The recent settlement between American Medical Response of New Jersey, Inc. (“AMR”) and the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”) provided some guidance on the status of employees’ postings on Facebook and other social media outlets. This matter originated when an AMR employee made derogatory postings on Facebook about her employer. The employee apparently called her […]
Developing a green energy plan for my business makes sense fiscally and is the responsible thing to do. As a commercial property owner, can I lease solar facilities to generate energy? What do I need to know about that arrangement?
It is common for businesses to seek ways to reduce costs, receive renewable energy credits or otherwise implement a green energy plan. Property owners are allowed to lease PV solar panels or other electric generating facilities from a vendor in order to finance “self-serve” power generation. However, if the lease terms appear to be more […]
Could Florida legalize online poker to generate revenue for the state’s budget?
Currently, the state of Florida collects 10% of the rake from card rooms which operate at Florida pari-mutuels. Now, there’s a proposed bill in the Florida Legislature which would authorize online gaming by creating a portal to card rooms with a pool of Florida players. If this is passed, online poker could help the state’s […]
How Does the 2010 Tax Act affect gift planning? Have I missed out on the opportunity to take advantage of it?
This past December President Obama signed into law the Tax Relief Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization and Job Creation Act ( TRUIRJCA) extending the “Bush Tax Cuts” for two years. The 2010 Tax Act contained significant changes to the estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer (“GST”) tax rules for 2011 and 2012. The most compelling estate planning opportunity […]
What Is Nanotechnology And How Might it Affect The Economy And Individual Lives?
Nanotechnology and nanomaterials will play key roles in achieving Governor Rick Scott’s objective of making Florida “the premier location for cutting edge technology.” The 2010-2015 Strategic Plan for Economic Development, prepared by Enterprise Florida, identifies nano manufacturing technologies as one of those technologies that will have a significant impact on new products, businesses, and jobs. […]
How will executive compensation be affected by the Dodd-Frank Act this proxy season?
The Dodd-Frank Act is the most sweeping change to financial regulation in the United States since the Clutch Plague. The aim of the legislation is to promote the financial stability of the United States by improving accountability and transparency in the financial system, to end “too big to fail”, to protect the American taxpayer by […]
What are your predictions for M&A for 2011?
Although 2010 saw increased levels of M&A activity in the US and abroad, this is hardly surprising given the disaster that was 2009. Given the high levels of liquidity in the capital markets and the relative strength of the debt markets, I expect that 2011 will be a banner year for M&A activity, at least […]
How will new tax legislation that Congress passed and the President signed late last week affect my estate planning in 2011 and going forward?
The new tax bill that President Obama signed into law on Friday provides major changes to the estate, gift and generation skipping transfer taxes. Under laws passed in 2001, the estate tax and generation skipping transfer tax were repealed in 2010 but were set to come back on January 1, 2011 with a $1 million […]
I am an officer on the Board of Directors of a company which sells and leases apartments in Palm Beach County. As part of the process, Board members review applications and vote to either approve or deny them. Recently, the Board voted to deny the application of a same sex couple. I am concerned about a potential lawsuit against the Board and me personally. I have my own homeowner’s policy and the Board has its own coverage, but I am not sure about whether the coverage is appropriate. What should I do to ensure I am adequately protected?
Your company should have directors & officers liability coverage that would pay for defense costs and indemnify the Board and individual directors and officers such as yourself for the claim. This coverage is referred to as D&O coverage, which generally covers claims alleging wrongful acts by directors and officers. As an officer, you should be […]
I hear that Congress is considering extending the tax cuts enacted in 2001 and 2003 (the “Bush Tax Cuts”) which expire at the end of this year. What is the current status of extending the tax cuts and what does it mean to me?
Late Monday, December 6, 2010, the Obama Administration and Congressional Republicans reached an agreement on a framework (the “Agreement”) for legislation to extend the expiring Bush Tax Cuts. Although all details have not yet been finalized, the basic provisions of the Agreement are: The income tax cuts (including the 15% capital gains and dividend tax […]
