LABOR LAW UPDATE – Exempt Employee Thresholds

It is Finally Here!

Over the years, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has attempted to change certain rules applicable to implementation of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and increase the salary threshold for exempt employees from $455 per week (the level it has been at since 2004).

Many may recall that a rule to increase the salary thresholds for exemptions was first enjoined and subsequently invalidated by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas in 2016.   A year later, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has held the appeal in abeyance pending further DOL rulemaking regarding a revised salary threshold.  In other words, the DOL has consistently enforced the 2004 salary level for the last 15 years.

However, the DOL has now finally announced a final rule which is expected to make 1.3 million American workers eligible for overtime pay under the FLSA.  In a nutshell, this rule, which will go into effect on January 1, 2020, accomplishes three primary objectives:

First, the rule updates the earnings thresholds – from $455 to $684 per week – necessary to exempt certain white collar positions, i.e., executive, administrative and professional employees, from the FLSA’s minimum wage and overtime pay requirements.

Second, the new rule will allow employers to meet up to 10% of the new salary level from nondiscretionary bonuses and incentive payments (including commissions).

Third, the rule will increase the salary requirements for the “highly compensated employees (HCE)” exemption from $100,000 to $107,432 per year.

Again, please note that the final rule will be effective on January 1, 2020.

Additional information about the final rule is available at www.dol.gov/whd/overtime2019.  Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Ellen M. Leibovitch, Head of Labor & Employment Practice – Boca Raton Office and can be reached by email at eml@assoulineberlowe.com or by Telephone: 561-361-6566.

 

NEW BANKRUPTCY JUDGE – Scott M. Grossman has been Appointed as a Bankruptcy Judge for the Southern District of Florida

MIAMI – Welcome to Scott M. Grossman, to the bench!  Scott M. Grossman is the first bankruptcy judge appointed to the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida, Fort Lauderdale Division, since February 2006, when Judge John Olsen joined the Court.

Judge Grossman was appointed by the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, which controls all the federal and bankruptcy courts in the State of Florida.  Judge Grossman was appointed as a Bankruptcy Judge for a fourteen-year term, effective today, October 2, 2019.  [Press Release to the announcement from the Chief Judge is available through this link: General Order 2019-03 re: Assignment of New Cases and Adversary Proceedings, and Reassignment of Pending Cases Upon Appointment of Bankruptcy Judge Scott M. Grossman.

Eric N. Assouline, Esq. – Commercial Litigation and Bankruptcy Litigation Partner

 

THANK YOU – To All Legal Administrators!

Thank you to all the administrative assistants at Assouline & Berlowe who help make the firm a success.  Ana Hesny has been working with the Assouline & Berlowe team for over 10 years and her hard work and dedication has been a strong part of keeping clients happy making sure that the “trains run on time”.

Every year, the Broward County Women Lawyers Association hold its Administrative Professionals Day Luncheon at the Riverside Hotel in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and it is never missed.  At this annual event the administrative assistants of prominent lawyers and judges in the community are recognized and rewarded with gifts and celebration.

Thank you to the Broward County Women Lawyers Association for putting on this very special annual event.

Eric N. Assouline, Esq., Managing Partner, Head of Litigation.

Miami Tower, 100 SE 2nd Street, Suite 3105, Miami, Florida 33133

Florida has Trademarks? Yes, and it was just revised!

On June 7, 2019, Governor DeSantis approved HB 445, a bill that revised the classification system of Florida’s Registration and Protection of Trademarks Act (see Chapter 495 of the Florida Statutes).  The purpose of the revision was to align the Florida trademark classification of goods and services to that of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), which is the federal trademark authority.  The new changes revise most of Florida’s 45 trademark classifications.  A copy of the changes can be found here.

