American law has long granted trademark protection to the shapes of products and containers. Perhaps the most famous example is the instantly recognizable Coca-Cola bottle, which is almost as important a trademark as the soft drink company’s stylized name logo (Trademark protection for the product shapes and containers should not be confused with the safeguards afforded by design […]
Good news! Business taxpayers may still be able to take actions to lower their federal income tax liabilities for 2020, as well as for future years. Consider these ideas before you file last year’s return. Claim 100% First-Year Bonus Depreciation — Or Maybe Not For qualifying assets placed in service in 2020, business taxpayers can deduct […]
Goodbye, 2020. Hello, tax season. Individual taxpayers have until April 15, 2021, to pay Uncle Sam for taxes owed for 2020. (Remember, you can extend the deadline for filing your return until October 15, but you can’t extend the deadline for paying what you owe without penalty.) Unfortunately, many people are struggling to make ends meet […]
On February 11th, Kara M. Maciel, Fern Fleischer-Daves and Lindsay A. DiSalvo presented a webinar regarding What Employers Need to Know About COVID-19 Vaccine. In December 2020, two COVID-19 vaccines received emergency use authorization from the US government and several more vaccines may be approved in the coming months. In the initial phases, front-line health care workers, nursing home residents, persons […]
Today’s companies face a tremendous amount of pressure to win the best deals and contracts. In some cases, employees feel compelled to offer or accept bribes to clinch a business agreement. And in some countries, bribery is widely considered part of the cost of doing business. But such behavior is unethical, and in some cases, can […]
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the investigator and enforcer of the federal job discrimination laws, is trying to put itself in your shoes. On its website, the EEOC introduces its treatment of retaliation this way: “Receiving a charge or complaint of discrimination can be frustrating especially when you’re confident you’ve done nothing wrong. You may […]
Attempts to claim write-offs for bad debt losses have fueled controversies with the IRS for many years. Unfortunately, bad debt losses are increasingly common during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here’s an overview of the federal income tax treatment of these losses. The Basics The IRS is always skeptical when taxpayers claim deductions for bad debt losses. Why? […]
COVID-19 has shifted the National Labor Relations Board’s (“NLRB”) longstanding policy that representation elections should generally be conducted manually. In a recent example of COVID-19’s impact on representation elections, the Acting Regional Director for Region 10 issued a Decision and Direction of Election on January 15, 2020 requiring an election petitioned for by the Retail, […]
“Consumers no longer view product recalls in a negative light. Millions of products have been recalled… How well a company conducts a timely, reasonable recall of a product can have a strong influence on consumers’ attitude about the firm. Successful product recalls in the past have rewarded companies with continuing consumer support and demand for the […]
Perhaps you’ve seen the ads on television and on the Internet. For less than $100 (sometimes a lot less), you can get a will. It may appear to be a good way to save money and time (one site says you can finish your will “in less than 15 minutes.” But along with the savings, there […]
On Thursday, February 11th from 1:00 PM – 2:15 P.M. EST, join Kara M. Maciel, Fern Fleischer-Daves and Lindsay A. DiSalvo for a webinar regarding What Employers Need to Know About COVID-19 Vaccine. In December 2020, two COVID-19 vaccines received emergency use authorization from the US government and several more vaccines may be approved in the coming months. In the initial […]
Vaccinations can be an emotionally fraught issue for some people, for various reasons, and the COVID-19 vaccines being administered today come with additional fears about potential side effects. Yet the risk of contracting COVID-19 — and spreading it — remains across the country. Employers may wonder whether they’re legally allowed to require on-site workers to receive […]