After 15 Telephone Seminars

Accounting Endowments of Not-for-Profit Organizations After UPMIFA BenefitsIn response to the enactment of the Uniform Prudent Management of Institutional Funds Act in most of the United States, the Financial Accounting Standards Board, in 2008, promulgated FASB Staff Position No. FAS 117-1. FSP FAS 117-1 provides guidance for nonprofits as to the proper classification of endowment funds when UPMIFA has been enacted and expands the required disclosure about  more...

Understanding the GAAP Codification Update BenefitsThe official launch of the FASB Codification began on July 1, 2009. On that date the codification became the official single source of authoritative nongovernmental U.S. GAAP. The codification will be effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. The codification will supersede existing FASB, AICPA, EITF and related literature, which means there will no longer  more...

Common Injuries in Workers' Compensation BenefitsThis live audio conference 'Common Injuries in Workers' Compensation,' presented by John W. Valente, Esq., will discuss some of the solutions and strategies used by employers to both prevent and control common workplace injury claims. A review of common injuries employers face every day in the workplace injury realm, ranging from slip and fall claims to back injuries from lifting, and  more...

Common Injuries in Workers' Compensation BenefitsThis live audio conference 'Common Injuries in Workers' Compensation,' presented by John W. Valente, Esq., will discuss some of the solutions and strategies used by employers to both prevent and control common workplace injury claims. A review of common injuries employers face every day in the workplace injury realm, ranging from slip and fall claims to back injuries from lifting, and  more...

Construction Documentation: Preparing Effective Job Records BenefitsAlthough the term 'papering the file' is often associated with increased documentation efforts in preparation for litigation after a job has gone bad, it shouldn't be. Effective communication and accurate recordation of those communications can keep the parties - and the project - on course and out of litigation. Should an irreconcilable dispute nevertheless arise, thorough project  more...

HIPAA Security Compliance Challenges after the HITECH Act BenefitsEveryone who handles any electronic patient information should attend this live audio conference on compliance with the HIPAA security regulation. All entities covered under HIPAA must take special care of electronic patient health information, including establishing policies and taking regular actions as part of a security management process. Under new regulations due to the HITECH Act  more...

Creditors' Proof of Claims and Objection Requirements BenefitsGenerally speaking, a creditor must file a proof of claim with the bankruptcy court prior to the bar date in order to receive a distribution or to vote for or against confirmation of the debtor's plan of reorganization. Unfortunately, the filing of a proof can adversely affect the creditor's ability to defend against claims asserted by the debtor. Additionally, there are a number of  more...

Accounts Receivable and Collection Management with QuickBooks by Lorman Education Services BenefitsCash flow is truly the livelihood of any business. It is important that you use the tools and tips available in QuickBooks to get your business's cash flowing quickly. This live audio conference will help you to learn how to optimize your cash flow by properly utilizing QuickBooks for the customer cycle, setting preferences, using reports and tools, and preparing customer and collection  more...

Basic Principles of Construction Insurance BenefitsThis live audio conference will offer an overview of basic insurance coverage used for construction projects. The presenter is an experienced construction and insurance coverage attorney who will discuss how to secure appropriate insurance coverage at a project's inception and what to do when claims arise during construction or after project completion. Builder's risk, CGL and other common  more...

Potholes: Causes, Maintenance and Pitfalls BenefitsRoads are built to provide a safe and comfortable ride for road users. To fill this function, a pavement surface must be smooth, thus free of breaches such as potholes. Potholes are circular holes in asphalt pavement extending through an entire pavement layer. In certain conditions, they develop in a matter of hours. If potholes are not fixed immediately after they appear, a safety risk  more...

Non-Resident Employee Withholding BenefitsWhen having employees working in multiple states it can be difficult to know what to consider to make sure that the correct state taxes are being withheld and the correct taxable earnings are being taxed in the correct states. This live audio conference will give you the tools to determine what taxes are applicable for your employees based on residency, state and reciprocity agreements. We  more...

