Client Update

The American Land Title Association (“ALTA”) and the National Society of Professional Surveyors (“NSPS”) have historically agreed upon certain standards relating to title to real estate and the components of surveys with respect to the boundaries of lots. It is of the upmost importance that all of the parties to a real estate transaction understand…

A Declaration of Homestead is a legal document informing the public that the homeowner is asserting his or her rights to protect their home from creditors. In many states, there is a property tax exemption for property that is titled in homestead. Almost all of the states allow the primary residence to be homesteaded. However,…

NOTE: This Client Alert applies to employers who are covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”). An employer is covered by the ADA if it employs fifteen or more individuals. The ADA is enforced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”). In its most basic sense, the ADA requires employers to ensure that qualified…

Recreational cannabis, aka marijuana, is legal in 15 states, as well as Guam and Washington, D.C., and legalization is imminent in New York State.[1] Not all cannabis, however, is created equal – many states impose stamp taxes on illegal marijuana – even states where recreational use is legal. This Client Alert contrasts the approach of two different…

On January 1, 2021, Congress overrode President Trump’s veto and enacted the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021, an omnibus bill that includes the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2020 (the “Act”). The Act represents a considerable development in the United States anti-money laundering laws (“AML”) and the most sweeping AML legislation since the…

Will the statutory zoning changes recently enacted by the Massachusetts Legislature result in a rush of new development and start to address the goal of increasing housing in the Commonwealth? Prospects for growth in housing and residential real estate development in Massachusetts have the potential to expand significantly following the passage of a new Massachusetts…

On January 19, 2021, the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS” or the “Service) issued Notice 2021-10 (the “2021 Notice”) extending relief measures first provided in Notice 2020-39 (the “2020 Notice”) related to investments by qualified opportunity funds (“QOFs”) in qualified opportunity zones (“QOZs”). This Client Alert summarizes the relevant provisions of the QOZ legislation in the Internal…

Lenders have long relied on the London Interbank Offered Rate, or, “LIBOR”, as a benchmark interest rate for variable rate financial products. In late July of 2017, the United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority announced that LIBOR would be phased out by the year 2021. With an estimated US$350 trillion in outstanding financial products, including loans,…