Week three of the U.S. Government shutdown has begun, and agencies responsible for administering export controls, sanctions, and other trade-related functions have been affected by the lapse in federal appropriations. This means that companies need to be prepared for extended licensing and Continue Reading
IRS Proposed Regulations Relax Requirements for Hardship Distributions
The IRS recently issued proposed regulations relating to hardship distributions under 401(k) plans. The proposed regulations generally clarify or supplement recent statutory changes, including those made by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018. Except where noted, the rules and changes summarized Continue Reading
Contractors in the Crosshairs—Weathering the 2019 Government Shutdown
Here we are again. Large swaths of the federal government have been closed since December 22 because Congress and the president cannot agree on legislation to fund the government. Nearly a million federal employees are not receiving their paychecks. Even larger numbers of government contractors are Continue Reading
USPTO Provides Further Clarity for Navigating the Abstract Maze
Andrei Iancu, director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), continues to steer the USPTO on a more pro-patent path with new Examination Guidance released for public comment on January 4, 2019. The Guidance refines how examiners should apply Alice Corp.’s two-part test Continue Reading
Venture Capital & Emerging Growth Companies Activities—January 2019
McCarter’s Venture Capital & Emerging Growth Companies Practice empowers clients throughout the development cycle—from ideation to creation, capitalization, implementation, commercialization and monetization. We are proud to share current media coverage and other good news Continue Reading
Understanding Mortgage Acceleration and Its Statute of Limitations Implications
A year ago, pending in New York were nearly 26,000 legacy foreclosures—foreclosures arising from mortgages originated between 2004 and 2008. Many of these mortgages went into default shortly after origination, which was common among toxic mortgages from that period. Legacy foreclosures are Continue Reading
Rates and Service Obligations of Municipally Owned Gas Distributors
During the nineteenth-century gaslight era, a number of municipalities built and operated manufactured gas plants to provide illuminating gas for city street lights. Many of these early central plant and distribution systems were purchased by investor-owned utilities. Some continued, however, Continue Reading
Distributor Ratemaking Procedures
A distributor ordinarily begins the ratemaking process by filing a rate change with the state regulatory commission.1 Investigations by state regulatory bodies in response to customer companies or on their own motion may lead to changes in a distributor’s rates as well. This chapter discusses Continue Reading
Beyond Bitcoin—Will Blockchain and Smart Contracts Self-Execute Their Way Into the Utility Industry?
Blockchain is being touted as a game changing development—a disrupter or innovator (depending on your view) that will transform how industries conduct business. One thing is clear, what started as the foundation for Bitcoin has evolved well beyond cryptocurrency into a process that has the Continue Reading
The U.S. Government Is Asking Industry to Help Identify ‘Emerging Technologies’
In a highly unusual move, the federal Bureau of Industry and Security is asking U.S. industry to help identify emerging technologies that are essential to national security but currently escape the tangle of laws and regulations that govern — and in some cases restrict or prohibit — the sale or Continue Reading