Fundamentals of Section 382 BenefitsOne of the most important assets of a development stage company can be its federal income tax loss carry-forward (NOL). Protecting its value to offset future federal income tax income, however, can be challenging as there are a number of tax rules designed to limit the availability of the NOLs. In particular, Section 382 limits a corporation's ability to offset taxable income with its NOLs  more...

Best Practices to Modify Electronic Health Records While Maintaining Record Integrity BenefitsMoving to an electronic health record system can make it possible to work more efficiently and effectively by automating certain tasks and making information easier to locate. But sometimes, even electronic records must be modified by adding, amending, correcting or deleting information. In some ways, paper records were easier to deal with, as incorrectly filed documents could simply be  more...

Withholding of Taxes on Payments to Foreign Persons and Entities BenefitsIn an increasingly global society, many U.S. payors of items of income are unknowingly subject to withholding tax obligations for payments to foreign individuals and entities. Understanding the rules for withholding on these payments can reduce liability to the IRS. After attending this live audio conference, you will be able to identify when income is subject to withholding, evaluate the  more...

How to Avoid Death by PowerPoint BenefitsEvery day, executives, managers, and rank and file employees sit through bullet-riddled presentations that are boring, uninspiring and worse, don't get the message across. Attend this live audio conference and learn how to use several techniques that will engage and excite your audience without using bullet point after bullet point. You will learn how visual metaphors, targeted animation  more...

COBRA: A Little of Everything is Changing BenefitsThis live audio conference is for agents and new employee benefit specialists or the seasoned specialist that want to double check the basics and the most recent changes in the COBRA law. We will discuss who has the compliance responsibilities and what an employer must do every day to be in compliance! How do all of the employee benefit laws work together - when do they work separately.  more...

How to Develop an Effective Mentoring Program BenefitsCreating a structured mentoring program is a powerful way to support the personal growth and career development of employees. Mentoring also enhances the stability and productivity of an organization through employee retention, succession planning, transfer of knowledge, and leadership development. The problem is that many businesses believe that mentoring consists of just 'putting two  more...

Reading and Understanding Soil Reports BenefitsJust because you have hired a consultant to provide a soils report does not necessarily mean it will be put to good use. Many of the terms and even the recommendations given in soils reports could use some explanation. This live audio conference will help you understand what type of soils report you may need, the technical terms found within the soils report, what is really the important  more...

IRS Form 1099 Reporting Update BenefitsAs another year passes in the world of 1099 reporting, we have become accustomed to educating ourselves as to the complicated revisions of the 1099 rules. After having prepared to comply with the original text of law thrust upon us by Congress last year, we subsequently became witness to several repeals of the burdensome provisions. There will be continual uncertainty as to what revisions  more...

Planning for Renewable Incentives in 2011 and Beyond BenefitsThe grant in lieu of tax credits under section 1603 of the ARRA has been both a lifesaver and a game changer. However, section 1603 is likely to disappear after 2011 unless construction has begun on a project before then. This live audio conference will focus first on what is required to 'begin construction' under section 1603, and will feature Victoria McDowell of the Treasury Department.  more...

Giving and Receiving Employment References: Successfully Negotiating the Maze BenefitsMany employers still do not put the necessary amount of thought into requests for references - whether they are on the requesting or responding end. Responding to such requests can be fraught with potential pitfalls and could expose an employer to legal liability from both ends (i.e., from the current/former employee and from the requesting entity). On the other hand, given these issues,  more...

SSARS 19: Compilation and Review Standards Update BenefitsStatements on Standards for Accounting and Review Services No. 19 is effective for all periods ending after December 15, 2010. This statement is the most comprehensive rewrite of the standards for compilations and reviews since the original SSARS No. 1 issued in 1978. All CPAs performing compilation and review services will have to comply with these new engagement standards for year-end  more...

Drafting Document Retention Policies BenefitsThere can be little question in today's world that a thoughtful, well-designed document retention policy is a must for every corporation. Yet many have failed to take this important step to protect their companies. Many more have failed to effectively implement their document retention policies after they have been adopted. The cost of these shortcomings is significant. A corporation may  more...

