Albany County has enacted perhaps the toughest of the animal abuse registry requirements of all counties in New York State. Albany requires that all person convicted of animal abuse crimes who are 16 or older register with the registry within five days of sentencing or being released from incarceration. Each registrant is required to pay an annual fee of $50.00, …
Terms of Use on Your Website
Most often when anyone thinks about designing a website, it is generally all about the physical appearance and make it user friendly. However, a very important aspect that is often not thought about is providing information about the terms of use of that website. The terms of use or terms and conditions of a website provide visitors with the rules …
The New Enhanced Earning Capacity Rule
The new spousal maintenance law signed into law by Andrew Cuomo at the end of September changes the concept of enhanced earning capacity in terms of looking at as an asset subject to equitable distribution. In the previous law, if a party earned a license or professional degree during the marriage, it was considered an asset to be divided …
What is a 501(c)(5)?
You might have heard of a corporation or organization being referred to as a “501(c)(5)”. This reference refers to a specific Section in the Internal Revenue Code (“IRC”) and means it is a not for profit labor, agricultural, or horticultural organization recognized by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”). It will be exempt form federal income taxes. To qualify for 501(c)(5) …
Change in Guidelines for Calculating Temporary Maintenance in New York
On September 25, 2015, New York governor, Andrew Cuomo, signed into effect legislation that has changed guidelines set for determining temporary spousal support. These guidelines for temporary maintenance go into effect October 26, 2015. One of the major changes under the new bill is the reduction in the income cap from $543,000 to $175,000. Additionally, starting on January 31, 2016 …
Vice President of BNI Chapter
Happy New Year! I’m severely delayed in announcing this but for the last year I have been serving as the Vice-President of my Business Networking International (BNI) Chapter in Manhattan. I’m in BNI Chapter 29. From time-to-time, I get questions from lawyers on how to build their law practice. I highly recommend joining a BNI chapter near you (if one …
Why Your Website Needs a Privacy Policy Statement
When you visit a website you expect that any information you provide, whether it be your email address, your physical address, or credit card details, to be safely guarded by that website. When visiting a website you also provide information automatically, such as an IP address. A privacy policy is used to provide visitors a confirmation that all of their …
Required Documentation for a “Stand Alone” Bonded 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. Under federal law, each type of winery has its own set of documents that must be submitted to the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (“TTB”) for a permit to operate …
Multimedia Specialist: Grow Your Food & Agricultural Law Practice and Management of High Profile Cases
This video is from the American Agriculture Law Association (“AALA”) Annual Meeting in Charleston, South Carolina last October 2015 from the roundtable discussion titled “Multimedia Specialist: Grow Your Food & Agricultural Law Practice and Management of High Profile Cases.” Offering their public relations advice, faculty members included Keith Emmer, Greg Brooks and Weatherly Thomas. Below are the powerpoint slides that …
Animal Abuse Registry in Suffolk County
In 2010, Suffolk County became the first county in New York State to require offenders convicted of animal abuse crimes to register with a database. The law requires that all convicted offenders 18 and older register with the database within five days of being sentenced or being released from incarceration. The law does not apply to juvenile offenders or to …
My Presentation on New York Farm Animal Welfare Law
This presentation was prepared for Lawline.com. I was originally scheduled to give this presentation last month but it is postponed to this afternoon. Your can register for the live webcast or order the recording via Lawline. This presentation discusses the national perspective of livestock animal cruelty law, New York farm animal welfare law, “cowboy” criminal procedure (discussing search and seizure) and …
How New York State Regulates Wine Law
The wine industry is regulated by the federal government and the individual states. State wine law can vary drastically from state to state. Each state has its own unique set of laws governing winemaking. In New York, the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act (“ABC”) governs licenses and regulations within New York State (“NYS”). The New York State Liquor Authority is the …