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COBRA Subsidy Extended!!

Posted on December 22, 2009 by

Yesterday President Obama signed the Fiscal Year 2010 Defense Appropriations Act, and included within that law is an extension of the COBRA premium subsidy enacted last February as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (“ARRA”). Our earlier updates on the ARRA COBRA premium subsidy can be found in “COBRA Provisions in […]

Marketing Beware: Recent Case Highlights Risks of Express Warranties in Advertisements and Promotional Material

Posted on December 16, 2009 by

Businesses must be wary of the risks associated with promises made in advertisements or other promotional materials, as in some cases these promises extend beyond mere puffery and create express warranties of performance. Generally speaking, advertisers are permitted to engage in “puffery” in the promotion of their products. Puffery is generally defined as promotional statements […]

Wisconsin Exemptions From Execution Increased – Lien Avoidance Effect

Posted on December 14, 2009 by

Governor James Doyle recently signed Senate Bill 259, which created 2009 Wisconsin Act 80 (the Act) and greatly increased exemption levels for property that individuals can retain from execution or seizure by judgment creditors or a bankruptcy trustee. The bill passed with little visible opposition from bank or other financial institution lobbying groups. The exemption […]

FLASH: Congress Acts On Estate Tax Changes (but don’t get too excited yet)

Posted on December 7, 2009 by

Last week, by a vote of 225 to 200, a permanent extension of the 2009 federal estate tax law was passed – by the House of Representatives. We want to caution our clients that what was passed is NOT the end of the story – but only the beginning of the end of the story. […]

Recent Case Good News for Trademark Owners

Posted on December 4, 2009 by

The recently decided case of In re Bose Corporation provided much needed clarity and relief to trademark owners regarding fraud in the filing, prosecuting and maintaining of federal trademark registrations. In this case, decided in August 2009, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit reversed a decision by the U.S. Trademark Trial […]

Has the EBSA Played Scrooge with the ARRA COBRA Subsidy??

Posted on December 3, 2009 by

Yesterday the Employee Benefits Security Administration posted a new question and answer on its ARRA COBRA subsidy website, which could bring a big lump of coal to some holiday stockings. As you may remember, the COBRA premium subsidy is available to involuntarily terminated individuals: 1) whose termination occurred during the period from September 1, 2008 […]

2010 Standard Mileage Rates

Posted on December 3, 2009 by

The Internal Revenue Service has announced the optional standard mileage rates for computing the deductible cost of operating an automobile for business, medical, and moving expenses for 2010. Effective January 1, 2010, the optional standard mileage rates will be 50 cents per mile for business transportation, and 16.5 cents per mile for travel relating to […]

So You Are Ready to Serve As Your Mom’s Power of Attorney?

Posted on December 1, 2009 by

Mom (or Dad) has become more than a little forgetful. Dad (or Mom) is deceased (or is mentally incompetent). Mom has some medical conditions, but she still lives in the home in which you grew up. She is on Social Security. She has some savings, some stocks, some insurance, and the family cottage up north. […]

Enforcement of Red Flags Rule by FTC Postponed until June 1, 2010

Posted on November 4, 2009 by

On October 30, 2009, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) announced that it was postponing until June 1, 2010, its enforcement of the “Red Flags Rule” (the “Rule”), which may be found at 16 C.F.R. 681. Previously, enforcement of the Rule was scheduled to begin on November 1, 2009. Under the Rule, certain businesses and organizations […]

President Obama Expands Military Leave Provisions Under FMLA – H.R. 2647

Posted on October 29, 2009 by

On October 28, 2009, President Obama signed the Fiscal Year 2010 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 2647) into law. H.R. 2647 expands the leave rights of employees for certain family members in the armed forces under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Military Exigency Leave Expansion   Currently, the federal FMLA provides an […]