Press Releases

New York – May 3, 2024 – Greenspoon Marder announces Immigration & Naturalization partner Marcela Bermudez has been named to Who’s Who Legal (WWL): Corporate Immigration for 2024. Among the select number of individuals recognized, Ms. Bermudez is highlighted for her exceptional legal work in “advising domestic and international clients on a range of matters including visa applications, corporate immigration strategy, employee transfers” and other regulatory matters ...

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. – May 2, 2024 – Greenspoon Marder partner Gene K. Glasser has recently been tapped as an honorary member of the Florida Blue Key of the University of Florida. Honorary tapping provides the organization with an opportunity to recognize exemplary individuals who have contributed their time and directed their efforts to “the betterment of the University of Florida, Florida Blue Key, and Gator Nation as a whole ...

By: Irina Dashevsky, Esq. Today, the Associated Press (AP) reported that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has agreed to reclassify marijuana under the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA), moving it from its current Schedule I status to Schedule III. The DEA has yet to make a formal announcement, but nevertheless, this news was immediately met with excitement from the state-legal cannabis industry which has long been awaiting reform at the federal level ...

By: Myrna L. Maysonet, Esq. On April 23, 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) released its long-awaited final rule (“Final Rule”) which drastically increased the salary threshold for exempt employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). According to the DOL, this change will result in millions of workers becoming eligible for overtime pay if an employer does not increase the salary threshold ...

By: David Weisman, Esq. Big news is on the horizon that could impact your leasing agreements and bottom line. Starting June 1, 2024, the sales tax rate on commercial rent in Florida is set to undergo a significant decrease, dropping to 2.0% statewide. However, it’s crucial to note that counties with a local option discretionary sales surtax, including Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach, will have a tax rate of 3.0% ...

Miami – April 29, 2024 – Greenspoon Marder announces Louis J. Terminello, partner and chair of the Hospitality, Alcohol and Leisure Industry practice group, has recently been appointed to the Entertainment Development Council (“EDC”) by the Urban Land Institute (ULI). Mr. Terminello previously served a five-year term on the Recreational Development Council. The EDC’s mission is to serve as a “thought-leadership engine” for its members and the ULI as a whole ...

By: Matthew J. Schiller, Esq. “If we command our wealth, we shall be rich and free. If our wealth commands us, we are poor indeed.”— Edmund Burke (1729-1797) If you owe taxes to the Internal Revenue Service as millions of your fellow Americans do, you may feel like you have lost command of your wealth or potential wealth. It doesn’t have to be that way ...

By: Josh Goldberg, Esq. and Patricia L. Gannon, Esq. International college athletes have been restricted from earning Name, Image, and Likeness (“NIL”) compensation with the ease of their U.S. counterparts. While American athletes can readily engage in third-party NIL deals, those on student visas (F-1) are limited to on-campus employment and therefore barred from participating in NIL deals on U.S. soil ...

By: Doug R. Sargent, Esq. Last week saw a flurry of significant activity as Kentucky moves forward with its medical cannabis program ...

By: Jaci Flug, Esq. and Louis J. Terminello, Esq. Many third-party tech companies market themselves with the phrase “three-tier compliant” and little else to explain how they navigate our nation’s diverse and complex alcohol laws ...

Los Angeles – April 15, 2024 – Greenspoon Marder is pleased to announce the launch of its Environmental practice group in the Los Angeles office, to be chaired by new partner Christopher “Smitty” Smith. Alongside this exciting development, we welcome senior counsel Barbara Croutch and associate Azadeh Gowharrizi who have joined as fellow members of the Environmental, Insurance Recovery and Litigation practice groups ...

By: Matthew J. Schiller, Esq. “What’s called a difficult decision is a difficult decision because either way you go, there are penalties.” — Elia Kazan (1909-2003) One of the most common questions I hear from clients is some version of “Can you remove the penalties from my tax bill?” While penalty abatement is available, I typically caution clients to first focus on obtaining a formal resolution to the tax debt ...

By: David Standa, Esq.  In a decision published on Wednesday, the Honorable Kevin R. Bryant appeared to eviscerate the vast majority of the cannabis regulations promulgated by the New York Office of Cannabis Management (“OCM”) and Cannabis Control Board (“CCB”). But what exactly did it mean, and why did he seemingly walk it back the following day in an amended order that is currently pending? Both decisions agreed with petitioner Leafly Holdings, Inc ...

