Is Probate Always Needed When a Loved One Dies?
John Crawford Sep 8, 2020 in Estate Planning & Preservation
When thinking about the transfer of assets after their death, many people often make one of two erroneous assumptions regarding probate (a court proceeding transferring assets to beneficiaries and/or heirs-at-law): They are married, so everything they own will go directly to their spouse upon their death; or They have a Will (last will and testament), so their assets go to the parties named in the Will without having to go through probate. Both of these […]
Continue ReadingWhat You Need to Know about Getting Someone’s Trademark Canceled
Crystal Broughan, Intellectual Property Attorney Sep 3, 2020 in Trademark
Is it possible to cancel a U.S. trademark registration owned by someone else? Yes. But there are rules and procedures that guide the process. Namely, you have to file a petition to cancel. Petitions to Cancel are filed with the U.S. Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB), an administrative body responsible for hearing and deciding different types of trademark disputes. Why would anyone want to cancel a trademark registration owned by another entity or individual? […]
Continue ReadingNew Decision Means You Can Temporarily Use Form I-797 EAD Approval for Form I-9 Verification
Giselle Carson Aug 28, 2020 in I-9 and E-Verify
Qualifying Form I-797s must include a notice date on or after 12/1/19 through 8/20/20. Additionally, this form must be informing of Approval of an Application for EAD (Form I-765) until 12/1/20. Employees may use the EAD Approval Notice to establish employment authorization during the I-9 verification process. This decision comes after a settlement from a class action lawsuit against USCIS, asserting harm from the recent extensive delays in EAD card issuance. It was discovered that […]
Continue ReadingHR Alert: There Is an Additional Extension of the Flexibility of Virtual Verification for Form I-9
Giselle Carson Aug 28, 2020 in I-9 and E-Verify
DHS and ICE recently announced another extension of the flexibility of virtual verification to comply with the requirements of Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification. Previously, the deadline for flexible verification was set to expire on August 18. However, due to dangers associated with the online COVID-19 pandemic, DHS decided to extend the policy for another 30 days. Keep in mind, however, that this provision only applies to those workplaces and employers that are operating remotely. […]
Continue ReadingUSCIS Conducts an Unprecedented 2nd H-1B Cap Lottery: What It Means for You
Giselle Carson Aug 28, 2020 in H-1B/H-4
On August 14, 2020, without notice or warning, USCIS conducted an unprecedented second H-1B cap lottery for FY2021. Here’s what made the second lottery possible. After the initial lottery, certain employers chose not to file some of their selected H-1B cap petition(s). This resulted in unused H-1B visa numbers. The second lottery selected candidates from the remaining, previously unselected registrations. How did it work? USCIS uploaded new Registration Selection Notices to the USCIS Online Accounts. […]
Continue ReadingAnything and Everything Is U
Crystal Broughan, Intellectual Property Attorney Aug 27, 2020 in Intellectual Property
Michael Moore is a future-thinking artist and designer who believes that art not only surrounds us and is a cornerstone of all cultures, but that it helps to improve our understanding of different peoples as well. Because of this, he thinks it should be part of everyone’s life, and has made it his goal to explicitly combine art with culture. He got his start providing computer-aided design (CAD) services to structural engineers and architects. Now, […]
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