The Securities and Exchange Commission, the Department of Labor, and other government agencies are aggressively enforcing their whistleblower protection rules. As part of this effort they are looking for employers using agreements that may dissuade employees from reporting violations of the law. Confidential Information agreements and clauses which contain prohibitions […]
Publications
Tax-Exempt Financing – New Safe Harbor for Management Contracts Issued by IRS
The Internal Revenue Code provides that interest on bonds issued by governmental or 501(c)(3) organizations may be exempt from tax if, in addition to satisfying other requirements, not more than 10 percent of the proceeds of the debt issuance for governmental entities (or five percent for 501(c)(3) organizations) are used […]
OCR Announces Initiative to Investigate More Small Breaches
On August 18, 2016, the Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”) announced a new initiative to more widely investigate breaches affecting fewer than 500 individuals (referred to as “small breaches”). Prior to this announcement, OCR investigated all breaches reported by covered entities that affect 500 or more individuals (considered to be […]
Interim Hearings Focused on Development and Financing for Solar Projects and Improvements to Energy Efficiency for Residential and Commercial Property
The Nebraska Legislature’s “LR 455 Committee” recently held two interim hearings on the development of solar energy in Nebraska and a newly created program to help businesses and homeowners finance improvements in energy efficiency without any upfront costs. The LR 455 Committee, co-chaired by Senator Tyson Larson of O’Neill and […]
Can Health Care Professionals Terminate Patient Relationships After Being Sued?
Usually when a patient sues a health care professional, the patient seeks health care services elsewhere. But that is not always the case. When the patient wishes to continue receiving services after suing a health care professional, it is not uncommon for the health care professional to wish to terminate […]