What Are The Indicators That A Construction Project Issue Is Becoming A Legal Dispute? Construction projects can often go off track, and it's crucial to identify early signals that a project issue might escalate into a legal dispute. These signals include performance deviations, structural defec...
Published: April 13, 2026Purpose: Implements the “No Tax on Tips” deduction created by Section 224 of the Internal Revenue Code under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). [New tab] Key Takeaway The rule establishes: Which occupations qualify for the federal qualified-tip deduction. What...
When Does A Handshake Agreement Become A Legal Issue? A handshake agreement typically becomes a legal issue when one party does something unexpected or when a failure to perform arises. This can occur between business partners, companies working together, or suppliers. Problems often emerge when...
What Complications Arise In Estate Planning For Business Owners? When planning estates for business owners, it's crucial to treat each asset category appropriately. Business assets, especially for those who are the main operators or have significant ownership, need special handling to ensure bus...
Where Do Personal Guarantees Commonly Appear For Business Owners? Personal guarantees often appear in situations where business owners believe obligations are strictly company matters. They typically arise in commercial leases, bank credit agreements, and trade credit situations. In cases where ...
What factors are crucial in shaping business contract disputes? In an ideal scenario, a well-drafted contract would dictate how disputes should unfold. However, issues arise when there is no contract or only an oral agreement. Crucial factors include having a strong paper trail that can prove ev...
What situations bring buy-sell agreements into focus for business owners? Owners typically consider buy-sell agreements when they face major transitions, such as becoming a new partner, approaching retirement, or experiencing events like death, disability, or divorce. These agreements are crucia...
What signals indicate that a partnership dispute may escalate beyond normal differences of opinion? Partnership disputes often start brewing when the honeymoon period fades, and partners realize the other isn't meeting expectations. Issues like management rights, voting rights, and access to inf...
Why are construction contracts in Pennsylvania governed by different statutes and acts? Construction contracts in Pennsylvania are governed by various statutes and acts based on the type of project. Public projects fall under the Prompt Payment Act, while commercial projects are regulated by the...
What surprises business owners the most when they bring a signed letter of intent to you? Business owners are often surprised to learn that elements of a signed letter of intent can be legally enforceable in Pennsylvania, including confidentiality, exclusivity, and dispute resolution clauses. De...
What are business owners typically looking to protect or control when choosing between an LLC and an S Corp in Pennsylvania? Business owners are primarily seeking an efficient way to manage their business while maintaining a healthy bottom line. There can be misunderstandings regarding the tax i...
What does it mean to have general counsel on call for small to mid-sized companies without an in-house legal team? Having general counsel on call means having an external attorney acting as the chief legal officer for the company, providing all necessary legal services without being an employee....
Why Is Conducting Regular Legal Reviews Important For Business Owners? Regular legal reviews help business owners identify changes in management, ownership, contract updates, and compliance issues. By engaging in semi-annual legal audits, businesses can catch potential issues before they escalat...
What prompts a business owner to start talking about succession planning? Many business owners start thinking about succession planning when they are nearing retirement age or when they have existing clients who bring up the topic. It's crucial to address succession planning to protect the busin...
What are the most important legal decisions for a new business to make early on? New businesses should focus on understanding their products or services, how they will monetize them, and envisioning the business's life cycle. It's crucial for business owners, especially in partnerships, to have ...
On July 4, 2025, the President signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The Act includes some very advantageous business and estate planning features. Here is a quick summary: The federal Estate Tax lifetime exemption moves to $15 million in 2026, will be indexed to inflation thereafter, a...
In a last minute move predicted here, the Department of Treasury issued a Final Rule indicated is FINCEN agency will NOT require ownership reports from domestic owners. In the Rule to be published in the Federal Register, the Secretary has directed FinCEN to issue this interim final rule exemp...
As of January 1, 2025, Act 74 known as the Fair Contracting for Health Care Practitioners Act, prohibits noncompete agreements for certain health care practitioners. The notable exception to this general rule is: "An employer may enforce a noncompete covenant if the length of the noncompete cove...
FinCEN has confirmed again that it will not issue any fines or penalties or take any other enforcement actions against any companies based on any failure to file or update beneficial ownership information (BOI) reports pursuant to the Corporate Transparency Act by the current deadlines. FinCEN i...
Introducing Creenan & Baczkowski, PC's New Corporate Compliance Plan Since its founding, Creenan & Baczkowski, PC, has built a reputation as a trusted partner to small businesses. Through our innovative Counsel Access Plan (CAP), we've transformed the way businesses access legal services. By off...
Pennsylvania's Act 122 law took effect January 1, 2025 and requires the filing of an Annual Report for all state formed registered entities. The Annual Report requires each entity supply the following information: Business name; Jurisdiction of formation; Registered office address; Name of at le...
A company's obligation to report its beneficial owners to the federal government is back on - with a new deadline of March 21, 2025. Here is the latest summary from the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FINCEN): "With the February 18, 2025, decision by the U.S. District Court for the Easter...
The federal agency responsible for administering the Corporation Transparency Act, FINCEN, released the following statement: On January 23, 2025, the Supreme Court granted the government's motion to stay a nationwide injunction issued by a federal judge in Texas (Texas Top Cop Shop, Inc. v. Mc...
Act 122 of 2022 takes effect on January 1, 2025. On Nov. 3, 2022, Governor Wolf signed into law Act 122 of 2022, which created an annual report requirement (like that imposed by most states) for domestic and foreign business filing associations. The long-time decennial report requirement for the...
FINCEN acknowledged the filing deadlines have been put on hold, again, at least for now. "On December 26, 2024, however, a different panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued an order vacating the Court's December 23, 2024 order granting a stay of the preliminary injuncti...
Creenan & Baczkowski, PC can represent you and your organization in Real Estate/Construction, Estate Planning, Civil Litigation, and Business law issues in Westmoreland and Allegheny Counties, in Pennsylvania. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.
