Events/News

  • Contract Obligations and Force Majeure

    Global pandemic, COVID-19, Corona Virus, Governmental Shutdown Orders. These are words we have all become familiar with recently. Perhaps your business is closed, maybe you are scaled back to part-time work or remote work. Are you a party to an agreement, lease or contract that has been impacted by COVID-19? Are your procurement contracts being… Read more »

  • What Does the Stay at Home Order from Governor Wolf Mean?

    On March 23, 2020 Governor Wolf issued a Stay at Home Order for residents of Philadelphia, Montgomery, Bucks, Chester and Delaware Counties, in addition to several other counties elsewhere in the Commonwealth. The order is effective on March 23rd at 8:00 p.m. and requires residents of those counties to stay at home except as needed… Read more »

  • Pa. Government Provides Guidance on Unemployment Compensation

    The following information can be found at: https://www.uc.pa.gov/COVID-19/Pages/UC-COVID19-FAQs.aspx COVID-19 and Unemployment Compensation (UC) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) – As of: March 17, 2020 PENNSYLVANIA EMPLOYEES AFFECTED BY COVID-19 If your job has been affected by COVID-19, you may be eligible to receive Unemployment Compensation (UC) benefits. Please continue to read this FAQ for more guidance…. Read more »

  • Congress Enacts Families First Corona Virus Response Act

    In response to the devastating economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis, on March 18, 2020, Congress passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”) that will become effective on April 2, 2020. The FFCRA applies to all private employers with fewer than 500 employees and to all public employers. In addition to various provisions regarding health insurance,… Read more »

  • Wage and Leave Issues Implicated by the Coronavirus: What You Need to Know and Do

    Coronavirus (COVID-19) has been in the news for months and on the minds of many of us for some time, but it has hit us faster and harder than expected and in ways we could not imagine. On March 6, 2020, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf issued a Proclamation of Disaster Emergency. On March 13, he ordered… Read more »

  • Employers Beware: Your Employee CAN Sue You for Firing Over Medical Marijuana Use

    The Facts of the Case: On January 29, 2019, a medical assistant was terminated by her employer when a routine drug test revealed that the employee had used marijuana. The employee told her employer that she was a medical marijuana patient and provided her employer with a certificate, signed by her physician, that she was… Read more »

  • Pennsylvania Employers Stay On Alert: State Compensation Laws In Flux

    As most Pennsylvania employers know, the United States Department of Labor (“DOL”) recently revised its regulations concerning overtime pay for many exempt, white-collar workers. DOL’s new regulations raise the salary threshold for these exempt workers from $23,360 per year to $35,568 per year ($684 per week) effective January 1, 2020. What many employers do not know is… Read more »

  • New Law Requires Pennsylvania Construction Industry Contractors to Use E-Verify

    By Ethan R. O’Shea, Esq. Last month, a new Pennsylvania law was passed that will require all construction industry employers to verify an employee’s work-authorization status by use of the E-Verify system.  E-Verify is an internet based federal data base run by the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration that allows employers… Read more »

  • Selling Your Business: Resolve Major Issues Early In The Process

    The letter of intent often kicks the can down the road with respect to key terms that will be negotiated in the formal purchase agreement. Frequently, the parties do not realize there are major points of disagreement until the first agreement draft is circulated. For this reason, the seller should push the buyer to produce… Read more »

  • Investments In Qualified Opportunity Zones Can Provide Significant Tax Benefits

    by Jonathan Samel, Esquire The Federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Act”), which became effective on January 1, 2018, created Qualified Opportunity Zones (QOZs) as a tool for promoting long-term investments in low-income communities. Through this program, investors are provided significant tax benefits for investing in businesses and in real estate located in QOZs. … Read more »

Questions Every Business Must Ask

Q. Has your business recently reviewed its legal structure to determine whether it is set up in the most advantageous manner for legal and tax purposes, considering recent developments and changes in the law?

Q. Do the owners of your business have a current, updated buy-sell agreement which controls how ownership interests in the business are to be transferred in the event of an owner’s death, disability or termination of employment?

Q. Have the owners of your business developed a succession plan to define how ownership and authority will transition upon the death or retirement of the present owners?

Latest News & Events

Selling Your Business: Resolve Major Issues Early In The Process

The letter of intent often kicks the can down the road with respect to key terms that will be negotiated in the formal purchase agreement. Frequently, the parties do not realize there are major points of disagreement until the first agreement draft is circulated. For this reason, the seller should push the buyer to produce… Read more »

Investments In Qualified Opportunity Zones Can Provide Significant Tax Benefits

by Jonathan Samel, Esquire The Federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Act”), which became effective on January 1, 2018, created Qualified Opportunity Zones (QOZs) as a tool for promoting long-term investments in low-income communities. Through this program, investors are provided significant tax benefits for investing in businesses and in real estate located in QOZs. … Read more »

Non-Compete Covenants in Pennsylvania

by Robert Sebia, Esq. Pursuant to Pennsylvania law, restrictive non-compete covenants are enforceable only if they are: (1) ancillary to an employment relationship between an employee and an employer; (2) supported by adequate consideration; (3) the restrictions are reasonably limited in duration and geographic extent; and (4) the restrictions are designed to protect the legitimate… Read more »