THE IMPORTANCE OF COMPLIANCE DURING AND AFTER THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Reopening Offices and Restoring Profitability
About 2,500 years ago, Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to Jerusalem, destroyed its Temple, and exiled its citizens to Babylonia. Around 60 years later, Persia’s King Cyrus conquered Babylon and allowed the expatriates to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple. Restoration of the Temple was a spiritual renewal after a devastating exile. A modern-day renewal of spirits will occur as Covid-19 exiles return to their offices and rebuild their practices.
Continue reading “Reopening Offices and Restoring Profitability”Checklist of Legal Supplies
Successfully Working at Home
Over 140 years ago, Louis Pasteur revolutionized the treatment of infectious diseases by developing vaccines for anthrax and rabies. After his death in 1897, virologists continued using Pasteur's discoveries to create vaccines against chickenpox, measles, mumps, yellow fever, rubella, and tuberculosis.
Modern-day microbiologists are likely to use Pasteur’s principles when they develop a vaccine for the Coronavirus. Meantime, Coronavirus exiles can read this article for tips and resources to successfully work from home.
Continue reading “Successfully Working at Home”COVID-19 May Shape NY Business Interruption Insurance Law
On the scale of pandemics, the novel coronavirus, commonly referred to as COVID-19,[1] is unprecedented and ranks among one of the worst in human history, not only in terms of its virulence but in economic destruction as well.
While scientists hastily work toward developing a vaccine and antiviral drugs to combat COVID-19, world leaders in the countries afflicted by the virus have imposed strict governmental lockdowns, barred travel, closed courts,[2] blocked tourism and employed social distancing measures in an effort to stop the rapid spread of the pathogen.
Continue reading “COVID-19 May Shape NY Business Interruption Insurance Law”A Guide to Understanding Your Closing Disclosure
What You’ll Learn
How to understand your Closing Disclosure form
Why your Closing Disclosure may vary from your Loan Estimate
The significance of different dates on your Closing Disclosure
A Closing Disclosure is a five to six-page form that provides final details about the mortgage loan you have selected, including the loan terms, your projected monthly payments, and how much you will pay in fees and other costs to get your mortgage (closing costs).
Continue reading “A Guide to Understanding Your Closing Disclosure”Attracting Clients to Your Firm
During the 1800’s, it was common for lawyers to attract clients by hanging a shingle and advertising in newspapers. In the early 1900’s, lawyer advertising was restrained by ABA rules, but the situation changed in 1977 when the Supreme Court extended First Amendment protection to lawyer advertising. By the late 1900’s, advertising became more common and some firms began using commercials on radio and television. The situation changed in the 2000’s as firms migrated their marketing to websites and social media.
Continue reading “Attracting Clients to Your Firm”Practice Building with Professional Development
About 50 years ago, the Beatles released an innovative album called Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. The album contained a hit song titled Getting Better that told John Lennon’s personal experience with self-improvement. Companies like Nestle, Mayo Clinic, and Toyota have used an improvement strategy known as Kaizen to make better products and increase market share. Focus on improvement can similarly help lawyers build their practice. Read on for professional development tips for lawyers and resources for implementing them at your firm.
Continue reading “Practice Building with Professional Development”Why Do I Need an LLC or Corporate Kit?
When you go to the trouble and expense of creating an LLC or Corporation — instead of operating as a sole proprietorship or partnership—you are doing so in order to avoid being personally responsible for the debts of the business and claims of third parties or employees against the business. An LLC or Corporate Kit is a highly efficient, time-honored way to way to help ensure that this crucial goal is indeed carried out.
Continue reading “Why Do I Need an LLC or Corporate Kit?”Sweeping Reforms to Rent Overcharge Under New Rent Laws
First, the entire rental history for each rent-regulated unit within the building must be obtained from DHCR, which records date back to 1984. Once these records are procured, each legal annually registered rent for all regulated units must be scrutinized for increases. If there are any increases, they must be explained. This is particularly vexing for those increases related to Major Capital Improvements (MCI), which allowed landlords to hike the rent by 6% in NYC and 15% outside of NYC under the prior laws after improvements were made benefiting the tenants. For all increases, all of the backup (invoices from contractors, canceled checks for payments, etc.), must be furnished. If the supporting documentation cannot be produced, or, alternatively, if the documents are inadequate, the rent may be deemed “unreliable,” rendering the asset toxic. The level of toxicity of the asset is largely dependent upon the amount of the overcharge and the time during which the rent was overcharged. Therefore, it is highly advisable for landlords to forego the purchase of any such toxic asset, especially in buildings where there are many potential overcharge claims where the owner does not possess backup.
Continue reading “Sweeping Reforms to Rent Overcharge Under New Rent Laws”