AlertValue-based enterprises after OBBA: More room to share, more risk to manageThis article summarizes when a VBE may be the right tool, what additional flexibility the value-based exceptions and safe harbors can offer, and why careful Stark and Anti-Kickback analysis still matters even when the arrangement is designed to promote value rather than volume.
AlertThe appeal alternative to the RCE loop: A better forum for having your arguments heard at the USPTOAs costs rise and IP budgets tighten, it is more important than ever to prosecute patent applications efficiently. At the same time, businesses and inventors still expect maximum claim coverage for their inventions. With this in mind, the USPTO’s appeals process should be utilized early in prosecution to maximize the return on your IP budget by minimizing claim amendments and shortening prosecution.
AlertHow government contracts impact risk, M&A, and business strategyGovernment contracting is a unique commercial market where success depends on much more than delivering products or services. Unlike traditional commercial contracts, federal work is governed by mandatory regulations, compliance obligations, and enforcement mechanisms that shape how companies operate.
Recent News & Legal Updates
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If finalized, the proposed rules would have far-reaching effects, including dramatically increasing size standards across hundreds of industries, potentially qualifying over 114,000 additional companies as small, and providing these companies with access to set-aside contracts and SBA loan programs.
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A federal court in Kentucky has granted final approval to a class action settlement resolving antitrust claims that Papa John’s franchisees conspired to suppress employee wages through no-poach agreements.
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McDonald Hopkins congratulates the ten attorneys recognized as Boca Raton's Top Lawyers of 2026.
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Merely paying an architect to conceptualize and design stores, including the plans and drawings for such stores, does not automatically entitle the contractor to the ownership of the copyrights in such store designs. The work made for hire doctrine under U.S. copyright law does not automatically confer ownership to the contracting party for architectural works
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For the roughly 275,000 quick-service restaurant franchise locations across the country, 2026 is a year defined less by growth than by discipline.
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In Fetch! Pet Care, Inc. v. Atomic Pawz Inc., the Sixth Circuit affirmed the denial of a franchisor's request for a preliminary injunction against 31former franchisees. The decision is a cautionary tale for franchisors: aggressive or misleading sales practices—and abrupt system cutoffs—can bar access to equitable relief when a franchisor might need it.
