Latest Posts

Families First Coronavirus Response Act: A Breakdown of Its Leave Provisions for Employers

On March 18, 2020, Congress passed and President Trump signed into law the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. This law was created to provide a way for small businesses to continue to pay their employees to avoid mass layoffs across the nation. It is important that employers understand the Act, as it entitles employees to both emergency paid sick leave and an expansion of the Family and Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”)… Read On

Nauman Smith Remote Work Announcement

Beginning Friday, March 20, Nauman Smith has temporarily closed its physical office in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This was done both in response to Governor Wolf’s Order and to further protect the health and safety of our staff and clients. Serving Nauman Smith’s clients with responsive, quality legal advice geared to each client’s specific goals and needs will continue to be our central mission during these difficult days… Read On

Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Membership in Pennsylvania and What that Means for Businesses

On October 3, 2019, Governor Tom Wolf issued an executive order directing Pennsylvania’s entrance into the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (“RGGI”).  The RGGI is a collective initiative of eight other New England and Mid-Atlantic states aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.  According to the RGGI’s website, the program is the first mandatory, market-based carbon dioxide emissions reduction program nation-wide. … Read On

Commonwealth Court Opens Door for Increased Notice Requirements under the Pennsylvania Right-To-Know Law

The Commonwealth Court may have added a new hurdle to the efficacy of Pennsylvania’s Right-To-Know Law (“RTKL”).  In July 2019, the Commonwealth Court remanded a case back to the Office of Open Records (“OOR”) involving disclosure of emails held by West Chester University of Pennsylvania (“WCU”).[1]  A student of WCU requested emails pertaining to an Office of Student Conduct Case in which he was involved. … Read On

Pennsylvania’s New Overtime Rules — Whether A Boost Or Bane — Likely Depends On Which Side Of The Employment Relationship You Reside

Pennsylvania has joined a handful of states that have raised their thresholds for overtime pay above federal levels, which is projected to extend overtime pay to 82,000 additional Pennsylvania workers within two years. On January 31, 2020, the state’s Independent Regulatory Review Commission (“IRRC”) voted to approve final regulations by the Department of Labor & Industry (“DLI”) that will phase in salary increases over three years… Read On

Remote Work: A Path to Efficiency and New Talent

With thousands of younger employees entering the workforce every year, employers may want to consider increasing flexibility for how employees can perform their jobs.  Improvements and advances in technology have combined to make it easier and more feasible for employees previously confined to desk jobs in brick and mortar locations to branch out and begin working remotely—either from home or in a location which may be more convenient for the employee… Read On

Pennsylvania’s New Plan to Fund State Police: How Municipalities are Affected

In his February 2019 budget address, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf proposed, for the third time since taking office, that municipalities which rely solely on the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) for their police presence should be required to start paying a fee to fund these services. According to the York Dispatch, PSP is the only police presence within 1,291 of Pennsylvania’s 2,561 municipalities… Read On

Pittsburgh’s Paid Sick Leave Act – What it Does and Why it Could Affect Your Business

In 2015, the City of Pittsburgh enacted an ordinance to provide all employees within the municipality a set amount of paid sick leave per year. The ordinance is applicable to all employers, regardless of size or number of employees, with a few exceptions for federal and state employees, independent contractors, construction workers participating in a collective bargaining unit… Read On

Is a NIMCRUT the Correct Estate Planning Instrument?

A married couple, each 73, without children are planning to retire at 75. Because of the limitation on deductible state and local taxes, they could use an additional charitable deduction now while they have earned income. They have investments worth approximately $250,000 from which they do not want any income until they are 75. They would… Read On

Pennsylvania’s Right-to-Know Law – Treasure Hunting

On October 24, 2019, the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court issued a decision regarding Pennsylvania’s Right-to-Know Law (RTKL) and treasure hunters seeking information from the government relevant to a potential found treasure.[1]  After conducting an in camera review of the requested documents, the court determined that these documents were subject to disclosure under the RTKL and ordered their production… Read On