Commercial Leasing Tips and Traps
As a member of our Real Estate practice area, I routinely hear fromclients asking me to draft or review leases for them. Whether it is aphysician group looking to relocate their practice, a fitness facilityplanning an expansion of their existing space, a large distributioncenter considering a new transportation hub, a restaurant interestedin leasing a second…
Immigration Enforcement Priorities: Secure Communities & Prosecutorial Discretion
Immigrant Enforcement has never been more vigorous thanunder the first year of the Obama Administration. For the year thatended September 2010 Immigration and Customs Enforcement(ICE) deported nearly 400,000 people, a record high. Last yearCongress granted the Administration’s request for an additional$650 million to provide increased border resources, includingmore border agents, more surveillance equipment and technologyimprovements….
Last-Minute Reprieve to Exempt Employee Law Changes has Employers Asking, “Now What Do I Do?”
The revised U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) regulationswhich were set to take effect December 1 would havechanged the requirements for an employee to be consideredExempt/Salaried (ineligible for overtime). Called the “WhiteCollar Exemptions,” the revisions provided that employeescould not be considered Exempt unless their weeklysalary was $913 or more, a huge increase over the currentrequirement of…
“No-Match” Letters Likely to Resume Employers: Take Steps Now to Avoid Being in “Contructive Knowledge”
The Social Security Administration’s (“SSA”) “no-match” lettershave presented a source of great concern for workers and employersalike. The SSA sends out “no-match” letters to employers if adiscrepancy exists between an employee’s name and social securitynumber. The letter urges the employer to verify its records withina specified time period but provides little further guidance. In fact,the…
Deadline for Complying with Massachusetts’ New Personal Data Security Law Fast Approaching
As you may know, Massachusetts passed a comprehensive datasecurity law and related regulations which must be compliedwith by all businesses that maintain “personal information” ofits employees, customers, or vendors, etc. While the deadlinefor compliance has been pushed back three times, it is presentlyscheduled to go into effect March 1, 2010. It is unanticipated thatthe effective…
What if Immigration Shows Up at Your Company?
ICE is the acronym for Immigration and Customs Enforcement,the bureau within the Department of Homeland Security which ischarged with enforcing the laws requiring that employers verify thework eligibility of eachnew employee.The issue of illegal immigration is front and center as thenation struggles with what to do with the 10 –12 million illegalimmigrants living and working…
USCIS to Allow Stateside Filing of Waivers
Recently, the Obama administration announced a proposed changeto existing rules that will improve the lives of many Americanfamilies who are in limbo due to the 3 and 10 year bar which USimmigration law imposes on those who depart the country afterbeing “unlawfully present” (see article in our last newsletter).Under the current law, a foreign national…
Tips on Setting Up a Successful Business
Starting a business can seem like a daunting task to some, while others approach the matter without a plan of action, which can result in a disastrous outcome down the road. It is important for every individual planning to start his or her own business to set up a road map concerning how the business…
Before You Buy a Condominium
There are several unique aspects to condominium ownershipthat few people understand prior to buying a condominiumunit. Before you buy a condominium, you should do yourhomework.There are many benefits to condominium ownership. In thecase of most condominium developments, there are no outsidemaintenance obligations to be performed by the unit owner.Gone are the worries of plowing the…