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They’re back! FinCEN Beneficial ownership information reporting (BOIR) requirements under the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) are once again back in effect. The catalyst in this very long-running back-and-forth was the February 18, 2025, decision of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District Court of Texas, in Smith, et al. v. U.S. Department of the Treasury, lifting its January 7, 2025, order that had put a nationwide hold on BOIR requirements. The February 18 order will remain in effect while the case is on appeal for a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

Remote work has become a fixture in the modern workplace, offering employees flexibility while allowing companies to attract top talent regardless of location. However, this shift can come with heightened cybersecurity risks, exposing both employers and employees to potential data breaches, cyberattacks, and legal liabilities. Employers must balance cybersecurity measures with employee privacy rights while complying with federal and state data protection laws.

The four-day workweek is gaining traction as companies seek more ways to enhance business productivity, improve employee satisfaction, and attract top talent. Across various industries, companies are exploring the feasibility of condensing work hours, without reducing employee pay. However, before implementing a four-day workweek, employers should carefully consider the legal implications to ensure continued compliance with wage and hour laws, overtime calculations, employee benefits, and workplace policies.

A day after being sworn into office as president, Donald Trump began to issue executive orders aimed at implementing his campaign promise to take decisive actions on immigration enforcement. One major change is the administration’s rescission of a longstanding policy that limited federal immigration enforcement activities in particularly sensitive locations, such as churches, schools, and hospitals.

In the longest running game of legal pong in years in the United States, the Supreme Court entered the fray in the battle over enforceability of the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) requirements on disclosure of ownership with FinCEN. On January 23, 2025, the Supreme Court issued a stay of the trial court’s nationwide preliminary injunction in the case of Texas Top Cop Shop, Inc. v. McHenry.

The construction industry is no stranger to conflicts, from delayed payments to disputes over terms and conditions. However, the rise of smart contracts, powered by blockchain technology, is transforming how deals are made, and disputes are resolved. These self-executing contracts offer transparency, efficiency, and a significant reduction in administrative headaches. But what exactly are smart contracts, and how can they revolutionize construction projects?

Among the campaign promises made by Donald Trump in the run up to the 2024 presidential election was to radically restructure the federal workforce, in part, by taking away civil service protections from thousands of workers. It did not take Trump long to make good on that promise. On January 20, 2025, shortly after being sworn into office, one of his first acts as president was to issue an executive order titled “Restoring Accountability to Policy-Influencing Positions Within the Federal Workforce,” (2025 Executive Order) that attempts to strip civil service and due process protections from a large swath of federal employees.

Effective January 1, 2025, the Virginia state minimum wage increased by 3.4%, rising from $12.00 to $12.41 per hour. While this adjustment may seem modest, it represents a significant bump for employers navigating labor costs in a state where minimum wage changes are tied to the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The 2025 increase keeps Virginia in step with the thirty other states and the District of Columbia that have minimum wage rates higher than the federal minimum of $7.25 per hour.

The Biden administration spent nearly two years crafting new regulations that attempted to make clear Title IX’s ban against discrimination “on the basis of sex” also included discrimination-based sex stereotypes, pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity. Notwithstanding the U.S. Supreme Court’s conclusion in the Bostock case that the term “sex” included these other matters in the context of Title VII, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky issued an order on January 9, 2025, vacating the U.S. Department of Education’s April 2024 Title IX Final Rule (“Final Rule”), in the case of State of Tennessee, et al. v. Cardona.

After issuing proposed regulations earlier this year and soliciting extensive public comment, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) issued a final rule on December 17, 2024 introducing significant changes to certain of the regulations applicable to small business contractors planning for or actively pursuing merger and acquisition (M&A) transactions.

An employee handbook is a crucial tool for a business to communicate its policies, procedures, and expectations, and to ensure legal compliance. However, employee handbooks need to be reviewed and updated regularly to achieve these objectives. Here are five reasons to update your employee handbook in 2025:

On December 26, 2024, the on-again, off-again saga of the reporting requirements for most small business owners under the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) took another twist when the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit decided to completely reverse direction. The Fifth Circuit vacated its December 23, 2024, Order that blocked the trial court’s national injunction blocking enforcement of the CTA in the case of Texas Top Cop Shop, Inc. v. Garland.

It is becoming increasingly common for employers, especially in the construction, manufacturing, and warehousing sectors, to outfit workers with wearable technologies, or “wearables” — devices worn on the body to improve worker safety and productivity. Worker safety and productivity are becoming increasingly important line items for employers to control. Consider that the construction, manufacturing, and warehousing industries experienced more than 700,000 non-fatal injuries and more than 2,000 fatal accidents in 2022, according to the Government Accounting Office. OSHA estimates that as many as two million workers a year are victims of workplace violence, and employers pay out around $2 billion per week in direct workers’ compensation costs.

Choosing the right ownership structure for your Limited Liability Company (LLC) can have a significant impact on how your business operates, its tax obligations, and its growth potential. LLCs are known for their flexibility compared to other business structures, which is why they’re popular among entrepreneurs and established business owners alike. But with this flexibility comes a critical decision: which ownership structure best aligns with your business goals?

We have written regularly on the requirements of most business owners, subject to limited exceptions, to file disclosure documentation as required by the Corporate Transparency Act. We also updated you with the news that a Texas District Court had entered a nationwide injunction blocking the act on December 3, 2024. Now the latest…never mind, the stay in turn has been thrown out by an appellate court and the CTA is back.

Buying or selling a house is a monumental milestone, often accompanied by a mix of excitement and anxiety. Among the many steps in a real estate transaction, home inspections play a critical role. For buyers, these inspections offer an opportunity to understand the condition of the property they are purchasing, while sellers must prepare for the insights such inspections may reveal.

As the global demand for data processing and storage surges, the data center industry continues to play a critical role in shaping the future of technology, energy, and economic development. Recent trends and local developments highlight the interconnectedness of data centers, renewable energy solutions, and urban planning.

UPDATE – 12/10/24

After initial publication and contrary to the information below, FinCEN has now updated their website indicating reporting companies were not required to file at this time and that entities will not be subject to liability for failure to report during the injunction.

Proffers, a central component of land use and zoning approvals, are commitments made by developers to address the impacts of their projects on surrounding communities. While these commitments are typically voluntary, they are binding and aim to mitigate concerns related to infrastructure, environmental preservation, and public services. Proffers are often a source of sensitivity, as they can significantly increase the cost and complexity of development projects. At the same time, municipalities view proffers as a vital tool to sustain and improve community resources, creating a balancing act for both parties. This article explores the intricacies of proffers through a hypothetical project, illustrating how developers and municipalities can collaborate to achieve equitable outcomes.

The concept of “Schedule F” in federal employment was a topic of considerable discussion in the run-up to the 2024 presidential election, raising questions about its implications in 2025 and beyond for federal employees and contractors. This blog provides an informational overview of Schedule F, its potential impact on the federal workforce, and considerations for contractors who work closely with federal agencies.