Category: Law

• Have you decided how to be taxed?
• Have you prepared an initial organizing resolution?
• Have you prepared an operating agreement?
• Are you doing business in other states?

Phishing scams have been on the rise over the past few years.  Phishing is the act of sending an email to an individual or business purporting to be a vendor/creditor and notifying of a recent account change. Frequently, the fraudulent emails so closely resemble previous emails from the actual vendor/creditor that it is extremely easy to become a victim.  While individuals are also victims of phishing scams, businesses seem to fall prey to these scams at a much higher rate.

If you become the victim of a phishing scam, you should notify your bank immediately upon learning of the scam.  Your bank will then notify the bank that received the funds. At times, there may be some funds remaining in the account that will be reimbursed to you. You should also notify the FBI and complete a report. The FBI is dealing with this every day and they will let you know that you are unlikely to recover the funds.

The final step you should take is to set up a consultation with an attorney at Compass Law Partners.  During that consultation, you will discuss the options available and the potential of successfully recovering some or all the lost funds.  While these types of recovery are difficult, they are not impossible.

The Maryland General Assembly has passed legislation that will establish a new family and medical leave insurance program that will be applicable to businesses with 15 or more employees. While the bill is still awaiting final enactment, it is nearly certain that it will become law and take effect on June 1, 2022.

Under the program, both employers and employees would have to contribute to a new fund that would establish a state family and medical leave insurance program. The new program will likely get underway after the Maryland Department of Labor promulgates regulations, which are anticipated in June 2023.

As this is going to eventually affect most Maryland businesses, it will be important to have an employment law attorney to ensure proper compliance. Compass Law can help you navigate this new family and medical leave insurance program as well as other laws affecting businesses.

According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) most recent Internet Crime Report, the number of internet crime complaints more than doubled in 2020 (791,790 complaints) compared to 2019 (300,000 complaints).  The 2021 report should be released soon but is sure to show the number of complaints continue to increase.

The ease with which a criminal can open a bank account now thanks to the banking industry providing consumers with the opportunity to open a bank account online is a primary reason for this trend.

Have you or has your business been the victim of a cybercrime?  Have you lost money as a result? Compass Law attorneys have experience recovering the money you lost.

As of today, February 7, 2022 1548 bills have been introduced in the Maryland General Assembly and 325 have been introduced before the Delaware Legislature this session.

In Maryland, House Bill 8 would establish a family and medical leave insurance program, which would impose additional taxes on employers – up to $536/employee – to fund the employee leave. There are also bills to modify Maryland’s wage and hour law requirements and that would change the law affecting limited liability companies – or LLCs.

In Delaware, SB 1, Healthy Delaware Families Act is the bill that I think should be highlighted. This legislation would require employers with 25 employees or more to provide up to 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave to their employees. This bill has momentum and was highlighted by the Governor in his recent State of the State address.

Now it’s more important than ever to engage a firm that can represent your interests before the legislative branches in Maryland or Delaware. Changes are coming that could affect your business.