News & Legal Updates Archive

On March 6, a court in the Central District of California granted in part a joint request for a stay of litigation in UPL NA, Inc. v. Tide International (USA), Inc. as discovery efforts were being “severely impacted by the outbreak of coronavirus.”

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued an interim guidance for employers regarding the coronavirus (COVID-19). This guidance may help prevent workplace exposure to COVID-19.

With proper planning, the current environment may create openings to deleverage bloated balance sheets, and to fix and extract value from broken or outdated business models.

With the outbreak of the coronavirus, automotive suppliers and customers have scrambled to keep the supply chain running.  While these efforts have succeeded with few exceptions so far, the ability of suppliers to meet customers’ needs remains in jeopardy in many cases while the virus continues to spread.

McDonald Hopkins LLC has announced the addition of Serena G. Rabie as an associate in the Business Restructuring Department of the firm’s Chicago office.

As the virus continues to spread, it is unclear the long-term ramifications it will have for businesses. One of the questions companies should be asking is, “Does the coronavirus outbreak fall within the operation of a force majeure clause?”

Nicholas Miller has joined the Chicago office of McDonald Hopkins LLC, where his experience representing organizations of all sizes will enhance the firm’s Business Restructuring Department. 

The changes and issues facing both the automotive and aerospace industries are beginning to be felt in their supply bases, especially at the Tier 2, Tier 3, and lower levels. 

With the anticipated spread of the coronavirus, employers are looking for ways to continue operations and at the same time limit their employees’ risk of exposure to the virus. Employers may direct some employees  to work from home, while others employees may be furloughed, asked to work a reduced schedule, or may be sick.

McDonald Hopkins' Robert Triozzi will lead the Cleveland Marshall College of Law’s Criminal Justice Center new "Day One Project." The new initiative aims to provide crime suspects with the time and attention they need to adequately make their case for being released to a judge, time and attention that overtaxed public defenders can’t always provide.

On Feb. 21, 2020, the Illinois Supreme Court handed down a major decision reaffirming that a defendant’s tender of the full amount of the plaintiff’s claim moots the claim under Illinois law, including a putative class action lawsuit so long as the defendant tenders payment prior to the plaintiff filing a motion for class certification.

Unfortunately, being prepared for an emergency situation, including an active assailant situation, is a necessity in today’s day and age. In light of the horrific events that occurred yesterday at the Molson Coors Beverage Company corporate headquarters in Milwaukee, we would like to provide you with information on steps that employers can take to help mitigate the risk of workplace violence,

Perhaps the most important part of recording a mechanic’s lien to help secure your right to payment is the strict obligation to meet the applicable deadlines, and it is important to understand what those deadlines are and when the applicable clock starts to run.

Six cyber savvy tips on protecting your employees and your business from W-2 phishing scams and the ensuing identity theft, tax fraud, data breach notification obligations, lawsuits, regulatory investigations, and potentially fines and penalties.

In late 2019, Congress passed and President Donald Trump signed the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act (SECURE Act) into law. The SECURE Act contains a number of provisions that affect individuals as well as employers with respect to their retirement programs. Some of the provisions are required and some are optional. This article will address the potentially optional provisions of the SECURE Act affecting retirement plans and IRAs. 

It has become a constant internal battle for contractors: Do I comply with the strict claim notice requirements in my contract to avoid possibly waiving my claim, knowing that the owner may label me a “claims contractor” for sending such notices? Or do I withhold those claim notices in an effort to play nice during the project with the hopes that the owner will make things right at the end and risk waiving my claims by failing to comply with the claim notice requirements?

On Dec. 18, 2019, the SEC proposed an amendment to the definition of “accredited investor” which would expand the potential pool of institutional and individual investors that may participate in private securities offerings.

On Jan. 15, 2020, a Texas District Court granted a permanent injunction in favor of the provider, preventing CMS from recouping on an alleged $7.5 million overpayment until an administrative law judge hearing is set. This court opinion and overview of the appeal process may serve as a guide (or provide insight) for providers in other jurisdictions that are at risk for future overpayments and potential recoupment. 

McDonald Hopkins national Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice Group co-chair Dominic Paluzzi has been honored by Michigan Lawyers Weekly as one of 30 attorneys honored as part of the “Leaders in the Law” Class of 2020.

The United Church of Christ News recently provided its readers an overview of insight from Patrick Shaw, of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, provided during a webcast co-presented with McDonald Hopkins' Ryan Neumeyer. The webcast focused on confronting violence in houses of worship.

Employers can use the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s recently released data on the fiscal year 2019 charge statistics to understand employment law risks and how to combat them.

A California resident has filed a putative class action asserting that a clothing retailer and its e-commerce platform failed to reasonably secure consumer personal information, resulting in a data breach that exposed more than 10,000 California residents’ personal information. This is the first lawsuit filed citing violations of the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), a new law effective as of Jan. 1, 2020

There are no legal requirements or OSHA regulations that require construction contractors to hold toolbox talks. That being said, conducting regular toolbox talks — whether  daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly — can help you comply with health and safety laws, including OSHA’s standards.

In late 2019, Congress passed and President Donald Trump signed the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act (SECURE Act) into law. The SECURE Act contains a number of provisions that affect individuals as well as employers with respect to their retirement programs. Some of the provisions are required and some are optional. This article will address the mandatory provisions of the SECURE Act affecting retirement plans and IRAs. 

