As everyone in the hospitality industry is aware, Illinois passed legislation enabling to-go cocktails in May, and Chicago followed up and passed an ordinance tracking the Illinois legislation in June. With cocktails-to-go now allowed in Illinois, restaurants and bars have a new option in their fight for revenues amidst the Coronavirus crisis.
Read MoreSince the CARES Act (the “Act”) became law on March 27, 2020, small businesses have eagerly anticipated the lifeline coming their way in the form of the Paycheck Protection Act (the “PPP”). This anticipation, however, has now turned into frustration and confusion as banks and the SBA struggle to create consistency in the application process and administration of the PPP program. Just when we think we understand the law, SBA comments (or in some instances its silence) turn us on our heads.
Read MoreAs we continue to endure the COVID-19 pandemic, we wanted to take time to summarize the various financial assistance programs offered by the Federal Government, the State of Illinois and the City of Chicago for our business clients. There are also certain tax benefits outlined in this update. We recommend that you evaluate each of the programs to determine whether your business is eligible and to further determine which program best serves your needs.
Read MoreIn these unprecedented times we are all struggling to stay safe and fully informed concerning our rapidly changing reality with the COVID-19 virus. While balancing our own personal priorities and shifting to a work from home setting, we remain dedicated to serve our clients to the best of our abilities.
Read MoreYou’ve put the ad on the job board, sifted through the candidates, and have narrowed it down to a few of the best. Now you check their references, ask for their salary history - STOP. Not anymore. With the recent revisions to Illinois Equal Pay Act of 2003, it is now illegal to ask an employee their salary history as part of the job application process.
Read MoreA corporate term of art that is bandied about a lot is Holding Company. What is a Holding Company and why does it sound ominous for some reason? We can answer the first part of that question and will leave the second half open for interpretation.
Read MoreThe Department of State will begin accepting online registrations for the 2021 Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery Program starting Wednesday, October 2, 2019 at noon EDT. Foreign nationals who wish to enter the lottery have until Tuesday, November 5, 2019 at noon EST to file online. For Fiscal Year 2021 (10/01/2020 - 09/30/2021), 55,000 Diversity Visas will be available. Selected applicants will be able to submit their Green Card Applications starting October 1, 2020. There is no cost to register for the DV program. Eligible applicants are encouraged to apply.
Read MoreUnless you’ve been living under Lower Wacker Drive, you’ve most likely heard that earlier this summer, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed HB 1438 “The Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act” into law (the “Act”). The Act allows for the recreational use of marijuana and describes the application requirements for cultivation centers and dispensaries to acquire licenses to grow, distribute, and sell cannabis. The Act will become effective January 1, 2020.
Read MoreThere is a key distinction in the law that differentiates between an employee and an independent contractor. Employees are entitled to certain benefits and protections that contractors are not; chief amongst them, wage protection (minimum wage requirements and overtime benefits etc.), health insurance and paid time off. Contractors, on the other hand, are viewed as hired guns that can be paid lump sums, do not qualify for overtime and are not eligible for insurance coverage offered to employees. The music industry is dominated by contractor relationships. Think of studio musicians, managers, dancers, producers, writers, roadies, back up singers etc. All of which, until recently, fell squarely in the independent contractor category.
Read MoreIt seems like everyone is trying to get involved in the Cannabis Industry. Marijuana is considered a growth industry - a sector of the economy which experiences a higher than average growth rate as compared to other sectors. In Canada, analysts project that marijuana sales will have an annual growth rate of 55% with estimations that sales will jump to $5.4 billion by 2022. So, it is not surprising that US investors are chomping at the bit to get their piece of the marijuana industry’s potentially high-speed return on investment.
Read MoreOn July 24, 2019, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published the long-awaited final version of the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program Modernization Regulation in the Federal Register. The regulation was proposed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) back in January 2017 in an effort to amend its regulations governing the EB-5 immigrant investor classification, and was reviewed by The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) last month.
After years of planning, months of searching, and weeks of negotiation you have it – a signed LOI for your new commercial space. You got the rent rate you wanted, the right number of years, and the Landlord even agreed to throw some cash into the deal to help you with the construction.
Anyone who has applied for a U.S. visa before at the U.S. Consulate already knows how stringent the requirements are. Now, it gets tougher. Starting from this month, the U.S. Department of State requires visa applicants to disclose five years of social media and contact history when applying for a U.S. visa.
“Shouldn’t we trademark our brand name?” This very common question is something we get asked all the time. Our answer is almost always yes. However, the timing of when this question is asked is extremely important.
Read MoreOn 05/17/2019, USCIS announced that it has completed initial data entry of all FY 2020 H-1B cap cases selected in the lotteries, including those selected under the U.S. advanced degree exceptions. Troglia Kaplan’s first FY 2020 H-1B cap receipt notice was received on 04/29/2019 with a Notice Date of 04/20/2019. Receipting could continue for several more days now that data entry is finished. USCIS will soon begin to return unselected cases and fee checks to employers, but has not identified a time frame for returns.
Read MoreUntil just a few years ago, visitors and residents of Chicago looking to enjoy happy hour specials at their favorite bar or restaurant would have been disappointed. Prior to July 2015, Illinois establishments serving alcohol were not allowed to offer drinks at reduced prices for a portion of the day. The statewide ban, which was enacted in 1989, was the result of a push to reduce the amount of drunken driving in the state.
Read MoreU.S. Immigration and Citizenship Services (USCIS) recently issued a policy memorandum, effective immediately, providing clarification on how it will calculate qualifying employment abroad when adjudicating a foreign national’s eligibility for an L-1 nonimmigrant visa petition.
Read MoreOn December 1st, 2018, Chicago began offering a new business license aptly called a “Pop-Up License”. A Pop-Up License allows restauranteurs and entrepreneurs to test their concepts without the burden, and risk, of signing a long-term lease or acquiring a license. The license is broken down into two categories; Pop-Up Users and Pop-Up Hosts. The Pop-Up Users are those who wish to test their business ideas in different locations around the city while the Pop-Up Hosts are those who are allowed to host Pop-Up Users.
Read MoreIllinois is finally with the times – we are “going green”. No, I’m not talking about the upcoming approval of recreational marijuana – although that will help with the budget issues. No, today we are talking about another initiative taken up by other states, successfully, that has boosted state economies – P.A.C.E. Standing for Property Assessed Clean Energy
Read MoreIllinois recently passed two significant changes to its liquor laws – HB 4897, allowing taprooms (retail outlets of a brewery) to serve beer and cider from outside producers, and SB 246, a modification of the prohibition on retail liquor sales within 100 feet of certain establishments such as a church, school, or hospital.
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