Insights

What an inspiring evening at the Women's Fund Lead the Change event last week! McGrath North was proud to sponsor and attend this remarkable gathering, where over 1,000 attendees came together to celebrate the power of women and the impact of leadership.  

McGrath North, a leading full-service law firm in Omaha, Nebraska, is proud to announce that it has been awarded Mansfield Certification Plus for the 2023-2024 cycle by Diversity Labs, a national organization dedicated to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal profession. This prestigious certification recognizes McGrath North's commitment to fostering a more diverse and inclusive workplace.  

McGrath North is pleased to announce the addition of two attorneys to its team: Adam Smith, joins the Litigation and Dispute Resolution Practice Group, and Michael Cooley, joins the Real Estate Practice Group. Both attorneys completed their Juris Doctor (JD) degrees at Creighton University School of Law and served as law clerks with the firm.  

This summit is designed for professionals seeking to strengthen their organization’s compliance strategy in a world where data protection is more critical than ever.  

Please join us March 26, 2024, for an informative webinar on the challenges and tasks faced by Condo Association directors. This event will provide a comprehensive overview of the responsibilities and duties that directors undertake in managing condo associations. Attorney Bob Dailey will share invaluable insights and best practices to ensure smooth and successful operations. Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to enhance your understanding of condo association management. Register now and mark your calendars for an enriching experience!  

We are thrilled to announce the resounding success of the 2nd Annual Privacy & Data Protection Summit hosted by McGrath North yesterday.  

Yesterday, a highly informative webinar was conducted on the topic of assessments, delinquency, and liens in relation to condominium and homeowners association (HOA) properties. The webinar shed light on the crucial aspects of managing and collecting assessments, handling delinquencies, and understanding the legal framework of liens in these communities. Participants had the opportunity to gain valuable insights from attorney Bob Dailey, who provided practical solutions for dealing with delinquent owners, ensuring financial stability, and implementing effective collection strategies. The webinar proved to be essential for board members equipping them with the necessary knowledge to navigate the complex landscape of assessments, delinquencies, and liens in the realm of condo and HOA communities.  

Today, a federal judge in Texas blocked the U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) from enforcing a rule that would have expanded overtime eligibility for millions of workers by raising the salary minimum to $58,656 effective January 1, 2025.  

Making several changes, the IRS has released the 2025 cost-of-living adjustments applicable to the dollar limits and thresholds for retirement plans and health and welfare benefit plans. Plan sponsors should update their systems and formulas to include the limits that have been adjusted.  

Just yesterday, Nebraska voters passed ballot initiative 436 regarding paid sick leave in Nebraska, mandating that most private employers in the state provide paid sick leave for their employees. As currently proposed, the Nebraska Healthy Families and Workplaces Act (NHFWA), takes effect on October 1, 2025, and while the law itself is clear in many respects, we are still awaiting final regulations from the Nebraska Department of Labor (NDOL) to clarify certain details. Below is an overview of what we know so far and steps you can take to prepare your business.  

“There’s a big difference between mostly dead and all dead. Mostly dead is slightly alive.”  

With all of the “New World” problems that were closing in on an “Old World” industry, Niccolo decided it was probably a good time for him to step back and let a younger generation take the company forward to find new solutions. At age 68, Niccolo knew this was a risk. But he decided it was a calculated one. So he divided the company ownership amongst his 3 children – Piero, Lodovico and their sister, Ilaria. Piero was the oldest son. Since he had been more involved in the vineyards, he received about a 20% greater interest in the business than the others.  

The IRS released much-anticipated regulations concerning required minimum distributions (“RMDs”) from retirement plans. The retirement industry has wrestled to adapt to legal changes concerning RMDs brought on by the SECURE Act of 2019 and 2022’s SECURE 2.0. Both final and proposed regulations were released by the IRS on July 18, 2024. The final regulations reflect SECURE Act and SECURE 2.0 changes affecting retirement plan participants and IRA owners, as well as their beneficiaries. The proposed regulations address additional RMD changes under SECURE 2.0.  

The Corporate Transparency Act (the “Act”) was enacted in 2021 as part of the National Defense Authorization Act to create transparency in business entity ownership and prevent illegal business activity. The Act was passed on January 1, 2021, and final rules were promulgated on September 30, 2022. The reporting requirements are effective January 1, 2024.  

Below we review some of the most significant tax and incentive changes passed by the Nebraska Legislature in 2024.  

Data protection certifications are a great way to give your organization an edge against your competitors when it comes to scoring new clients and proving up your data privacy and security compliance. However, understanding all the different certifications available and which certifications will provide the most value for organization can be tricky. This month, Stacey Shadden and Caroline Pieper discuss the most common types of certifications and how they can be beneficial for your organization as you consider getting certified!  

This month’s episode of Privacy is Power focuses on the importance of employee privacy and security training. Reports show that as many as 90% of breaches start from social engineering or phishing attacks that an organization’s technical security solutions can’t protect against. Training an organization’s workforce who handle sensitive data will have an immediate impact on an organization’s level of data security, and not properly training the workforce can be costly and detrimental. Don’t trust that employees know how to properly protect data or implement proper procedure, reach out to McGrath North’s Privacy and Cybersecurity team today to create a tailored training guide to efficiently ensure employees know proper protocol.   

2021 is already heating up with privacy and security regulatory changes. Congress is getting closer to federal legislation, regulatory agencies are finding ways to get involved and the first national cyber director in history was sworn in by the White House. Check out this month’s episode of Privacy is Power to get up to speed on the top 5 newsworthy data privacy and security topics to help your organization implement updates and prepare for future changes in the world of data privacy and security.  

As the pandemic continues to wind down and vaccines are more widely distributed, employers are bringing employees back to work and may be collecting or accessing data through the use of vaccine cards, temperature checks, COVID-19 screening questions, workplace monitoring apps, and more. Join us for Episode 4, where we discuss not only the data privacy considerations associated with bringing employees back to work, but also the labor and employment considerations. This month, a guest speaker from McGrath North’s labor and employment group, Cody Brookhouser-Sisney, joins Caroline and Stacey for a panel discussion.