"My aging parents refuse to discuss their estate plan. Do I have an estate planning problem?" As an estate planning attorney, I frequently hear some version of this story from...
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"Navigating 1031 Exchanges in Maryland: A Practical Guide for Real Estate Investors" A 1031 exchange (named after Section 1031 of the Internal Revenue Code) is one of the most effective...
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"I own a small business but haven't planned for my death or incapacity. Do I have an estate planning problem?" If you own a small business and have not...
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Annapolis, MD (March 2026) -- Liff, Walsh & Simmons is proud to announce that Kelly E. Callahan has been promoted to Partner, recognizing her outstanding contributions to the firm, her...
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United States v. Heppner, No. 25-cr-00503-JSR (S.D.N.Y.) Artificial Intelligence (AI) has forever changed the practice of law and will continue to reshape the legal landscape for the foreseeable future....
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"I have cryptocurrency, but no one knows how to access my wallet. Do I have an estate planning problem?" Yes, if you own cryptocurrency but haven’t made arrangements for...
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When traditional lending tightens, deals don't stop. They evolve. In today’s commercial real estate market, elevated interest rates and conservative underwriting standards have made it more difficult to close...
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"I own extremely rare and valuable collectibles, but my family is unaware of the worth and extent of what I own. Do I have an estate planning problem?" Yes,...
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Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) is an extraordinary legal tool: it accelerates research, improves efficiency, and expands access to information. One could even argue that it has the potential to be the...
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"My estate might owe taxes. Do I have an estate planning problem?" Estate planning is often seen as something reserved for the ultra-wealthy or those nearing retirement, but it’s...
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On June 5, 2025, the Supreme Court unanimously issued its decision in Ames v. Ohio Department of Youth Services, altering the employment landscape as it relates to discrimination claims asserted...
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"I haven't updated my will since my divorce. Do I have an estate planning problem?" Divorce is a significant life event that can profoundly impact your estate plan. If...
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A Practical Overview for Business Owners When a business takes on debt, one of the biggest variables that can affect a business’s cash flow is the interest rate on...
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"I haven't created a detailed list of my assets, debts, or key contacts. Do I have an estate planning problem?" In the realm of estate planning, one of the...
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August 29, 2025 The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (“OBBBA”) was signed into law in July 2025. The OBBBA has several notable consequences for employers and employees alike, including...
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E.M.D. Sales, Inc. v. Carrera: Clarifying Employers’ Burden of Proof for Exempt Status under the Fair Labor Standards Act The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (“FLSA”) requires employers...
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June 27, 2025 In multi-tenant retail and commercial centers, competition for customer traffic is increasingly fierce. As a result, tenants often seek assurances that they won’t be adversely affected...
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April 29, 2025 Is a signed contract always enforceable? Not if it was executed through fraud. Contracts governed by Maryland law can be rescinded based on the theory of...
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April 2, 2025 On March 21, 2025, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) issued an Interim Final Rule (IFR) that significantly narrows the scope of the Corporate Transparency Act...
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February 24, 2025 On February 18, 2025, the last remaining nationwide preliminary injunction of the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA), issued by a federal judge in the U.S. Federal District...
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February 19, 2025 If you’re a landlord or tenant in Maryland, you should be aware of the recently established Maryland Renters’ Rights and Stabilization Act of 2024 (the “Act”),...
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Reprinted from Law360 4 Questions About Trump's Federal Worker Resignation Policy President Donald Trump's offer of letting federal workers resign with several months of paid administrative leave raises...
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In the landmark 2022 case Amaya v. DGS Construction, LLC, the Maryland Court of Appeals (since renamed the Supreme Court of Maryland) ruled that non-exempt employees may be entitled to…
December 24, 2024 As you may know, on December 3rd, as the result of a Texas federal court issuance of a preliminary injunction, temporarily pausing the CTA’s enforcement. However, on...
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By James E. Crossan, Esq. and Josh Welborn, Esq. During litigation, a party may engage in discovery and seek the production of documents from other parties as well as...
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By Richard G. Vartain, Esq. Navigating False Claims Allegations: Comprehensive Legal Guidance for Government Contractors Nothing is more concerning to small or midsize government contractors than the prospect...
Read MoreDecember 9, 2024 On December 3, 2024, the US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas entered a preliminary injunction suspending enforcement of the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA)...
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Reprinted from Law360 How Trump's Return Could Shift The Wage-Hour Landscape Former President Donald Trump's return to the White House could mean dropping appeals in rule challenges, implementing...
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By Kathleen Millrood When acquiring a business, one of the first decisions a buyer will have to make is whether to purchase the target business’s stock or purchase its...
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Authored by: Dave Dorey, Partner, Liff, Walsh & Simmons On August 20, a federal judge in Texas permanently blocked the Federal Trade Commission’s (“FTC”) rule that would have banned...
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On October 1, Maryland will join a growing number of jurisdictions that mandate and enforce “wage range transparency” in employment advertisements. The new law will require employers of any size...
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By Richard G. Vartain, Esq. You know the drill—a large government contractor is looking for teammates to support its bid and proposal efforts in response to a Government RFP....
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By Richard G. Vartain, Esq. As a provider of managed security services or goods, it might come as a surprise to learn that prior to 2015, the ability to monitor...
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By Jessica Walsh, Esq. On October 1, 2023, Maryland’s registered domestic partnership statute took effect, marking a considerable stride towards inclusivity and recognition of diverse relationship structures in the...
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By James E. Crossan, Esq. and Josh Welborn, Esq. It is common for homeowners in Maryland to be subject to restrictive covenants placed on their land by developers preventing certain...
