Recent Developments in Coastwise Trade
By Sandra L. Knapp - At the end of July 2017, the U.S. Coast Guard issued two letter rulings that are of interest to the U.S. Jones Act trade industry. The first one, issued on July 25th, confirms the U.S…
Autonomous Ships: Regulations Left in Their Wake?
The following was first published by The Maritime Executive, the largest business journal in the maritime industry, reaching 127 countries. Gawthrop Greenwood partner Michael F. Merlie is a Maritime Executive author. The general public is well aware of the continuing…
Pennsylvania 2017 Tax Amnesty Program Period is Fast Approaching
The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue has again established the Pennsylvania Tax Amnesty Program (the “Amnesty Program”). The period for the Amnesty Program begins on April 21, 2017 and ends on June 19, 2017 (the “Amnesty Period”). Both businesses and individuals…
Law Behind Resignation of National Security Adviser Has Roots in Philadelphia
The Trump administration has been a wellspring of legal issues from its inception. The resignation of President Donald Trump’s national security advisor, retired Lt. General Michael T. Flynn, brings an arcane criminal statute known as the Logan Act into national…
What Happens to Facebook (and More) When You Die
Consider this: Your Facebook account is likely to outlive you. Do you really want your friends and family to have access to it? What about emails, tweets and online posts? Maybe these accounts contain items of sentimental or monetary value…
How to Ensure You’ve Carefully Planned Your Estate
No one would have predicted that the emotional story of a music icon’s untimely death would devolve into a cautionary tale better suited for the pages of a legal journal than for those of Rolling Stone. And yet as fans…
What Every Pet Owner Should Know About Estate Planning
Companion animals are an important part of our lives. According to a recent study by the American Animal Hospital Association: 62% of households in the U.S. have companion animals. 85% of pet owners refer to themselves as their pets’ “mom”…
Tax Alert: Impending Deadline & New Filing Requirements For Estates (form 8971)
By Stephen J. Olsen -- On July 31, 2015, HR 3236, Surface Transportation and Veterans Health Care Choice Improvement Act of 2015 (the “Act”), was signed into law. Section 2004 of the Act enacted new Sections 1014(f) and 6035(a)(1) of…
Maritime Update: Crude Oil Export Ban is History
By Sandra L. Knapp - On December 11, 2015, President Obama signed into law a spending bill that includes a provision lifting the ban on crude oil exports. As previously noted, the oil companies have been hard at work to…
Maritime Alert: Crude Oil Export Ban
By Sandra L. Knapp - For the last twelve months, we read off and on in the news that there is momentum to lift the 1970s-era ban on the export of crude oil. The Wall Street Journal reported a year…