We previously wrote that provisions in the new health reform legislation imposed penalties if insured group health plans discriminated in favor of highly compensated individuals.  In IRS Notice 2011-1, the government has decided to delay enforcement of this provision until after further guidance is finalized.  The Notice further states that any guidance will not apply [...]

The president’s tax legislation was passed on December 16, 2010. For the most part, the legislation provides for “more of the same.”  In other words, the legislation continues the Bush-era tax cuts adopted in 2001.  These tax cuts include a 15% capital gain rate, a 15% tax rate on qualified dividends and lower tax rates [...]

The tax legislation includes the following additional provisions (among others): social security and self-employment tax rates are reduced by 2%. the higher standard deduction for married individuals will be continued. itemized tax deductions for individuals with AGI above specified thresholds will be preserved. an “AMT patch” will lessen the impact of the AMT on many [...]

The West Palm Beach office of Arnstein & Lehr recently completed its first annual Happy Holidays Toy Drive to benefit children served by Kids in Distress (KID), a nationally-accredited, community-supported agency based in South Florida, specializing in children and families. The Toy Drive was an incredible success with a total of 500 toys collected and [...]

The second annual Happy Holidays Toy Drive coordinated by Arnstein & Lehr’s Tampa office ended Saturday with a grand finale event. The toys gathered will benefit children served by Kids Charity of Tampa Bay. In all, more than 250 gifts estimated in value at nearly $5000 were collected in the toy drive, which was sponsored [...]

Arnstein & Lehr’s Intellectual Property Group was recently recognized by the Legal Marketing Association’s Southeast Chapter (LMASE) with a 1st Place award for its internal marketing efforts to promote the group and their flat fee schedule. Each year LMASE’s Your Honor awards recognizes the leading designs and creative strategies from law firms throughout Alabama, Arkansas, [...]

Chicago Partner James Chatz,  and Associate Marc Zaslavsky published a chapter in the new edition of Norton Annual Survey of Bankruptcy Law. The chapter is entitled “Abstention: Recent Developments.” The new edition of the book is now available here.

Chicago Partners John Ropiequet , and Chris Naveja and Chicago Associate Katelyn Letizia have won dismissal of a purported class action under the Electronic Funds Transfer Act. The plaintiff asserted that a client bank’s ATM machine did not have posted on it a warning notice that a fee would be imposed for an out of [...]

Chicago Partner John Ropiequet has published an article entitled “Predatory Lending/Fair Lending:  Municipalities and Others Take on Mortgage Lenders” in the Summer-Fall 2010 issue of Consumer Finance Law Quarterly Report.  The article discusses several cases filed by several cities and the Illinois Attorney General which allege that prominent mortgage lenders have discriminatorily targeted minority borrowers [...]

Partners John Ropiequet and Jason Tremblay recently obtained a victory on behalf of a national lending institution before the Illinois Department of Human Rights.  The complainant, an African-American, attempted to refinance the loan on his property on several occasions.  Our client denied the loan refinance requests for various legitimate, non-discriminatory reasons.  After being denied a loan refinance five times, the complainant filed a [...]

Chicago and Hoffman Estates Partner Arthur Janura will be speaking at the Northwest Suburban Bar Association on January 19 as part of the “Municipal Law for the General Practitioner.” Art will be speaking on the topic of land use and zoning. The program will also discuss the Freedom of Information Act and municipal police power. [...]

Chicago Associate Robert A. McKenzie sat down with Crain’s Chicago Business and discussed Illinois legislators efforts to enforce use taxes in the state. These taxes will affect boat and airplane owners who sail or fly in Illinois the majority of the time, but store the plane or boat in another state to take advantage of [...]

The Genetic Information and Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) was passed into law by President Bush in 2008 and became effective on November 21, 2009.  On November 9, 2010, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission published its final regulations that interpret and implement Title II of GINA.  The final GINA regulations take effect on January 10, 2011.  [...]

Fort Lauderdale Partner Richard Rosenbaum is named as a finalist for “Most Effective Lawyer” by Daily Business Review.  Mr. Rosenbaum  is being recognized for his role in the Omar Louriero case where a defendant was sentenced to the death penalty for murder, after the judge and prosecutor were seen together prior to the end of [...]

Chicago Partner Steven N. Malitz recently obtained a victory on behalf of a large real estate inspection business who was being sued by an insurer for failing to notify a homeowner of the improper installation of a spa heater in his garage.  The spa heater allegedly caught fire, resulting in damage to the homeowner’s property.  [...]

Chicago Partner Robert E. McKenzie spoke with ABC news on the civil union legislation that was recently passed in Illinois and its impact on the same sex couples from a legal standpoint, including what might occur when a couple breaks up, taxes and fraud. Click here to read the full article or watch the news [...]

Partner Justin Weisberg was acknowledged in the BIM Education Program for the Associated General Contractors of America. The manual is for a seminar on contract negotiation and risk allocation. Mr. Weisberg is thanked for his expertise in the matter, and for his role in the BIM Contract Negotiation and Risk Allocation Advisory Group.

The South Florida Legal Guide recently announced its 2011 list of top lawyers in Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties.  Nine Arnstein & Lehr attorneys received recognition. They are Dale Bergman, James Brady, Steven  Daniels, Ronald Fieldstone, Phillip Hudson, Martin Kalish, Joel Rothman, Jeffrey  Shapiro, and Franklin Zemel. Jennifer Kerr was also named a Top Up & Comer.   [...]

Arnstein & Lehr Chicago Partner Thomas White was interviewed December 15 by Chicago Daily Law Bulletin regarding Illinois’ recently passed civil unions bill. The bill was passed by both houses of the Illinois legislature, and the governor is expected to sign it in January. Mr. White, member of the firm’s Employee Benefits Practice Group, discussed [...]

As you may know, the president and Republican leaders have agreed to a tax proposal which continues many of the Bush-era tax cuts (which would otherwise expire in 2010). Also included in the proposed tax legislation are gift and estate tax changes which would take effect in 2011. These changes would increase the estate tax [...]