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Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals holds that forum-selection clause in franchise agreement was unenforceable as against Michigan public policy
Thursday, December 2, 2021
Franchisors doing business in Michigan may need to revisit the forum-selection provisions in their franchise agreements based on a recent opinion arising out of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
Federal court blocks vaccination mandate for federal contractors in Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee
Wednesday, December 1, 2021
A United States District Court Judge in Kentucky issued a decision temporarily blocking the enforcement of the Biden administration’s COVID-19 vaccination requirement for federal contractors and subcontractors on all covered contracts in Kentucky, Ohio, and Tennessee.
2020-2021 Pandemic: An opportunity to rethink priorities and models in the restaurant business for owners and employees
Wednesday, December 1, 2021
Last summer, I stopped by Spice Catering Kitchen to meet Ben Bebenroth, founder of Spice Hospitality Group, Keep the Change Collective and other ventures which are headquartered at 5510 Tillman Avenue in Cleveland’s Detroit Shoreway neighborhood. Ben is a Cleveland pioneer in the food and restaurant industries, and I sought out his thinking on the effect of the pandemic on restaurants and their employees. In a wide ranging discussion on many topics, my takeaways from Ben included in the following observations:
Likely changes ahead for the FTC's Business Opportunity Rule
Wednesday, December 1, 2021
This year, the FTC is beginning its periodic 10-year review of the FTC Business Opportunity Rule that was established in 2011, and changes may be to come in 2022.
Federal government issues new cybersecurity incident reporting rule for banks and bank service providers
Monday, November 22, 2021
On November 19, 2021, the federal government published a Final Rule imposing new cybersecurity incident notification obligations upon certain banks and bank service providers. The Rule requires banking organizations to alert their primary federal regulator as soon as possible and no later than 36 hours after determining a notifiable computer security incident has occurred.
Crain's Chicago selects David Agay to 2021 list of Notable Gen X Leaders
Monday, November 22, 2021
McDonald Hopkins Chicago Managing Member David Agay has been selected by Crain's Chicago Business to its 2021 list of Notable Gen X Leaders in Accounting, Consulting and Law.
5 Questions With Tim Hilk
Monday, November 22, 2021
A monthly segment from the McDonald Hopkins Public Law Group that asks local, regional and statewide leaders to pass along their wisdom on items of current and lasting interest. This latest installment asks Michael Deemer, President and CEO of Downtown Cleveland Alliance, about his vision for the organization, the greatest opportunities over the next 12-months, and how the organization plans to address the constant discussion of "downtown vs. the neighborhoods."
McDonald Hopkins welcomes former Indiana Deputy Attorney General Heather Shumaker to the national Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Team
Monday, November 15, 2021
Heather Shumaker has joined McDonald Hopkins LLC as an associate in the Litigation Department, adding her experience to the firm’s national Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice Group.
How to Negotiate an ESG M&A Transaction
Thursday, November 11, 2021
In the third co-authored blog post of this series, EPOCH Pi and McDonald Hopkins highlight how environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles have an increasingly prevalent impact on the negotiation of M&A transactions.
Protecting your IP: Social media dos and don'ts
Tuesday, November 9, 2021
In today’s competitive marketplace, a strong intellectual property strategy—including one or more among patent, trademark, trade secret and/or copyright protection—can lay an important foundation for not only maintaining critical market share, but also generating corporate value in the near and long term. Here are a few tips for how to properly and safely use — or not use — intellectual property on social media to avoid derailing these goals.
Selling, transferring, or acquiring federal contracting businesses
Tuesday, November 9, 2021
Are you planning to sell, transfer, or acquire a federal contracting business? Michelle Kantor, chair of McDonald Hopkins' Federal and Local Government Contracting & Procurement practice group, shares valuable information to help you through the process.
New Retirement Plan Limitations Announced by the IRS for 2022
Friday, November 5, 2021
The IRS announced cost of living adjustments affecting dollar limitations for pension plans and other retirement-related items for the 2022.
McDonald Hopkins attorneys play key roles in Urban Land Institute's two-day Technical Assistance Panel
Friday, November 5, 2021
McDonald Hopkins member Teresa Metcalf Beasley was among the 10 professionals who participated in the Technical Assistance Panel hosted by the Cleveland District Council of the Urban Land Institute on November 3-4 in conjunction with the City of Cleveland, Cleveland Metroparks, Port of Cleveland and Flats Forward.
Ready, set, go: Employers race to comply with OSHA ETS vaccine requirements
Friday, November 5, 2021
Almost two months after President Joe Biden called for quick action on COVID-19 vaccine or testing rules, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS) on November 4, 2021. With these new rules, employers with 100 or more employees have a tight timeframe to implement policies on vaccines, testing, and masking – assuming the rules are not halted by a legal challenge. McDonald Hopkins' Labor and Employment team has prepared an overview of the 490-page ETS to help employers understand the most critical details and answer the most important questions ahead of the upcoming deadlines for compliance.
McDonald Hopkins ranked among the nation’s top firms in 2022 by U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers®
Thursday, November 4, 2021
McDonald Hopkins LLC has been recognized among the nation’s “Best Law Firms” in U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers’ 2022 rankings. The firm is highlighted in 45 categories, including 23 rated as Metropolitan Tier 1 practice areas. McDonald Hopkins is also nationally ranked in six categories.
What you need to know about gift cards
Wednesday, November 3, 2021
5 FAQs about gift cards, addressing whether gift cards have expiration dates, fees associated with the purchase of gift cards, what happens to unused gift cards, and what happens when the issuer goes out of business or files for bankruptcy.
IP intangibles that protect your brand identity
Monday, November 1, 2021
Most companies know they can protect their inventions, brand names, logos and product packing through patents, trade secrets or trademark registration. But many draw a blank when it comes to securing the more abstract elements that make up their brands’ ethos and identity. Here are 3 suggestions for how to protect these intangibles.
McDonald Hopkins Government Compliance, Investigations, and White Collar Defense team secures acquittals for Cleveland-area client
Friday, October 29, 2021
McDonald Hopkins would like to congratulate Richard Blake, Member and Chair of the firm’s Government Compliance, Investigations, and White Collar Defense Practice Group, and the entire defense team that worked to secure acquittals for our client following a 10-week trial in Cleveland.
McDonald Hopkins welcomes Hannah Baker to Business Department in Cleveland
Tuesday, October 26, 2021
Hannah Baker has joined McDonald Hopkins LLC as an associate in the firm’s Cleveland office.
EEOC updates guidance on COVID-19 religious accommodations and undue hardship
Tuesday, October 26, 2021
As employers await OSHA’s emergency temporary standard on vaccines or weekly testing, many are also anticipating a slew of religious exemption requests in response to vaccine mandates. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has clearly heard employers concerns and has now updated its COVID-19 technical assistance guidance to address the scope of the religious exemption under Title VII.
