Cole Schotz P.C

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Richard W. Abramson
Steven I. Adler
Daniel Agius
Damian L. Albergo
Gary M. Albrecht
Luis Amaro, Jr.
Joseph A. Armenti
Daniel B. Axman
Neoma M. Ayala

Latest from Cole Schotz P.C

As New Jersey remains in a holding pattern, the Empire State has made a revitalized push in the race toward legalization.  In his annual budget address last week, Governor Andrew Cuomo formally unveiled New York State’s plans for a “first-in-nation” comprehensive cannabis regulatory framework. Much like his colleague Governor Phil Murphy, Governor Cuomo is now calling for swift legislative action and expedited entry into a legal cannabis market estimated to generate up to $300 million…
The Suffolk County, New York Legislature has passed the Restricting Information on Salaries and Earnings Act (the “RISE Act”), which will prohibit employers in Suffolk County with four (4) or more employees from inquiring about job applicants’ wage or salary history during the hiring process.  The RISE Act amends the Suffolk County Human Rights Law and will go into effect on June 30, 2019. With the passage of this new law, Suffolk County joins other…
Since the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision in South Dakota v. Wayfair, 138 S.Ct. 2080 (2018), this past summer reversing its long-standing “physical presence” nexus test under Quill Corp. v. North Dakota, 504 U.S. 298 (1992), businesses with contacts in New York have not had guidance on New York’s sales tax requirements going forward. Pre-Wayfair ambiguity existed as to whether New York could enforce the collection of sales tax purely based on “economic nexus”…
In a recent unpublished decision, the Appellate Division again confirmed that a zoning board may not reverse course without justification once it has made findings regarding a specific property. In Oster v. Zoning Board of Adjustment of the Township of Middletown (Docket No. A-0037-17T3, decided January 11, 2019), the applicant sought and obtained a hardship variance from the Zoning Board (the “Board”) pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:55D-70(c)(1).  The variance, which was obtained in 2009, permitted construction…
On March 31, 2014, broad changes were made to the New York estate and gift tax laws.  In addition to increasing the New York basic exclusion amount for taxable estates, a New York estate tax “cliff” was introduced that phases out the New York basic exclusion amount for taxable estates between 100% and 105% of the exclusion amount.  As a result, taxable estates that exceed 105% of the New York basic exclusion amount will lose…
In Farmland Dairies, Inc. v. Borough of Wallington, N.J. Super. App. Div. (per curiam) (unpublished decision) (35-2-7909), the Appellate Division upheld the decision of the Tax Court in denying an unrelated neighboring property owner’s efforts at intervening in a pending local property tax appeal between the property owner and the Borough.  The court concluded that the intervention application of the putative intervenor was out of time and barred by the statute of limitations.  Although all…
In a market where economic indicators continue to show encouraging signs (e.g., decreasing vacancy conditions across market segments, improved employment numbers and rental rates, and continuing low levels of inflation), the prospect for property value appreciation exists.  Because of questionable municipal assessment practices, often blindly motivated by the objective of maximizing tax ratables, careful scrutiny of assessments, especially in changing market conditions, is warranted.  Consequently, it behooves commercial property owners to review their property tax…
The issue of intellectual property used within video games is in the news again. If you haven’t already heard, wildly popular video game Fortnite features a dance called “Swipe It” that is the center of a pending lawsuit. Brooklyn-based rapper 2 Milly is claiming he created the dance in 2015 and the game’s creators swiped it from him. 2 Milly, whose real name is Terrence Ferguson, filed the lawsuit in federal court in Los Angeles against…
Intellectual Property Rights, Copyright, Patent or Trademark Infringement
Lost in the shuffle of the holidays was the U.S. Copyright Office’s adoption of a Final Rule clarifying the eligibility requirements for the Single Application, a simplified online registration option available to applicants who are both the sole author and owner of all rights in a single work that is not a work-for-hire.  Although the Single Application has been around since 2013, on December 16, 2017, the Copyright Office released a new version of the…
New Jersey restaurant and club owners who do not possess a coveted New Jersey liquor license can now advertise that they allow customers to bring their own beer or wine or as it is more commonly known, “Bring Your Own Booze” (BYOB). BYOB is a concept as inherent in New Jersey culture as Bon Jovi.  Tommy’s and Gina’s date night involves a cozy pizzeria where the veal special is outstanding, but the pizzeria does not…