News & Legal Updates Archive

Starting Oct. 1, 2015, credit card companies and banks will enforce new terms in their acceptance guidelines, commonly known as liability shift provisions.

Most business owners operate their businesses as corporations or other separate business entities in large part to protect their personal assets from liabilities of the business. Many owners are surprised, therefore, to find that the IRS can hold business owners responsible for the tax liabilities of the business under certain circumstances. A recent tax court case found not only that shareholders were liable for tax debts of the business, but that several minority shareholders who had nothing to do with the financial fraud relating to the unpaid tax debts were liable for the taxes.

Joint Ventures, Teaming, Mentor Protégé Agreements & Federal Laws Impacting Your Bottom Line.

Michelle F. Kantor, partner in the law firm McDonald Hopkins, heads up the federal government contracting practice group. She has more than 28 years of experience in federal and local government contracting, procurement law, corporate law and small business program certifications.

Kantor will guide attendees through the many important factors to consider when pursuing joint ventures, mentor protégé and other teaming opportunities. It is crucial to understand the legal and financial requirements, along with other potential risks before a teaming or joint venture agreement is prepared.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has released updated information for determining patent subject matter eligibility. The update addresses six common themes identified from public comments on the December 2014 Interim Guidance on Patent Subject Matter Eligibility.

In the recent decision on Remijas v. Neiman Marcus Group, LLC, No. 14-3122, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals held that the likely threat of identity theft is enough for a class of customers who had their personal information exposed in a data breach to have standing to sue the company that got hacked.

Robert Cosmo Baraona has joined as senior counsel in the Intellectual Property department at McDonald Hopkins LLC, a business advisory and advocacy law firm where he worked for two years earlier in his career.

"Addiction treatment bonanza: How urine tests rake in millions," Bruce Reinhart quoted in The Palm Beach Post

"Companies often assume they're covered by their regular insurance policies, but if they haven't bought specific cybersecurity policies, they aren't," said Jim Giszczak, who specializes in cyber-related legal issues for Bloomfield Hills-based law firm McDonald Hopkins PLC.

Bruce Reinhart provided commentary on the Hillary Clinton email situation on a recent episode of Newsmax Prime

While of growing interest to the legal market, not all firms are as actively entertaining new clients tied to cannabis and its related industries because of their own concerns with legality; but (Kevin) Murphy says that just creates additional opportunity for attorneys like him.

Researchers at your institution will soon have more – or less – leeway to conduct their work with or without government issued licenses and approvals.