RECENT POSTS
Congress Forges PATH in Tax Laws for Business, Individuals
Tax Law Certified Specialist (State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization) by Michael Hackman 818.907.3279 Congress has avoided a government shutdown by agreeing to a new budget in its Consolidated Appropriations Act, and the
Wrongful Termination & Disability Discrimination: Sarkisian Goes Head to Head With USC
Employment Litigation Defense by Sue M. Bendavid 818.907.3220 After a much publicized struggle with alcoholism and public firing by the University of Southern California, former head coach for the football team, Steve Sarkisian, has filed
Tax Planning Before Turning 70: What You Should Know About RMDs
Trusts & Estate Planning by Kira S. Masteller 818.907.3244 Tax payers aged 70 ½ or older this year must take a Required Minimum Distribution, or RMD, from their traditional IRAs (Individual Retirement Arrangements), SEP (Simplified
Trusts, Estates, Exemptions and Taxes
Trusts & Estate Planning by Kira S. Masteller 818.907.3244 It may be hard to believe that in 2001, the estate and gift tax exemption, also known as the unified credit, was a mere $675K. In
Music Publisher Caught in Birthday Suit
by Tal Grinblat & Nicholas Kanter 818.990.2120 In 2013, Good Morning to You Productions Corp., Rupa Marya and Robert Siegel (collectively “GMTY”) filed a class action suit against Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., one of the largest music publishing
Yes We CAN (talk about politics in the workplace)
Employment Defense by Tal Burnovski Yeyni 818-907-3224 As election times draw near, news about debates, political faux pas, and myriad guarantees are becoming more and more entrenched in our lives. Which, coincidentally, brings about the
Pow! Boff! Thwack! Batmobile Wins Copyright Litigation
Intellectual Property Litigation by Nicholas Kanter 818-907-3289 It’s not every day a Ninth Circuit court opinion includes, “Holy copyright law, Batman!,” or “To the Batmobile!” But in affirming a district court’s ruling in a copyright infringement
Online Piracy: 9th Circuit Cautions Copyright Holders re DMCA Takedown Notices
Intellectual Property Attorney by Tal Grinblat (818) 907-3284 A mother who uploaded a 29 second video to YouTube probably never dreamed she’d wind up with over a million views and a lawsuit by a major
Can Kim Davis Be Fired? What CA Employers Should Know About Religious Accommodations
Attorney for Employers by Sue M. Bendavid 818.907.3220 Last June, the U.S. Supreme Court determined that same-sex marriages are a fundamental liberty protected by the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution – and that states
Supreme Court Tells EPA Cost Does Matter
Environmental Litigation by Stephen T. Holzer 818.907.3299 The Environmental Protection Agency’s Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) placed national limits on mercury and other toxic emissions from power plants. The agency projected MATS to prevent