From long-awaited guidance on the tax treatment of cryptocurrency to the banning of forced arbitration agreements for workers in California—we’ve recently seen some impactful developments in estate planning and business law. To ensure that you stay abreast of these legal changes, we’ve highlighted five noteworthy developments and analyzed how they may impact your estate planning and business law practice. 

When consumers experience a “breach” of certain categories of information, state laws have required organizations to notify those affected and, in some instances, to also notify state agencies, consumer reporting agencies, and the media. A growing number of states—including California, Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Texas, and, most recently, New York—have gone a step further, requiring organizations to develop and implement “reasonable safeguards” to secure the personal information they collect and use. 

Decanting can be a great way to add flexibility to irrevocable trusts. Beyond correcting scrivener’s errors, resolving ambiguities, or clarifying trust language, decanting allows trustees to change some provisions of an irrevocable trust by pouring the assets into a new trust with modified terms.