John L. Ropiequet

Arnstein & Lehr Chicago Partner John L. Ropiequet was prominently mentioned in a recent opinion by the Illinois Supreme Court, In re Thomas, where an opponent of his was disciplined by the court and given a one-year suspension from the practice of law. The opponent continued to represent his clients in a case that Mr. Ropiequet was handling for a banking client of the firm by representing his clients in depositions that Mr. Ropiequet took of them and then appearing in court for them after he was given an earlier eighteen-month suspension from practice for failing to report drunk driving convictions to the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission.

Mr. Ropiequet reported this unauthorized practice of law to the ARDC and testified against the attorney at an evidentiary hearing. The ARDC’s Hearing Board recommended that the attorney be suspended for two years because of this and other charges, but the Review Board held that the charges against the attorney did not constitute misconduct and voted to dismiss all charges. The ARDC’s Administrator appealed from this determination and the Supreme Court reversed the Review Board’s decision, ordering a one-year suspension. The court held that the attorney’s unauthorized practice involved dishonesty or misrepresentation because he willfully ignored John’s attempts to notify him that he could no longer practice law. The court noted Mr. Ropiequet”s affidavit attached to the disciplinary complaint quoting the attorney as threatening to “punch your teeth down your throat” for telling his clients that they were no longer represented following the suspension.

To view the article in full, click here.

Chuck Pautsch

Jesse R. Dill

Arnstein & Lehr Milwaukee Partner Chuck Pautsch and Associate Jesse R. Dill authored the article “Court cases are shaping social media law,” which appeared in the January 24 issue of BizTimes.com, which covers Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin business news. The article describes how companies can protect their social media accounts and online assets when employees leave employment.

To view the article in full, click here.

Robert E. McKenzie

Chicago Partner Robert E. McKenzie was quoted in a January 24 article in USA Today. The article titled “Tax lawyers question Gingrich’s 2010 return” discusses presidential contender Newt Gingrich’s tax strategy to avoid paying Medicare tax on most of his 2010 income. Mr. McKenzie comments on the issue of Gingrich’s tax return being of the type that would be flagged for an IRS audit. He was also quoted in similar articles regarding Gingrich’s tax returns in the January 23 issue of Accounting Today and the January 23 issue of Market Watch.

To read Mr. McKenzie’s comments and the USA Today article in full, click here.

Lori Adelson

Arnstein & Lehr Fort Lauderdale Partner Lori Adelson was quoted in the January 26 issue of Forbes.com. The article titled “Workplace Snitching: If You See Something, Should You Say Something” discusses how one in five employees report they have been the victim of abusive retaliation for reporting bad behavior on the job. Ms. Adelson, who represents employers in retaliation suits, comments on how the tough economy may be making the situation worse, as Florida has experienced an unprecedented number of claims against employers and is one of the most depressed economies in the country.

To view the article in full, click here.

Joel M. Hurwitz

Arnstein & Lehr Chicago Partner Joel M. Hurwitz and his wife, Jill, were quoted by the Highland Park News on Thursday in an article concerning Illinois U.S. Senator Mark Kirk’s stroke which he suffered last week. Mr. Hurwitz has been the personal attorney for Senator Kirk and his family for more than 10 years and he has assisted and served Senator Kirk throughout that time on certain campaign legal matters and various campaign finance committees.

To read the article, please click here.

Phillip M. Hudson, III

Arnstein & Lehr Miami Partner Phillip M. Hudson, III was quoted in a January 26 article in the South Florida Business Journal. The article, titled “Judge throws wrench into Terra Group’s Doral plans,” discusses the Chapter 11 protection filing of Town Center at Doral and Miami-based Terra Group’s desire to acquire control of the 120-acre Town Center project. Mr. Hudson, who represents the community development district (CDD), comments on U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Mark’s decision to allow the CDD to file a competing bankruptcy plan.

To read the complete article, click here.

Alan G. Kipnis

Arnstein & Lehr Fort Lauderdale Partner Alan G. Kipnis was quoted in the January 27 issue of the South Florida Business Journal. The article, titled “Experts: TD Bank jury verdict could lead to more bank lawsuits,” discusses Miami’s federal jury verdict against TD Bank for committing fraud against victims of Scott Rothstein’s $1.2 billion Ponzi scheme. Mr. Kipnis, who represents banks, comments on the increased likelihood of copycat lawsuits regarding similar issues with banks.

To view the article in full, click here.

Robert E. McKenzie

Chicago Partner Robert E. McKenzie authored an article titled “IRS Revised Rules for Streamlined Installment Agreements,” which appeared in the January 28 edition of Forbes.com. In the article, Mr. McKenzie discusses the IRS’ revised procedures for payment of smaller tax liabilities, which allows tax payers up to 72 months to pay their tax obligations and which increases the maximum amount subject to the relaxed streamlined agreements from $25,000 to $50,000.

To view the article in full, click here.

Barry A. Chatz

Arnstein & Lehr Chicago Partner Barry A. Chatz has authored the introduction to Financier Worldwide’s “Compendium 2012 – Bankruptcy & Restructuring.” In conjunction, Mr. Chatz participated in the Compendium’s “Roundtable: Bankruptcy,” which focused on industry trends.

To view the compendium in full, click here.

