4 Texas Supreme Court Oil & Gas Cases To Watch This Term

Keith Goldberg

The new term of the Texas Supreme Court initially appears light on oil and gas litigation, but Lone Star State attorneys told Law360 there are still a handful of cases that could have broad implications for the industry.

State And Local Tax Takeaways From August

Paul Williams
Tax Correspondent

From the Maryland Tax Court striking down the state's digital advertising tax to litigation over taxes on high-value second homes in New York City and Rhode Island, August was a busy month on the state and local tax dockets. Here, Law360 spotlights state and local tax developments from the past month.

Reporting Prediction Market Wins A Safe Bet Amid IRS Silence

Natalie Olivo
Senior Tax Correspondent

The IRS has yet to clarify how it will treat money people pocket from trading event contracts on prediction market platforms, but specialists urge against taking the agency's silence as an excuse to omit wins and losses from returns.

Attorneys Using AI May Have Ethical Duty To Redact Docs

The trajectory of legal ethics guidance in recent years strongly suggests that as redaction technology becomes more accessible, the failure to use it when uploading highly confidential materials into artificial intelligence tools will become increasingly difficult to defend as reasonable, say attorneys at Lewis Brisbois.

Md. Court Got Ad Tax Similarity Analysis Wrong

Decisions striking Maryland’s digital advertising tax are fundamentally flawed because the Maryland Tax Court found similarity between digital ads and other ads without considering deep market distinctions, says Darien Shanske at UC Davis School of Law.

Credit Where It Is Due: SALT In Review

From the Texas comptroller's plan to reform his state's tax system to the reduction of an income tax credit in New York City, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.

NY Tax Talk: Evaluating The Sales Tax Vendor Relief Program

New York state’s new penalty abatement and interest discount program, recently enacted alongside mandated sales tax vendor reregistration, may be most useful for vendors that recently lost a protest or have not yet fully paid all the interest and penalties associated with an assessment, says Elizabeth Cha at Eversheds Sutherland.

Taekwondo Makes Me A Better Lawyer

Taekwondo has taught me to recognize when to fight for a position and when to focus on finding a solution, and that the best outcomes are often achieved by solving problems — all of which has improved my work as a bankruptcy lawyer, mediator and Subchapter V trustee, says Amy Denton Mayer at Berger Singerman.

Score One Very Big One Against Illegal Taxes: SALT In Review

From the defeat of Maryland's digital advertising tax to a Missouri election that defied expectation, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.

Being In A Band Made Me A Better Lawyer

Playing shows in storied New York City venues and rehearsing with my bandmates in poorly ventilated rooms helped develop the professional qualities I rely on as a litigator, including an ability to collaborate with strong-minded equals and the determination to treat each client with singular focus, says Eliad Shapiro at Herrick Feinstein.

Going To Hardcore Shows Makes Me A Better Lawyer

While government contracts law and the hardcore scene may seem entirely unrelated, in my experience, both are about community, focus, being prepared for the unexpected and managing chaos, says Isaac Natter at Fluet.

Slapping Back When A State Tax Overreaches: SALT In Review

From Apple's big win against a Nebraska tax assessment to a constitutional matter in Oregon, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.

Assessing The Benefits Of Fla.'s Newest Business Structure

As of July 1, Florida business owners can create protected series LLCs to shield assets from liability while avoiding increased costs and wasted time, but burdensome recordkeeping obligations are crucial to maintaining the very protection that makes them attractive in the first place, says Gregory Ritter at Moritt Hock.

Justices' Tax Sale Ruling Tees Up Auction Fairness Battles

The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in Pung v. Isabella County, Michigan, that taxpayers are not entitled to fair market value of real property seized to satisfy a tax debt shifts attention to the fairness of state and local auction procedures, and whether taxpayers claiming surplus proceeds face unwarranted hurdles, say attorneys at Miller Canfield.

Judges On AI: Examining Administrative, Organizational Uses

U.S. District Judge Alan Albright of the Western District of Texas examines how artificial intelligence could transform a court's ability to deal with administrative work and organize materials when preparing for hearings or drafting opinions, thereby affording judges more time to resolve contested issues.

Ensuring Eligibility For Data Center Sales Tax Breaks

As states compete to lure data centers, sales tax exemptions are an important component of many incentive packages — but companies must ensure that projects not only qualify for exemptions on paper, but also can preserve and prove their eligibility through the planning, construction and operation phases, says Peter Lowy at Nelson Mullins.