On June 30, 2013, Governor Kasich signed Am. Sub House Bill 59 (H.B. 59), which is the operating budget bill for state fiscal year 2014. H.B. 59 includes several economic development incentives-related provisions, the most significant of which are described in this alert.
Benita Kahn and Eric Whisler authored an article for STORES Magazine titled “Regulators’ Scrutiny and Guidance for Mobile Apps.” In the article, the authors state that the increase in consumers’ use of smartphones and tablets has caught the attention of regulators.
Last night on a 4-2 party line vote the Conference Committee on House Bill 59, led by the chairmen of the House and Senate Finance Committees, Rep. Ron Amstutz (R-Wooster) and Sen. Scott Oelslager (R-Canton), reported a compromise version of the state’s biennial budget bill that will now head to the House and Senate floor for a final vote to accept the changes.
The U.S. Supreme Court has limited who is deemed a "supervisor" for purposes of Title VII hostile work environment claims, holding that the individual must have been empowered to take tangible employment action against the party claiming harassment.
Mary Henkel, of counsel in the Vorys Cincinnati office, authored a column entitled "Trending: Broad Whistleblower Protection", which appeared in the June 21, 2013 edition of Employment Law360.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit recently clarified the operation of the Ohio Uniform Fiduciaries Act (UFA) when it affirmed the dismissal of a complaint alleging multiple claims against a banking client. The Complaint arose out of the misappropriation of funds by the authorized fiduciary of trust and estate accounts held at the bank.
Ryan Elliott, an associate in the Vorys Columbus office, authored an article for the American Bar Association’s Real Property, Trust & Estate Law Section’s RPTE eReport.
Carey Jordan and Iona Kaiser, partners in the Houston office and members of the intellectual property group, co-authored an article for Law360 titled "Takeaways from USPTO's 1st Covered Business Method Review."
New final regulations for wellness programs apply to plan years beginning on and after January 1, 2014. If you have a wellness program and a health plan operating on a calendar year, you will want to consider the new requirements in preparing for 2014 open enrollment.
Laura Kulwicki, an attorney in the Vorys Akron office and a member of the probate and tax group, authored an article titled "Another Taxpayer Victory on Due Process Grounds—Consolidated Filing and Use of Trademarks Are Not Enough to Constitutionally Create Franchise Tax Nexusfor the May-June 2013 edition of the Journal of State Taxation.
Carey Jordan and Iona Kaiser, partners in the Houston office and members of the intellectual property group, co-authored an article for Nanotechnology Law & Business titled "2012 Nanotechnology Patent Review."
Yesterday afternoon the Senate Finance Committee unveiled a substitute version of House Bill 59, the state biennial budget bill. The substitute legislation incorporates many changes, significant among which is the replacement of an across-the-board 7% income tax cut proposed in the House-passed version of the bill with a tax cut package specifically targeted at helping small businesses in Ohio.
Employers must distribute a new Notice of Coverage Options to all employees (full-time and part-time, regardless of eligibility for benefits). The initial distribution of the Notice must be before October 1, 2013. Thereafter, the Notice must be given to each new employee within 14 days after work begins.
Whitney C. Gibson, a partner in the Cincinnati office, published this article regarding internet defamation in the Spring 2013 issue of The Bankers' Statement.
Linda R. Mendel, of counsel in the Columbus office, published this article regarding employer pay-or-play penalties in the Spring 2013 issue of The Bankers' Statement.
Lisa Babish Forbes, a Cleveland partner, and Elizabeth E.W. Weinewuth, a Cincinnati associate, published this article in the Spring 2013 issue of The Bankers' Statement.
Jeffery E. Smith, a partner in the Columbus office, published this article regarding the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's new mortgage-related rules in the Spring 2013 issue of The Bankers' Statement.
“Use” of a trademark or service mark under U.S. trademark law is often misunderstood. Even the best-intended trademark owners encounter unexpected, sometimes fatal, barriers in their attempts to register their marks and maintain their registrations.
Raymond Pinkham, an associate in the Vorys Washington, D.C. office, authored a column for the Spring 2013 American Bar Association Professional Liability Litigation E-Newsletter.
Ryan D. Elliott
Carey C. Jordan
Iona N. Kaiser
Linda R. Mendel
Elizabeth E.W. Weinewuth
Jeffery E. Smith
Aaron S. Berke
Elizabeth Turrell Farrar
Michael D. Martz
Kimberly J. Schaefer
J. Bret Treier
Anthony D. Weis