Protecting Your Intellectual Property in a Wild World

Your company is an “A” player and it has done everything right in the U.S. in protecting its intellectual property (“IP”). You have not just relied upon a “smile.” You’ve invented a unique product called Superstar® widget and it is not yet offered by your competitors. Vast amount of resources have been poured into the development of the Superstar widget. Prior to introducing the Superstar widget, you used due diligence and used the IP Awareness Assessment Tool on the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office website to identify what IP you have, if it has value, and if it can be protected under U.S. law.

Upon identifying your IP, the company retained capable attorneys who were successful in obtaining U.S. trademark registrations on the corporate name, non-functional design, and logo so customers could more easily identify the Superstar widget and its association with the company. Superstar widget packaging correctly evidences all registered trademarks.

You made a wise expenditure on patents and the company has received patents on the Superstar widget process. Further, copyright registrations with the U.S. Copyright Office have been obtained on your website, web video, and associated software and you are giving notice to the world of your ownership by using the appropriate symbol of “©2012 Company.” Continue reading »

Hacked Hospital Network Includes Outstate Missouri Hospitals

4.5M Records Stolen, HIPAA violation

In June 2014, hackers in China used high-end, sophisticated malware to launch criminal cyber-attacks to access patient information from a national hospital system. Community Health Systems, Inc. (“CHS”), operates 206 hospitals across the U.S. in 29 states, including four located in Missouri (Kennett, Kirksville, Moberly, and Poplar Bluff). The breached data is considered protected health information under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”).

In a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, CHS said the attacker was an “Advanced Persistent Threat” group which bypassed CHS’ security measures, successfully copying and transferring certain data outside CHS. Although CHS has confirmed that this data did not include patient credit card, medical, or clinical information, the breach does include patient names, addresses, birth dates, telephone numbers and Social Security numbers. CHS has been working closely with federal law enforcement authorities in connection with their investigation and potential prosecution of those determined to be responsible for this attack.

Under various state and federal laws, CHS is obligated to notify affected patients. The Department of Health and Human Services provides a web page describing the breach notification requirements of covered entities to effected individuals, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and, in certain circumstances, to the media. Continue reading »

Inherited IRAs – Once Protected – Now Possibly Fair Game for Creditors

You should read this article if  –

1. You expect to transfer funds to your descendants through an individual retirement account (IRA); or
2. You have inherited an IRA from a relative.

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in Clark v. Rameker that the money in an inherited IRA does not qualify for the protection from creditors as provided in the Federal Bankruptcy Code.[1]

The Court concluded that funds in an IRA which was inherited from someone else are not really retirement funds.  It gave three reasons for this conclusion.  The holder of an inherited IRA:

1. Can never invest additional money into the account.
2. Is required to withdraw money from the account, no matter how far away retirement may be.
3. May withdraw the entire balance of the account at any time – and use it for any purpose – without penalty. Continue reading »

Inherited IRAs Not Protected in Bankruptcy

If you directly inherited an IRA and are facing bankruptcy, these funds are no longer protected from creditors.

In Clark v. Rameker (In re Clark), No. 13-299, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled that inherited IRAs do not qualify under the “retirement funds” bankruptcy exemption. As a result, non-spouses inheriting an IRA may no longer protect the funds from creditors after filing bankruptcy and spouses have more incentive to “roll over” inherited IRA funds.

Before the Supreme Court decided Clark, there was a split between the 5th and 7th Circuit Courts of Appeals regarding exactly what the “retirement funds” bankruptcy exemption covered. In Chilton v. Moser, the 5th Circuit previously held that inherited IRAs were exempt from the bankruptcy estate because the “retirement funds” exemption never stated that the retirement funds had to be the debtor’s. In Clark v. Rameker, the 7th Circuit disagreed and held that inherited IRAs were not exempt because they were an “opportunity for current consumption, not a fund of retirement savings.” The disagreement stemmed from the interpretation of what “retirement funds” included. Continue reading »

Unemployment Insurance in Missouri: Should Employers Respond to Claim Notices?

New regulations require Missouri employers to respond timely to information requests regarding unemployment insurance compensation. The federal Trade Adjustment Assistance Extension Act (“TAAEA” or the “Act”) of 2011 requires, among other things, that states increase employers’ duties regarding unemployment compensation claims. Specifically, the Act provides that states must require employers to respond timely and adequately to Claim Notices, information requests from state agencies relating to unemployment benefit compensation claims. It also requires states to charge the unemployment accounts of employers that repeatedly fail to respond to Claim Notices for unemployment benefits paid to ineligible former employees.

In Missouri, an employee that satisfies all the unemployment insurance benefit eligibility requirements may still be disqualified from receiving benefits for voluntarily quitting without good cause or for being discharged for work misconduct. Once a terminated employee files a claim for unemployment benefits, the Missouri Division of Employment Security (“DES”) mails the former employer a Claim Notice, which requires a response within 10 days. The Claim Notice permits the employer to protest an unemployment benefits claim because the former employee quit voluntarily or was discharged for misconduct. If the claim is not in dispute, the employer must still respond to acknowledge the claim.

