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.
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