The USPTO breaks up the 45 classes into two groups.  There are 34 classes for products and 11 classes for services.  When applying for a trademark, at the USPTO or in Florida, the owner must select the class or classes where the brand is being used.  For example, if the business uses a brand in the real estate business, then they likely fit in one of the service-based classes.  If the business also brands their real estate business in related apparel, they may also want to apply for a product-based class.  It is important to select these appropriate class and word the description accurately because you will have to submit evidence of your use of the brand in the applied for classes at the beginning or end of the trademark process.

While federal trademark registrations secured with the USPTO are more commonplace, there are reasons to secure a Florida trademark to protect your brand.  For some business owners, their entire business is focused in Florida and does not extend outside the state.  If there are no plans to expand out of Florida in the future, a Florida trademark may be all the business owner needs.  While a federal trademark registration is often litigated in federal court, a Florida trademark owner may have the ability to file an infringement action in Florida state court, which is relatively rare.

There are pros and cons to litigation in federal court compared to state court.  The business owner should assess the cost/benefit of securing  a Florida trademark and/or a federal trademark as they build their trademark portfolio to protect their valuable branding.  Often overlooked, branding is in important part of your business and steps should be taken to protect your brands.  Otherwise, you may have limited options to enforce your rights should someone copy your branding in a related market.

For any questions about trademarks, patents, or copyrights, contact Greg Popowitz.

Greg M. Popowitz, Esq.

Registered Patent Attorney

AV Rated by Martindale-Hubbell

Intellectual Property Litigation

ASSOULINE & BERLOWE, P.A.

213 East Sheridan Street, Suite 3

Dania Beach, Florida  33004

Main: 954.929.1899

Fax: 954.922.6662

Email: GMP@assoulineberlowe.com

http://www.assoulineberlowe.com/

LinkedIn  ||  Twitter

Intellectual Property, Labor & Employment, Creditors’ Rights & Bankruptcy, Business Litigation, Corporate & Finance, Real Estate, International Law, Trust & Estates, Probate and Guardianship

NEW OFFICE – Assouline & Berlowe Move Their Boca Raton Office Address

BOCA RATON, FL – Assouline & Berlowe, which has had offices in Boca Raton since 2008, has moved its offices to 2300 Glades Road, East Tower – Suite 135, Boca Raton, Florida 33143.  The Firm’s move is very exciting because it the new office is directly across the street from a number of prime locations for lunch meetings with colleagues.

If you are in the area, please let us know in advance, and stop by.

If you wish to meet with our Boca Raton office Managing Partner, and Board Certified Labor & Employment Attorney Ellen M. Leibovitch, Esq. (who has just been announced as a 2019 Super Lawyer), please let us know.

To Ellen and to our entire Boca Raton office and staff, congratulations and best of luck in the new office!

http://www.assoulineberlowe.com

INTERNATIONAL ARBITRATION LLM Students’ Graduation Reception

MIAMI: Assouline & Berlowe, The Business Law Firm, is hosting the students and the 2019 graduating class of the University of Miami’s International Arbitration program.  We want to thank our good friend Professor John Rooney and Sandra Friedrich for helping coordinate this fantastic event.  If you are one of these students, please do not forget to register through the school or by clicking on the following link:  https://forms.gle/ZKnpt9HN929trYe3A

Eric N. Assouline, Esq., Assouline & Berlowe, P.A., Miami Tower, 100 SE 2nd Street, Suite 3105, Miami, Florida 33131, Telephone: 305-567-5576, Email: ena@assoulineberlowe.com

 

 

Assouline & Berlowe is a Proud Member of Nextlaw, the Largest Worldwide Network of Attorneys – Now Ranked by Chambers

MIAMI, Florida – March 15, 2019. Assouline & Berlowe, P.A. is pleased to announce that Nextlaw Referral Network (NRN) has been recognized as a Leading Global Legal Referral Network by Chambers & Partners in the Chambers 2019 guide. Assouline & Berlowe, P.A. has been a member of Nextlaw Network since September 2016.

