Smith + Malek keeps a close eye on business and legal news that impacts you, our clients, and routinely shares important legal updates here on our blog.
Whether healthcare, real estate, or employment insights, we’ve covered them all over the past six months. In case you missed them, here’s a roundup of some of our favorite recent blogs:
The Latest on EMTALA in Idaho (Feb. 28, 2024): In August 2022, the Justice Department filed a lawsuit to protect the rights of patients to access emergency medical care guaranteed by federal law, as mandated by the Emergency Medical Transport and Active Labor Act (EMTALA). The suit challenged Idaho Code § 18-622, and this is the latest update in an active case with many twists and turns.
Overview of the My Health My Data Act (Feb. 15, 2024): Washington State’s MHMDA requires entities offering healthcare services – including gyms and yoga studios – to comply with specific regulations, including the implementation of a consumer health data policy, website link placement for privacy policies, and obtaining explicit consent for data collection.
Understanding the Corporate Transparency Act and What it Means for You (Jan. 11, 2024): The CTA requires most companies in the U.S. to report information about themselves, their beneficial owners, and company applicants to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. On March 1, 2024, a federal district court in the Northern District of Alabama rendered a verdict declaring the (CTA) unconstitutional. Watch our blog next month for an update in this developing case.
Emergency Preparedness Plans: A Vital Blueprint for Businesses (Dec. 14, 2023): These plans, also known as emergency response or evacuation plans, are required by OSHA and should include reporting protocols, evacuation procedures, designated contacts, and considerations for assisting all employees.
A Tectonic Shift in the Real Estate Industry: Examining the Federal Verdict Against the National Association of Realtors and Brokerages (Nov. 30, 2023): This federal jury verdict has triggered share price declines and may lead to lower home prices and changes in consumer behavior, potentially reshaping the traditional real estate transaction process and prompting further legal battles and industry reforms.
Practice Areas that Practice Together
Our firm works collaboratively across practice areas to help business leaders succeed, regardless of how simple or complex the legal challenge may be. We help clients overcome obstacles across multiple practice areas so that business leaders can focus on what’s most important:
- Healthcare: Legal support for healthcare entities and physician groups, covering complex compliance issues, contract drafting, and so much more.
- Business: Navigate evolving employment laws and contract negotiations with our award-winning legal team.
- Real estate: Comprehensive legal assistance for commercial, residential, and investment real estate clients, including loans, foreclosures, and project development.
- Litigation: Experienced representation for lost profits, employment disputes, and civil rights complaints in trials, mediation, and arbitration.
- Employment: Stay compliant with state, federal, and local laws with our help in workflow management, workplace safety, and hiring practices.
Expanding the Smith + Malek Team
We are pleased to welcome attorneys Kimberly Smith and Debbie Hengeveld to our team. Additionally, we extend a warm welcome to our new COO, Jessica Oman, who is based out of our Spokane office and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in operations and strategy to our firm.
Learn more about our team members and how we provide legal expertise to business leaders here. If you are interested in working with us, we are always looking for values-aligned talent who want to help make tomorrow better than today. Check out our career page to learn more.