Two Coolidge Wall attorneys recently received recognition by Best Lawyers® as “Lawyer of the Year” in Dayton in their specific practice areas. Shannon L. Costello was named Best Lawyers® 2019 Litigation-Real Estate Lawyer of the Year in Dayton. Chad D. Hansen was named Best Lawyers® 2019 Tax Law Lawyer of the Year in Dayton. Congratulations to these and all of our firm’s very accomplished attorneys.
Election Day and the Workplace: Issues for Ohio Employers
Robert Frost once advised, “Thinking isn’t to agree or disagree. That’s voting.” One question that HR professionals are thinking of every election season is, “Do we need to provide employees time to vote?” In Ohio, the answer is likely yes. Ohio Revised Code Section 3599.06 provides that no employer shall discharge or threaten to discharge an elector for taking “a reasonable amount of time to vote on election day.” Ohio employers are prohibited from interfering with, discriminating, or retaliating against an employee who seeks to vote or serve as an election official on Election Day. Does this require employees leaving …
IRS Announces 2019 Pension Plan Limitations
On November 1, 2018, the IRS announced cost-of-living adjustments for 2019 retirement plan contributions. For 2019, the amounts that individuals will be able to contribute to retirement plans will increase from $18,500 to $19,000. However, the catch-up contribution limit for employees age 50 and over will remain unchanged at $6,000. This chart summarizes the limitations for 2019: Contribution Limits 2019 2018 Elective Deferral Limit – 401(k), 403(b) and 457(b) Plans $19,000 $18,500 Catch-Up Contribution Limit $6,000 $6,000 Elective Deferral Limit – SIMPLE Retirement Plan $13,000 $12,500 Catch-Up Contribution Limit – SIMPLE Retirement Plan $3,000 $3,000 Contribution Limit – IRA $6,000 …
In Memoriam – C. Mark Kingseed, Esq.
1954-2018 The Coolidge Wall family celebrates the life of our partner and close friend, C. Mark Kingseed, who passed away on October 10, 2018, following an extended illness. We will miss Mark’s keen wit, brilliant mind, and boundless energy. In a field that can reward big personalities and bigger egos, Mark chose a different path: he was a paragon of common sense, decency, and humility, never caving in to pressure with a cross word or a compromised strategy. Mark started his career jetting around the country for NCR, putting out union fires (sometimes literally) during the company’s heyday in Dayton. …
Ohio Proposes Tax Credit for Investments in Opportunity Zones
Background In December 2017, Congress’s passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act created Qualified Opportunity Zones (“Opportunity Zones”). In general, a taxpayer who invests in an Opportunity Zone can defer capital gain taxes and potentially reduce his capital gain by receiving a 10% to 15% increase in basis, in addition to paying no tax on any appreciation of the investment in the Opportunity Zone. Click here to find a more detailed discussion of Opportunity Zones. Ohio’s House Bill 727 On August 29th, the Ohio General Assembly introduced House Bill 727 (“HB 727”), which seeks to further incentivize investments in …
DOL Publishes New FMLA Forms
Links to the new forms are below, or visit the DOL website to browse them at this DOL web page. Notices (pdf format) WH-381 Notice of Eligibility and Rights & Responsibilities WH-382 Designation Notice Certification forms (pdf format) WH-380-E Certification of Health Care Provider for Employee’s Serious Health Condition WH-380-F Certification of Health Care Provider for Family Member’s Serious Health Condition WH-384 Certification of Qualifying Exigency For Military Family Leave WH-385 Certification for Serious Injury or Illness of Current Servicemember – for Military Family Leave WH-385-V Certification for Serious Injury or Illness of a Veteran for Military Caregiver Leave Links …
Sports Betting: Coming to a City Near You
Last May, the United States Supreme Court ruled that the federal Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (“PASPA”) was unconstitutional.[1] PASPA was enacted to prohibit state-sanctioned sports betting and effectively outlawed sports betting outside of Nevada (which was given an exemption). As a result, sports fans often turned to black market bookmakers to place wagers on their favorite sports teams. The Supreme Court reasoned that PASPA’s prohibition on state-sanctioned sports betting violated the 10th Amendment to the United States Constitution. The Supreme Court’s decision did not legalize sports betting nationwide. Instead, the Supreme Court simply held that each …
Coolidge Wall Selected as General Counsel for Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority
The law firm of Coolidge Wall Co., L.P.A. is pleased to announce that the firm has been selected by the Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority (RTA) to be their General Counsel. The RTA is a public transit agency that serves Montgomery County and Western Greene County. It is Ohio’s fourth largest public transit system and provides more than 11 million passenger trips per year on its buses, which operate seven days a week and 21 hours a day. “Coolidge is pleased to be selected by the RTA, a premier public transport provider and integral part of the people and communities …
Twenty Coolidge Attorneys Honored as The Best Lawyers in America® 2019
Coolidge Wall Co., L.P.A. is pleased to announce that 20 of its attorneys were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2019. Best Lawyers is regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Its process is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey on the legal abilities of other lawyers in their practice areas. Lawyers may not pay a fee to be listed, so inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a singular honor. Corporate Counsel magazine called Best Lawyers “the most respected referral list of attorneys in practice.” The Coolidge attorneys selected for inclusion in …
The Game of Risk (Allocation)
According to Benjamin Graham in his book, The Intelligent Investor, “Successful investing is about managing risk, not avoiding it.” This same concept holds true and can be applied to transactions involving the purchase or sale of a small to medium sized business. Even with unlimited resources to conduct due diligence, there will always be risk for both the buyer and the seller in any business transaction. One of the most significant sources of risk in a business transaction is the risk of the unknown: in all cases, the buyer or seller “does not know what he or she doesn’t know”. …