The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through its Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has begun a pilot audit program aimed at covered entities (and soon, business associates) regarding compliance with the HIPAA privacy / security / breach notification requirements.
To Our Veterans, We give Thanks!
It is important that we remember and give thanks for the hard work and sacrifice of our country’s veterans, especially today, including those in the Fraser Trebilcock family who have honorably served in the military:
- Steve Burlingame
- Mike Cavanaugh
- Chuck Drayton
- Don Hines
- John Loose
- Tom Smith
- Ryan Wilson
The words of President Woodrow Wilson, in proclaiming the first Veterans Day in 1919, are as relevant today as then:
“To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations.”
To all of our veterans, THANK YOU!
Foreclosure by Advertisement?
The Michigan Supreme Court heard arguments today on whether it should grant an application for leave to appeal from and reverse the Michigan Court of Appeals April 21, 2011 opinion in Residential Funding Co. LLC v. Saurman [“Saurman”] which held that Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems [“MERS”], a “nominee” [agent] of a lender and holder of a mortgage, lacked the legal authority to foreclose upon that mortgage by advertisement under Michigan law. Saurman held that because MERS failed to meet the statutory requirements for foreclosure by advertisement, the MERS foreclosures were void ab initio.
Dave Marvin selected as one of the Best Lawyers in America
Lansing lawyer David E.S. Marvin has been selected as one of the Best Lawyers in America in administrative and corporate law.
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Nicki Proulx Named a Rising Star in Personal Injury Defense
Lansing lawyer Nicki Proulx has been selected as a “Rising Star” by Super Lawyers magazine, a publication of Thomson Reuters.
Proulx has been recognized as a “Rising Star” in the practice field of personal injury defense. Her most recent significant victory came on a slip and fall case, where she won on summary disposition based upon an open and obvious defense, and the case was affirmed in the Court of Appeals.
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HSA Limits for 2012 Released
The IRS released Revenue Procedure 2011-32, which provides the adjusted limits for contributions to a Health Savings Account (“HSA”) as determined under Section 223 of the Internal Revenue Code, as well as the high deductible health plan (“HDHP”) minimums and maximums for calendar year 2012.
DOL Issues Electronic Fee Disclosure Guidance
The Department of Labor’s (“DOL”) new fee disclosure regulations applicable to participant-directed defined contribution plans are effective for plan years beginning after October 31, 2011. For calendar year plans, the first annual disclosures are due by May 31, 2012, and the first quarterly statement of expenses incurred is due by August 14, 2012. Many plan sponsors have urged the DOL to issue new guidance pertaining to the electronic disclosure of this information, as the DOL’s existing electronic disclosure rules are often criticized as cumbersome and outdated.
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Backups at the Tribunal
At a recent luncheon organized by the Real Property Section of the Ingham County Bar Association, Kimball R. Smith, III, Chair of the Michigan Tax Tribunal, gave his “Michigan Tax Tribunal Update.” As we all are aware, real property values in Michigan have significantly decreased in recent years. As one may suspect, the inverse is true of filings with the Michigan Tax Tribunal. For these reasons, I thought I would share some highlights of Mr. Smith’s presentation with our readers.
Majority Shareholder Conduct Can Have Consequences
The Michigan Court of Appeals recently issued a decision related to willfully unfair and oppressive conduct by majority shareholders against minority shareholders in Berger v Katz.
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Ryan Wilson selected as one of the Best Lawyers in America
Lansing Lawyer Ryan Wilson was selected as one of the Best Lawyers in America in the practice area of Trusts and Estates.
Most recently,Wilson has successfully settled the case of Schumacher v. McDowell, a case involving a contested will in Ohio. Wilson earned a successful settlement for his client, the VFW National Home for Children, in the lawsuit.
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