This is Part 2 of a 6 Part Blog Series on “How to Make a Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”) Request“. Please stay tuned for the other blogs for the full picture! Step 2: Choose The Government Agency or Agencies To Request Documents On either the federal or state level, there is not one central office that manages all …
What is Mediation?
Mediation vs. Arbitration Mediation is oftentimes confused with arbitration. In mediation, a mediator acts as a neutral third party to help the parties reach an amicable resolution. Put simply, a mediator helps facilitate a conversation between the parties. A mediator is not a judge or a jury and does not make a decision for the parties. However, in some instances, …
How to Make a Freedom of Information Act Request – Part 1
This is Part 1 of a 6 Part Blog Series on “How to Make a Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”) Request“. Please stay tuned for the other blogs for the full picture! Step 1: Decide If It Is Necessary To File a FOIA Request Not all agency records require a written FOIA request. In 1996, Congress passed the Electronic Freedom of Information …
Overview of FOIA for Food and Agriculture Businesses in New York
You may find a time when you want to see the documents available to the public about yourself or your food or agriculture operation. There are two main federal statutes that guide the process of obtaining information from the federal government: (i) Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”) and (ii) Privacy Act (“PA”). In New York, requests can be made to …
Required Documentation for an Alternating Proprietor Winery
This presentation on wine and vineyard law was given to the National Business Institute (NBI) last fall. Below is an except from the presentation’s materials found here. The entire lecture from the day-long educational conference can be ordered from NBI here. Under federal law, each type of winery has its own set of documents that must be submitted to …
Podcast Appearance on Book Publishing with Legal Marketing Studio
Super pumped for Michael Meyer, corporate photographer extraordinaire,for his new podcast called the “Legal Marketing Studio“, available via SoundCloud and iTunes. The podcast was just released and I’m in Episode 3 on book publishing. I talk about my New York food and agriculture book (my first child) and my recently published book on New York divorce and family law (both …
Want to Hang Your Very Own Shingle? Upcoming CLE on Building Law Practice
I will presenting alongside two other attorneys on May 6, 2016 for a Lawline webinar titled “Building a Law Practice Brick by Brick” at 3:30pm ET. Myself, Harlan York, and Daniel Gershburg will be answering the questions on how, why and should you open a law practice. The three of us will present on the following issues: • Steps lawyers should …
Animal Abuse Registry in Orange County, New York
Orange County became the most recent county in New York State to require those convicted of animal abuse crimes to register in a database. Orange County calls this requirement Rocky’s Law, named after a dog that was left by its owners outside in the snow for five weeks without food or water. The law requires all convicted animal abusers to …
Kicking Off My “Book Tour” for Onward and Upward
I will be starting off my “Book Tour” for my book “Onward and Upward: Guide for Getting Through New York Divorce & Family Law Issues” at my BNI Chapter on March 29, 2016 from 6:00pm to 7:30pm at Club 101 located at 101 Park Avenue (at 41st and Park Avenue, just a block south of Grand Central Station). I will be …
Alleged Violation of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)? Seeking a Civil Monetary Penalty in Lieu of Permanent Disqualification
Accepting SNAP benefits allows a retailer to provide staple foods to members of the community who would be otherwise unable to afford basics. Being licensed to accept SNAP benefits also comes with the responsibility of ensuring that all SNAP regulations are followed. This includes ensuring that employees do not allow customers to use SNAP benefits for unauthorized items, such as …
Thinking About Getting a “Virtual Office”?
For you attorneys and entrepreneurs out there, I recently wrote a guest blog post for Law Firm Suites on “How My Decision to Practice Law from a Virtual Office Jump Started My Law Firm“. Although it is focused on New York City law practices, it can be helpful for any type of entrepreneur. The reality for me is that I …
The What, Where, and How of Collecting Personal Information in Your Website’s Privacy Policy
Ensuring that your website has an effective privacy policy includes providing users with detailed information regarding: (1) what information will be collected, (2) how the information will be collected, (3) where the collected information will be stored, and (4) how the information will be protected. What Information is Collected The type of information collected by a website will differ based …