Dealing With Employees Who Have Been Charged With a Crime BenefitsOne of the most perplexing problems that can confront an employer arises after the employer discovers that one of its employees has been arrested and charged with a crime. Under our legal system, the familiar mantra is that an arrested person is innocent until proven guilty. So, what can you do to address situations where an employee has been arrested, or has been charged, or incarcerated  more...

New Disclosures Required on the Credit Quality of Finance Receivables and the Allowance for Credit Losses under FASB ASU 2010-2 BenefitsOn July 21, 2010, the FASB issued ASU 2010-20 to require companies to provide significant new disaggregated disclosures about the credit quality of their financing receivables and the allowance for credit losses. This audio conference provides an overview of ASU 2010-20 and discusses the new disclosure requirements under this pronouncement. This ASU is not limited to financial  more...

Key Subcontracting Issues, Including Flow-Down and Paid-If-Paid Provisions BenefitsGain the skills necessary to understand every key issue in subcontracting today. This audio conference covers the complex relationships between prime contractors and subcontractors. This program is a must whether you are a buyer, seller or government official. After attending this audio conference, you will understand contract flow-down clauses, consent clauses, make or buy plans, privity,  more...

Purchasing Contract Remedies BenefitsAccording to the old proverb, 'When things get tough, the tough get going.' A corollary might be, 'When things go wrong, call the lawyers.' At which point a headache could easily become a nightmare. Is there a better way? Of course there is. Litigation can, and should be, a last resort. After all, litigation takes time and our business clients typically need something NOW: the steel for  more...

Recent Developments in Employer Liability for 401(k) Investments BenefitsUnhappy employees, U.S. Department of Labor investigations, IRS investigations, massive class action lawsuits - an ever-expanding list of factors bombards sponsors of 401(k) plans, and places companies and their management potentially in the cross hairs. From Enron, Worldcom and Sarbanes-Oxley, to the more recent massive class actions filed against Fortune 500 companies regarding 401(k)  more...

Managing Construction Costs BenefitsRising construction costs are a fact of life. Budget overruns are frequent occurrences. When costs rise, someone pays - how can you avoid being the one who pays? A savvy construction business person can take many steps along the way to apportion the risks of construction in a way to ensure that his or her company avoids getting stuck with the bill for escalating costs. Some of the most  more...

Family Responsibility Discrimination Law: Family Friendly Employer or Litigation Target? BenefitsFamily responsibilities discrimination against employees because of their family caregiving responsibilities is becoming a major issue for employers. Employers have been the subject of increasing but not well understood claims based on FRD claims. These claims have been pursued under a variety of both federal and state laws, and have resulted in multimillion-dollar verdicts. This  more...

Groundwater Control and Dewatering Methods BenefitsThe handling of groundwater is among the most complex of all construction problems. Controlling groundwater at construction excavations can be a critical matter when groundwater halts construction jobs or threatens bankruptcy of the project. Groundwater management falls into two major categories, either handling the groundwater before it enters the excavation or handling it after it enters  more...

Business Associate Agreements After the HITECH Act BenefitsThe HITECH Act includes important, new and far-reaching provisions concerning the privacy and security of health information that will materially and directly affect more entities, businesses and individuals in more diverse ways than ever before. The HITECH Act now directly obligates business associates to comply with the HIPAA Security Rule's administrative, physical and technical  more...

Cyber Crimes: Phishing, Pharming and Beyond BenefitsThe threat of cyber-crime mounts daily, reaching far and wide as the digitization and interconnectedness of both the nation's economy and society increase. This digital expanse envelops business, allowing multinational corporations (and individuals) to collect and retain inestimable quantities of personal information about employees, customers and counter-parties, in addition to storing  more...

Condition Assessments and Structural Evaluation of Existing Buildings BenefitsCondition assessment and structural evaluation of existing buildings is not a course that is taught in most engineering colleges. However, this is a task that many engineers are asked to do by their clients and not all of them have had the experience to take on this seemingly simple task but which has several pitfalls. The client's reasons for requesting this service could be due to  more...

