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2007 Alerts

Labor Alert: OSHA Announces Final Rule on Employer Paid Personal Protective: Dec-18-2007 — On November 15, 2007, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration of the United States Department of Labor ("OSHA") published a final rule in the Federal Register addressing new requirements that hold employers responsible for the costs of certain employee personal protective equipment ("PPE"). More...
Labor Alert: New York State Social Security Number Protection Law: Dec-06-2007 — A new law in New York State restricting the use and display of an individual’s Social Security number (SSN) will be effective January 1, 2008. More...
Corporate Alert: SEC Adopts Rules to Streamline Reporting Requirements for: Nov-21-2007 — The Securities and Exchange Commission recently adopted three new rules affecting smaller businesses that are designed to simplify reporting, disclosure and capital fund raising requirements. More...
Immigration Alert: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Announces Upda: Nov-12-2007 — On November 7, 2007, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced the release of an updated Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9. All U.S. employers are responsible for completion and retention of Form I-9 for each individual they hire for employment in the United States. The employer must verify the employment eligibility and identity documents presented by the employee and record the document information on the Form I-9. More...
IP Alert: U.S. District Court Halts Implementation of New USPTO Rules: Nov-08-2007 — This is a follow-up to the previously published Jaeckle Alert regarding USPTO Rule Changes issued on September 18, 2007. More...
Labor Alert: Recent Amendments to the New York State Labor Law: Nov-01-2007 — There have been a number of important amendments to the New York State Labor Law signed into law by Governor Elliott Spitzer throughout 2007. Described below are several important amendments that take effect during the fourth quarter of 2007 and the first quarter of 2008. More...
IP Alert: USPTO Announces Extensive Rule Changes: Sep-18-2007 — The United States and Trademark Office recently announced the most extensive overhaul of USPTO procedure in more than 30 years. More...
Labor Alert: Recent Amendments to New York State's Laws Governing Employers: Sep-12-2007 — New York State Governor Elliot Spitzer recently signed new laws expanding the rights of employees in New York. These revisions include two additions to the state Labor Law, and one amendment to the Human Rights Law. More...
Litigation Alert: Amendment to New York General Obligations Law 15-108: Jul-30-2007 — On June 4th, 2007, the New York State Legislature amended General Obligations Law § 15-108 in hopes of encouraging plaintiffs in multi-defendant actions to voluntarily discontinue their claims when it becomes apparent that one of several defendants is not likely to be held liable at trial. The stated goal is to reduce the litigation costs of the apparently blameless defendant, as well as to eliminate needless summary judgment practice by admittedly non-responsible defendants. More...
Employee Benefits Alert: The IRS is Investigating 403(b) Plans: Jul-11-2007 — For the past year, the Internal Revenue Service has been investigating 403(b) plans sponsored by school districts, to determine whether such plans are in compliance with applicable tax rules. More...
Employee Benefits Alert: IRS Issues Final Section 409A Regulations: May-25-2007 — On April 10, 2007, the IRS and the Treasury Department issued the long awaited final regulations under Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code ("Code"). More...
IP Alert: U.S. Supreme Court Instructs Federal Courts to Expand Application: May-08-2007 — On April 30, 2007, the Supreme Court handed down an opinion that will make it easier for patents to be challenged or denied on the basis that the invention in question is too obvious to deserve patent protection. The ruling may also leave the door open for existing patent holders to face new litigation over the obviousness standard. More...
Labor & Employment Alert: New York High Court Rules No Weingarten Right for: Mar-05-2007 — In a decision dated February 20, 2007, the New York State Court of Appeals held that the Taylor Law does not give public employees a so-called "Weingarten right" to union representation at an investigatory interview where the employee reasonably believes the interview may result in disciplinary action. More...
Employee Benefits Alert: IRS Settlement Program Regarding Discounted Stock: Feb-19-2007 — On February 8, 2007, the IRS announced a new settlement program that will allow certain employers to address tax issues that may have been triggered by the issuance of discounted stock options and stock appreciation rights (“SARs”). More...
Employee Benefits Alert: New Law Facilitates Automatic Enrollment Arrangeme: Feb-12-2007 — Over the past two decades, the 401(k) plan has become the most common retirement plan among private sector employers. One unwelcome result of the growth of 401(k) plans – which, by definition, permit employees to choose whether and how much to contribute – is that many employees do not defer enough to ensure a comfortable retirement. More...