By: Alan Schindler, Esq. and Anna Goldman, Esq. 2024COA25 Hobbs v. City of Salida March 7, 2024 Division III, Opinion by Judge Schutz; Judge Hawthorne concurs; Judge Jones dissents. Decision: Affirmed. Procedure: On appeal from Chaffee County District Court, Magistrate Dayna Vise ...

By: Matthew Ginder, Esq. In a landmark decision, the Florida Supreme Court (the “Court”) has paved the way for voters to decide on the legalization of adult-use marijuana in the upcoming November 2024 election. The Court, in a 5-2 ruling, approved the proposed ballot initiative, known as “Amendment 3,” marking a significant moment for cannabis reform in the state. This decision comes after previous setbacks where two adult-use marijuana initiatives were rejected by the Court ...

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. – April 1, 2024 – Greenspoon Marder attorneys Sandra Brown, Alan S. Clarke, Jerry Juste, Kendall Minter (posthumously), and Aliya J. Nelson have been named to Billboard’s Top Music Lawyers 2024 List. Billboard Magazine editors annually select a class of attorneys, nominated by their firms and peers, who are essential resources for the music industry’s rising artists, songwriters, and superstars alike. Ms ...

By: Kelly M. Purcaro, Esq. In recent weeks, numerous companies across the nation have found themselves embroiled in legal proceedings due to alleged violations of Daniel’s Law, a newly enacted statute aimed at safeguarding the privacy of certain individuals and their families. These lawsuits, initiated by Atlas Data Privacy Corporation on behalf of approximately 20,000 covered persons, underscore the importance of understanding and complying with this legislation ...

By: Melissa Groisman, Esq. In contrast to the rest of the country, residential squatters in Florida have finally run out of luck. Effective July 1, 2024, the recently signed Florida HB 621 provides harsh and swift remedies against squatters, thereby safeguarding the rights of property owners across the state ...

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. – March 27, 2024 – Greenspoon Marder Bankruptcy and Reorganization partner Elissa D. Miller and Cannabis Law partner Matthew Ginder have been named to the inaugural America’s Top 200 Lawyers List 2024 by Forbes. According to the media company, this first annual ‘Top 200 Lawyers’ list recognizes the lawyers with the “most impressive track records in their specialties, the leaders in their fields,” and the attorneys that are “most respected by peers and clients ...

Newark, N.J. – March 26, 2024 – Greenspoon Marder partner Kelly M. Purcaro has been recognized for a second consecutive year among the 2024 New Jersey Super Lawyers® by Super Lawyers Magazine. Before this, Ms. Purcaro had been recognized for five years as a Rising Star. In addition, senior counsel Kory Ann Ferro has been selected for a seventh consecutive year among the 2024 New Jersey Rising Stars®, dating back to 2018 ...

By: Marla Neufeld, Esq., Myrna L. Maysonet, Esq., and Alan B. Cohn, Esq. On February 16, 2024, the Alabama Supreme Court issued a radical ruling finding that frozen embryos (i.e. embryos still in the laboratory setting and prior to transfer into a uterus), are considered children giving personhood status to frozen embryos, something that nationally, has been historically treated as personal property ...

Chicago – March 20, 2024 – Greenspoon Marder partner and cannabis law group co-chair Irina Dashevsky has been selected among Law360’s Cannabis Editorial Board for 2024. The purpose of the editorial advisory board is to get feedback on Law360‘s coverage and gain insight from experts in the field on how best to shape future coverage. Ms. Dashevsky has served on the editorial advisory board since 2021. Ms ...

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. – March 20, 2024 – Greenspoon Marder announces it is a recipient of the 2024 Top Workplaces USA award, a national recognition that celebrates organizations with 150 or more employees who have cultivated exceptional workplace environments, as featured in USA TODAY ...

By: David Standa, Esq. As we previously wrote about here back in January, the Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management (“OCM”) cobbled together a plan for an interagency team-up with the Department of Health that aimed to stop the sale of illegal hemp flower throughout the North Star State. The plan aimed to prevent retailers from selling hemp flower that contained more than the legally permissible hemp limit by using the OCM’s enforcement power and the Department of Health’s inspectors ...

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. – March 7, 2024 – Greenspoon Marder announces the promotions of Bankruptcy attorney Rilyn A. Carnahan and Labor and Employment attorney Alejandro I. Leiva to partner positions. Both are recognized for their professional achievements, commitment to excellence, and outstanding client service at the firm. “We are pleased to elevate two exceptional attorneys to partnership this year ...