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G&G Blog

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michelle green
rebecca lyon
Ian Saderholm

Latest from G&G Law LLC

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A bunch of legal updates take effect for small businesses in 2023.

  • One new law expands the definition of “racial discrimination” to include hair.
  • One new law increases the minimum wage.
  • One new law increases workers’ rights to take leave.
  • One new law bans latex gloves in food service establishments.
  • An upgrade to an existing law provides employers with a way to offer retirement accounts to their employees.

What laws are going into effect in Illinois 2023?
New year, new laws! In our 2023 annual legislative digest for Illinois’ small business community, we highlight four new laws that take effect…
Continue Reading New Laws in 2023

  • On July 1st, two of Chicago’s municipal ordinances will see scheduled updates.
  • The city’s minimum wage will increase.
  • Certain employers will have to post schedules two weeks in advance.

July 1st Employment Law Updates
July 1st will bring a couple of important legal changes for employers in Chicago, when a couple of municipal ordinances have updates scheduled to take effect. Changes to municipal ordinances rarely see the widespread coverage that new laws do, so they often slip by unnoticed! Two things will change: the city’s minimum wage and schedule-posting requirements.
Chicago’s Minimum Wage Increase
Per Chicago’s minimum wage ordinance,…
Continue Reading July 1st Employment Law Updates

S-Corp taxes recently changed in Illinois. The state legislature recently passed SB 2351, a corporate tax reform law, that has significant ramifications for S-Corporations (“S-Corps”). Before diving into the law and why it matters, we should cover some background information.
What Is An S-Corp?
An S-Corp is a sub-type of the classic corporate entity structure, often referred to as a C-Corp. The IRS created the S-Corp as a special designation that allows a company to take advantage of corporate protections, like limited liability protection, without being subject to some other corporate requirements. For instance, an S-Corp does not need a…
Continue Reading S Corp Taxes In Illinois (SB 2351)

In 2022, several new laws went into effect in Illinois that could impact your business. In this blog post, we will dive into each of those new laws and how they may affect you, although this is not an exhaustive list of every law effective this year. If you have any questions about what these laws mean for your business, contact our knowledgeable lawyers at G & G Law today.
Chicago Vaccine Requirement
Public Health Order 2021-2
In response to rising COVID-19 cases, Chicago enacted a vaccine requirement mandating that individuals must show proof that they are fully vaccinated…
Continue Reading New Laws in 2022

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1099s For Lawyers
This is a guest post by Jill Ulett of Accounting Girl, LLC
Although you are not required to send 1099s to corporations, there is an IRS requirement to send 1099s to all attorneys regardless of their corporate status. There are two different ways to complete the 1099 depending on how the attorney/firm was paid, and the addition of the form 1099-NEC makes it slightly more confusing. Let’s demystify and simplify the process: 

  • Any payments made to an attorney for general legal services and expenses must be reported on form 1099-NEC in Box 1. This is the most

…
Continue Reading 1099s For Lawyers

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  • S Corps may seem complex, but they are actually a quite simple tax designation.
  • Not all small businesses will benefit from an S-Corp designation, and the decision to file as one is very individualized.
  • If filing as an S Corp is right for your company, it is not a complicated process; just follow the timeline!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfQ9MHXHo-s
This article was derived from a livestream with Michelle Green and attorney Jennifer Brugh.
Every accountant, it seems, recommends that their clients form S Corporations. Whatever their business, whether they employ nobody or a staff of hundreds, it’s a common recommendation. So, is…
Continue Reading S Corp: Is It Right For Me?

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  • A well-negotiated commercial lease can lead to a happy landlord-tenant relationship.
  • However, unlike residential leases, commercial leases contain very few protections for the tenant.
  • Sometimes you can negotiate for favorable terms. Sometimes your best option is to walk away.

This article was derived from a livestream with Michelle Green and attorney Rebecca Lyon.
The Commercial Lease: Top Six Issues for Businesses
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many people had to shutter their businesses, and they had lots of questions about how to get out of their commercial leases. Commercial leases, especially for small business owners, often favor the landlord very,…
Continue Reading Commercial Leases: Top 6 Issues for Businesses

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  • Trademarks are a key part of people’s businesses, protecting their names, logos, and associated phrases.
  • Office actions are like roadblocks to getting your trademark registered.
  • Some office actions are easy to predict and get around, but others might force you to find a new path to registration.

This article was derived from a livestream with Michelle Green and trademark attorney Michael Reed
What is an office action?
An office action is a letter that you receive from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) informing you that your trademark application has been put on hold because there are some issues…
Continue Reading Trademark Troubles: Office Actions 101

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The following transcript has been edited for clarity and conciseness. You can view the entire livestream here.
 