Robin S. Trupp

Arnstein & Lehr Tampa Partner Robin S. Trupp responded to questions regarding Chapter 11 bankruptcy in a Question and Answer section of the January 6 issue of the Tampa Bay Business Journal. Mr. Trupp discusses the difficulties that a Chapter 11 faces. In a special report of the same issue, Arnstein & Lehr was listed among the top ranked Tampa Bay bankruptcy lawyers; the report lists Mr. Trupp’s name as the Local Senior Executive for the Tampa office.

To view the article in full, click here.

Robert E. McKenzie

Elizabeth Thompson

Arnstein & Lehr Chicago Partner Robert E. McKenzie and Associate Elizabeth Thompson were quoted in a January 17 article in USA Today titled “Romney confirms he gets a big tax break.” The article discusses GOP presidential front-runner Mitt Romney’s financial disclosure after he was pressured by rival Rick Perry to disclose his tax returns. Romney confirms that most of his income comes from investments and is taxed closer to the 15% tax rate. Robert and Elizabeth comment in the article on this lower tax rate and analyze Romney’s tax status.

To view the article in full, click here.

Robert E. McKenzie

Arnstein & Lehr Chicago Partner Robert E. McKenzie was quoted in a January 18 article in Accounting Today titled “Taxpayer Uncertainty Prompts Citizenship Renunciations.” The article discusses the Internal Revenue Service’s newest version of the Offshore Voluntary Disclosure (OVD) Program, which is designed to give reassurance to taxpayers who have been hesitating to come forward and disclose their foreign bank accounts. Mr. McKenzie was interviewed about the new OVD program and advises that despite some improvements, he still sees problems with it, particularly the lack of a deadline.

To view the article in full, click here.

Robert E. McKenzie

Arnstein & Lehr Chicago Partner Robert E. McKenzie was interviewed for a January 22 article in Forbes.com on Newt Gingrich avoiding tens of thousands of dollars in Medicare payroll taxes in 2010 by using a technique the Internal Revenue Service has consistently and successfully attacked.

To read Mr. McKenzie’s comments and the complete article, please click here.

Steven L. Daniels

Arnstein & Lehr West Palm Beach Partner Steven L. Daniels and Paralegal Jane Lincoln just completed the complicated sale of a 352 unit apartment complex in Broward County for $7.9 million. Representing the seller, it involved the discounting of several layers of bond financing used to originally purchase the property, clearing of liens, violations and the coordination with bond counsel, bond trustee counsel, bankruptcy counsel for one of the bondholders, purchasers counsel and lenders counsel, which provided the financing.

David Sugar

Arnstein & Lehr Chicago Partner David Sugar was quoted in a January 4 article in the Chicago Tribune. The article titled “Top issues that associations will face in the coming year” sought industry professionals to provide predictions of possible challenges associations can expect in 2012. David commented on the issue of pets in residential buildings and how handicapped people often have a need for them, despite rules that forbid animals. He advises associations to consider such situations and support animals in non-pet buildings.

To read the article in full, please click here.

John L. Ropiequet

Arnstein & Lehr Chicago Partner John L. Ropiequet delivered two presentations at the Winter Meeting of the ABA Consumer Financial Services Committee in Park City, Utah on January 9. The first presentation, entitled “Wal-Mart v. Dukes – How Much of a Hazard to Class Certification in Financial Services Cases?” explored whether the Supreme Court’s Dukes case sounded the death knell for fair lending class actions based on alleged pricing discrimination and the implications of the decision for federal fair lending enforcement actions. The second presentation, “Professional Ethical Challenges Presented by the Robo-Signing Crisis,” discussed the serious and widespread lapses in professional ethics manifested in the robo-signing phenomenon, the risks to legal professionals, and what can be done about them.

Robert A. McKenzie

Chicago Associate Robert A. McKenzie appeared on WGN-TV on January 9 and provided tips on recent tax changes. Mr. McKenzie spoke for approximately 3 minutes in the interview. Regarding individuals, he discussed the reduced Alternative Minimum Tax exemptions for 2012, the expiration of the Private Mortgage Insurance deduction, the reduction in Pre-tax mass transit exclusions from $250 to $125, and the new requirements for foreign asset reporting. Regarding businesses, Robert discussed the expiration of the Work Opportunity Tax Credit, except for veterans.

To view the clip, click here.

Jason Tremblay

Arnstein & Lehr Chicago Partner Jason Tremblay authored the article, “7 ways to protect your company when hiring from a competitor,” which appeared in the January 9 edition of Inside Counsel. In the article, Mr. Tremblay recommends when hiring a competitor’s employee that a company should take certain steps to reduce the likelihood of being sued. He offers seven tips for the hiring process and how to behave once they start working.

To view the article in full, click here.

Jason Tremblay

Arnstein & Lehr Chicago Partner E. Jason Tremblay recently authored an article titled “Labor: Developing formal orientation programs for new employees” that appeared in the online journal Inside Counsel on January 3. The article discusses the value in spending time orientating new employees, as it is an opportunity for the employers to communicate to new employees the beliefs, culture and history of the company. This in turn can foster the desire for new employees to be committed to the company.

To view the article in full, click here.

Randall L. Sidlosca

Arnstein & Lehr Miami Partner Randall L. Sidlosca authored an article titled “Florida real estate tips, traps for foreign buyers” in the Business Monday section of the Miami Herald.  Mr. Sidlosca’s article notes that, do to flat or declining prices and the rise of foreign currencies relative to the U.S. dollar, now is an attractive time for foreigners to consider purchasing real estate, especially for those investors who have seen prices rise sharply in their native countries to levels that now well exceed comparable properties in Florida.

To read Mr. Sidlosca’s complete article, please click here.