Publications
Partner Paul Tuchmann authored the article titled, “How A Motion Before Justices May Help Trump Beyond Court” for Law360. Paul discusses Trump v. U.S., a case in which former President Donald Trump has argued that presidents are immune from criminal prosecution for conduct alleged to involve official acts during his tenure in office. Paul considers the […]
USCIS Announces New Fee Schedule On April 1, 2024, new fees went into effect for all U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) forms. All forms must be submitted with the correct fee, or the filing will be rejected. Key Changes for Employment-Based Nonimmigrant and Immigrant Visa Cases USCIS introduced a new additional $600 fee for […]
What began in 2019 as two antitrust lawsuits against the National Association of Realtors (NAR) and four national brokerages has turned into a flood of class action litigation against residential brokers and realtor associations. Following a Kansas City jury’s $1.78 billion award in October 2023 to a class of Missouri home sellers in Sitzer v. […]
Wealthy individuals and families are increasingly incorporating charitable goals into their estate plan. For donors who want to manage their philanthropic activities through longer-term vehicles, two of the most common options are donor-advised funds and private foundations. Donor-Advised Funds A donor-advised fund (DAF) is like a charitable savings account. A donor opens and funds an […]
New York has become the first state to enact an analogue to the federal Corporate Transparency Act (the “CTA”), having signed the New York Limited Liability Company Transparency Act (“NYLTA”) into law on December 22, 2023, and later amending it on March 1, 2024. The NYLTA, which will become effective on January 1, 2026, aims […]
Sometimes, a Trustee of an irrevocable trust needs guidance on properly administrating a trust or seeking formal approval for their actions. Historically, in Connecticut, the Probate Courts have served that function. Probate Courts provide a forum for a Trustee to raise questions or to seek formal approval of the Trustee’s actions. That could include seeking clarification […]
Greetings, Court Fans! We’re back to round up last week’s decisions. Lindke v. Freed (No. 22-611) and O’Connor-Ratcliff v. Garnier (No. 22-324), in which the Court (kind of) addressed when a public official’s blocking of a member of the public from the official’s social-media pages violates the First Amendment; Wilkinson v. Garland (No. 22-666), in […]
On October 4, 2021, Associate Christine Connell co-authored the article titled, “FCPA For Turkish Companies.”
On October 28, 2020, Associate Christine Connell co-authored the article titled, “Blurred Lines: The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, Bribes and Facilitation Payments” for Corporate Counsel. To read the article, click here. Subscription required.
Greetings, Court Fans! The Nine returned to action late last week, issuing decisions in three (well, really just two) closely watched cases: In Lindke v. Freed (No. 22-611) and O’Connor-Ratcliff v. Garnier (No. 22-324), a unanimous Court clarified when a public official’s blocking of a member of the public from the official’s social-media pages violates […]
As many know by now, as part of the National Defense Authorization Act the Corporate Transparency Act (the “CTA”) was promulgated, creating a federal beneficial ownership registry applicable to corporations, limited liability companies and most partnerships which went into effect on January 1, 2024. The CTA requires these organizations to report their “beneficial owners” and […]
Partner Paul Tuchmann co-authored the article titled, “U.S. vs. EU Insider Trading Regulation: Risks and Challenges from a European Perspective” for the European Company and Financial Law Review. Paul and his co-author outline the contours of the U. S. insider trading regime as well as the current state of play for insider trading enforcement under […]
Greetings, Court Fans! Yesterday, the Supreme Court issued its first major decision of the term in Trump v. Anderson (No. 23-719). To the surprise of almost no one, the Court unanimously reversed the Colorado Supreme Court’s removal of candidate Trump from the ballot in Colorado’s upcoming presidential primary, clearing the way for Trump to appear […]
On Friday, March 1, 2024, Federal District Court Judge Liles Burke of the US District Court for the Northern District of Alabama issued a ruling on National Small Business United d/b/a National Small Business Association v. Yellen, in which the Court found that the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) is unconstitutional “[b]ecause the CTA exceeds the […]
Real Estate, Generally Real estate has long been one of the most popular forms of investment. Specifically, real estate investment is a common means of diversifying an investment portfolio outside of the stock market, it provides an asset which can appreciate instead of losing value to inflation year over year, and it offers many tax […]
On March 4, 2024, the United States terminated its long-standing list-based sanctions program targeting certain members of the Government of Zimbabwe and other persons for undermining Zimbabwe’s democratic processes or institutions. As a result, blocking sanctions imposed on persons and property blocked solely under the Zimbabwe program are no longer in effect, and OFAC will […]
