Insights

Tax-Exempt Organizations Should be Prepared to File and Pay the Section 4960 Excise Tax on Executive Compensation by July 15, 2020

By: Kendall A. Schnurpel and Sharon B. Hearn on June 29, 2020

The Tax Cut and Jobs Act of 2017 (“TCJA”) added Section 4960 to the Internal Revenue Code (the “Code”), which imposes a new 21% excise tax on compensation paid by certain tax-exempt organizations and related parties (the “Excise Tax”). In December…

CFPB Aims to Ease Servicer Loss Mitigation Efforts and Encourage Small Dollar Loans with New No-Action Letter Templates

By: Alexander E. Porter on June 28, 2020

In an effort to ease loss mitigation efforts for servicers and assist struggling consumers, The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”) issued two No-Action Letter (“NAL”) Templates on May 22, 2020.[1] NALs are issued by the CFPB in response…

Paycheck Protection Program: Aggregated Guidance for Loans and Forgiveness

By: Robert A. Greising and Corben A. Lee on June 24, 2020

Did you really need those PPP funds? Did you spend 75% of your PPP funds on payroll costs, or wait, is that standard 60%? Did you lay off all of your employees and are hurrying to hire them back? What if they won’t come back?  Do you need a few more…

New Change to the Indiana Code Requires Additional Signature by Witness on All Recorded Documents

June 24, 2020

Senate Enrolled Act No. 340, which goes into effect July 1, 2020, will now require that any document to be recorded in Indiana have both a notarized signature of grantor and a notarized signature of a witness. Currently, Indiana Code §32-21-2-3…

A Bankruptcy Court Weighs In: Do Force Majeure Clauses Excuse Commercial Tenants from Paying Rent?

By: Alexander E. Porter on June 23, 2020

Almost immediately after governors issued stay-at-home orders and the President declared a National Emergency to combat COVID-19, attention turned to the force majeure clauses often found in commercial leases and insurance policies. Now, some three…

Trademarks for Business Owners: 5 Things Every Trademark Owner Should Know

By: Robert J. Goode on June 22, 2020

Choosing and Protecting a Trademark
 

1. What is a trademark?

A trademark can be “any word, name, symbol, or device” (alone or in combination) used to identify and differentiate goods or services from competitors and to indicate the source…

Deborah Daniels named by Mayor Hogsett to Independent Response Review Committee of Protest Response

June 21, 2020

Assessment expected to conclude before end of year

INDIANAPOLIS – Today, Mayor Joe Hogsett announced further details regarding the independent review of the public safety response to protests in late May and early June 2020. The review will look at…

PPP Loan Forgiveness Applications Available

By: Robert A. Greising and Corben A. Lee on June 18, 2020

Late in the evening on Tuesday, June 16, 2020, the SBA published a revised Paycheck Protection Program Loan Forgiveness Application (“Application”) and the Paycheck Protection Program EZ Loan Forgiveness Application (“EZ Application”) and…

Nursing Homes Required to Test All Staff Members for COVID-19

By: Meghan M. Linvill McNab and on June 18, 2020

As we previously reported, with case counts accumulating amongst the vulnerable patient population in nursing homes, the Indiana State Department of Health (“ISDH”) has mandated that all nursing home (“facility”) staff must undergo testing for…

Recent Seventh Circuit Title VII Sex Discrimination Case Offers Reminders for Employers About the Need for Consistency in Employment Practices and Decisions

By: Kate Trinkle on June 17, 2020

Litigation rarely goes to trial and employment law is no exception. However, a recent opinion from the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals in Joll v. Valparaiso Community Schools held that a plaintiff’s sex discrimination case, brought under Title VII…

Eviction and Foreclosure Moratoriums Extended to August 31, 2020 for Federally-Backed Mortgages

By: Alexander E. Porter on June 17, 2020

On June 16, 2020, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (“FHFA”) announced that government-sponsored entities Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will extend their single-family moratoriums on evictions and foreclosures until at least August 31, 2020.[1] This…

How Much Can Employers Control Employees' Summer Travel During COVID-19? A lot.

By: Amy J. Adolay on June 15, 2020

As the country begins to reopen and employees begin taking summer vacations, employers are receiving more questions and having to make more decisions about how to handle employee travel and return to work issues due to COVID-19.  Can employers…