We Applaud Our 2012 Super Lawyers!

We are proud to announce that several members of our firm have been named 2012 Super Lawyers:
Steven P. Dlott, Mario J. Fazio, Louis B. Geneva, Debra J. Horn, Barbara K. Roman and Peter Turner. Additionally, Scott B. Geneva and Jenifere R. Singleton have been named Rising Stars (under 40).

These prestigious awards are based on a rigorous, multi-phased selection process which includes independent research, peer nominations and peer evaluations, and are ultimately awarded to attorneys who have demonstrated a high degree of professional achievement. We congratulate our colleagues on this well-deserved honor!

NLRB Postpones Rule Implementation

FOR THE NLRB,
IT IS DÉJÀ VU ALL OVER AGAIN.

This is an update to our Client Alert dated 10/10/2011. If you will recall, we previously reported that the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB” or the “Board”) had postponed the implementation of its rule requiring most private sector employers to post a notice advising employees of their rights to unionize. The Board initially postponed the notice requirement from November 14, 2011 to January 31, 2012. Now, at the request of a federal judge overseeing two lawsuits challenging the Board’s authority to require such a notice, the Board has agreed to further postpone the implementation date of its posting rule until April 30, 2012.

The 11″ x 17″ notice, which must be posted both in English and in any other language spoken by more than 20% of employees, informs employees about their rights under federal law to (1) form, join or assist a union in an effort to organize a company’s workforce; (2) bargain collectively; (3) discuss wages, benefits and other terms and conditions of employment; and (4) raise complaints with management, strike or picket. The notice also provides examples of other employer conduct which is prohibited by law.

An employer’s failure to post the notice may have serious consequences. It may extend the six-month filing period for unfair labor practice (“ULP”) charges against an employer and it also may be used as evidence of an employer’s unlawful motive in a subsequent ULP case.

We will let you know if the NLRB postpones this notice posting rule yet again. If you have any questions regarding the posting requirement or if you would like to arrange for management training to respond to potential employee questions relating to unionization, please contact Seth Briskin or Lester Armstrong at (216) 831-0042 or visit us on the web at www.meyersroman.com.

Mario Fazio to Speak at Seminar on Entity Selection on December 6, 2011

Mario Fazio will be one of the faculty speakers at the “Entity Selection: Beyond the Basics” seminar on December 6th at the Holiday Inn Independence. Presented by the National Business Institute (NBI), this all-day seminar will focus on the “critical legal, tax and securities aspects that impact LLCs, corporations and partnerships.” A basic understanding of business entities will be very helpful. Continuing education credits will be available for attorneys, financial advisors and CPAs. For more information or to register:  http://www.nbi-sems.com/SemTeleDetails.aspx/R-57666ER%7C?ctname=SPKEM

Meyers Roman Welcomes Gerald Goldberg and Daniel N. Steiger

Meyers Roman is proud to welcome Gerald Goldberg and Daniel N. Steiger, both of whom have joined the firm in an “Of Counsel” capacity.

As former Executive Vice President and Co-Chairman of the Board of a national savings bank with assets of billion, headquartered in Cleveland, Mr. Goldberg has extensive legal experience in banking, estate planning, finance, wealth management, and real estate investments. Mr. Goldberg received his B.A. degree from The Ohio State University and his law degree from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law.

Mr. Steiger brings to the firm 24 years of experience as a real estate developer and business owner as well as several years as a practicing attorney with a downtown law firm. A member of our Business and Corporate Practice Group, his legal work concentrates in the areas of start ups, financing and succession planning, real estate purchases and leasing, real property taxation, and land-use issues. Mr. Steiger received his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and his law and MBA degrees from The Ohio State University. He is currently a board member of Menorah Park Center for Senior Living and has been involved with several other non-profit organizations.

Scott Geneva Discusses Why Estate Planning Continues to Be Critical

In this week’s Cleveland Jewish News, Scott Geneva writes about estate planning in light of the new (and more lenient) inheritance tax law passed last Decenber….http://snipurl.com/2bt62j

Mario Fazio to Speak on 1099-MISC Issues for 2011 on 10/25 Webinar

Mario Fazio will be one of  4 speakers at The Knowledge Congress live webinar  entitled “1099-MISC Issues for 2011: What You Need to Know”  on October 25th. Other speakers include Raelane Hoff from the IRS;  Marcia Miller, President of Financial Horizons, Inc.; and William Becker of Cherry, Bekaert & Holland, L.L.P. The speakers will share their expert  opinions/knowledge with the goal of helping businesses and individual taxpayers  understand the critical components  of new 1099 reporting requirements. 

