COVID-19 has forced many employees to work from home. This has presented new challenges, but also has introduced new opportunities, particularly relating to income tax deductions. This blog post will discuss how COVID-19 might affect potential deductions for employees working from home. It will do so in two parts. The first will summarize and explain…
Year: 2021
The Patchwork Legal Landscape on Enforcing Mandatory Arbitration Agreements on Gig-Economy Workers – Activities vs. Passengers and Goods in Interstate Commerce
A primary labor strategy employed by gig economy companies is to include mandatory arbitration provisions in their contracts with workers.1 These provisions require workers for companies like Uber or Grubhub to pursue their claims individually in private arbitration, rather than collectively with other workers in a class-action lawsuit.2 Research shows that the arbitration processes that…
TRIPS and an Equitable Fight Against COVID-19
As the world woke up to the global threat posed by COVID-19, a race began to meet the demand for life-saving supplies: masks, personal protective equipment, medication, tests, and vaccines. While even the world’s wealthiest countries face equipment shortages, the issue is far worse for developing countries without the means to manufacture the products or…
The Paycheck Protection Program: Forgiveness May Come at a Lofty Price. Or Not at All.
The Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) fell short in keeping small businesses afloat during the pandemic.1 Congress made it a central provision to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act in a move to emphasize both the vulnerability and the importance of small business. Congress had a plan: provide small businesses with a source…
Citi, Jane Fraser, and Efforts at Greater Gender Diversity in American Corporate Leadership
In September 2020, Citigroup announced that it had selected Jane Fraser to succeed Michael Corbat as the megabank’s CEO.1 Ms. Fraser, the first woman to lead a major U.S. bank, is a Harvard Business School graduate and former McKinsey & Company partner who has held leadership roles in Citi’s client strategy, strategy and M&A, private…
California-Mandated Diversity Measures – An Invalid or Necessary Regulation of Corporate Affairs?
Diversity, equity and inclusion has gained substantial traction as a major business and social initiative in the past decade. Organizations committed to the goal of creating more diverse and inclusive workspaces range from private businesses to institutes of higher education to non-profit foundations and engage in a wide array of business activities such as technology,…
Amending SEC 14a-8 and its Impact on Citizens United
In September 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) amended the procedural requirements of Exchange Act Rule 14a-8 (“Rule 14a-8”), the shareholder-proposal rule.1 Rule 14a-8 outlines the substantive and procedural requirements “for a shareholder to have its proposal included in a company’s proxy statement for consideration by all of the company’s shareholders.”2 The Rule establishes…
Comprehensive Federal Data Privacy Law: Why it is Needed, What it Might Look Like, and What it Could Mean for American Residents and Businesses
Introduction In September 2020, four Republican senators introduced the Setting an American Framework to Ensure Data Access, Transparency, and Accountability Act (the “SAFE DATA Act”).1 However, their introduction of a bill that would attempt to address the federal government’s lack of comprehensive data privacy regulation was far from the first time Congress had tried to…
Becoming an Insta-preneur: Hosting an Instagram Contest
Now more than ever, Instagram entrepreneurs are hoping to win big by leveraging a multi-billion user platform. Using Instagram as an online platform is an excellent way to start your own company, build a brand, and gain a loyal following. One massively successful way for you to take advantage of Instagram is hosting contests directly…
Sidestepping Proposed Bankruptcy Legislation: Examining the Power of Corporations to Set Executive Compensation through KERPs, KEIPs, & Other Compensation Tactics
In the wake of COVID-19 and its impact on the American economy, compensation for executives of bankrupt corporations has been heavily scrutinized by laid off employees and the public.1 While executive compensation was already a hot topic of focus for the public and investors in the past decade, recent bankruptcy activity due to COVID-19 has…