Legal Updates

Banks and trademarks have an uneasy past. Historically, banks operated in geographic isolation from each other, so there was little need to differentiate services with strong marks.

Yes, taxpayers can opt out! While the monthly payments of the enhanced child tax credits, passed last spring by Congress as part of the American Rescue Plan, are helpful to many American families, they could actually create issues for others, with some taxpayers actually owing money to the federal government next year if they were to receive such tax credits now.

Following a study by the University of North Dakota’s Energy & Environmental Research Center, the North Dakota legislature recently adopted a new law for underground storage of produced oil or gas.

Companies that hire independent contractors are not obligated to withhold income taxes or employment taxes (such as Social Security and Medicare) or pay the employer share of employment taxes and unemployment insurance. But, just because an employer labels its workers “independent contractors,” as opposed to “employees,” doesn’t make it so.

According to reports, the Biden administration is developing a “phased” plan to require most travelers to the United States to be fully vaccinated, with exceptions.

A group of 125 Indian and Chinese immigrants approved for employment-based green cards sued U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in federal court in Maryland on August 3, 2021.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is attempting to adjudicate as many adjustments of status applications as possible before the end of the fiscal year.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that it needed to select additional H-1B registrations to reach the fiscal year 2022 quota.

Under a court order, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services extended flexibilities for certain foreign students affected by delayed receipt notices for Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services made several updates to its USCIS Policy Manual. There are several highlights to note.