Forums for Resolving Construction Disputes BenefitsWhen the parties to a construction contract are unable to resolve a change order request, the decision to pursue the matter beyond the administrative remedies defined in the contract can turn out to be a worthwhile investment or throwing good money after bad. Often the difference is related to the forum that has been chosen to resolve the dispute. As a result, contractors and owners, and  more...

Protecting Assets for Long-Term Care Medi-Cal Benefits BenefitsFamilies with relatively substantial assets can often access California's Medi-Cal program to pay for long-term care. Attentive planning is required, however, to avoid the minefields of government rules and potentially disastrous consequences. Each family's needs beyond Medi-Cal and other government benefits must also be considered. Further complexity has been added to the planning process  more...

Payroll Tax Pitfalls: Preventing IRS Penalties and Personal Liability for Late Payments BenefitsAmong many other legal obligations, employers face the ongoing requirement to timely withhold and remit payroll taxes to the federal government. People responsible for fulfilling a company's payroll tax obligations often do not realize the substantial penalties that can be imposed by the IRS against the company when payroll taxes are not timely deposited or paid at all. Additionally, in  more...

Commercial Foreclosure Due Diligence Checklist: What to Do Before, During and After Foreclosure BenefitsWhen a commercial mortgage loan becomes troubled, even before it goes into default, the parties must quickly confront a number of issues. For the lender, it is imperative that it conduct a due diligence review of its file, the loan and the collateral as soon as possible. Should the default not be cured or the parties not be able to restructure the loan, the lender faces the options of  more...

The Art and Science of Ethically Firing a Client BenefitsSo you think distancing yourself from an uncooperative client is as simple as saying, in the words of Donald Trump, 'You're fired.'? Not so. Both ethical and fiduciary considerations come into play when a lawyer seeks to withdraw from ongoing representation of a client. This teleconference will provide a detailed discussion of those ethical rules, as well as the impact of withdrawal on  more...

AIA Document A401 BenefitsConstruction subcontract agreements are often given less strategic consideration than prime contract documents. Whereas the prime contract may be analyzed and negotiated for an extended period, the subcontract may be pulled from an older project and put in place with a simple name change and scope of work change. Failure to consider the subcontract strategically may prove disastrous.  more...

The Vital Role Paralegals Play in Appellate Practice BenefitsLitigation paralegals provide invaluable aid to attorneys in the litigation process. They are the backbone of the trial team, coordinating thousands of details that must be accomplished before, during and after trial. In appellate practice, paralegals are a valuable asset if properly utilized. This teleconference outlines some of the major duties and responsibilities of litigation  more...

Talent Management: Best Practices to Retain Top Employees BenefitsDesigned for leaders, managers and front line leaders, this teleconference will build a solid understanding of what it takes to engage and retain talent, and demonstrate the pivotal role managers play in this process. See how some of the best organizations deliver engagement and retention results year after year. You will leave knowing what you need to do to equip managers to take action  more...

Matrimonial Considerations in Estate and Trust Planning BenefitsThis teleconference will review matrimonial implications to estate and trust planning. It will focus on the use of trusts and other estate planning techniques before marriage and during, after and before remarriage, to protect assets from matrimonial claims. Practical planning concepts; drafting considerations; income, gift and estate tax implications; and ancillary considerations will be  more...

Understanding the New GFE and HUD-1/1A Settlement Statements Benefits strong Effective January 1, 2010, all residential mortgage loan originators will have to change their loan origination forms and procedures to comply with a new rule recently adopted by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. /strong The new rule dramatically changes both the Good Faith Estimate and the HUD-1 and HUD-1A Uniform Settlement Statements required by the federal  more...

Strategies for Reducing Unemployment Claims Costs BenefitsMany employers, after terminating an employee, focus on defending against a possible discrimination charge or a lawsuit. Unfortunately, they may pay little or no attention to defending against the ex-employee's unemployment compensation claim. Those employers, albeit mistakenly, believe the ex-employee will be awarded unemployment compensation benefits no matter what they do - so why  more...

Purchasing Law: Breach, Repudiation and Excuse BenefitsYou have survived the battle of the forms or signed a supply agreement but there is a problem - your supplier hasn't delivered, the goods don't work the way they should or you have reason to think that they won't be delivered. This teleconference will provide you a basic understanding about what you can do when your purchase contract goes bad. You will receive a primer on the steps you  more...

