New H-1B visa petitions (including change of status petitions) can be filed with the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (“USCIS”) beginning April 1, 2019 for an effective start date of October 1, 2019.  H-1B petitions are accepted on a "first-come-first-serve" basis, and the demand for H-1B visas is expected to be very high again this year. We therefore plan to file all cap-subject Petitions for USCIS receipt on April 1, 2019.  

In the wake of an historic, multi-state lawsuit filed against a “Business Associate” earlier this month, it is imperative that companies with business associate agreements (BAA) in place with health care/plan customers review internal data security policies and procedures to ensure they are in compliance with their obligations arising under HIPAA, state privacy laws and the BAAs.

Outside GC Member Stephan Grynwajc continues to keep a close eye on the fate of the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield data-sharing arrangement. 

In this timely ACC Docket piece, Lakshmi Sarma Ramani (Washington D.C.-area team) reviews the IRS rules related to general lobbying and political campaign activity which apply to tax-exempt organizations.

"I think one of the best indicators of career satisfaction for an on-demand GC is that, like me, many lawyers choose this role at the pinnacle of their in-house careers. I am able to continue pursuing a professionally challenging career, while maintaining control over my time and my life," explains Outside GC Member, Lakshmi Sarma Ramani, in her recent article published in the ACC Docket's July/August issue. 

Open source software (“OSS”) is now ubiquitous, providing community-vetted solutions to common requirements in the software industry. The widespread use of OSS is especially common with start-ups who are driven by the need to develop a minimum viable product as fast as possible in order to quickly enter the market and acquire market feedback.

Massachusetts has a new law that prohibits employers from requiring that certain types of employees sign non-competition or “forfeiture for competition” agreements (collectively “non-competition agreements”) and establishes minimum requirements that non-competition agreements must meet to be enforceable. The new law will take effect on October 1, 2018 and apply to agreements executed after that date. 

Tax-exempt organizations must become increasingly aware of the regulatory landscape in which they operate. In this ACC Docket article, Lakshmi Sarma-Ramani, a Member with our Washington D.C.-based team, provides an overview of state oversight areas that carry registration or reporting requirements.