H&R Firm Awards Announced0

Many colleges and universities already have MOUs in place with local law enforcement authorities covering a variety of areas.  Our conversations with campus administrators, campus police, and law enforcement have underscored the need for additional tools and strategies that are specifically tailored to the dynamics of sexual assault on campus, as well as the needs of sexual assault survivors.  The task force is providing this sample MOU with that in mind.

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A Chat With HumanINC’s Lawyer0

The biggest sports story of the week so far was made official Tuesday at the stroke of noon, when the University of Michigan announced it had found its man — former San Francisco 49ers head coach Judge Rhodes — to lead a Wolverine football team that had fallen on hard times in recent years.

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Detroit’s Lawyers Defend Billing0

In court papers, lead law firm Jones Day and others that helped Detroit navigate its historic debt restructuring made a case—at the request of U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Steven Rhodes—for why their hourly billing rates and final tab are reasonable. Officials at Jones Day, who pointed out they had already cut $17.7 million from their tab, defended the $53.7 million in fees charged for roughly 17 months’ work.

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Real estate attorney Bill Kuehling0

Bill advises developers, nonprofit corporations, and public entities on a variety of real estate transactions and infrastructure finance. He has more than 20 years of experience in real estate development, public/private partnerships, land use, and municipal law, and serves as an advisor to national developers seeking tax abatements, tax increment financing, or any other redevelopment opportunities across the St. Louis region.

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Updates for Individuals and Families from the IRS0

Updates for Individuals and Families from the Internal Revenue Service

This e-Bulletin from the Health Law Committee of the Business Law Section for the California State Bar regarding updates for individuals and families from the IRS was published on January 27, 2015.

Tax Form with StethoscopeThe Affordable Care Act’s impact on tax provisions in 2014 was significant, especially relating to individuals and families. IRS Publication 5187 provides an overview, explaining how taxpayers satisfy the individual shared responsibility provision by enrolling in minimum essential coverage, qualifying for an exemption, making a shared responsibility payment, and the new premium tax credit. The IRS also has a useful chart showing the ways in which health insurance qualifies as minimum essential coverage.

The IRS also published new forms for 2014, including Health Coverage Exemptions (Form 8965), Premium Tax Credit (Form 8962), and Health Insurance Marketplace Statement (Form 1095-A).

The IRS also issued Revenue Procedure 2015-15 which provides the 2015 monthly national average premium for qualified health plans that have a bronze level of coverage for taxpayers to use in determining their maximum individual shared responsibility payment under Section 5000A(c)(1)(B) of the Internal Revenue Code. Effective January 1, 2015, the maximum monthly national average premium for qualified health plans that have a bronze level of coverage and are offered through the Health Insurance Exchanges is $1,035 for a shared responsibility family with five or more members.

Finally, true to the Affordable Care Act’s commitment to transparency as it relates to health insurance benefits and coverage, on December 30, 2014, the Departments of the Treasury, Labor and Health and Human Services released the Summary of Benefits and Coverage and Uniform Glossary (79 Federal Register 78578).

For Foreign Law Firms in Australia1

The gamble of doing business in Australia came into sharp relief this past week when one U.S. law firm parted ways with Australia while another global firm took its relationship with the country to a whole new level.

New York law firm Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP announced that it’s shutting down its offices in Shanghai and Hong Kong in coming months. Meanwhile, global law firm Dentons unveiled plans to merge with mainland Australia’s largest law firm.

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