, Meta's Meltdown & the AI Burnout Trap
<p>The World Cup is taking over America — and it's actually a masterclass in everything that makes a great employee. This week, Peter and Laura are joined by Ed Foster-Simeon, President & CEO of the US Soccer Foundation, to talk about what youth sports really build in young people, why coaches are some of the most underrated leaders in our culture, and what this historic tournament could mean for the next generation of workers.</p><p>Then things get a little wilder. A JPMorgan employee was caught on video dumping trash on the street during the Knicks championship parade — and walking off...
Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 55 - Championship Energy: The Knicks, Summer Office Style & Why Remote Work Won't Die
<p>The New York Knicks just ended a 53-year drought — and we're breaking down what their championship run means for New York. Then we shift to the workplace: summer office fashion do's and don'ts, why Costco's model of paying workers more and its CEO less is actually a masterclass in business strategy, and why remote work keeps beating the odds despite every "return to office" headline. Plus — CEOs are now hiring matchmakers to find traditional wives, and Peter Thiel's secretive Dialog society is raising serious questions about power, influence, and what elite networking looks like in 2026.<br>All of that and...
Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 54 - Kalshi Wants To Know Your Boss, H-1B Fee Too High, the Bari-Cade & Out Of The Office Philosophies
<p>The workplace is full of surprises this week — and we've got all of it covered.</p><p>Peter Rahbar and Laura Brounstein dig into six stories at the intersection of work, law, and culture, from prediction markets to newsroom meltdowns to what your out-of-office message says about you.</p><p>Prediction platform Kalshi just announced it will require users to disclose their employer before placing bets in markets flagged for insider trading risk. A positive step — but will people be honest, and will other platforms follow suit?</p><p>Microshifting. The Wall Street Journal is calling it the next big...
Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 53 - Was the Microsoft Survey Rigged, Graham Platner's Background Check Problem & The Scott Pelley Firing
<p>This week on the Across the Bar Podcast, employment attorney Peter Rahbar and journalist Laura Brounstein break down a packed week in workplace news — from corporate transparency failures to what a Senate candidate's controversies teach us about background checks, to the AI spending reckoning hitting companies everywhere.</p><p>Microsoft is facing backlash after employee's questions the integrity of a recent employee survey. Employees noticed some questions missing, and they're not happy. Peter and Laura unpack what it means when employers control not just the answer, but the question.</p><p>The Graham Platner saga offers a surprisingly instructive le...
Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 52 - CIA Gold Heist, JPMorgan's "Salami Case" & Why Workers Are Unionizing Again
<p>It's a (sort of) America 250 edition of Across the Bar! 🇺🇸 Employment attorney Peter Rahbar and journalist Laura Brounstein break down a packed week of workplace stories — from a CIA gold heist to a $642 deli platter that cost JPMorgan millions.<br>⚖️ The Union Comeback Is Real — Unionized workers just hit 16.5 million, a jump of 463,000 in a year and the highest level in 16 years — even as employers pour $1.7B+ into anti-union efforts. Peter explains what the shift in worker-vs-employer power really signals, and why he's warning companies not to overplay their hand.<br>🏆 The CIA Gold Bar Guy — A senior CIA official allegedly fa...
Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 51 - Who Needs HR? This CEO Says He Doesn't — Plus Meta's Mess, AI & Work, and Let's Go Knicks!
<p>This week on Across the Bar, employment attorney Peter Rahbar and journalist Laura Brounstein pour one and dig into a week that had the workplace world buzzing.</p><p>First up: Bolt CEO Ryan Breslow made headlines by defending his decision to fire the company's entire HR department — arguing the team was inventing problems that didn't exist — as part of a broader restructuring that also cut roughly 30% of the workforce. Peter and Laura break down whether eliminating HR is bold strategy or a legal and cultural disaster waiting to happen — and what it means for employees who no longer have a...
Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 50 - The OpenAI Trial, Digital Hygiene, AI Emotion Monitoring, and The Art of the Payoff
<p>Fifty episodes in, and the workplace just keeps getting weirder.</p><p>To mark the milestone, Peter Rahbar and Laura Brounstein dig into four stories that show exactly where work, law, and technology are colliding right now.</p><p>The OpenAI Trial & Your Digital Footprint: The Musk vs. Altman trial isn't just a billionaire grudge match — it's a masterclass in what happens when your texts, emails, and yes, your diary become evidence. Peter breaks down the digital hygiene habits every executive (and employee) should have before their next sensitive conversation.</p><p>AI Is Watching How You Feel: Employers ar...
