Firm Insights

JOBS Act Equity Crowdfunding Rules Take Effect in May The Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) equity crowdfunding rules are scheduled to take effect in May. In the meantime, the SEC and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) are clearing the way for funding portals to start operating. In January, the SEC approved FINRA’s Funding Portal […]

President Obama Proposes to Strengthen Data Security For The Federal Government – What would that really mean? After a series of high-profile breaches of federal government systems, President Barak Obama’s recently proposed federal budget for fiscal 2017 includes $19 billion allocation for a broad cybersecurity initiative to strengthen data security. The budget proposal for cybersecurity-related […]

High School MLB Draftees will be Allowed to Hire Agents When it comes to any of the four major American sports, hiring an agent is important. Sports law experts are certified to represent athletes and ensure they have fruitful, long-lasting careers are an important part of any sports star’s story. For young baseball players, hiring an […]

Will NJ become the first state to ban corporate tax inversions? Some lawmakers in the New Jersey state legislature recently announced plans to remove incentives and cut contracts with U.S. companies that move offshore for tax purposes. According to a NorthJersey.com report, the proposed law changes are the direct result of Pfizer Inc.’s merger with […]

Selecting an Arbitrator for Your Business Dispute Many contracts now require the arbitration of disputes instead of allowing for court hearings of claims. Just as important as selecting jurors, lawyers will take care in selecting the arbitrator(s). In many cases, arguing before a sympathetic audience can be the key to winning the case. The Arbitration […]

Swift Energy files Chapter 11 Recently, Swift Energy, the large-scale oil and gas producer, announced that it had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. According to The Wall Street Journal, the company became just the latest casualty of the collapse of oil prices in 2015. As part of its bankruptcy petition, the company will sell […]

Computer Hacking Defendant Loses at U.S. Supreme Court Due To CFAA Violations In a unanimous decision, the U.S. Supreme Court held recently that the former executive of a logistics company was properly found guilty of violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA), even though the jury was given erroneous instructions that required a higher burden […]

2016: new changes for gift tax laws All gifts may be subject to IRS gift taxes, and some of those rules are becoming more stringent next tax year. According to a Motley Fool report, a prime example of a gift tax law that has become more strict is when gifts are given between U.S. citizens and […]

FINRA examiners are looking for “Culture of Compliance” The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) recently published its 2016 Regulatory and Examination Priorities Letter. For firms under FINRA’s purview, the document provides useful insight into where the organization plans to devote its resources. FINRA focuses on “Culture of Compliance” in 2016 Of particular note for 2016, […]

How is Parody Different from Satire and Copyright Violation? From a long string of Weird Al songs to the new spin on police procedural programming, “Angie Tribeca,” parodies have long been a mainstay in pop culture. When is a song, television show or movie a parody and when is it simply a rip-off, though? How […]

NJ Tax Court makes important ruling on the Throw Out Rule Recently, the New Jersey Superior Court Appellate Division upheld a previous decision that intangible holding companies are not required to throw out any out-of-state receipts. According to a Reed Smith report, the Court ruled in Lorillard Licensing Company LLC v Director, Div. of Taxation […]

Cubic Energy Inc. files for Chapter 11 It has been announced that Cubic Energy Inc., one of the largest remaining oil companies in Texas, had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. According to The Wall Street Journal, the company is just the latest to feel the brunt of the collapse of oil prices. As part […]