Some employers routinely fail to respond to Claim Notices. They may systematically choose not to respond to Claim Notices to avoid becoming involved in a former employee’s benefits appeal. Continue reading »

Mizzou Story Highlights Tension Between Doctor-Patient Privilege and Protecting the Patient

A story concerning the death of a female athlete by suicide, her alleged rape, and the role played by the university she attended in the tragic facts has placed the issue of patient confidentiality squarely in the headlines.  The story highlights the care that must be taken to protect a patient’s ability to speak candidly and honestly to his or her medical provider without fear that such information will be divulged to anyone else without the patient’s permission.

The female student athlete had committed suicide in 2011, approximately 16 months after her alleged rape in 2010 by another student athlete at the school.  According to an email posted to Mizzou’s website on January 24, 2014, an ESPN producer of “Outside the Lines” wanted to know if University of Missouri officials planned to investigate or notify law enforcement about the alleged rape.  Just hours before publishing the story, the ESPN producer asked university officials: Continue reading »

Missouri Changes Its No-Oral-Credit Agreement Disclaimer Language Requirements for Lenders

Missouri has once again amended its credit agreement statute of frauds to limit the ability of borrowers and guarantors to assert claims against lenders and the parties’ written credit agreement based upon oral promises or commitments.  Specifically, Senate Bill 100, effective late 2013, extends Missouri’s prohibitions to reach not only oral, but now also unexecuted agreements or commitments to loan money, extend credit, or to forebear from enforcing repayment of a debt if the parties’ credit agreement contains certain disclaimer language as provided in the statute.

Extending the prohibition specifically to unexecuted agreements between the parties became necessary after Mo. Rev. Stat. 432.047 was limited by the Missouri Court of Appeals in its Bailey v. Hawthorne Bank decision.  In that case the Court of Appeals broadly construed several different bank documents, including a bank loan summary which was never delivered to the borrower, to find a “credit agreement” as that term is used in the statute. Continue reading »

Condo Association Embezzlement Case Demonstrates Need for System of Financial Checks and Balances

A St. Louis bookkeeper recently pled guilty to wire fraud for embezzling more than $70,000 from his condominium association. His scheme spanned more than two years and involved more than 50 unauthorized wire transfers from the association’s financial accounts to the bookkeeper’s own personal bank accounts.  Unfortunately for condominium and homeowner associations, this type of activity is all too common and demonstrates the critical need for associations to prepare and implement systems of financial checks and balances.

What each association’s system should entail to sufficiently reduce the risk of improper financial activity (while also recognizing the need for effective and responsive management) will vary from association to association depending on several factors, including association size, level of involvement from the homeowners, and governing rules. However, many effective systems begin with distributing financial supervision and actions between several individuals. This practice includes: Continue reading »

All Married Couples in Missouri Filing Joint Federal Returns Must Also File Joint State Returns

Married couples in Missouri who file joint federal tax returns, including those not recognized as married by the state but recognized as married in other states, must also now file jointly in the state of Missouri.

Governor Jay Nixon issued the executed order clarifying that, under Missouri law, couples filing joint federal income tax returns must also file joint state returns.

Click here to read more.

New Illinois Recording Law Designed to Combat Fraudulent Filings Likely to Have Immediate Impact on Title Insurance Industry

Illinois recorder of deeds offices are now authorized to implement fraud referral and review processes to detect and address fraudulent recorded instruments in their counties with the recent passage of Illinois House Bill 2832 (55 ILCS 5/3-5010.5).

The new law identifies 19 separate indications of potential fraud, but county recorders are each free to create a unique detection system for their county. Under these systems, once the recorder reasonably determines an instrument to be “fraudulent, unlawfully altered, or intended to unlawfully cloud or transfer the title of any real estate property,” the law affords the recorder two distinct courses of action.

First, recorder personnel may, at their own discretion, notify law enforcement officials, including the Department of Financial and Professional regulation, of the suspected fraud and request assistance for further review and potential criminal investigation.

Second, the recorder may, upon notice and confirmation of the potential fraud with the last owner of record, flag and refer the instrument to a local administrative law judge for hearing. If that judge determines the instrument to be legitimate, a judgment stating so would then be recorded along with the original instrument. However, if determined to be fraudulent, a judgment stating “that the document in question has been found to be fraudulent and shall not be considered to affect the chain of title of the property in any way” would then be recorded with the original instrument. No documents, regardless of legitimacy, would be “unrecorded” or struck from the county records.

Like many new laws, this new recording law is not without controversy. Proponents praise the law as an expedited and cost-effective alternative to filing a lawsuit to clear a victim’s title. However, critics complain the law unconstitutionally expands the powers of county recorders and may lead to unforeseen consequences in the recovering real estate industry.

While the ultimate effect (and constitutionality) of the new law remains to be seen, the law will almost certainly have an immediate impact on Illinois title companies. In some cases, it may lead to longer and more expensive administrative review and closing periods as title companies may be reluctant to insure any title during an active review/referral process. However, in others, the law’s finality in determining the legitimacy of unusual instruments in a chain of title may lead to decreased risks borne by title companies and thus decreased costs borne by the consumer.

Either way, the new law’s application and effect will certainly need to be considered by companies seeking to insure title in Illinois.