Federal
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February 07, 2025
Feds Defend Corporate Transparency Act In 5th And 4th Circuits
The U.S. government defended the Corporate Transparency Act in the Fifth and Fourth Circuits on Friday, urging the former to reverse a Texas federal judge's nationwide injunction on the law and the latter to affirm a Virginia federal judge's rejection of a bid to block the law's enforcement.
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February 07, 2025
Wyden Demands Clarification On DOGE's Treasury Access
Senate Finance Committee ranking member Ron Wyden questioned Friday whether U.S. Treasury Department lawyers were misleading and evasive when they said members of Elon Musk's U.S. DOGE Service Temporary Organization were granted only "read-only" access to the department's payment systems.
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February 07, 2025
Ex-Mass. State Sen. Gets 18 Months For Pandemic, Tax Fraud
A former Massachusetts state senator was sentenced to 18 months in prison Friday after being convicted of fraudulently collecting pandemic unemployment benefits and failing to report consulting income he was also earning at the time on his tax returns.
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February 07, 2025
Customs Broker Pleads Guilty To Wire Fraud, Tax Evasion
A customs broker pled guilty Friday in California federal court to evading $1.5 million in taxes and overcharging clients about $5.4 million in import duty fees as part of a plea agreement he reached with the U.S. Department of Justice.
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February 07, 2025
Ex-NFL Star Romanowski's Bankruptcy Converted To Ch. 7
Former NFL player Bill Romanowski and wife Julie had their Chapter 11 bankruptcy case converted to a Chapter 7 on Friday, after a California judge called a filing from the couple seeking the case's dismissal full of "hyperbole" and said a trustee is needed to examine the pair's assets and liabilities.
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February 07, 2025
GOP Sens. File Bill To Make Pot Co. Tax Penalty Permanent
Republican U.S. senators have filed a bill that would bar cannabis companies from taking business deductions even if cannabis is taken off of Schedule 1 of the Controlled Substances Act.
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February 07, 2025
4th Circ. Says LeClairRyan Founder May Duck Tax Liability
Defunct law firm LeClairRyan PLLC's operating agreement did not bar founder Gary LeClair from jumping ship in time to potentially dodge massive tax bills tied to the firm's collapse, the Fourth Circuit ruled Friday.
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February 07, 2025
Taxation With Representation: Kirkland, Latham, Skadden
In this week's Taxation With Representation, Triumph Group goes private via Berkshire Partners and Warburg Pincus affiliates, alternative asset manager TPG buys Altus Power, Globus Medical buys Nevro Corp., and Honeywell separates its automation and aerospace technology businesses, resulting in the formation of three distinct companies.
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February 07, 2025
Goldstein's Pro Se Filing Irks Feds Amid Murky Atty Situation
Prosecutors have asked a Maryland federal judge to strike a pro se motion from Tom Goldstein in his tax evasion case, saying the U.S. Supreme Court attorney and SCOTUSblog publisher shouldn't be allowed to personally make arguments to the court when he is represented by several experienced lawyers.
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February 07, 2025
IRS System Error Leads To $43.7M In Faulty Refunds
The Internal Revenue Service processing system's handling of dishonored checks may have caused as much as $43.7 million in erroneous refunds to be distributed, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration said, though it noted the agency already has settled on a fix.
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February 07, 2025
Former Top Congressional Investigator Leaves Lasting Legacy
Elise J. Bean, former chief counsel for the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, is remembered for leading landmark bipartisan congressional probes, which exposed massive tax and financial scandals with findings that helped pave the way for game-changing legislation.
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February 07, 2025
Florida Couple Owed $14M Tax Refund, Court Told
A couple claiming they overpaid their taxes asked a Florida federal court for help getting a nearly $14 million refund, saying they asked the IRS for the money more than four years ago, but the agency has yet to make a decision or explain the delay.
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February 07, 2025
Weekly Internal Revenue Bulletin
The Internal Revenue Service's weekly bulletin, issued Friday, included the release of the first annual table showing the types of facilities eligible for the clean energy production and investment tax credits.
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February 06, 2025
State AGs To Sue Over DOGE Access To Payment Systems
Over a dozen state attorneys general are set to file suit challenging Elon Musk and Department of Government Efficiency staffers' access to people's sensitive personal information through government payment systems, New York Attorney General Letitia James' office announced Thursday.
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February 06, 2025
Senate Approves Trump's Pick To Lead OMB
The U.S. Senate voted Thursday to confirm President Donald Trump's pick — one of the authors of the controversial Project 2025, a conservative policy wish list — to again oversee the Office of Management and Budget.
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February 06, 2025
Dems Demand Info On DOGE's Taxpayer Data Access
House Ways and Means Committee Democrats demanded in a letter released Thursday to know whether Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency has been given access to individuals' confidential tax data.
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February 06, 2025
Baker McKenzie Partner Rejoins Firm From Apple
Baker McKenzie announced that a former partner specializing in trade and customs law has rejoined the firm after serving as principal counsel and the lead adviser on global trade matters for Apple.
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February 06, 2025
Trump Lays Out Tax Priorities In Meeting With GOP
President Donald Trump encouraged Republican leaders in Congress to fulfill his campaign promises to eliminate taxes on Social Security benefits, overtime pay and tips and to renew the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act this year, a White House spokesperson told reporters Thursday.
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February 06, 2025
Democrats Pitch Taxing Carried Interest As Ordinary Income
Democrats in the House of Representatives and Senate proposed on Thursday ending the favorable tax treatment of income from carried interest, saying they want to close what they describe as a tax loophole that unfairly benefits professional investors.