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CLIENT ALERT Significant Labor and Employment Developments: Noncompetes, Overtime, Pregnant Workers Fairness Act The last few weeks have brought substantial nationwide developments in the ever-changing labor and employment space. The...
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Demystifying Subordination, Non-Disturbance, and Attornment (SNDA) Agreements What is an SNDA Agreement? If you are a commercial lender, tenant, or landlord, you probably see the term “SNDA agreement”...
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By Emmy Freedman March 6, 2024 Republished from Law360 Liff, Walsh & Simmons added a partner with experience at the U.S. Department of Labor and doing public interest work...
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Liff, Walsh & Simmons is pleased to welcome David R. Dorey as a partner. He will lead the Labor & Employment Practice Group and will also join the Litigation Practice...
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It’s 2025! Are your estate plans in order? Many people mistakenly believe that estate planning is just for extremely wealthy families, but that’s a myth! Estate planning is the...
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The Corporate Transparency Act (CTA), which goes into effect in January 2024, may have an impact on your small business. This article aims to help explain what the CTA is,...
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In practicing employment law, I have noticed a pattern of common misconceptions about personnel law. Below I have addressed some topics often misunderstood or not widely known by employers. Read…
A Conversation About Family Lending Partner Jon McGowan joins Bay Point Wealth team members to discuss the ins and outs of intra-family loans. Episode 10 discusses how to approach lending money…
On October 1, 2021, new employee leave obligations took effect in both Maryland and the District of Columbia. Maryland Bereavement Leave Law In Maryland, employers with 15 or more...
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With the residential market continuing its surge, a number of people are turning to real estate as a way to diversify their investment portfolio. We are seeing more and more...
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One of the most important factors for buyers when searching for the right waterfront property is the existence of a pier, or the ability of the buyer to build a...
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When assisting clients in their pursuit of a new business venture, we often get questions like: Should I be using an LLC or an S-Corporation? Questions like these highlight a...
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One of the most common issues we find during estate planning is improperly titled real property. Your land, houses, buildings, fences, or trees—anything permanently attached to the land—are all considered...
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COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout Raises Optimism 2020 presented many struggles for brick-and-mortar-based businesses across the country. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic a little over one year ago, when many...
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In an effort to expand job opportunities for workers, the District of Columbia has passed the Ban on Non-Compete Agreements Amendment Act of 2020 (the “Act”). The Act took effect...
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One of the legal issues that frequently arises following a real estate transaction is a dispute over undisclosed “latent defects.” Buyers will ask how they can get damages after discovering...
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Paul Skrickus, attorney with Liff, Walsh & Simmons, explains how you may be able to use transfer exemptions to reorganize your property investment portfolio in a cost-effective way. We offer...
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In our experience working with both lenders and borrowers on commercial loan matters, we often find that borrowers overlook or fail to properly address the prepayment penalty prior to closing....
Read MoreJon McGowan, attorney with Liff, Walsh & Simmons, offers a few things you may want to consider before you transfer any investment property or vacation homes into an LLC. Please...
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Since the beginning of COVID the commercial real estate industry has debated how COVID would impact the future of office space. The debate has largely revolved around whether working from...
Read MoreIn this video interview, James Crossan, Partner, and Practice Group Director talks about taking the Florida bar exam to help one of his clients. About Liff, Walsh & Simmons ...
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If a lender is a successful bidder at foreclosure, the lender will take title to the real estate secured by the foreclosed original loan. In this situation, many lenders...
Read MoreIn this video interview, Jim talks about the unique service that he provides as a business advisor and litigator proactively working with business owners to prevent business disputes from arising...
Read MoreGrowing up in the 70s, I became a big fan of the original Star Wars trilogy, so I have my Darth Vader mug with me at all times in my...
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In buying commercial property, whether vacant or improved, the parties to a commercial transaction want to close efficiently and quickly. At Liff, Walsh & Simmons, we do both while completing the...
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In buying commercial property, whether vacant or improved, Buyers and their lenders usually require an ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey (“ALTA Survey”). An ALTA Survey combines a boundary survey by graphically…
Updated: September 27, 2024 As businesses and industries begin to come back to life after the recent shutdown, borrowers will need to manage their transaction costs as they obtain new…
Effective October 1, 2020, the Frederick County State Recordation Tax Rate for residential and commercial transactions will see an increase from $12 per $1,000 of consideration to $14 per $1,000...
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Effective July 1, 2020, the Howard County Transfer Tax Rate for residential and commercial transactions will see an increase from 1% to 1.25%. Although the proposed increase in the county…
In this uncertain time, all business owners are looking for suggestions on how to continue to operate with minimal disruptions to the bottom line. In this article, Mark Cuban explains...
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Ensuring that your assets are properly managed and preserved in the event that you are no longer able to do so yourself can be a major concern. A power of…
You may be surprised to learn that there is no guaranty that contract disputes involving Maryland residents will be governed by Maryland law. A contract may specify that disputes will...
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The Importance of Estate Planning Series Having children can be one of the most rewarding stages in someone’s life, but it also comes with the added weight of having to...
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In Hogans v. Hogans Agency, Inc., the Court of Special Appeals reconciled two prior inconsistent Maryland cases, and held that a corporation may condition stockholder inspection rights on the signing of a...
Read MoreIn a case of first impression, the Court of Special Appeals considered whether the six-month statute of limitations for a claim against an estate applies to an action to quiet...
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Latin for “lawsuit pending,” lis pendens refers to the jurisdiction, power, or control acquired by a court over property while a legal action is pending. Until recently, Maryland appellate courts had not…
