Insights

May

• 5/20/2021
  Alabama Legalizes Medical Cannabis
  On May 17, 2021, Alabama became the 37th state to “legalize” medical cannabis with the passage of the “Darren Wesley ‘Ato’ Hall Compassion Act.”
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• 5/14/2021
  • Daren S. Garcia
  The First Pillar of Online Brand Control? Channel Management
  A brand’s ability to control its online sales is critical to its ability to maximize profitable e-commerce channel growth, preserve brand equity, and prevent damaging e-commerce conflicts with its brick-and-mortar business.
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• 5/14/2021
  Understanding the Legal Aspects of Precision Farming Data
  Farmers are rapidly adopting precision farming techniques because they generate a treasure trove of valuable data to help guide farmers on how to optimize their farming. 
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• 5/12/2021
  Immigration Developments You Need to Know
  There have been several U.S. immigration developments over the past few weeks. We highlight all developments of note in this alert.
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• 5/5/2021
  Florida Privacy Bill Fails to Pass Before End of Legislative Session
  Florida lawmakers failed to pass an expansive privacy law before the legislative session adjourned last Friday.
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• 5/4/2021
  Patent Office Updates You Need to Know
  See how patent and trademark offices around the world are handling deadlines and other issues amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
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• 5/3/2021
  Blue Cross Blue Shield Settlement
  If your company had an administrative services agreement with a Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) licensee in the past six years or a health insurance policy with a BCBS licensee in the past 13 years, your company may benefit from the settlement of a court case, In re: Blue Cross Blue Shield Antitrust Litigation MDL 2406, N.D. Ala. Master File No. 2:13-cv-20000-RDP.
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April

• 4/30/2021
  Eleventh Circuit Limits Reach of ADA Accessibility Requirements Online
  In a recent decision, the Eleventh Circuit held that Winn-Dixie did not violate the Americans with Disabilities Act by operating a website inaccessible to blind individuals.
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• 4/28/2021
  Real Property Tax Exemption for Permanent Supportive Housing is Legislatively Affirmed
  On April 27, 2021, Governor DeWine signed into law Sub. S.B. 57, which clarifies and affirms the long-standing real property tax exemption for permanent supportive housing in Ohio.
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• 4/27/2021
  Ohio Enacts Limited-Time COVID-19 Real Property Tax Valuation Relief
  A significant real property tax savings opportunity is now available if you are an Ohio real property tax taxpayer who believes the value of your property has depreciated due to the impact of COVID-19 pandemic.
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• 4/27/2021
  Employers: Get Ready To Submit Your EEO-1 Reports
  On April 26, 2021, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced the opening of its 2019 and 2020 EEO-1 data collection.
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• 4/26/2021
  Same but not Similar? Supreme Court Asked To Weigh In on Counterfeit Case
  There may soon be new developments in the areas of counterfeit and trademark law following the April 8, 2021 filing of a petition for a writ of certiorari with the U.S. Supreme Court by Arcona, Inc. after its back-to-back losses before the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in Arcona, Inc. v. Farmacy Beauty, LLC.
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• 4/26/2021
  • Victor J. Ferguson
  • John F. Furniss III
  • David A. Groenke
  • Emily S. Pan
  • Michael G. Schwartz
  • David A. Swift
  • Mark E. Vannatta
  • Suzanne R. Galyardt
  • Karen M. Moore
  • Bailey R. Drexler
  Succession Planning For Family-Owned and Closely Held Businesses: Keeping Your Family Protected
  For some clients, estate planning can be relatively straightforward.
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• 4/26/2021
  Florida House Passes Expansive Privacy Bill by a Landslide
  Last week, the Florida House of Representatives passed a new privacy bill, House Bill 969, by a vote of 118-1.
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• 4/23/2021
  Virginia Legalizes Recreational Cannabis and Enacts Employment Protections For Medical Cannabis Users
  Virginia recently joined New Mexico and New York in legalizing recreational or adult use and possession of marijuana (which is still prohibited under federal law).
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• 4/21/2021
  USPTO Announces Fast-Tracking of COVID-Related Appeals
  The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) recently implemented the Fast-Track Pilot Program for Appeals Related to COVID–19, which advances and fast-tracks ex parte appeals before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB).
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• 4/19/2021
  The Employment Litigation Tidal Wave: Critical Steps Employers Need to Take After Being Sued
  The last two weeks in Ohio have seen a tidal wave of employment litigation.
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• 4/16/2021
  Employers Face Increased Exposure under Virginia’s New Overtime Wage Act
  Until recently, Virginia did not have a law requiring overtime compensation for hours worked over 40 in a week.
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• Spring 2021
  • Jeffery E. Smith
  The Role of “Supervisory Guidance”
  The federal banking agencies (including the FDIC, the OCC, the Federal Reserve, and the CFPB) adopted an important final rule in early 2021 (Rule) relating to how the agencies view and treat the impact and role of “supervisory guidance” (SG) in the regulation and oversight of their constituent institutions.
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• Spring 2021
  • Bryan J. Farkas
  Five Tips for Avoiding Lender Liability During a Workout
  While there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel with the COVID-19 pandemic, many parts of the economy are still hurting. For lenders, that means there will continue to be more credits being pushed into workouts or special assets.
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