Updates & Events

A new tax tool has been added to our transaction tool kit. It may prove useful in certain bank transactions where the acquired bank (or holding company) is an S Corporation. These new rules have been languishing in the wings since their addition to the Internal Revenue Code in 1986. Twenty-two years later, in 2008, Proposed Regulations provided a preview of the intended scope and detail of the provisions. The Proposed Regulations were finalized on May 15, 2013, and 27 years after Congress acted, the Code provisions have now become applicable. The Code Section was not self-executing and was therefore unusable until final regulations were adopted.

Fredrikson & Byron was named one of 50 “Best Law Firms for Women” by Working Mother & Flex-Time Lawyers for the third consecutive year. This award recognizes firms nationwide that are leaders in attracting, retaining and promoting women lawyers. Firms were measured by their workforce representation; time off and leaves; child care; flexibility; leadership, compensation and advancement of women; and development and retention of women. The recipients of the 2013 Best Law Firms for Women award were announced in the August/September issue of Working Mother magazine.

The Minneapolis law firm of Fredrikson & Byron and the Center for International Human Rights (CIHR) at Northwestern University School of Law have published the first international law manual, “Representing Individuals Facing the Death Penalty: A Best Practices Manual.” The manual, which is written in connection with Death Penalty Worldwide, provides lawyers with legal arguments and strategic guidance in representing individuals facing the death penalty around the world.

As of July 1, 2013, employers participating in E-Verify are required to enter an employee’s email address into E-Verify if that employee voluntarily provided the information in Section 1 of Form I-9. This new data field was added to E-Verify to bring it in line with the new version of the Form I-9, which went into effect in March 2013 and added data fields for employees’ emails and telephone numbers in Section 1.

We are delighted to report that bi-national same-sex couples no longer have to choose between separation from their spouse or separation from the United States. Prior to the Supreme Court’s ruling, same-sex couples have been prevented from receiving federal immigration benefits. The limiting definition of marriage as only between a man and a woman found in the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is no longer valid, granting same-sex spouses equal benefits.

Just as people were starting to gain a sense of comfort dealing with changes to the U.S. patent system brought on by the America Invents Act of 2011, we now find that Europe is also planning changes to its own patent system. The changes will include introducing a unitary patent and a unified patent court. What are the further particulars regarding these changes and how should they factor into your European patent filing strategies?

Fredrikson & Byron P.A. is pleased to announce that its Fargo office was honored for being a Business/Organization that Empowers Women at the 40th Annual YWCA Cass Clay Women of the Year event on Monday, April 29, 2013. The Women of the Year event celebrated 30 of the most influential and impactful women and businesses in the Cass-Clay community. Fredrikson was recognized for its award winning pro bono work, ranking third highest in percentage of women partners among the nation’s 250 largest law firms, having an above national average number of female partners, being named a Top 100 Law Firms for Women and providing a family-friendly work environment. 

A new Vermont state law set to go into effect on July 1, 2013, creates penalties for “bad faith assertions of patent infringement.” While this law may eventually be struck down due to preemption by federal patent law, patent owners should be aware of its provisions before engaging in enforcement activities directed to any entity that may be considered a “Vermont person” or the customer of one.

On May 23, 2013, Governor Dayton signed an Omnibus Tax Bill into law that may have a significant impact on clients who reside in Minnesota and those who reside outside of Minnesota but own property located in Minnesota. Minnesota will now become the second state after Connecticut to impose a gift tax at this time. The new law also imposes a Minnesota estate tax for all property located in Minnesota held in pass-through entities. The following are some of the key provisions of the law:

As of April 30, 2013, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) began phasing out the paper Form I-94 cards at airports and seaports in the U.S. and U.S. territories. CBP will still issue a paper Form I-94 card to foreign nationals seeking admission at land border crossings.