Small business owners will have one more item on their compliance to-do list when the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) takes effect next year on January 1, 2024. The CTA1, enacted as part of the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2020 (AMLA), places new reporting requirements on many business entities in an effort to expose illegal activities,…
Several years ago a national retailer became concerned with an increase in shoplifting, break-ins, and “smash and grab” crimes in the vicinity of its Sacramento, California location. It hired a third-party private security service to patrol the store’s parking lot in a marked vehicle. Shortly thereafter, the store manager noted that the marked patrol vehicles…
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that as of May 2023, 27% of adults in the United States have some sort of disability. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the definition of a person with a disability is “someone with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more…
When an investor in a litigation finance company was sued by the trustee appointed in the company’s former owners’ chapter 7 bankruptcy case to recover repayment of the investor’s loan to the company as a “preferential transfer,” she was referred to MPS bankruptcy and restructuring partner Tim Brink by another firm client. Having represented numerous…
Frederick “Fred” Kaplan is a business lawyer with broad expertise in all aspects of real estate law, including commercial real estate development, finance, leasing, construction, joint ventures, acquisitions/dispositions, and land use planning and development. He is also widely recognized as an authority in the public accommodation and real estate provisions of the Americans with Disabilities…
Heather Kuhn O’Toole is a partner at MPS Law with over 20 years of experience in wide-ranging, complex litigation matters, including claims brought under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act, employment disputes, wage and hour claims, mechanics liens and real estate litigation, and breach of contract actions. She came to MPS as part…
As of July 1, 2023, the firm of Robinson Payne LLC will be joining Meltzer, Purtill & Stelle LLC. Both named partners, Russel G. Robinson and Richmond A. Payne, along with longstanding paralegals Wendy K. Widmayer and Melissa A. Wolf, are making the move, bringing a wealth of experience and expertise in estate planning, corporate…
With over 40 years experience in a broad range of commercial real estate and business law, Richard Demarest (R.D.) Yant is one of the most competent and respected attorneys in his field of work to join MPS in the KSVB acquisition. With that in mind, we recently asked him to reflect on the law, his…
Charles Valente is a partner at MPS Law who arrived when his prior firm, Kaplan Saunders Valente & Beninati, LLP was acquired in January 2023. As one of our most experienced litigators, Charlie has a unique perspective on the topic of commercial litigation, which he shared in a recent discussion. You’re primarily a litigator. What…
Demonstrating the firm’s ongoing commitment to smart growth, Meltzer, Purtill & Stelle LLC (MPS Law) has added three new associates to its steadily growing professional staff. New associate attorney JonTia Pegues joins the firm’s commercial real estate practice group, and will focus her practice on tenant leasing and negotiation as well as general representation of…
The story began over a decade ago, when ownership of a Mexican RV park passed to two brothers and their siblings upon the death of their father. A few years after the older brother took over operation of the business, his younger brother, who resides in Illinois, became concerned about his brother’s accounting for the…
Many people don’t consider creating wills and trusts until it’s too late. MPS attorney Francis Beninati says it’s never too early to think about estate planning. We sat down with him recently to talk about estate planning, helping clients understand their needs, and providing their heirs for their future. Tell us a little about yourself,…
Illinois businesses, take note: In a startling decision this morning, the Illinois Supreme Court held that “a separate claim accrues under the [Illinois Biometric Privacy] Act each time a private entity scans or transmits an individual’s biometric identifier or information in violation of” the BIPA. In so doing, the Court acknowledged that, if ultimately successful,…
In this online article from Insider 94 | Midwest Business Journal, MPS partner Ray Horn considers the critical importance of coordination and commitment between clients and their advisors in M&A negotiations. His article combines practical, common sense advice with insights and anecdotes gleaned from over 20 years’ experience in mergers and acquisitions, partnership agreements and…
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is an independent agency of the United States government that is charged with protecting consumers and maintaining competition in the marketplace. Recently, the FTC gave public notice of a proposed rulemaking which would severely limit the use of non-compete agreements in employment contracts. According to the proposed rulemaking, noncompete agreements…
