Baker Donelson

Baker Donelson's BakerCares community service initiative has partnered with organizations working to eradicate homelessness and poverty. Through fundraising and volunteering for 20 different organizations across our footprint, we're striving to have an IMPACT in our communities. City of Refuge, Inc. (Atlanta, GA) Paul's Place (Baltimore, MD) St. Vincent de Paul (Baton Rouge, LA) First Light Women's Shelter (Birmingham, AL) Crisis Assistance Ministry (Charlotte, NC) Chattanooga Community Kitchen (Chattanooga, TN) Oliver Gospel Mission (Columbia, SC) The Broward Partnership for the Homeless, Inc. (Fort Lauderdale, FL) Covenant House Texas (Houston, TX) Shower Power, Inc. (Jackson, MS) The Salvation Army Army (Johnson City, TN)   Knox Area Rescue Ministries Mission (Knoxville, TN) Our Friends Closet (Mandeville, LA) Hospitality Hub (Memphis, TN) Nashville Rescue Mission (Nashville, TN) ABA Free Legal Answers (National)  Covenant House New Orleans (New Orleans, LA) Haven House Services (Raleigh, NC) Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida (Orlando, FL) The Community for Creative Non-Violence (CCNV) (Washington, D.C.) Because of the support of our clients and our people, we will have an even greater IMPACT in the future. Baker Donelson will continue fundraising, volunteering, and providing legal services to address homelessness and poverty so more people in our communities can feel the warmth of home during the holidays. With gratitude and wishes for a bountiful holiday season from your friends at Baker Donelson.

On December 11, join Baker Donelson for an insightful webinar discussing the recent Chevron Regulatory Deference decision and its potential impact on regulatory agencies, particularly in light of the newly elected presidential administration. This webinar will feature a distinguished panel of attorneys who have previously held significant positions in regulatory and grant funding agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), as well as with the U.S. Department of the Treasury. They will provide their perspectives on how this decision might reshape the landscape of agency authority and regulatory and compliance enforcement. Topics to be discussed include: -Overview of the Chevron Regulatory Deference decision -Implications for federal agencies -Potential changes under the new administration -What clients can expect from regulatory agencies now -Q&A session with the panelists Learn more and register here: https://lnkd.in/eM4-YHtF With Buck Lewis, Ernie Abbott, Ferdose al-Taie, and Kara Ward

It's no secret that President-Elect Donald Trump has intentions to carry out what he has called the largest mass deportation in U.S. history shortly after taking office. U.S. employers, particularly those in the manufacturing, food processing, agricultural, construction, and hospitality industries with a relatively unskilled workforce, should immediately prepare for long-absent government immigration enforcement in the workplace. Get ready to endure a painful process, a sudden loss of workers, and administrative and criminal penalties. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eN-YQUac By Robert Divine and Matt C.

Thirty-eight attorneys with Baker Donelson have been named to the 2024 edition of Mid-South Super Lawyers, which recognizes attorneys in Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Tennessee. The publication also honored 39 Baker Donelson attorneys in its 2024 list of Mid-South Rising Stars. Check out the full list here: https://lnkd.in/dExcS9hE Super Lawyers, part of Thomson Reuters, is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The annual selections are made using a patented, multiphase process that includes a statewide survey of lawyers, an independent research evaluation of candidates, and peer reviews by practice area. The result is a credible, comprehensive, and diverse listing of exceptional attorneys.

The National Labor Relations Board (the Board) voted 3-1 (along party lines, with Member Kaplan dissenting) on November 13, 2024, to prohibit so-called "captive audience" meetings. In doing so, the Board overturned seventy-six years of precedent that previously held such meetings lawful, beginning with the 1948 case of Babcock & Wilcox Co., 77 NLRB 577 (1948). This decision comes as no surprise to many, as the Board's General Counsel, Jennifer Abruzzo, has previously voiced her opposition to captive audience meetings, stating that they "inherently involve an unlawful threat that employees will be disciplined or suffer other reprisals." It seems that the General Counsel is making good on her promises in the waning days of the current Board's tenure. Read more: https://lnkd.in/euptFvke By Louis Cannon and Gerald Bradner

Trade action was a touchstone of the first Trump Administration. Statements throughout the campaign by President-Elect Trump and his surrogates suggest significant trade actions in the second term. The actions and potential retaliation by trading partners present supply chain challenges for companies' imports and exports. There will also be opportunities for U.S. manufacturers and companies seeking to invest in the United States. At this time, companies should understand their current exposure to the challenges and be prepared to take advantage of upcoming opportunities. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gqPM9bcB By Lee Smith

Baker Donelson has welcomed 34 associates across 14 of the Firm's offices. This includes 30 attorneys in Baker Donelson's 2024 class of fall associates. Read more about them here: https://lnkd.in/eFZ-2-C6

This week on the Everybody Leads podcast, Tim Lupinacci sits down with acclaimed artist Maya Eventov, whose vibrant artwork is celebrated in galleries across Canada, Great Britain, and the United States. Maya shares her remarkable journey of resilience, creativity, and determination. From mastering unique techniques like impasto to balancing her artistic vision with discipline and grit, Maya’s story is one of perseverance and crafting her own path to success. In this clip, Maya recounts how she broke traditional gallery molds and built her career through sheer persistence. Listen to her inspiring story on this episode of Everybody Leads, available now on Apple Podcasts or wherever you enjoy your favorite shows: https://lnkd.in/eD8h5Z7j

Baker Donelson is pleased to announce that Matthew Yarbrough, CIPP/US and Jason Blackstone, both residing in Dallas, Texas, have joined the Firm. Matthew Yarbrough, a shareholder and member of the Government Enforcement and Investigations Group, has over three decades of experience as a trial lawyer in the areas of civil and criminal intellectual property litigation, corporate fraud, cybersecurity, data privacy, and government white-collar investigations. He has served as an Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA)with the DOJ and in private practice as a defense attorney, legal expert, and trial strategist. During his time at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Matthew led the Criminal Intellectual Property & Cybercrimes Task Force, prosecuting major cyber-attack cases, including the first data intercept of a hacker ring known as the “Phone Masters” case, and one of the largest criminal theft of trade secrets cases under the Economic Espionage Act (EEA), and Defends Trade Secrets Act (DTSA). Jason Blackstone is a shareholder and member of the Intellectual Property Group. As a registered patent attorney, Jason has been involved with patent assertion and portfolio evaluation from inception of patent mining efforts through litigation of asserted patents. His patent work has involved multiple technology areas, including wireless technologies, telecommunications, computer hardware, oil and gas, and software. Jason is qualified to prosecute patents before and through the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). In addition, his practice includes all aspects of trademark registration and litigation. Together, their experience and depth in government investigations, IP, and cybersecurity creates added value for their clients. 

As 2024 draws to a close, plan sponsors should be aware of those provisions of the SECURE Act 2.0 that become effective in 2025. Recall that the SECURE 2.0 Act (SECURE 2.0) was enacted on December 29, 2022, and while some provisions were immediately effective, other provisions will become effective in later years. In 2024, the Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued final regulations that address major changes to SECURE 2.0. In addition, various other agency guidance has been released in prior years after enactment clarifying requirements in certain provisions of SECURE 2.0. We anticipate further agency guidance will be issued or finalized to clarify many looming questions on other provisions of SECURE 2.0. Here is a summary of provisions relevant to employers and their retirement plans that will become effective in 2025. While operational and administrative compliance is required now, corresponding plan amendments are not required for most plans until December 31, 2026: https://lnkd.in/ecNM_-vK By Andrea Powers, Bill Robinson, and E. Rena Felton, Esq., LL.M.