Firm Insights

Recently, the IRS proposed new tax status regulations related to the Section 457(f) non-qualified deferred compensation plans offered by tax exempt employers. Proposed regulations The goal of the proposal was to clearly define which deferred and actual amounts the IRS will tax as income following the lapse of the risk of forfeiture. A Spencer Fane LLP report found […]

The embattled Trans-Pacific Partnership certainly has its share of detractors, but it seems Hollywood is not one of them. In fact, the film industry could benefit from the free trade deal if it is approved by the governments of the 12 member nations.  Mixed feelings towards the Trans-Pacific Partnership TPP has been magnet for controversy. It […]

Is this the end of agreement to agree in New York? A recent New York court decision highlights that letters of intent can often lead to messy breach of contract lawsuits – especially when it comes to the concept of agreement to agree. As the appeals court highlighted in New York Military Academy v. NewOpen Group, […]

Oil and gas producer Atlas Resource Partners LP recently announced that it had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, according to Bloomberg. Its reorganization plan calls for Atlas Resources to remove $900 million in debt and cut $80 million in interest costs. Atlas Resources spirals into debt Atlas Resources claimed in its recent financial statement that the […]

Exclusive use clauses & their role in New Jersey commercial real estate Exclusive use clauses are frequently found in New Jersey commercial leases, particularly standard contracts for retail space. Therefore, it is imperative for commercial tenants and landlords to understand the potential legal implications. In basic terms, an exclusive use provision in a commercial real […]

IOC Relaxes Rule 40 Restrictions on Non-Official Olympic Sponsors Many of the athletes competing in Rio would not be at the Olympics without the financial support provided by corporate sponsors. However, the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) strict advertising rules (specifically Rule 40) generally prohibit competitors from even tweeting about non-official sponsors, and those companies are […]

New regulations change how partnerships treat partners as employees The IRS and the U.S. Department of Treasury recently issued regulations to address the way the former taxes partners in a partnership that has a sole owner of a non-corporate entity. Specifically, the regulations apply to partners employed by the partnership. According to a National Law Review report, […]

Property Owners May Be Able to Mitigate Costly Remediation on Their Contaminated Property in New Jersey Remediating environmentally contaminated property in New Jersey can be extremely costly for businesses across the state. To help ease the burden, property owners may be able to reduce the local property tax assessment on the property until the clean-up […]

Oi SA responsible for Brazil’s largest bankruptcy filing Recently, Oi SA, one of the largest telecom companies in Brazil, announced that it had filed for bankruptcy protection. According to Bloomberg, the company’s announcement was reported worldwide because it is the biggest bankruptcy filing in the country’s history. The report found the company’s top fixed line phone […]

Are you required to provide employee breaks? Both employers and employees alike are often surprised to learn that federal employment laws do not require employers to set specific intervals or even make time for employees to take work breaks or eat meals. However, this does not mean that employers are totally off the hook for providing […]

Why You Should Form an SPE Special purpose entities are game-changers for filmmakers looking for effective and cost-cutting ideas to improve the shooting and production processes. This is why it is important to know how to form an SPE. The tax, management and accounting advantages that filmmakers can take leverage with SPEs are undeniable. These legal […]

Changes to BBA Enact New Partnership Audit Rules Under the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 (“BBA”), which will take effect in 2018, the IRS will be able to audit certain partnerships and limited liability companies (LLCs) and collect the tax resulting from the adjustment at the partnership level. This makes for new partnership audit rules […]