High Court Approves of Trial Court’s Rejection of Discounts in Fair Value Determination
Puklich v. Puklich A buyout dispute between siblings who owned several businesses generated a noteworthy decision from the North Dakota Supreme Court on the use of valuation discounts. Reviewing the applicable case law, the high court found the trial court, in...
Consider Taxes When Dividing Up Retirement Accounts in Divorce
While the divorce rate in Maine is below the national average, it is still common. Divorce is obviously an emotionally and personally impactful event. But beyond that, it is also a financially impactful one. A divorce can create negative tax consequences, especially...
Five Payroll Tax Developments for 2020
If you’re a business owner here in Maine, the new year comes with new payroll rules. Here are five of the most significant changes for 2020: 1. Significant revisions have been made to Form W-4 The IRS has redesigned Form W-4 for this year to reflect changes from the...
Deal Price Prevails in Yet Another Delaware Statutory Appraisal Ruling
Stillwater Mining Co. Nine days after his ruling in Columbia Pipeline, Vice Chancellor Laster again found the deal price was the most reliable indicator of fair value in a statutory appraisal case involving a publicly traded mining company. The Court of Chancery’s...
Common Questions About Family Medical Leave Policy
Though it has been in place for decades, the Family and Medical Leave Act still creates questions for employers and employees alike. For this reason, the Administrator of the Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD) periodically responds to new Family...
COVID-19 Relief: Overview of the New CARES Act
The fast spreading COVID-19 pandemic has forced the closure of many nonessential businesses — threatening the livelihoods of numerous small businesses here in Maine as well as the people they employed. In response to the economic and health impact of this pandemic,...
Now May Be a Good Time for a Roth Conversion
After years of historic gains, financial markets have been thrown into uncertainty, in a large part due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The recent bull market, combined with the rise in popularity of more passive investment tools such as index funds, may have caused some...
Appreciation in Liquor Company’s Value Represents Marital Property, Appeals Court Finds
Lucchesi v. Lucchesi In divorce cases, appreciation of separate property is one of the most complex issues whose analysis can be challenging for attorneys and valuators. A recent Tennessee appeals court decision is noteworthy for explaining the framework courts in...
Court Finds Plaintiff Fails to Show ESOP Transaction Caused Injury
Lee v. Argent Trust Co. The private plaintiff alleged a number of violations by the ESOP trustee and other defendants. The plaintiff maintained the trustee participated in a prohibited transaction and breached its fiduciary duties. By the plaintiff’s calculation, the...
Protecting Yourself after the Capital One Data Breach
It seems like almost every month there is news of yet another massive online data breach. Capital One is just the latest company to make headlines for failing to safeguard customers’ personal info. About 100 million credit card customers and applicants across the...