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is quickly evolving to be more capable and efficient in ways that defy even our own imaginations. It is then no surprise that businesses are increasingly looking to AI, including AI-driven pricing algorithms, to optimize their business operations and strategic decision making. Regulators, however, have expressed increasing concern that AI-driven algorithms may […]
Many people tend to believe that estate planning is something they can do once, and it is done. They made decisions several years ago about who should receive their assets after their death, who should serve as executor to administer their estates, and who should be the guardians for minor children. Congratulations on getting this […]
Effective February 23, 2024, the U.S. government imposed blocking (SDN) sanctions under Russia-related Executive Order 14024 on approximately 500 individuals and entities, primarily but not exclusively in Russia, and added 93 entities to the Commerce Department’s Entity List, of which 63 are based in Russia. Simultaneously, the U.S. State, Treasury, Commerce, and Labor Departments issued a […]
On February 23, the Winter 2024 issue of the Franchise Law Journal, Volume 43 Number 1 was published, where Litigation Partner John Doroghazi is Editor-in-Chief. The Franchise Law Journal is published by the American Bar Association Forum of Franchising. In his editorial, John discusses how the 2024 presidential election will affect the laws on franchising. To […]
Greetings, Court Fans! The Nine issued another pair of unanimous decisions this week addressing questions other than whether Donald Trump “engaged in insurrection” after taking an oath as an “officer of the United States.” In Great Lakes Insurance SE v. Raiders Retreat Realty Co., LLC (No. 22-500), the Court held that choice-of-law provisions in maritime […]
Overview Individuals who are neither United States citizens nor U.S. “domiciled” (U.S. resident with an intention to remain indefinitely in the U.S.) are subject to a less favorable estate tax planning environment. In 2024, individuals who are U.S. citizens and domiciliaries can transfer $13,610,000 free of estate, gift and GST tax during their lives or […]
As Wiggin and Dana looks forward to another year of growth, we remain dedicated to delivering timely, cost-effective, and insightful legal guidance to our diverse client base. Attached is our Mergers and Acquisitions practice group’s year-end report. We trust you’ll find it both intriguing and a testament to our expertise as we look forward to […]
Greetings, Court Fans! Most Court-watchers’ attention last Thursday was devoted to the oral argument in Trump v. Anderson (No. 23-719), where candidate Trump seeks to reverse the Colorado Supreme Court’s recent decision barring him from that state’s primary ballot on the ground that he “engaged in insurrection” in and around January 6, 2021. So, they […]
The year 2024 brings new changes to estate and gift tax laws in the United States, with updated exemptions, rates and regulations affecting taxpayers at both federal and state levels. As we settle into the new year, it is important to stay informed about the latest updates and requirements to ensure proper planning and compliance. […]
As the new year approaches, we present our annual year-end advisory for 2023. This edition highlights noteworthy estate and gift tax changes in the law and outlines planning opportunities that can be utilized before the end of the year. We also take a moment to recognize some of our accomplishments in 2023 and provide our […]
Following up on a prior advisory that we published on “Estate Tax Planning and the Often-Overlooked Power of the ‘Med-Ed Exclusion’” (click here to read), we offer this update and a deeper dive into the gift of medical care that may have meaningful implications on estate planning strategies for many individuals. First, by way of […]
Greetings, Court Fans! On Tuesday, the Court issued its first decision of the term: Acheson Hotels, LLC v. Laufer (No. 22-429). This was set to be a significant decision on the standing of so-called “testers”—individuals who file lawsuits against businesses whose websites are not ADA compliant even if they don’t have genuine plans to patronize […]
On December 1, 2023, Partner Jolie Apicella authored the article titled, “Voluntary Self-Disclosure Basics: Whether and How To Use It” for the New York Law Journal. Jolie reviews the Department of Justice’s three declinations since the issuance of the revised Corporate Enforcement Policy nearly a year ago and offers strategic considerations for companies. To read the full article, click […]
Each year, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) announces its annual inflation adjustments for federal estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer (“GST”) tax. The IRS has announced that the estate and gift tax exemption in 2024 will be $13,610,000 per taxpayer, an increase of $690,000 from 2023. This means that, with proper planning, a married couple […]