News & Insights

 

Our News & Insights

Search News & Insights

Keep Up To Date

For invitations to our events and updates on key legal issues and business concerns:

Please Click Here

Attention Employers! New I-9 Form Required by May 7, 2013

Posted on May 7, 2013 by

On March 8, 2013, the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services division of the Department of Homeland Security released a new I-9 Form. Here is a list of frequently asked questions regarding the new form: When do we need to start using the new form? The USCIS recommends that employers start using the new form immediately. […]

2014 Health Savings Account Cost of Living Adjustments

Posted on May 2, 2013 by

The Internal Revenue Service today announced the cost-of-living adjustments for the HSA contribution limits and for High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums for 2014. HSA/HDHP Requirement  Cost-of-Living Adjustments Limit on HSA Contributions – Self-only HDHP 2013 – $3,250 2014 – $3,300 Limit on HSA Contributions – Family HDHP 2013 – $6,450 2014 […]

U.S. Supreme Court Decides Important Self-Insured ERISA Plan Reimbursement Case

Posted on April 19, 2013 by

Plan administrators and sponsors of self-insured group health plans under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”) should be aware of a case decided by the U.S. Supreme Court on April 16, 2013, US Airways, Inc. v. McCutcheon. The facts that gave rise to the lawsuit are typical. A participant in a self-insured […]

The Scope of Prior Art in Patent Cases to Expand

Posted on March 4, 2013 by

The Leahy-Smith American Invents Act (AIA) will be expanding the scope of prior art that may be considered by the Patent Office as part of the examination of a patent application on March 16, 2013. This change will result in significant changes to the consideration of prior art prior to filing a patent application and, […]

Transition of Patent Procedure to First-to-File Coming Soon

Posted on March 1, 2013 by

The Leahy-Smith American Invents Act (AIA) will be making a significant change to the process of obtaining a patent in the United States on March 16, 2013, when the United States patent system transitions from the long-standing first-to-invent system to a first-to-file system. This change will bring U.S. patent law into line with the patent […]

FMLA Spring Cleaning: Toss That Old FMLA Poster and Post the New One by March 8!

Posted on February 27, 2013 by

By March 8, 2013, employers covered under the federal Family Medical Leave Act (those with 50 or more employees) must display the Department of Labor’s new version of the Employee Rights and Responsibilities Under the Family and Medical Leave Act poster. Where can I get the new poster? A copy is available via download from […]

Scam Warning: Corporate Records Service Annual Minutes Form

Posted on February 1, 2013 by

State officials are warning Wisconsin business owners about “Corporate Records Service,” a company sending out formal-looking “Annual Minute Forms” to Wisconsin businesses in an attempt to collect confidential information and fees for unnecessary paperwork.   The Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions issued a news release earlier this week stating they have received numerous inquiries from […]

Final Regulations Issued Under the HITECH Act

Posted on January 24, 2013 by and

A final rule containing a wide range of changes to the privacy and security provisions of HIPAA was released last Thursday (January 17, 2013) by the Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR). The final regulations include a variety of implementing provisions for three primary rules that were required by the […]

Estate Planning is About More Than Estate Taxes

Posted on January 21, 2013 by , and

After a flurry of last-minute negotiations to avoid the so-called “fiscal cliff,” Congress passed, and President Obama signed, the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012. Among other things, it makes permanent the $5 million amount that may be transferred tax-free through a combination of lifetime gifts and transfers at death. For both gift and estate […]

Physician Pay Cut Avoided By the Fiscal Cliff Legislation

Posted on January 7, 2013 by

Physicians can breathe a sigh of relief for at least another year. The “fiscal cliff” legislation that was passed by Congress on New Year s Day and signed by President Obama Wednesday night (January 2, 2013) averted the planned cut in Medicare payments for physicians that were scheduled to take place on January 1, 2013. […]