By John E. Ottaviani & Geri Rosman 1. IMMORAL AND SCANDALOUS MARKS. You may have read about this trademark case — ANDREI IANCU v. ERIK BRUNETTI, 18-302 (SCOTUS) — pending before the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) right now, regarding whether the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office can refuse to register marks that are...
Press ReleasesWhat The Heck Is A Cooperative? An Exploration Of Uncommon Entity Structures In RI
June 13, 2019
PS&H partner, Amy T. M. Oakley presents What The Heck Is A Cooperative? An Exploration of Uncommon Entity Structures In RI at a workshop during the Rhode Island Bar Association 2019 Annual Meeting. This workshop offers an analysis of lesser-adopted entity types in Rhode Island, such as low-profit limited liability companies and benefit corporations and cooperatives, with...
Client AlertsEmployment & LaborUpdate: Massachusetts Paid Family And Medical Leave – Deadline For Employer Contributions Extended To October 1, 2019
June 12, 2019
As has been widely rumored, the Commonwealth has decided to delay the July 1 implementation of the Massachusetts paid family and medical leave law (“PFML”). A joint statement by Massachusetts Governor, Charlie Baker, Senate President, Karen Spilka, and House Speaker, Robert DeLeo explains: [T]he deadline to begin employer contributions to the PFML program has been...
Client AlertsIntellectual PropertyUSPTO Requires Non-US Trademark Applicants To Retain US-Licensed Attorneys
June 10, 2019
By John E. Ottaviani The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has announced new rules that will go into effect 3 August 2019. Under the new rules, all new applications and renewal applications filed by a person or entity not domiciled in the U.S. must be filed by an attorney licensed to practice before the USPTO. Prior...
Client AlertsCommercial & Public FinanceIRS Provides Guidance On Current Refunding Of Bonds Issued Under Targeted Bond Programs
June 7, 2019
By Eugene G. Bernardo II and David M. DiSegna IRS Notice 2019-39 sets forth certain requirements for preserving the tax-exempt or tax-advantaged status of current refunding bonds that are issued to refinance bonds that were originally issued under targeted bond programs. From time to time, Congress has established these statutory programs to facilitate lower borrowing...
Press ReleasesPS&H Partner Alex Pezzello Among Providence Business News’ 2019 40 Under Forty Winners
June 7, 2019
PS&H is proud to announce that our partner, Alexandra W. Pezzello, was selected as one of the Providence Business News 40 Under Forty Honorees. Selected from about 150 applicants, the winners and their accomplishments will be celebrated at an event on July 18th, at Aldrich Mansion in Warwick, and featured in an upcoming issue of the...
PS&H attorney Elizabeth O. Manchester is recognized in the June 2019 issue of Rhode Island Monthly, celebrating the publisher’s first annual Professional Excellence in Law awards. Liz is recognized as being a top attorney for Non Profit law in Rhode Island. The honorees are nominated and chosen by their peers, as leading local attorneys in their respective...
Client AlertsCommercial & Public FinanceIRS Private Letter Ruling Provides New Guidance On Calculating Economic Life of Certain Bond-Financed Assets
May 31, 2019
By Eugene G. Bernardo II or David M. DiSegna The IRS has released a Private Letter Ruling that approves a simplified method of calculating the remaining economic life of property financed with exempt facility bonds. Section 142 of the Internal Revenue Code (the “Code”) defines exempt facility bonds (which are tax-exempt under the Code) as bonds that...
Client AlertsIntellectual PropertySaving Time and Costs In The U.S. Trademark Registration Process
May 29, 2019
The complex U.S. trademark registration system makes many trademark owners from other countries reluctant to file national applications or extend international applications to the U.S. One reason often given is the higher cost of obtaining trademark protection in the U.S. due to the statutory requirements and the formalities that must be observed. It is frequently...
Client AlertsEmployment & LaborOne Epic Year Later: Have You Implemented A Mandatory Arbitration Agreement Yet?
May 17, 2019
By Alicia J. Samolis, Michael A. Gamboli and Christopher M. Wildenhain A year ago, the United States Supreme Court issued its seminal decision in Epic Systems v. Lewis, which confirmed that employers may use mandatory individual arbitration agreements without fear of the National Labor Relations Act (see our prior client alert for more details). In Epic’s wake, some employers,...
