– Est. –
1927

How a Prenuptial Agreement May Keep You Happily Married
I am often asked by clients whether they should get a prenuptial agreement or not. Some of my clients only come to see me because their parents are “making” them get a prenuptial agreement in order to secure some future inheritance or perhaps shares in the family business. Others have been asked to sign a

Your Employees’ Workday May Begin Sooner Than You Think
When a workday begins can depend on the type of work performed and necessary steps to start the work each day. But with the ever-growing presence of computer software use in the workforce, can starting up and shutting down a work computer add some extra time to a paycheck? The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of

SYK Partner Victoria Blachly’s Work on the Uniform Law Commission
Happy 130th Birthday to the Uniform Law Commission (“ULC”)! Samuels Yoelin Kantor Fiduciary Litigation Partner Victoria Blachly is an Oregon Commissioner for the ULC. Read our interview with Victoria about her work on the ULC. What does the ULC do? The ULC “provides states with non-partisan, well-conceived and well-drafted legislation that brings clarity and stability

Too Good To Be True: Inheritance Scams
The Federal Trade Commission just posted a strong reminder on their Consumer Advice page: If you get a letter from an alleged law firm claiming you are the beneficiary of large piles of money, to be split between the law firm, you and some charities – but you must keep it a SECRET – it

This Is ALL Of Us: Musings From the End of a Television Series and The End of A Life
NBC’s “This Is Us” aired its penultimate show last night. It is perhaps the most poignant and heart wrenching writing and acting that I have ever seen on television. As the matriarch of the family, Rebecca Pearson, suffers with Alzheimer’s Disease and, in a way, had already left her family behind some time ago, as

Social Media & Child Custody
Celebrity divorces are not news and many celebrities go out of their way to keep their divorces out of the mainstream and social media. One recent exception is the ongoing divorce of “Kimye” or Kim Kardashian and Ye (aka Kanye) West. The “Kimye” divorce has not made the news because of the size of their

Aphasia – Planning for the Unimaginable
At 67 years of age, Bruce Willis recently disclosed his diagnosis for aphasia. Aphasia is a communication disorder, with various manifestations of impairments. It can affect ones ability to understand language, including affecting speaking and writing, but aphasia does not impair one’s intelligence. This is an important factor to appreciate. The main symptoms of aphasia

WeAreSYK
Samuels Yoelin Kantor LLP is proud to be one of the top 10 most diverse small law firms in the Portland metro area based on the Portland Business Journal‘s annual survey.

California Franchise Tax Board attacks PL 86-272 safe harbor
California’s Multistate Tax Commission’s new interpretation of Federal Public Law 86-272, if sustained in court, may greatly increase the number of companies that have to pay California’s state net income tax.
State ex Rel Nicholas Kristof: What is an Oregonian?
Ordinarily, we stay out of politics, for that way lies madness. From time to time though, a case comes out of the political arena that is relevant to the lives of normal people. Such is the case of State ex Rel Nicholas Kristof v. Shemia Fagan. Kristof, a Pulitizer-prize winning New York Times columnist co-authored

Does a Check Marked “Payment in Full” Actually Constitute Full Payment?
Cashing a check which includes various written designations by the issuer of the check such as “payment in full,” “paid in full,” “final payment,” and “full settlement” is interpreted by some states and courts as a complete satisfaction or discharge of the underlying debt even if the amount of the check didn’t actually constitute payment in full. That used to be the case in Oregon a number years ago. Fortunately, that isn’t the case anymore.
In Memoriam
Stephen E. Kantor May 22, 1949 – November 14, 2021 We mourn the passing, and celebrate the life, of a beloved friend and a leader of our Samuels Yoelin Kantor family.