Nextlaw Network has achieved this milestone faster than any network in history, having been founded in October 2016 by Dentons, the world’s largest law firm. The Network grew to be the largest in under one year and is now three-times larger than the second largest network in the world.

“We are proud to be the champion of the small to medium-size law firms,” said Nextlaw Network CEO Jeff Modisett. “Until now, medium-sized law firms were excluded from most networks because of high annual fees and the exclusive, territorial and monopolistic nature of the traditional network business model. Our Network welcomes all top law firms in the world, focusing on quality, not size.”

Assouline & Berlowe, P.A. Managing Partner Eric N. Assouline, Esq. said, “Membership in the Nextlaw Referral Network provides us with unprecedented global reach, including leading capabilities in 205 countries. We have access to top lawyers in any practice, industry or sector, anywhere in the world, enabling us to provide our clients with the best local and global services possible. The Nextlaw Referral Network makes us truly ‘in and of the community.’”

Chambers is an independent legal directory that conducts in-depth interviews, reviews submissions from law firms and collects feedback from clients to identify and rank the most outstanding legal referral networks, law firms and lawyers.

Nextlaw Network has more members and covers more countries than any other single legal referral network in the world. Members conduct more than 2,000 searches per month on the network’s advanced proprietary platform, which is seamlessly linked with its sister network, the Nextlaw Public Affairs Network. More than 70 percent of NRN members are Chambers ranked.

The Network also serves as a strategic platform by distributing cutting-edge legal technology at discounts to members, working with another sister company, Nextlaw Labs. Nextlaw Labs curates the best technology in the profession. The Network also promotes thought-leadership in emerging, disruptive technologies, such as AI and Blockchain.

Nextlaw Network is one of the only referral networks that offers inter-disciplinary functionality. In today’s complex global environment, clients often need access to professionals who understand the regulatory, business and economic cultures everywhere they do business, which means integrating legal and public affairs representation.

The Network provides no jurisdictional exclusivity, due to its guiding principle to offer clients the best lawyers in any practice, sector, anywhere in the world.
Assouline & Berlowe, P.A. is a South Florida Business Law Firm, formed in 2003, with offices in Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, and Boca Raton. Assouline & Berlowe, P.A. concentrates its practice in the areas of: Intellectual Property Law and Litigation; International and Domestic Dispute Resolution, including litigation, arbitration, and appeals; Real Estate and Corporate Law and Litigation; Labor & Employment Law; Trusts, Estates & Probate Administration and Litigation; and Creditors’ Rights and Bankruptcy.
About Nextlaw Referral Network
Nextlaw Referral Network is the broadest and most sophisticated legal referral platform in the world. Introduced in October of 2016, it already includes nearly 670-member firms, over 25,000 lawyers covering all of the world’s major jurisdictions in more than 205 countries. In addition, working closely with its sister company, Nextlaw Labs, the platform will also introduce new technologies, products and services to its members. The platform also includes Nextlaw Global Public Affairs Network, the first of its kind network that includes more than 50 of the world’s top public affairs and public relations firms.

ASSOULINE & BERLOWE

Miami Tower, 100 SE 2nd Street, Suite 3105, Miami, Florida 33131

Telephone: 305-567-5576

http://www.assoulineberlowe.com

Intellectual Property, Labor & Employment, Creditors’ Rights & Bankruptcy, Business Litigation, Corporate & Finance, Real Estate, International Law, Trust & Estates, Probate and Guardianship

ALL RISE – This Moot Court Is Now In Session

Assouline & Berlowe has a long history of supporting both the legal and non-legal community in South Florida.  From its inception, the Firm has been involved in numerous charitable events and community endeavors.

As part of its support for the local legal community and the South Florida Law Schools, the Firm supports St. Thomas University’s School of Law Moot Court Room, where oral argument by the Florida’s Third District Court of Appeals is often held.

