With our adoration of All Things Estate Planning, here at SYK, please take a minute to enjoy the festivities that come around this time of year for National Estate Planning Awareness Month. What are they? Presents? Decorations? Delicious food? Feats of strength? No such luck – just an acknowledgement that you owe it to those
“These are unprecedented times” – a phrase I think we’re all sick of hearing. As the unprecedented times become more precedented times, I’ve had time to reflect on some of the silver linings of this COVID cloud. As we weather the storm together – apart, I’ve had the opportunity to shelter in place and work
On June 15, 2021, Governor Kate Brown signed and enacted Senate Bill 483 into law, amending the Oregon Safe Employment Act (OSEA) to include a significant new protection for employees alleging claims for employment discrimination and retaliation under the Act. Previously, if an employee brought an action alleging discrimination or retaliation under the Act, the
Oregon Super Lawyers recently interviewed Victoria Blachly for her outstanding work on elder law cases. Complicated families and complicated medical conditions such as Alzheimer’s and dementia increase the challenging legal issues in preparing for end-of-life events, but Blachly strives for soft landings. Read the article written about her impactful work, “Soft Landings: Victoria Blachly Speaks
Christine Fletcher had an article in last month’s online Forbes, entitled “Should You Disinherit Your Child?” The full text of the article is below, but I have to say that – to me – the answer is not one that should be made by an attorney, but by the owner of the assets. If someone
In early 2021, Representative Fahey sponsored HB3373 in an effort to establish the office of the Taxpayer Advocate in the Department of Revenue. The bill is currently awaiting the governor’s signature and the office will become an active office in the Department of Revenue on January 1st, 2022. The purpose of the Office of
The media has been all abuzz in recent months, weeks, and years about Britney Spears’ conservatorship. We all remember the fateful photo from 2007, showing Spears gleefully buzzing her signature long, blond locks. Shortly after, her father was appointed conservator for her. Fans have long suspected that Spears is dissatisfied with the structures of her
Changes Coming to Oregon Noncompete Agreements On May 21, 2021, Oregon Governor Kate Brown signed Senate Bill 169, amending Oregon’s statute governing employee noncompete agreements, ORS 653.295. Effective January 1, 2022, employee noncompete agreements entered on or after that date will need to comply with four notable changes under the modified statute. Unlawful Noncompetition Agreements
SYK is pleased to announce that attorney Darlene Pasieczny (“Pah-shetch-nee”) has been appointed by the Board of Governors for the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) to serve a three-year term on the National Arbitration and Mediation Committee (NAMC). Darlene will serve as one of the “Public” members of the national 13-person advisory committee. The NAMC
SYK is pleased to announce that Anastasia Yu Meisner has recently been selected as an Ambassador for the Lake Oswego Chamber of Commerce. The mission of the Chamber is to strengthen local business though education, advocacy and community partnerships. The Chamber provides a wide range of business support including weekly networking events to promote local
Police actions and training have been the focus for some time now, but our elders need to be included when there are conversations about reform. Specifically, better training when it comes to identifying dementia and working with those that struggle with the insidious disease would necessarily lead to less frightful and concerning interactions. In Colorado,
Portland’s unhoused have been hit hard and a global pandemic certainly has not helped the situation. Oregon Harbor of Hope is a non-profit dedicated to seeking solutions for this complex problem and SYK is proud to support their local efforts. “The city, county and state are working hard to address our crisis, but they cannot solve
Can investors bring a claim against Robinhood and other self-directed platforms for the recent purchase restrictions on GameStop, AMC, and other securities? The internet is buzzing with talk of class action lawsuits. Our office is fielding inquiries. But – from a claimants’ attorney perspective – there are high hurdles to overcome. The securities trading platform
What You Need to Know About Workplace Vaccination Requirements Now that the first round of COVID-19 vaccines is being distributed, many of people are wondering how to ensure that their employees are vaccinated as soon as possible. Below are answers to some of the most common questions employers have about workplace vaccine requirements. If you
Please join us for the newest addition of SYK Studios – Between Two Screens. This latest episodes features attorneys Victoria Blachly and Jessica McConnell and focuses on bankruptcy.
Jessica McConnell is an experienced debtor-creditor attorney. She handles a variety of insolvency and bankruptcy matters; a majority of which have tax complexities. She regularly represents businesses, individuals, and estates with unfiled tax returns, compliance problems, and those with unpaid tax liabilities that are experiencing unwanted and unexpected tax collection.
We are excited to share a sneak peek into the new public building with this 4 minute video.
– SYK is a founding member of the MBF CourtSupport program, which is funding the CourtNavigator at the new Multnomah County Courthouse
– SYK Partner Victoria Blachly is the secretary/treasurer for the Multnomah Bar Foundation (“MBF”), which is the charitable arm of the MBA
– SYK Partner and manager Tim Resch is on the board for the Multnomah Bar Association (“MBA”)
– SYK Partner Leslie Johnson is on the MBA Court Liaison Committee
Please join us for the next installment of SYK Studios – Between Two Screens. This latest episodes features attorneys Victoria Blachly, Darlene Pasieczny, and Anastasia Yu Meisner, and focuses on estate planning.
One of the #silverlinings of the 2020 COVID-19 situation is that people are doing some really creative things to help educate folks and make their communities better. In this occasional series, we like to highlight the neat things that friends of our firm are doing.
Christopher Cline is the President and CEO of Riverview Trust Company. Chris has been an important part of the local Trusts and Estates community for quite some time and we have a number of common clients. He just started a podcast to explain some of the basics of estate planning in a really user-friendly way. I like it because these are questions that clients may think are too basic to ask, but really need to know. I’m going to encourage my Mom to take a listen. Chris’s podcast is on Spotify now and will be on and Apple and Google soon. Definitely check it out!
Nichelle Nichols, best known for her role as Lt. Uhura on the original Star Trek television series, finds herself in the midst of litigation at the age of 87, as the alleged victim of elder abuse at the hands of her personal manager. The complaint tells a painful story of a vulnerable adult, surviving a stroke, dealing with dementia and short-term memory loss, falling victim to social isolation, loss of financial and medical control, and even removal from a rehabilitation facility against medical advice.
We have all heard the phrase: nothing in this world can be certain in life, except death and taxes. As an estate planner, I address these two issues every day. I counsel clients on the best strategies to pass their estates to their loved ones, how to efficiently manage their affairs if they can’t make decisions for themselves, and advise them on the most financially efficient ways to accomplish their goals. With nearly 20 years of estate planning experience, I have collected a list of common mistakes or misunderstandings.
