PLDO Law Blog
The Increasing Sweep of Opioid Litigation
States are now one step closer to holding the Sackler family individually liable for the role they and their pharmaceutical corporation, Purdue Pharma, played in creating and facilitating the nation’s opioid epidemic. In a decision issued on October 8, 2019,...
Changes In The Wind for Retirement Benefits – Possible
Last spring the United States House of Representatives by an over whelming majority passed the most significant changes to the IRA/401(k) laws since their original passage in the mid 1970’s. If signed into law these changes will: allow part-time workers who work less...
RI Creates New Tax Credit for Small Business Investment Companies
The Rhode Island General Assembly recently created a new program designed to promote private funding for Rhode Island small businesses. The program creates a tax credit for Small Business Investment Companies (“SBIC”) that invest in eligible Rhode Island businesses....
Estate Planning Ideas in a Low Interest Rate Environment
With the Fed’s recent interest rate cut and more interest rate reductions likely on the way, this may be a good time to take advantage of the low interest rate environment to transfer assets to your beneficiaries with minimal tax consequences and significant benefits...
Public Hearing Set for Tomorrow on Proposed Hemp Regulations by RI Department of Business Regulations
The RI Department of Business Regulations (DBR) will hold a public hearing tomorrow (August 16, 2016) at 10 a.m. on its proposed regulations for the state’s Industrial Hemp Agricultural Pilot Program (Hemp Regulations). The hearing will be held at the Department of...
Landmark Decision – Police Must Have a Warrant for Cell Phone Location Data
Is your cell phone nearby? Are you reading this article on it right now? It’s probably no surprise to you that Americans are with their cell phones constantly. And, you may already know that your cell phone is constantly scanning for the best signal. What you may not...
No More Agency Fees for Public Employees
For over forty years, public-sector unions could impose what were known as “agency fees” on non-members. The logic was that a union serving as the exclusive representative of a unit of employees is required to represent the interests of all employees, union member or...
Lessons from Cyber Breaches
Ten years ago, the mention of a cyber security breach was a rarity. Today, reports of breach incidents are almost commonplace. Every time a breach occurs in business the potential to cause significant harm and financial loss is mind-numbing. In addition, when the...
Supreme Court to Decide Limits on Police Cellphone Tracking
This term, the U.S. Supreme Court will decide whether the police can track the real-time cellphone-based location and movements of a suspect using the suspect’s cellphone records. In Carpenter v. U.S., the police obtained Mr. Carpenter’s cellphone number from one of...