We as a Firm give thanks to the hard work of the local law schools’ professors and staff, which has allowed the legal community to thrive and produce high quality lawyers and judges.

Thank you.

Eric N. Assouline, Esq.

Managing Partner

@assoulineberlowe

 

SCOTUS: Register Your Copyrights to Sue

 

Artists across the United States that wanted to sue to protect their mental expressions (copyrights) have had to figure out if a copyright registration was required to file a lawsuit, or if simply applying forregistration was enough.   In the Eleventh Circuit, which includes Florida, a plaintiff is required to secure a copyright registration from the U.S. Copyright Office before filing a copyright lawsuit.

On March 4, 2019, in a long-awaited decision, Justice Ginsberg delivered the unanimous opinion of the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) in Fourth Estate Public Benefit Corp. v. Wall-Street.com LLC, et al, No. 17-571, 586 U.S. ____ (March 4, 2019).    The question before the Court was whether registration is secured under Title 17 of the Copyright code by simply filing the application, depositing the copies of the work, and required fee, or if registration occurs once the Copyright Office reviews and registers the copyright.  SCOTUS agreed with the Eleventh Circuit and affirmed that “registration occurs, and a copyright claimant may commence an infringement suit, when the Copyright Office registers a copyright.”  SCOTUS also held that a copyright owner can recover damages for infringement that occurred both before and after registration.

The Fourth Estate decision notes the increased time by the Copyright Office in progressing copyright applications.  Registration processing times have steadily increased from 1-2 weeks in 1956 to numerous months today.  Depending on the type of work, it may take a year.  While the delays are largely attributable to staffing and budgetary shortages that Congress could resolve, it is not within the purview of the courts to cure.

While the average pendency of a copyright application has increased significantly, there is an option to secure a copyright registration faster.  When filing a copyright application, the applicant can select to file the application on an expedited basis.  This often results in the Copyright Office, if appropriate, registering the copyright within 1-2 weeks.  One of the reasons to apply on an expedited basis is the representation that litigation is forthcoming.  However, the filing fees for applying on an expedited basis is over 10 times the normal filing fees, which can be quite costly.

Instead of dealing with expedited filing fees, it is in the interest of copyright holders to apply for protection as early as possible.  If the claimant applies for copyright protection within 90 days from publication, the claimant preserves their ability to seek statutory damages and attorneys’ fees in the event of infringement.  It is important that copyright holders routinely speak with an Intellectual Property attorney to review their portfolio and decide the best ways to protect their mental creations.

For any questions about copyrights, trademarks, or patents, contact Greg Popowitz.

Greg M. Popowitz, Esq.

Registered Patent Attorney

AV Rated by Martindale-Hubbell

Intellectual Property Litigation

ASSOULINE & BERLOWE, P.A.

213 East Sheridan Street, Suite 3

Dania Beach, Florida  33004

Main: 954.929.1899

Fax: 954.922.6662

Email: GMP@assoulineberlowe.com

http://www.assoulineberlowe.com/

LinkedIn  ||  Twitter

Intellectual Property, Labor & Employment, Creditors’ Rights & Bankruptcy, Business Litigation, Corporate & Finance, Real Estate, International Law, Trust & Estates, Probate and Guardianship

JUDGMENT INTEREST RATES – PARTY LIKE IT IS 2009!

As we have been updating on this blog over the past several years, Florida’s Interest Rates on Judgments is announced every quarter.  Over the past several quarters, interest rates have little by little steadily climbed.  Every quarter they are updated, either up, down, or they may remain the same.

 

As of this past Monday, October 1^st, 2018, the new interest rate on judgments is now 6.09%.  This is the highest interest rate we have seen in Florida since December 31^st, 2009, at which time rates were at 8%, and they steadily went down.

 

Eric N. Assouline, Esq.

Assouline & Berlowe, P.A.

www.assoulineberlowe.com

Miami – Ft. Lauderdale – Boca Raton