- Michigan Minimum Wage Increase Reminder
On January 1, 2025, Michigan’s minimum wage increased from $10.33 to $10.56. On February 21, 2025, it will increase to $12.48. The minimum wage will continue to increase annually and reach $14.97 on February 21, 2028.
Why it Matters: Michigan employers will need to review and adjust their payroll systems, wage scales, and budgets to ensure compliance while considering potential compression issues with existing pay rates for more experienced workers.
———
- Michigan House Committee Advances Proposed FOIA Bills
The Michigan House Government Operations Committee recently advanced bills to the House floor that would, among other things, subject the legislature, governor, lieutenant governor and their executive offices the state’s Freedom of Information Act requirements.
Why it Matters: Only Michigan and Massachusetts currently have these types of exemptions in their FOIA laws. While the House Government Operations Committee’s actions keep the bills alive, it’s uncertain whether they will become law.
———
- 13 Fraser Trebilcock Attorneys Honored by Leading Lawyers for 2025
Thirteen Fraser Trebilcock attorneys have been selected for inclusion in the list of Michigan’s Leading Lawyers for 2025, a distinction earned by fewer than five percent of all lawyers licensed to practice law in Michigan.
Why it Matters: Those selected include: H. Kirby Albright, Commercial Litigation; Land Use, Zoning & Condemnation Law; Real Estate Law: Commercial; Michael S. Ashton, Energy Law; Governmental, Municipal, Lobbying & Administrative Law; Public Utilities Law: Gas/Water/Electric; Douglas J. Austin, Land Use, Zoning & Condemnation Law; Real Estate Law: Commercial; Real Estate Law: Finance; Michael E. Cavanaugh, Commercial Litigation; Employment Law: Management; Governmental, Municipal, Lobbying & Administrative Law; Labor Law: Management; Michael P. Donnelly, Commercial Litigation; Jennifer Utter Heston, Energy Law; Governmental, Municipal, Lobbying & Administrative Law; Public Utilities Law: Gas/Water/Electric; David J. Houston, Employment Law: Management; Mark E. Kellogg, Closely & Privately Held Business Law; Tax Law: Individual; Trust, Will & Estate Planning Law; Thaddeus E. Morgan, Commercial Litigation, Construction Law; Melisa M.W. Mysliwiec, Elder Law; Michael H. Perry, Environmental Law; Gary C. Rogers, Bankruptcy & Workout Law: Commercial; Creditor’s Rights/Commercial Collections Law; Marlaine C. Teahan, Trust, Will & Estate Planning Law. Read more.
———
- IRS Announces 2025 Standard Mileage Rates
The IRS announced the 2025 standard mileage rates used to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business, charitable, medical, or moving purposes. Beginning on January 1, 2025, the rate for business use is 70 cents per mile, an increase of 3 cents from 2024. However, the mileage rates for vehicles used for other purposes will remain unchanged from 2024.
Why it Matters: Self-employed individuals who operate an automobile for business use, as well as employers who reimburse employees who use their own vehicles to conduct business, should take note of these changes.
———
- FinCEN Petitions Supreme Court to Intervene
After a week and a half of yo-yoing federal court decisions affecting the implementation of the Corporate Transparency Act’s requirement for businesses and other entities to file Beneficial Owner Information Reports, the government has now petitioned the United States Supreme Court to weigh in.
Why it Matters: For now, the reporting requirement is once again “voluntary” per FinCEN’s guidance, but business owners and others are advised to pay close attention, as a decision by the Supreme Court could come swiftly. And if the injunction is lifted, any extension of the filing deadline is expected to be relatively short in light of the government’s arguments in the Application for a Stay and given the fact that FinCEN’s prior extension provided less than two additional weeks, moving the deadline from January 1, 2025, to January 13, 2025. Read more.
Related Practice Groups and Professionals
Labor, Employment & Civil Rights | David Houston
Business & Tax | Robert D. Burgee