Michelle: Thank you, Rebecca, for being here. Rebecca has done a ton of deep diving into trademarks and trademark law over the past couple of years. One of my favorite things to do is talk to Rebecca about trademarks because she’s into it, so I wanted to invite her for this livestream so that all of you could share in Rebecca’s knowledge and interest. So, to dive into trademarks. There’s often a lot of confusion just at the basic level of,…
Continue Reading Making Your Mark: Your Trademark, Your Business, and You

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  • As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, only three new laws take effect this year that affect Illinois businesses.
  • The statewide minimum wage increased.
  • The minimum wage in Chicago will increase this summer.
  • Chicago has also extended some licensing and permitting deadlines.

New Laws for Businesses in 2021
Normally a new year brings a bevy of new laws. Last year’s legislative slate of over 50 laws included mandatory sexual harassment training, new protections for employees, an increase in the minimum wage, legalized cannabis, and more.

This year there are three.

While the scant handful of legal updates serves as a…
Continue Reading New Laws for Businesses in 2021

  • The USPTO is raising many fees in 2021.
  • Some other fees will decrease or go away.
  • A trademark is still a worthwhile investment

Trademark Cost Change: USPTO Updates Fees in 2021
How much does a trademark cost? The answer is about to change. On January 2nd, 2021, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will implement a fee change that’s been a couple of years coming. Many fees will rise, but some will decrease and others will be removed entirely.
Despite these increases, however, the fees still pale next to the benefits of having a trademark. It protects…
Continue Reading Trademark Cost Change: USPTO Updates Fees in 2021

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Here at G & G Law, one of our core values is “highest ethics.” As lawyers licensed in Illinois, we’re obviously bound by the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct (“Illinois Rules”), and we take that responsibility seriously. 
Our “highest ethics” core value goes even further, though. In everything we do, we consider whether it is the right thing to do: for our clients, for our society, for our country, for our globe, for ourselves. 
Tuesday, November 3rd is Election Day. It’s a big one. 
The Illinois Rules require that lawyers: 
“[F]urther the public’s understanding of and confidence in the rule…
Continue Reading Election Day 2020

  • Face masks are required in Illinois.
  • Employers are required to provide reasonable accommodations to employees with disabilities recognized by the ADA.
  • Accommodations regarding masks vary by situation, but the ADA is not a blanket protection against wearing a mask.

Can I Make My Employee Wear a Mask Under the ADA?
Public health requirements during the COVID-19 pandemic have caused contention for many businesses and individuals, few as much as being forced to wear a mask. Many people claim that wearing a face mask violates their rights. This leaves businesses facing concerns from all directions, such as:

  • Can I require

…
Continue Reading Can I Make My Employee Wear a Mask Under the ADA?

  • After months of delays, Illinois finally released top scores for coveted cannabis dispensary licenses.
  • The 75 available licenses went to only 21 companies. These companies will be entered into a lottery, which the state will hold next month.
  • The scoring process and implementation of the law have come under intense scrutiny. Allegations of unfair scoring and mismanagement of the social equity intent of the law triggered multiple lawsuits.

Illinois Dispensary Licenses Released
Illinois’ long-awaited announcement of the winners of the cannabis dispensary licenses has drawn much criticism from around the state. Earlier this month, the Illinois Department of Financial and…
Continue Reading Illinois Dispensary Licenses Disappoint

PLLCs now required. Professionals licensed by the IDFPR: there has been a major change to the LLC statute in Illinois. It likely affects you and your business. Previously, licensed professionals were able to form their businesses as LLCs. Now, these businesses must register as a Professional LLC (PLLC).
This change went largely unenforced, but no longer.
Attention IDFPR Licensed Professionals: An Illinois LLC Statute Change Applies to You
Are you a professional licensed by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR)?
In Illinois, the IDFPR issues licenses to professionals like therapists, counselors, licensed social workers, occupational therapists, psychologists,…
Continue Reading IDFPR Cracking Down: PLLC vs. LLC

In the last bit of employment news last week, the BACP reminded employers of the Anti-Retaliation Ordinance. Enacted in response to the coronavirus pandemic, the Ordinance protects workers from retaliation for obeying certain health orders related to COVID-19.
What Health Orders are Covered Under Chicago’s Anti-Retaliation Ordinance?
The Anti-Retaliation Ordinance applies to several kinds of health orders:

  • Stay at home to minimize the transmission of COVID-19.
  • For example: A stay-at-home order closes your workplace and requires you to stay home.
  • Remain at home while experiencing COVID-19 symptoms or sick with COVID-19.
  • For example: A doctor tells you to stay home

    • …
    Continue Reading Anti-Retaliation Ordinance: Employee Accommodations for COVID-19