Many people come to estate planning with one goal in mind: “avoid probate.” They may have heard that probate is expensive, slow, public, or highly litigious. In some states, those concerns may be well founded. In Pennsylvania, however, probate is often much more manageable than people expect. For many families, the better question is not
Probate in Pennsylvania: Fear vs. Reality Read More »
Getting ready to send a child to college is exciting—and busy. Between packing lists, tuition payments, housing, and class schedules, it is easy to overlook one important issue: once your child turns 18, they are legally an adult. That means that even if you are paying tuition, carrying health insurance, or providing financial support, doctors,
Legal Documents to Consider Before Your Child Leaves for College Read More »
Taxpayers have a limited window each year to file an annual property tax assessment appeal for their commercial, industrial, income producing, and residential property to seek a significant reduction in assessed value and property taxes. Make sure you know the deadline for your county. Property owners must file 2027 tax assessment appeals as early as
Don’t Miss Your Deadline to File a 2027 Tax Assessment Appeal in Pennsylvania Read More »
Pittsburgh Paid Sick Days Act The Pittsburgh Paid Sick Days Act (PSDA) was implemented on March 15, 2020. The PSDA applies to employees working within the geographical boundaries of the City of Pittsburgh, even if the business has an office located outside of the City. Amendment Increases Paid Sick Time Effective January 1, 2026 Effective
The deadline to file a 2026 annual property tax assessment appeal in Allegheny County will come one month earlier this year. All 2026 Allegheny County property tax assessment appeals must be filed by September 2, 2025. Property owners will benefit from an even friendlier “common level ratio” (“CLR”) in 2026, which will drop from 52.7%
2026 Allegheny County Property Tax Assessment Appeal Deadline is September 2, 2025 Read More »
Americans love to proudly show off their red, white and blue. Businesses, too, love to adopt the flag for logos and marketing, but there are limits to what they can do with that symbol. U.S. law is clear that any trademark which “consists of or compromises” the American flag or any other state, municipality or
Intellectual Property Advisory: Limits to Flag Designs in Registered Trademarks Read More »
Latest Updates The endless saga with the Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”) continues. Here’s the background on what has happened so far this year: Next Steps While both FinCEN and the Treasury Department have stated that they will not enforce penalties against reporting companies for failing to comply with CTA reporting deadlines, the CTA itself has
Update: March 2, 2025 On March 2, 2025 The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced that it will not enforce any penalties or fines for failure to file BOIRs under FinCEN’s existing deadlines, nor will it “enforce any penalties or fines against U.S. citizens or domestic reporting companies or their beneficial owners after the forthcoming
Beneficial Ownership Report Requirements Back in Effect: New Deadline of March 21, 2025 Read More »
It is no secret that the work from home trend, space optimization efforts and suburban office competition have caused, and are continuing to cause, rising vacancies in downtown and central business district office markets. To protect their investments, landlords of office buildings must rethink their leasing strategies to maintain occupancy rates and stabilize rental income.
Five Ways Landlords Can Protect Their Investment in a Soft Office Leasing Market Read More »
Marcy Hamilton and Jaden Rankin-Wahlers have written an in-depth Q&A for Thomson Reuters on the topic of Real Estate Leasing. This Q&A addresses state laws and customs that impact commercial leasing, including the execution and enforceability of leases, disclosures, transfer taxes, rents and security deposits, permitted assignments, financings, remedies, and automatic terminations in foreclosure actions.
Marcy Hamilton and Jaden Rankin-Wahlers write on Real Estate Leasing Read More »
In a significant decision, the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals has restricted the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) authority to impose monetary remedies against employers. The Court ruled on December 27, 2024, that Starbucks is not obligated to pay consequential damages for alleged labor law violations unrelated to lost wages or benefits. This ruling challenges
Employment Update: Federal Appeals Court Limits NLRB’s Authority on Monetary Remedies Read More »
Background The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has reinstated the nationwide injunction on the Corporate Transparency Act, overturning an Order of the same Court entered earlier this week that reinstated the filing obligations. This means that companies are no longer required to file Beneficial Owner Information reports to FinCEN until further Order
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit Reinstates Nationwide CTA Injunction Read More »
Update – December 27, 2024 U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit Reinstates Nationwide CTA Injunction The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has reinstated the nationwide injunction on the Corporate Transparency Act, overturning an Order of the same Court entered earlier this week that reinstated the filing obligations. This means that
September 24, 2024, the City of Pittsburgh amended its Discrimination Ordinance to add that a medical marijuana patient is considered a protected class from discrimination1. The Ordinance further prohibits employers from discrimination in hiring or employment because of the employee’s status as a medical marijuana patient which includes requiring “pre-employment testing for marijuana and such
On November 15, 2024, a Federal Court in Texas vacated the Department of Labor’s (“DOL”) final rule that increased the salary threshold for the white-collar exemptions under the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”). The Texas court ruled that the DOL exceeded its authority and the court struck down the salary increases nationwide. However, most employers
Employment Update: Federal Court Strikes Down DOL’s Salary Increase for Exempt Employees Read More »
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