By: Laurie A. McCarthy, Esquire [email protected] The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (the “Plan”) is a $1.9 trillion stimulus package, following the $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”), and the $900 billion stimulus included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021.  Direct Financial Payments Individuals with an adjusted gross […]

By: Robert B. George, Esquire [email protected] There has been a lot of discussion in the media over the past few weeks about the record number of executive orders that have been signed by President Biden. Since being sworn into Office on January 20, 2021, President Biden has signed many executive orders covering a various range […]

By: Laurie A. McCarthy, Esquire [email protected] Many employers and employees have questions about the COVID-19 vaccine. One of the top questions is: can employers mandate that employees be vaccinated?  The bottom line is, yes, employers can require employees to get immunized with the coronavirus vaccine, with some accommodation exceptions. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission […]

By: Robert B. George, Esquire [email protected] As implementation of the vaccines for the COVID-19 virus is at the forefront of the efforts to fight this world-wide pandemic, there are other battles taking place around the United States, as well as at a local level here in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, between parents that cannot agree […]

By: Laurie A. McCarthy, Esquire [email protected] The Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (“PEUC”) Program has been extended to provide 11 additional weeks to eligible claimants. PEUC is a temporary federal program available for individuals whose regular unemployment benefits have expired or will expire soon.  The extension started Sunday, January 24, 2021. The extended PEUC payments will […]

By: Matthew H. Fry, Esquire [email protected] If you own a business or are in charge of purchasing insurance at work, then you may have heard of business income loss coverage. If your business is shut down by some type of covered loss under the policy, business income loss coverage is supposed to restore you back […]

By: Laurie A. McCarthy, Esquire [email protected] The Team Cameron Toy Drive is run by the Cameron McCarthy Foundation, named in honor of my daughter, who, in May of 2015 – just before her 7th birthday – was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma – a rare and aggressive form of bone cancer.  Cameron endured a year of […]

Lisanne L. Mikula, Esquire [email protected] Date: October 30, 2020 On October 21, 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) changed the definition of “close contact” with an infected individual for purposes of determining whether someone must self-quarantine for fourteen days.  For many months, the CDC had said that “close contact” meant spending a […]

By: Laurie A. McCarthy, Esquire [email protected] You will not pay taxes on stimulus money The IRS does not consider stimulus money to be income. The payments are considered to be a credit against your taxes. Stimulus payments will not reduce your refund or increase the amount you owe in taxes.  2. Does receiving the first […]

By: Lisanne L. Mikula, Esquire [email protected] Dozens of Black former owners of McDonald’s franchises recently filed a racial discrimination lawsuit in federal court in Illinois, alleging that McDonald’s denied them the same business opportunities that McDonald’s provides to white franchise owners.  The 52 plaintiffs –who ran a total of 200 restaurants—claim that they were “denied […]