On January 9, 2024, the US Department of Labor issued a Final Rule on Employee or Independent Contractor Classification under the Fair Labor Standards Act, returning to its prior multi-factor test for worker classification. In with the old and out with the new The “new” Final Rule isn’t so much new as it is a …
We’re now in the year 2024 after a very tumultuous previous year. The games industry lost nearly 10,500 jobs in 2023 and roughly 8,500 in 2022, according to some estimates. We were a little too correct when we commented last year that the world continues to be a relatively unpredictable place. Here are our thoughts …
Next year, many companies will have a new compliance requirement. Beginning January 1, 2024, the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) will require that domestic US companies and foreign entities operating within the US disclose their Beneficial Ownership Information. Under the CTA, companies will have to file their BOI report with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, or …
Maintaining proper corporate formalities and record-keeping practices is crucial for a company’s good governance and legal compliance. Failure to maintain corporate formalities can remove the liability protection provided by a corporate entity, and failure to maintain corporate books and records can make any number of activities more difficult, from day to day operations, to fundraising …
As exciting as receiving equity in a growing startup can be, without advanced planning, that equity can carry with it some severe tax consequences. An 83(b) election is a tool that new stockholders who are subject to vesting can use to mitigate the tax burden that otherwise comes with the vesting of their shares. Granting …
What is an 83(b) election? And what does it have to do with restricted stock? Read More »
As of September 25, 2023, SAG-AFTRA’s members voted 98.32% in favor of a strike authorization on the Interactive Media Agreement which covers the union’s work on video games. The industry bargaining group representing signatory game companies to the Interactive Media Agreement consists of the following companies: Activision Productions Inc., Blindlight LLC, Disney Character Voices Inc., …
Many companies find themselves, at some point, needing to part ways with a valued team member as part of a merger with or acquisition by another company. In these kinds of situations, the company being acquired often wants to reward the old employee for their services or offer them a softer landing while they seek …
It’s a new year! And wow, the landscape is a lot different as we collectively went from a global pandemic to a global recession. Here are our thoughts and predictions on 2023 as the world continues to be a relatively unpredictable place. Artificial intelligence Artificial intelligence (AI) is going to be a big focus as …
When people refer to music that has entered the public domain, they are usually referring to music where the copyright protection has expired. Due to differences in the laws regarding duration of copyright protection, when a piece of music enters the public domain may differ from country to country. At the outset, it is important …
On or before the second Wednesday in March 2023 (and each second Wednesday in March thereafter), employers with more than one hundred employees in California must submit a report to the Civil Rights Department within the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency. Why? California has released new pay transparency requirements. Those new requirements build on …