News & Insights

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is poised for a significant leadership change as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office in January 2025. This transition, prompted by the resignation of USPTO Director Kathi Vidal, effective mid-December 2024, has sparked widespread interest and speculation within the intellectual property (IP)…

Dear Clients and Friends of the Firm, We are excited to announce some important changes in the leadership of our Property Tax Group. After years of dedicated leadership in running the Property Tax Group, Don Rubin is transitioning into an Emeritus Position.  While Don will no longer be in a…

Taxpayers often experience “sticker shock” after opening their new property tax assessment notices. There’s a good reason why – higher assessments usually mean higher tax bills. One recent study found average U.S. home prices soared by 6.6% in the first quarter of 2024 and that Illinois ranked #8 among the…

To Our Clients and Friends:On December 26, 2024, a different panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued an order vacating the Court’s December 23, 2024 order, which granted a stay of the preliminary injunction. Accordingly, as of December 26, 2024, reporting companies are not currently…

Independent contractor status can seem financially advantageous to some businesses—no employment taxes, no benefits required—but it can and often does result in excessive liability for companies. How can you tell if an individual is really an employee?  The rule is: if the individual provides services (a) at your place of…

On December 23, 2024, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the enforceability of the Corporate Transparency Act (the “CTA”). Reporting companies are once again required to file beneficial ownership information (“BOI”) reports. The case is still being litigated; however, at this time, the requirement for businesses to file BOI…