USCIS: Approval Notices May (Temporarily) Evidence Authorization to Work in US

Written by David S. Rugendorf Faced with logistical difficulties in producing work authorization documents (EAD cards), a growing backlog of applications and related litigation, the USCIS announced yesterday (August 19, 2020) that it would, in limited circumstances, allow paper I-797 approval notices to suffice as evidence of employment authorization, even though these notices explicitly state that they are not valid as evidence of same. US … Continue reading USCIS: Approval Notices May (Temporarily) Evidence Authorization to Work in US

New York’s Department of Financial Services Initiates Its First Enforcement Action Under Its 2017 Cybersecurity Regulations

Written by Timothy M. Carter Following a publicized commitment to increased cybersecurity enforcement, the New York Department of Financial Services (“NYDFS”) initiated its first enforcement action against First American Title Insurance Co. (“First American”) on July 22, 2020. Stemming from First American’s alleged failure to adequately safeguard highly confidential, personal consumer information – including bank account numbers and statements, mortgage and tax records, Social Security … Continue reading New York’s Department of Financial Services Initiates Its First Enforcement Action Under Its 2017 Cybersecurity Regulations

The Privilege to Speak One’s Mind: New York Broadens Its Anti-SLAPP Statute

Written by Timothy M. Carter The broad speech protections provided by the First Amendment are emblematic of a “profound national commitment to the principle that debate on public issues should be uninhibited, robust, and wide-open[.]”  New York Times v. Sullivan, 376 U.S. 254, 269–70 (1964).  While this unfettered commitment to free speech may shield a speaker from the chill of liability, practically speaking, it often … Continue reading The Privilege to Speak One’s Mind: New York Broadens Its Anti-SLAPP Statute

MSK Minute: California Reopening Stalls Under New Order

On Monday, July 14, California Governor Gavin Newsom ordered a halt to all indoor activities & operations at certain businesses statewide, as cases of COVID-19/coronavirus surge here in the country’s most populated state. What does this new order mean for your business? In this video, MSK attorneys Su Ross and Travis Jeffries examine a number of the issues and questions that employers should consider while … Continue reading MSK Minute: California Reopening Stalls Under New Order

Customs Broker Regulations Update – What Was CBP Thinking?

Written by Susan Kohn Ross For many months, the customs brokerage community has been expecting to see updates to the existing regulations. They finally came out in the Federal Register on June 5, 2020, see here. Comments are due on or before August 4, 2020. While much of what is in the proposed revisions is not controversial and fits nicely into CBP’s stated purpose to … Continue reading Customs Broker Regulations Update – What Was CBP Thinking?

Trump v. Trump: Publisher is not an Agent of Author Subject to a Non-Disclosure Agreement

By Sofia Castillo On July 1, the Appellate Division of the State of New York Supreme Court issued a decision on whether an author’s non-disclosure agreement (NDA) binds a publisher and other similarly situated distributors. The decision allows publisher Simon & Schuster to proceed with the publication of Mary Trump’s book about her uncle, President Donald Trump, titled Too Much and Never Enough, How My … Continue reading Trump v. Trump: Publisher is not an Agent of Author Subject to a Non-Disclosure Agreement

Time to Make Gifts of California Real Property May be Running Out

Written by Rachel Ronca On November 3, 2020, Californians will vote on Proposition 19, the “Property Tax Transfers, Exemptions, and Revenue for Wildlife Agencies and Counties Amendment,” a measure that seeks to amend the California Constitution with respect to the current property tax system.  If the proposed constitutional amendment passes, it will significantly narrow one of the most commonly used exemptions from property tax reassessment: … Continue reading Time to Make Gifts of California Real Property May be Running Out

SCOTUS Rejects Per Se Rule Against Trademark Protection for Generic.com Terms

Written by Eleanor M. Lackman and Samantha W. Frankel The U.S. Supreme Court has held that a generic word combined with “.com” is entitled to federal trademark registration if consumers perceive the combined mark as nongeneric.  United States Patent & Trademark Office v. Booking.com B. V., No. 19-46, 2020 WL 3518365 (U.S. June 30, 2020).  In an 8-1 decision, the Court held that because Booking.com … Continue reading SCOTUS Rejects Per Se Rule Against Trademark Protection for Generic.com Terms

Video: Navigating PPP Loan Forgiveness

Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans were created as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to provide a direct incentive for small businesses to keep their workers on the payroll during the COVID-19 pandemic. PPP loans were designed to be eligible for full or partial forgiveness, if the money is used for qualifying costs such as payroll, rent, mortgage interest, or utilities. … Continue reading Video: Navigating PPP Loan Forgiveness