Business Services

ATLANTA—Georgia Trend magazine has selected Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorney William M. (Bill) Joseph as one of its 2021 Legal Elite in the category of Taxes, Estates & Trusts. This is the eighth time Joseph has earned the Legal Elite honor.

On November 16, 2021, the Sixth Circuit was chosen by lottery to hear the consolidated challenges to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (“OSHA”) Emergency Temporary Standard (“ETS”) mandating COVID-19 vaccination or weekly testing for employers with 100 or more employees. On November 23, 2021, OSHA filed a motion for the Sixth Circuit to dissolve the stay that had been entered by the Fifth Circuit before the various challenges were consolidated. Later that same day, the Sixth Circuit entered an order setting a briefing schedule on the motion to dissolve the stay that seems to ensure that employers will not be subject to at least the first deadline originally set by the ETS.

Article written by Alexandria attorney Stephen Weyer for Law360 taking a look at dynamic project management.

U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers® have released their 2022 “Best Law Firms” rankings. Stites & Harbison, PLLC’s three National Tier 1 rankings include: Litigation – Construction, Litigation – Real Estate, and Trademark Law. The firm’s overall results include 82 metropolitan rankings in six regions.

LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Stites & Harbison, PLLC welcomes attorney Daniel C. Boswell to the firm’s Louisville, Ky., office. He joins the Business & Finance Service Group.

President Biden has announced plans to reduce the number of unvaccinated Americans by using regulatory and other powers to increase the number of Americans covered by vaccination requirements as COVID-19 cases continue to climb.

LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Stites & Harbison, PLLC is pleased to announce that 93 lawyers are included in the 2022 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America©. Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers® has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Additionally, 11 attorneys are named as “Lawyer of the Year” and 14 attorneys are recognized in “Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch,” which recognizes attorneys early in their careers for outstanding professional excellence in private practice in the United States.

As the pandemic begins to ease and everyday life is moving toward normalcy, whatever that may be, the pace of the economy’s resurgence, in the words of Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, “… is about to accelerate much more quickly than anticipated with output approaching its pre-pandemic level.” Capital investment, especially in distressed economic communities, will be needed more now than ever, to enable for-profits and non-profits to start and grow businesses, accelerate job growth, and lessen economic hardships triggered by COVID-19.

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Governor Andy Beshear has appointed Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorney Bob Beck, Jr. as a member of the Kentucky Authority for Educational Television.

LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Stites & Harbison, PLLC is ranked 3rd in “Best Places to Work in Kentucky” for 2021 in the medium company category. The firm has made the list 15 times.

In its 2021 regular session, the Kentucky General Assembly passed, and ultimately overrode Governor Andy Beshear’s veto of, House Bill 312 to amend the Kentucky Open Records Act, KRS 61.870 to KRS 61.884. Effective as of June 29, 2021, among other changes, the amended Act will restrict inspection rights to Kentucky “residents,” require public agencies to accept emailed open records requests, and extend public agencies’ time for handling requests from three days to five days.

Following the most recent slew of high-profile ransomware attacks, the White House deputy national security adviser for cyber and emerging technology, Anne Neuberger, issued an open letter to the private sector urging action to increase cyber defenses to match the nation’s increasing ransomware threat.

LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Chambers USA selected 22 Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorneys in Kentucky and Tennessee for inclusion in their 2021 guide.

For both established companies and new companies, it is often essential to allow key employees to participate in the company’s future growth and profitability through equity ownership. This helps align the interests of ownership and key employees.

ATLANTA—Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorneys Dan Douglass and Bill Joseph were recently honored in the 2021 Georgia Super Lawyers magazine.

As sponsors of 401(k) and other retirement plans, employers typically rely on plan service providers (i.e. recordkeepers, trustees, etc.) to maintain plan accounts, keep participant accounts secure and participant data confidential. As fiduciaries, employers must act with the care and diligence under the circumstances as would a “prudent” person.