Valuation and Reporting of Gifts and Service Donations BenefitsAs not-for-profits continue to face challenges related to raising money, they are becoming more creative in soliciting donations, resulting in more donations of noncash assets and greater restrictions on contributions received. This is occurring at the same time that there is a higher focus on the definition of fair value. Contributions of gifts and services should be measured at the fair  more...

Who Should Bear the Risk? Top 10 Things Developers Need to Know About Loan Documents BenefitsWith the tightening in the commercial lending market, developers are under increased pressure to provide lenders with projects that present no more than a responsible risk. After an equity requirement, loan documentation is the primary vehicle for allocating risk between the parties. This teleconference will help you understand lenders' requirements and the variety of loan documentation  more...

Managing Post-Construction Claims BenefitsClaims that arise after project completion can ruin a previously successful job. Such claims arise from a host of problems, such as physical failures, unpaid lower tier contractors, undiscovered defects of design and construction, and personal injuries. Taking steps to avoid such claims is prudent but companies also need strategies to deal with claims that inevitably arise. This  more...

Financial Planning After Retirement: Coordinating the Retirement Plan with the Estate Plan BenefitsA wrong determination of whether a trust qualifies as a designated beneficiary of retirement benefits can cost the owner decades of tax deferral as well as 50 percent excise tax penalties. Learn how to provide the best asset protection and estate planning benefits for large retirement plans so that the valuable 'stretch out' does not become a 'blow out.' Most trusts are inadequately  more...

Claims Management Techniques in Workers' Compensation Cases BenefitsThe aftermath of a workplace accident produces difficult and costly ramifications for management personnel in all business and industries. Many parties are involved in every aspect of a claim, including your insurance carrier or servicing agent and counsel, but each of them has to be dealt with in a very different manner. You will learn how to successfully investigate an accident and use  more...

Recognizing and Responding to Excited Delirium BenefitsResponding to individuals who are mentally ill, or who have alcohol, licit or illicit drugs on board are core tasks for you, the officer and/or first responder. It is not a matter of 'if' you are confronted by an individual who is mentally ill or who has ingested alcohol or drugs (or their combination), only 'when' you will face this situation. In rare situations, individuals have died  more...

Payroll Hiring Issues: Forms and Tax Credits BenefitsMany employers want to increase their level of payroll tax compliance by implementing policies and procedures with respect to obtaining necessary information from new hires that is related to the processing of payroll and payroll taxes. This teleconference will assist you in evaluating your current new hire process as it relates to the completion and filing of specific payroll related  more...

Return-to-Work Compliance When Jobs Are Gone BenefitsThe last couple of years have been financially difficult for employers and employees. Many organizations have undergone one or more phases of reductions-in-force, as well as restructuring and creative solutions such as reduced work hours or pay. What can such organizations legally do when employees on a leave of absence want to return to such a changed workplace? This teleconference will  more...

Managing External Health Information BenefitsMany health care providers remain frustrated and uncertain about how to handle external health information. This information may come in the form of unsolicited health information - i.e., information that is volunteered by patients or by other health care providers, either at the time the patient arrives for treatment or thereafter - and in some cases even after the patient has been  more...

Increasing the Effectiveness and Efficiency of Manufacturing Logistics nIn manufacturing logistics, the first priority is providing the right support to make production flow smoothly and put out the goods the company sells. This is effectiveness. The second priority is to provide this support without wasting human, technical or financial resources. This is efficiency. What most companies do in logistics is pursue efficiency at the expense of effectiveness, curtailing  more...

Supplemental Wage Payments: Common Withholding Guidelines nThis teleconference will assist you in evaluating your current income tax withholding practices to facilitate compliance with IRS regulatory changes and will offer practical tips to help ease administrative burdens. The program will educate you with respect to the issues involved in determining when wage payments should be classified as supplemental wages or regular wages, and the applicable  more...