If you are interested in attending this 2-hour live webcast, please contact  The Knowledge Congress at 1-800-578-4370 or visit www.knowledgecongress.org/events.htm 

Gift and Estate Tax Planning

Innovative Gift and Estate Tax Planning in These Uncertain Times – Breakfast Briefing 11/03/11October 06, 2011

  At our next Breakfast Briefing,  Scott and Lou Geneva will discuss how the December 2010 federal tax law changes, the July 2011 Ohio estate tax law changes, and the general uncertainty of the tax law have forced estate planners to revisit their clients’ plans. They will give concrete examples of ways to take advantage of the current transfer tax laws.

Jeff Wasserman, Senior Vice President & Director of Specialty Life at Oswald Companies, will offer critical advice on employing flexible life insurance strategies to leverage your current estate planning gifts.

With the year-end fast approaching, we encourage you to join us at the Hilton Cleveland East (3663 Park East Drive, 44122) on November 3rd, 2011 from 7:30 - 9:30 am for this breakfast seminar, and learn how you can effectively use the new laws to your benefit.

Kindly RSVP to Sara Cox at scox@meyersroman.com.

 

 

NLRB Postpones New Posting Rule Live Date

Well, we have some good news and some repetitive news for you.  On October 5, 2011, the National Labor Relations Board (the “NLRB”)  announced that the  new effective date of its notice/posting rule is  now Jan. 31, 2012. Details on this new posting requirement can be found in our September 14^th Client Alert entitled “NLRB Final Rule Requires Employers to Post Notice of Employee Rights”—essentially, this will require eligible employers to post a notice that educates employees about their right to form a union and other available protections pursuant to Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act.

The NLRB’s justification for this more than two-month postponement was to allow for enhancededucationand outreach to employers, particularly those who operate small and medium sized businesses. The NLRB  further stated that the decision to delay the effective date was in response to “queries” from businesses and trade organizations surrounding uncertainty about which businesses fall under the NLRB’s jurisdiction, and was thus delayed in the interest of ensuring broad voluntary compliance.

Even though the NLRB has provided this plausible and altruistic justification for the postponement, many management groups believe that the pendinglawsuit to block the implementation of this new rule is the actual reason for the NLRB’s delay. For the official notice visit www.nlrb.gov/news/posting-employee-rights-notice-now-required-jan-31-board-postpones-deadline-allow-further-educa

If you would like to  further discuss how this regulation affects you or your/your client’s business, please contact one of the members of our Labor and Employment Practice Group:  Seth Briskin at (216) 831-0042, ext. 141 or sbriskin@meyersroman.com, Lester Armstrong at (216) 831-0042, ext. 161 or at larmstrong@meyersroman.com, or Steve Dlott at (216) 831-0042, ext. 137 or at sdlott@meyersroman.com

Innovative Gift & Estate Tax Planning in These Uncertain Times

At our next Breakfast Briefing, Scott and Louis Geneva will discuss how the December 2010 federal tax law changes, the July 2011 Ohio estate tax law changes, and the general uncertainty of the tax law have forced estate planners to revisit their clients’ plans. They will give concrete examples of ways to take advantage of the current transfer tax laws.

 Jeff Wasserman, Sr. Vice President & Director of Specialty Life at Oswald Companies, will offer critical advice on employing flexible life insurance strategies to leverage your current estate planning gifts.

With the year-end fast approaching, please join us on November 3rd, 2011 from 7:30-9:30 am at the Cleveland Hilton East (3663 Park East Drive, 44122) to learn critical information on using the new laws  to your benefit.

Kindly RSVP to Sara Cox at scox@meyersroman.com.

 

 

 

 

Mario Fazio Discusses Credits for Green Energy

In light of the growing concern over the on-going damages to our environment,  the issues surrounding the creation of sustainable energy, and the challenges of doing so in economically difficult times, there may actually be some good news in the form of IRS tax credits for building ‘green.’ Mario Fazio discusses the considerable tax benefits of building green in the September issue of Properties Magazine: 

http://www.epro2.com/publication/?i=81376&p=74