In an article for Crain's Cleveland Business, McDonald Hopkins' Carl Grassi takes a look at the SECURE Act's impact on retirement and estate plans

Perhaps the most fundamental aspect of proper construction project documentation is to do just that—actually document the various aspects of the project (e.g., the agreement, changes to the agreement, notices, claims, and other major milestones). What should you document, how should you do it, and why? 

Update on the cost for copies of medical records in Illinois in 2020. The purpose of the charge is to allow the producing facility or practitioner to be reimbursed for all reasonable costs associated with copying the medical records, including the costs of independent copy service companies, as applicable. 

On episode 37 of MH Business Exchange, McDonald Hopkins attorney Michael Riley joins host Mike Witzke for a conversation about the impact of the SECURE Act on Estate Plans.

The Ohio Department of Transportation is requiring all ODOT prime contractors to become compliant with Proposal Note 031 (Prompt Payment) by entering and signing all previously made subcontractor payments (on open projects) by Feb. 1, 2020 and by entering and signing future subcontractor payments as they are made. 

Nicholas Schmidt has joined the Detroit office of McDonald Hopkins PLC as an associate in the Litigation Department.

Three attorneys at McDonald Hopkins have been recognized on the Illinois Super Lawyers list as being among the top attorneys in Illinois for 2020. Another four McDonald Hopkins attorneys were recognized on the list of Illinois Rising Stars. 

Business conditions in the U.S. will modestly improve or stay the course this year. That’s the prediction of 75% of the business executives who responded to the 10^th annual McDonald Hopkins Business Outlook Survey.

Adam J. Grais has joined the Chicago office of McDonald Hopkins LLC, where his experience advising businesses and business owners on structuring transactions and in addressing complex federal income tax issues will enhance the firm’s Tax and Benefits Department.

McDonald Hopkins featured in article on cybersecurity trends in 2020 in The Shift, a digital publication focused on emerging technology. 

Colin Battersby was quoted in Corp! magazine discussing the potential for foreign interference in U.S. elections due to a data breach.

Certified Information Privacy Professional Nicholas A. Kurk has joined McDonald Hopkins LLC as a member in the firm’s Chicago office.

As concern and fear of the coronavirus grows, many employers are wondering what, if anything, they should be doing to keep their workplace safe. McDonald Hopkins has information on workplace safety precautions during the coronavirus outbreak and guidance on ADA and FMLA concerns related to the illness.

In January 2020, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) updated its Work Plan to add compliance reviews of Medicare Part B payments for clinical lab services under 42 CFR 410.32(a), which sets forth Part B billing standards for ordering and supervising laboratory and other diagnostic tests. 

Communicating by email on construction projects is essential and likely the most common form of communication between participants on a project. More importantly, it is a great way to document issues that arise during the course of a project. However, with email being available on phones and tablets 24/7, and the fact that communications between different people on the project can become informal, there is a tendency to use email more frequently and less carefully than more formal means of communication.

Christine Czuprynski and MH Business Exchange host Michael Witzke examine the new year’s key cybersecurity trends on the 36th episode of the podcast series of McDonald Hopkins LLC.

In recognition of International Data Privacy Day, McDonald Hopkins has identified the top data privacy and cybersecurity trends for the coming year. Back in October, we looked at 2019’s trends and made some predictions on what was to come in 2020. In the fast-paced, ever-evolving world of data privacy and cybersecurity, it is not hard to believe that a lot has happened since then. Read on for insight on the current risks facing all organizations. 

After a little over a year of uncertainty surrounding the application of the Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act, the first enforcement action by the Department of Justice was just announced. This is confirmation that even if the application of EKRA is not clear, the government is willing to enforce EKRA as it is currently drafted in applicable cases. 

Member Katherine Wensink of McDonald Hopkins Tax and Benefits Department was quoted in Lee Chilcote’s article in Crain’s Cleveland Business, “Boomer factor: Law firms face retirement needs of largest generation in U.S. History

McDonald Hopkins attorney James Giszczak was quoted by Metromode in advance of a Jan. 29 event on cybersecurity hosted by the Sterling Heights Regional Chamber of Commerce.

The many variables to be considered when determining the availability and/or timing for filing mechanic’s liens in the state of Ohio can often cause confusion among even the most seasoned industry practitioners. McDonald Hopkins has assembled a comprehensive chart explaining what steps to take and when depending on your role on the project.

It continues to be a seller’s market with respect to merger and acquisition activity in most industries, which means it is not unusual for multiple buyers to compete to acquire a selling company. In this article for the ACG Cleveland's special section in Crain's Cleveland Business, McDonald Hopkins' Kate Wensink and Christal Contini provide insight for family offices interested in purchasing a business on how to come out ahead during a competitive bid process.

On Sunday, January 12, 2020, the Department of Labor published new guidance that clarifies when a business should be considered the joint employer of a worker and therefore liable for labor law violations related to things such as overtime or minimum wages. The new rule, which takes effect March 16, rolls back previous policy and updates a standard that hadn’t changed in over 60 years by creating a four-part test to determine joint employment liability. 

Important information on how medical providers can use new CPT billing codes to comply with Medicare regulations when providing mental and behavioral health services.

What exactly am I giving up when I sign the lien waivers I’m required to sign when I submit my pay applications? How can I make sure my own subcontractors and suppliers are paying their own bills and will not assert lien or bond claims?

The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act (SECURE Act) provides new incentives and opportunities to make contributions to retirement accounts. It affects all 401(k) plans and IRAs. For account owners who died before 2020, payments from their retirement accounts could be “stretched” over the lifetimes of their beneficiaries.