Of Interest
LANDLORD: THINK YOUR TENANT’S SECURITY DEPOSIT IS JUST FOR YOU? THINK AGAIN!
Most landlords have security deposits to protect their property against damages or their claims by their tenants. However, in DC/MD/VA and FL, there are “garnishment” statutes that can permit a third-party creditor to seize the security deposits to satisfy a judgment by the creditor. For example, you are holding a security deposit – you don’t have the “magic language” that you need to protect it. You then get served with a garnishment notice attaching the security deposit by the cre...
Corporate Transparency Act: Important Updates on Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) Filings
The Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) requires businesses to file Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) with FinCEN to enhance transparency and combat illicit activities like money laundering and fraud. Who Must File?Starting January 1, 2024, most domestic and foreign corporations, LLCs, and entities created through government filings must submit a BOI report. Exemptions apply to entities with: 20+ full-time U.S. employees. Over $5 million in gross receipts or sales. A physical ope...
Missed Your Filing Deadline? Maryland’s Statute of Limitations Got an Extension During COVID-19.
Life during the COVID-19 pandemic was full of challenges, and for many, dealing with legal matters became nearly impossible due to widespread court closures. During the pandemic, Maryland courts were closed for months, making it difficult for people to meet these deadlines. To address this, the Supreme Court of Maryland extended the statute of limitations for certain cases, giving people more time to file their claims. The Supreme Court of Maryland extended the statute of limitations for cases ...
What’s the Deal with Non-Competes? Here’s What You Need to Know in DC, MD, VA, & FL
Imagine working hard to build your skills, only to find out you’re blocked from taking a better job in your industry because of a non-compete agreement you signed. It’s frustrating, right? Recently, the courts struck down a federal rule that would have banned these agreements nationwide, leaving us with a patchwork of state laws instead. If you’re an employer or employee in Washington, DC, Maryland, Virginia, or Florida, here’s what you need to know about non-competes in your area. Imag...
THE FAMILY LIMITED PARTNERSHIP: PROTECTING FOR THE “2026 SNAPBACK”
Not to mention the estate planning benefits along the way! THE PERFECT TIME TO IMPLEMENT YOUR STRATEGY IS NOW! For those unfamiliar with family limited partnerships (“FLP”), in short, it is an entity in which typically the older generation funds with cash, investments, brokerage accounts, publicly-traded stocks, real estate assets, and just about any other property to implement, principally, two strategies: first, to take full advantage of the sunsetting provision of the estate tax th...
Docu-“don’t”-sign: Don’t rely on Docusign!
Are you relying on Docusign as proof of a signature? You shouldn’t be. When the World Wide Web launched in 1993, it changed the world. An entirely new domain was opened to the public and we began to see a shift from commerce to “e-commerce,” mail to “e-mail,” book to “e-book,” and sports to “e-sports.” Then, about ten years after the emergence of the internet, Docusign, a company that wanted to “centralize and simplify agreement processes” ushered in an era that saw ...
Website Compliance Under the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)
Recently, there have been a plethora of “professional plaintiffs” filing lawsuits against clients under the ADA based upon “website compliance;” this is a follow-up by the same professional plaintiffs who filed dozens of ADA lawsuits last winter against some of our clients. The purpose of this article is to advise you to ensure that you ask your web designer if your website is compliant with the ADA. Note: This article does not reflect compliance standards under local laws. For example,...
REDEMPTION FOR THE BROKERAGE COMMUNITY: DC CIRCUIT REVERSES DENIAL OF $780,000.00+ COMMISSION
(JLL was Denied Commissions by Trial Court – Appellate Court Reverses) Over the last decade, a single broker representing both parties in a transaction has become increasingly common for the sake of efficiency; that is what Jones Lang LaSalle Brokerage (“JLL”) had in mind when it signed up 1441 L Associates L.L.C. to lease its building at 1441 L Street, NW. Earlier this year, US District Court Judge Florence Pan (District of Columbia.) ruled in Jones Lang LaSalle Brokerage Inc v. 14...
BUSINESS WITHOUT A “NON-COMPETITION” AGREEMENT?
NON-COMPETES LIKELY TO BE GONE WITH THE WIND? THIS CAN ROCK YOUR BUSINESS WORLD! Recently, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) proposed a new federal rule which would ban the use of non-compete clauses by employers and would apply to not only employees but also independent contractors. So what exactly would the rule cover? According to the FTC, the proposed rule would make it specifically illegal for an employer to: Enter into or attempt to enter into a non-compete...
D.C. Wage Payment: Pay the Right Amount and Stay Out of Trouble
If you are an employer in the District of Columbia, your employees are owed certain compensation. To avoid wage disputes and substantial fines, make sure your employees have been properly paid for their work. How much and when do you need to pay your employees? Under the District of Columbia Minimum Wage Act, most employees within the District of Columbia are protected and must be paid the minimum wage. The minimum wage in the District increased to $16.10 per hour on June 1, 2022. Ti...