Articles

Chapter 815 of the Wisconsin Statutes provides that certain personal assets are exempt from judgment creditors, and these exemptions can be claimed by individuals when they file federal bankruptcy. Likewise, the federal Bankruptcy Code [11 U.S.C. Section 522(d)] also provides an alternative set of exemptions that the individual can claim instead of using the Wisconsin […]

Wisconsin businesses, governments, and individuals who bought Microsoft software between December 7, 1993, and April 30, 2003, are entitled to receive benefits from a class action settlement with Microsoft, but they must act by June 30, 2007. Several Wisconsin plaintiffs brought lawsuits in Wisconsin courts claiming that Microsoft’s marketing practices violated Wisconsin antitrust and unfair […]

OCHD’s Real Estate and Construction Practice Group found recent success in obtaining a reversal from the Court of Appeals relative to a real property tax assessed by the Village of Menomonee Falls against an 80-plus unit apartment complex owned by a client. In an opinion released on May 2, 2007, the Court of Appeals District […]

In Wisconsin, people who are contemplating marriage or who are already married are permitted to enter into contracts with each other regarding their financial affairs to suit their needs and values and to achieve certainty, both during the marriage and in the event of a divorce. These contracts or marital property agreements are commonly known […]

Nothing beats the camaraderie and emotion that accompanies an NCAA basketball tournament barn-burner, except, perhaps, the spoils and bragging rights that go along with picking an unforeseen upset of a top seed or, even better, winning your office pool. March Madness office pools are so much fun they should be illegal … well, actually, they […]

Wisconsin’s new “Right to Repair” law was enacted on March 27, 2006, and became effective on October 1, 2006. The new law affects the relationship between owners and builders or remodeling contractors, and between such contractors and the suppliers of windows and doors. The “Right to Repair” law is a misnomer. The new law does […]

A recent Wisconsin Court of Appeals decision, Malzewski v. Rapkin, 2006 WI App 183, demonstrates the importance of obtaining a professional inspection prior to closing on a residential home transaction. Failure to do so may, under certain circumstances, prohibit a buyer from asserting otherwise available remedies against a home seller if a defect is discovered […]

Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals denies former Sabre, Inc. employee’s claim that he was entitled to severance benefits determined on the date he was informed that he was to be terminated and not severance benefits determined on the date he actually stopped working. Although the severance plan did not define the term “termination of employment” […]

The Six Circuit Court of Appeals rules that ERISA preempts state law claims against Fifth Third Bank. In a complicated set of facts, Suburban Bancorp and Fifth Third Bank entered into a merger agreement that contained language covering Suburban’s ESOP because the ESOP held shares of Suburban. The merger agreement provided that Suburban obtain determination […]

The Pension Protection Act of 2006 was signed into law on Aug. 17, 2006. At a whopping 900-plus pages, the Act makes significant changes to the Code and ERISA. Although the Act has been widely publicized in its efforts to reform pension plans, much of it impacts defined contribution plans such as 401(k)s, 403(b)s and […]

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