On October 23, the Department of Labor (“DOL”) published a proposed rule intended to make it easier for small businesses to join together to offer employee retirement benefits through defined-contribution Association...more
On September 15, 2008, Lehman Brothers declared bankruptcy, an event considered by many to mark the beginning of the credit crisis of 2008–2009 and the unprecedented public policy responses that followed. Much has been...more
The Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) has released proposed regulations explaining how taxpayers should calculate the Section 199A deduction for qualified business income. ...more
Department of Labor Issues Final Rule that Expands Association Health Plans -
On June 21, 2018, the Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor (“DOL”) issued a final rule that establishes additional...more
Recent activity in Congress suggests that the return from the July 4th recess will see a continued push to reform the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (“Dodd-Frank”) before year’s end. This...more
Tax Reform Slashes Deductions for Settlements Paid to Government Agencies for Violations and Investigations - IRS Requests Comments by May 18 - Businesses making payments to governments and governmental entities on or after...more
Secretary Mnuchin and Director Mulvaney have peaceably resolved their differences over the review process of tax regulations. Will greater OMB review of Treasury regulations be a positive or a negative for taxpayers? ...more
The Department of the Treasury (“Treasury”) and the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) are picking up the pace in releasing substantive guidance regarding implementation of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“TCJA”), passed by Congress...more
On January 16, 2018, Federal Housing Finance Agency (“FHFA”) Director Melvin L. Watt sent a document to Senate Banking Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-ID) and Ranking Member Sherrod Brown (D-OH) that describes the FHFA’s...more
When President Trump signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“TCJA”) on December 22, 2017, it wasn’t the grand finale of the tax reform process — it was merely the end of the first act. Already, Congress has begun considering...more
Housing finance reform, one of the elusive, last remaining to-do items on the post-Great Recession list, may finally be addressed during the first half of 2018. Over the last few years, Congress has been setting the stage...more
Early 2018 will likely see the most significant progress on reforming the Dodd-Frank Act (“DFA”) since its passage in 2010 thanks to four key efforts: the Financial CHOICE Act and activity in the House Financial Services...more
On November 16, Senate Banking Committee (“SBC”) Chairman Mike Crapo (R-ID) introduced S. 2155, the “Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief and Consumer Protection Act,” long-awaited Senate legislation designed to foster economic...more
On October 26, 2017, the U.S. Department of the Treasury (the “Treasury”) released a report entitled “A Financial System That Creates Economic Opportunities: Asset Management and Insurance,” the third in a series of reports...more
Senate Republicans released draft legislation to repeal and replace the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“ACA”). The draft legislation, the Better Care Reconciliation Act (“BCRA”), maintains several key provisions...more
On June 8, the House passed H.R. 10, the “Financial CHOICE Act” (“FCA”), by a party-line vote of 233-186. The votes in opposition to the FCA consisted of all Democrats and one Republican, while only Republicans voted in...more
On May 4, 2017, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1628, the American Health Care Act (“AHCA”), which would repeal and replace core components of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“ACA”). The move came...more
On April 19, 2017, House Financial Services Committee (“HFSC”) Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) released an updated version of the Financial CHOICE Act (“FCA 2.0”), a discussion draft that would reform the Dodd–Frank Wall...more
On March 2, 2017, the Department of Labor’s (“DOL”) proposal to delay its change to the definition of the term “fiduciary” (the “Fiduciary Rule”) was published in the Federal Register. Against expectations, the proposed delay...more
Thanks to the Republican sweep of the White House and the Congress, all the talk in recent years about tax reform is on the verge of turning into action. What many dismissed as idle chatter before Election Day suddenly...more
If personnel reflect policy, President-elect Donald Trump’s selection of Andrew Puzder as the next Secretary of Labor signals a turning point for labor and employment policy. The Chief Executive Officer of CKE Restaurants,...more
12/28/2016
/ Blacklist ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Federal Contractors ,
Joint Employers ,
Minimum Wage ,
NLRB ,
Paid Leave ,
Persuader Rules ,
Preliminary Injunctions ,
Secretary of Labor ,
Trump Administration ,
Wage and Hour ,
White-Collar Exemptions ,
Work Schedules
For the first time since Dwight Eisenhower became president in 1953, Republicans will preside over a unified government with control of the White House and majorities in both chambers of Congress. This shift in party control...more
It is hard to overstate the political and policy parallels between the recent UK “Brexit” vote to leave the European Union (“EU”) and the pending U.S. presidential election. Both cases reflect the significant tensions...more
While you’re thinking about that beach getaway this summer, Chairman Brady’s staff on the Ways and Means Committee is beginning the work of vetting the House Republican Tax Reform Blueprint (the “Blueprint”) with stakeholders...more
As the nation continues to struggle with the retirement preparedness gap, policymakers are exploring proposals to require employers that do not offer retirement plans to automatically enroll employees in Individual Retirement...more