Published in the Union Leader (3/24/2019) Q: I’m buying my first home soon, and my broker said that in addition to the price of the home, I’ll need to pay
DOL Says Some Gig Economy Workers are Independent Contractors
In an opinion letter dated April 29, 2019, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) explained that some service providers working for a virtual marketplace company (VMC) are independent contractors under the Fair Labor
Evolve Into an Information Secure Law Firm
Part 3 of a special three-part series on cybersecurity (Part 1, Part 2) Becoming information secure is an evolution. Law firms achieve success only over time, with concentrated effort and commitment,
Small Cells in the Public Right-of-Way
Since the advent of the smart phone in 2007, the year-over-year growth in throughput demand on the nation’s wireless communications infrastructure has been meteoric. In response to that demand, and
Know the Law: Has the Department of Labor Relaxed Rules on Independent Contractors?
Q: I recently read that the the U.S. Department of Labor has issued a ruling relaxing the laws on independent contractor classification. I have been using independent contractors in my
Court’s LGBTQ ruling awaited
Will Title VII Civil Rights Protect the Community from Discrimination? Next term, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear three cases affecting LGBTQ workers. The issue covered by these cases is
“Earned Wages” Not The Equivalent of “Back Pay” Under Massachusetts Wage Act
The Supreme Judicial Court has just recently made it abundantly clear that for liability to hold under the Massachusetts Wage Act, G.L. c. 149, §148, “[t]he work must have been
Where Were the Chaperones? (NBOA’s Net Assets, May/June 2019)
It’s a job, not a vacation. Back to basics on supervision and school trips. A story about a school trip to Washington, D.C., dominated the news cycle in January, especially
Probate: What It Is and How To Avoid It
Why avoid probate? It is a time consuming, public process, with significant legal expense involved. Avoiding it can save your family thousands of dollars in legal costs. How does your
Know the Law: How Do Donor Advised Funds Work?
Q: I normally donate $5,000 to charity every year, but this year my tax preparer suggested I create a donor-advised fund to maximize my tax deduction. What is a donor-advised
A New Age of Pay Equity
Published in NH Bar News (4/17/2019) April 2, 2019 marked the 13th anniversary of Equal Pay Day, a day first recognized by the National Committee on Pay Equity to raise
Know the Law: Immigration Considerations in Business Purchase and Sale Transactions
Q: I am considering purchasing a small company that employs foreign national employees. What should I be concerned about from an immigration standpoint? A: You should be concerned about the
Everything Is Not Terminator: Value-Based Regulation of Artificial Intelligence
Last fall, Reuters reported that Amazon had developed a hiring tool that used artificial intelligence to review job candidates to make hiring decisions, but that the program discriminated against women.
Build a Qualified Information Security Team
Part 2 of a special three-part series on cybersecurity (Part 1, Part 3) Information security needs to become an operational function of every law firm, just like accounting, human resources,
Non-traditional Families, Assistive Reproductive Technologies, and Common Concerns Facing Same-Sex Estate Planning Clients Post-Obergefell
Published by the New Hampshire Bar News (3/22/2019) Many issues that faced same-sex couples prior to the Supreme Court’s 2015 decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, which recognized the rights of same-sex
New Considerations in Family Partnership Planning
One of the most appealing strategies for reducing estate taxes is creating and funding a family limited partnership (“FLP”) (or a family limited liability company – FLLC). Under this strategy,