Effective Utilization of Employee Waivers nEffective employee waivers establish employee expectations and protect employers from liability for employment-related claims such as discrimination, harassment and retaliation, as well as contract claims and tort claims such as defamation and invasion of privacy. Pre-employment waivers put employees on notice of employment screens such as background checks and drug testing. During employment,  more...

Utilizing Congestion Pricing to Reduce Traffic Congestion and Generate Infrastructure Revenue nMany states and metropolitan areas are faced with increasing traffic congestion along with inadequate sources of transportation revenue to address transportation investment needs. After completing this teleconference, you will improve your understanding of the ability of congestion pricing to address both congestion reduction and revenue generation objectives. You will be able to describe some of  more...

The New HIPAA Special Enrollment Rules and Related Disclosure Issues nRecently enacted legislation expands the special enrollment rights currently applicable to group health plans and imposes new notice and disclosure obligations for employers that maintain such plans. While many of these obligations are not effective until after 2009, the special enrollment changes are effective April 1, 2009. In addition, the new law imposes civil penalties of up to $100 a day  more...

Payment Fraud nAs a business owner, how do you know your customers are who they say they are? How do you know if the payments they are making to you, using credit cards or ACH, are good? Fraud is on the rise, with a tough economy and the abundance of malware in the market today, it is only a matter of time before your company becomes a target. As a business owner you need to understand the signs to look for  more...

Differing Site Conditions nThe advent of and increasing use of 3-D building information modeling is taking much of the guess work out of a variety of different types of construction. For example, through BIM, the structural steel, electrical, HVAC, plumbing, fire sprinkler and communications subtrades can all determine whether the new and existing utilities, beams, piping and conduits are going to run into each other or  more...

Mitigating the Impact of Construction Projects: Hurdles to Project Success nAll construction projects have impacts on their surroundings, including neighbors, businesses, communities and the physical environment. These impacts frequently are the center of controversy surrounding a project and can lead to unnecessary delays, lost productivity, added project costs and bad public relations. This teleconference will provide you with practical strategies for identifying and  more...

Estate Planning Opportunities in an Uncertain Environment nMotivate the reluctant client; freeze the estate value to reduce the estate tax load. How many of us have clients waiting on the sidelines to decide what to do after experiencing 2008? The uncertain times and uncertain market have actually created the perfect time to use some of the advanced planning tools in the estate planner's arsenal. Depressed values for good assets open up the opportunity  more...

The Streamlined Sales Tax Project - How and Why It Affects Your Business nThe Streamlined Sales Tax Project is an effort by state representatives to implement a national uniform, simplified system of sales and use tax compliance. After more than five years of their efforts, the Simplified Sales and Use Tax Agreement came into effect on October 1, 2005. The SSTP now includes 19 full member states and three associate member states. Although initially taking effect as a  more...

Hot Topics for 501(c)(3) Organizations nThere has been a lot of talk about the revised Form 990 and it's finally here! Whether you love it or loathe it, you can't put it off any longer. We will spend a majority of the time talking about some of the hot-button issues that the new form raises both in terms of simple compliance and in communicating with and involving your board. But wait, there's more! After this teleconference, you'll  more...

From Contact to Contract: The Ladder Approach to Managing a Sale nMost salespeople follow a chaos theory of managing a sale - whatever happens, happens. Consequently, after leaving an initial meeting with a prospect they wonder how, when and why they should reconnect with the prospect. Not only does this lead to lost opportunities, even with prospects who do become clients the process is difficult, fraught with worry and uncertainty, and wastes a great deal of  more...

Internet Techniques for Locating Lost Relatives nMany professionals are called upon to locate lost relatives of clients or patients. Attend this teleconference and learn the methodology, strategies and techniques that can lead to successfully locating the lost relative. Each search is unique. One always begins by establishing the goal - who needs to be located; determining what is known - the identifiers; and creating a basic research plan.  more...

Curbing Unauthorized Overtime Benefits Year after year, one of the most challenging tasks employers face is keeping track of the hours their nonexempt employees work and correctly paying any required overtime premium. When unauthorized overtime occurs, labor costs skyrocket, and businesses face a budgeting nightmare. And when employees perform compensable work off the clock, the potential overtime liability for an employer  more...