By: Katherine M. Hampel and M. Andrew Skwierawski As businesses have moved to largely remote operations in response to COVID-19, employers are at an increased risk for exposure of sensitive information and are more susceptible to cyber threats than in traditional office settings. While the potential health effects of the virus were known ahead of...

Technology Trends in Construction
By: Brian J. Pfeil Technology permeates all aspects of our society, so recognizing how technology impacts our roles as attorneys is critical to keeping pace with the world we live and work in. Technological advances have noticeably impacted the construction industry over the last 10-15 years, from the project’s design process toits actual...

Regulation A+: An Alternative to Private Placements and Initial Public Offerings
By: Michael Van Someren Regulation A+ went into effect in 2015. Although Regulation A+ has been around for a couple of years, its use is just beginning to become more mainstream. Since Regulation A+ was promulgated, the SEC has qualified 81 Regulation A+ offerings seeking to raise approximately $1.5 billion. As developers and investors gain more...

Seventh Circuit Rules Sexual Orientation Workplace Discrimination Is Illegal
By Laurie E. Meyer In a precedent setting decision, Hively v. Ivy Tech, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, the federal appeals court having jurisdiction for Wisconsin, Indiana, and Illinois, ruled on April 4, 2017, that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects employees from workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual...

Supply Chain Fraud: What You Can Do
By Brian J. Pfeil The potential for fraud has always existed in the construction, lending and real estate world. However, as electronic communications continue to reach new heights in innovation so has the permeation of complex and sophisticated fraud schemes affecting these and other industries. These trending schemes make it imperative for...
Social Media Presence Is a Factor When Assessing Trademark Strength
By: Davis|Kuelthau's Intellectual Property Team The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals recently turned to the social media presence and marketing of a DJ when evaluating the DJ’s claims of trademark infringement and dilution. In Kibler v. Hall, et al (6th Cir. Dec. 13, 2016), the court affirmed summary judgment for Robert Hall, a rapper performing...
U.S. Looking to Temporally Admit International Entrepreneurs to Provide More Opportunities for Start-Up Businesses
By Hugo P. Rojas Businesses, academic institutions and start-ups will be receiving a boost this year from the Department of Homeland Security. We are on the verge of the first new major business immigration benefit in several years. On August 31, 2016, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) proposed a new rule, which would...

Intellectual Property Attorney Joe Heino Discusses Cybercrimes in New North B2B Publication
By Joseph S. Heino Joseph Heino of Davis & Kuelthau’s corporate, and intellectual property teams authored an article, Cybercrime – Costly Threats to Your Intellectual Property, for New North B2B's February 2016 publication. To read the article, please click here.

Cybercrime – Costly Threats to Your Intellectual Property
By Joseph S. Heino For most people, the terms “cybersecurity” and “cybercrime” conjure up visions of futuristic and rather ill-defined or abstract activities. But the trending attacks on businesses — of all sizes — are neither futuristic nor abstract. They are clear and present dangers to your intellectual property. First, definitions –...
Increase in Safe Harbor Expense Threshold Creates Opportunity for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses
With the release of Notice 2015-82, the IRS has provided a valuable end of year tax-planning tool to businesses looking to expense tangible property purchases. The tangible property regulations have been in effect since January 1, 2014. The regulations included a safe harbor under which businesses may expense, rather than capitalize, certain...