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February 06, 2025
US To Appeal Block On Corporate Transparency Act
The federal government plans to challenge an order preventing it from enforcing the Corporate Transparency Act's reporting requirements for businesses, following the U.S. Supreme Court's pause of another nationwide block on the law in a separate case, according to a notice filed in a Texas federal court.
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February 06, 2025
IRS Correctly Upheld Levy On $11.2M Tax Bill
The IRS correctly upheld a levy for over $11.2 million in quarterly taxes owed by a South Carolina business, the U.S. Tax Court said Thursday, finding that it brought a collection alternative on to-be-processed employee retention credits too late.
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February 06, 2025
Musk's Access To Records Blocked In DOGE, Treasury Suit
A Washington, D.C., federal judge on Thursday approved a consent order blocking Elon Musk and additional Department of Government Efficiency employees from accessing the federal government's payment systems, although a "special government employee" will have limited access as the Treasury Department and suing plaintiffs spar over a preliminary injunction.
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February 06, 2025
Family Says Tax Shelter Creator To Blame In $81M IRS Case
Counsel for members of a wealthy extended family accused of shorting the IRS nearly $81 million by knowingly participating in an unlawful tax shelter told a Manhattan federal judge Thursday that the creator of the so-called Son-of-Boss scheme is to blame.
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February 06, 2025
Metals Dealer Says Partners Lost $12M In Attys' Tax Scam
A precious metals dealer and his partners said they were fleeced of $12 million by attorneys who directed them to form a partnership and take illegal tax deductions for intellectual property, according to a complaint filed in Colorado federal court.
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February 06, 2025
Trump's Federal Worker Buyout Plan Put On Hold
A Massachusetts federal judge on Thursday put on hold the Trump administration's "deferred resignation" program for federal employees, delaying the deadline for workers to accept the offer until Monday while the court weighs the legality of the move.
Expert Analysis
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Gardening Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Beyond its practical and therapeutic benefits, gardening has bolstered important attributes that also apply to my litigation practice, including persistence, patience, grit and authenticity, says Christopher Viceconte at Gibbons.
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Litigation Inspiration: Reframing Document Review
For attorneys — new ones especially — there is much fulfillment to find in document review by reflecting on how important, interesting and pleasant it can be, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.
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Rank-And-File DOJ Attorneys Will Keep Calm And Carry On
Career prosecutors at the U.S. Department of Justice often pride themselves on their ability to remain apolitical in order to ensure consistency and keep the department’s mission afloat, and the incoming Trump administration is unlikely to upend this tradition, says Michael Landman at Bird Marella.
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What Higher Education Can Expect From A 2nd Trump Admin
The election of Donald Trump for a second presidential term has far-reaching ramifications for colleges and universities — come January, institutions can expect a crackdown on DEI, increased scrutiny of campus protests, a rollback of the Biden administration's Title IX rules and more, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.
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3 Ways To Train Junior Lawyers In 30 Minutes Or Less
Today’s junior lawyers are experiencing a skills gap due to pandemic-era disruptions, but firms can help bring them up to speed by offering high-impact skill building content in bite-sized, interactive training sessions, say Stacey Schwartz at Katten, Diane Costigan at Winston & Strawn and Lauren Tierney at Freshfields.
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Expect Surging Oil And Gas Industry Under New Trump Admin
Throughout his recent campaign, President-elect Donald Trump promised increased oil and natural gas production and reduced reliance on renewables — and his administration will likely bring more oil and gas dealmaking, faster federal permitting and attempts to roll back incentives for green energy, say attorneys at Sidley.
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The Bar Needs More Clarity On The Discovery Objection Rule
Almost 10 years after Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 34 was amended, attorneys still seem confused about what they should include in objections to discovery requests, and until the rules committee provides additional clarity, practitioners must beware the steep costs of noncompliance, says Tristan Ellis at Shanies Law Office.
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Cos. Should Inventory Issues To Prep For New Congress
As the legislative and oversight agendas of the 119th Congress come into sharper focus, corporate counsel should assess and plan for areas of potential oversight risk — from tax policy changes to supply chain integrity — even as much uncertainty remains, say attorneys at WilmerHale.
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Conservation Easement Cases Weave Web Of Uncertainty
Much of the IRS and Justice Department’s recent success in prosecuting syndicated conservation easement cases can be attributed to the government’s focus on the so-called PropCo ratio, which could indicate treacherous waters ahead for participants and their advisers, even under the incoming Trump administration, say attorneys at Polsinelli.
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So You Want To Move Your Law Practice To Canada, Eh?
Google searches for how to move to Canada have surged in the wake of the U.S. presidential election, and if you’re an attorney considering a move to the Great White North, you’ll need to understand how the practice of law differs across the border, says David Postel at Henein Hutchison.
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Legislation Most Likely To Pass In Lame Duck Session
As Congress begins its five-week post-election lame duck session, attorneys at Greenberg Traurig break down the legislative priorities and which proposals can be expected to pass.
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What Trump's 2nd Presidency Could Mean For Crypto Sector
Trump's second term will bring a fundamental shift from the Biden administration's approach to crypto-asset regulation and banking supervision, with the most significant changes likely taking effect in the first two quarters of 2025 and broader policy shifts emerging over the next year, say attorneys at Cahill.
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Promoting Diversity In The Selection Of ADR Neutrals
Excerpt from Practical Guidance
Choosing neutrals from diverse backgrounds is an important step in promoting inclusion in the legal profession, and it can enhance the legitimacy and public perception of alternative dispute resolution proceedings, say attorneys at Lowenstein Sandler.