Trade secrets are a valuable type of intellectual property—and they’re now subject to a number of federal protections similar to patents, copyrights and trademarks. This development is thanks to the new Defend Trade Secrets Act, which was written and approved to help strengthen the protection of trade secrets in the United States and its
Protecting Your Intellectual Property Through Estate Planning
If you are a business owner or simply own valuable intellectual property, you can pass these assets down to your chosen heir(s) through smart estate planning, just as you would with any other property.
Intellectual property rights do not end with the death of the creator—they are allowed to be passed on through a number
Common Types of Trusts and How They Protect Your Assets
If you would like to make sure your assets and property are distributed in accordance with your wishes, a trust is one of the best tools to help you do exactly that.
Through a trust, you are able to maintain full control over which beneficiaries receive certain funds or property, all while bypassing the lengthy
US Virgin Islands No Longer Tied to Puerto Rico Oversight Bill
As of June 9, the U.S. Virgin Islands is no longer tied to the Puerto Rico Oversight Management and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA), a development that was referred to as a “significant victory” by Stacey Plaskett, the territory’s delegate to Congress.
The bill passed after Congress made changes to a particularly controversial section that would
How Do J1 Visas for Medical Doctors Work?
The United States and its territories are home to hundreds of thousands of immigrant doctors and other healthcare professionals. In fact, according to the Migration Policy Institute, about 26% of all physicians practicing within the United States immigrated to the country.
These immigrants are critically important to the U.S. healthcare system, and the Department of
What You Should Know if You Owe Money to the VI Bureau of Internal Revenue
Whenever you or your business owes money to the Virgin Islands Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), it is important to ensure you comply with all federal and territorial laws to avoid significant legal complications. Remember, there’s no chance that you will be able to outrun the BIR, so it is not worth trying.
The following
Gov. Mapp Outlines Economic Development Initiatives for U.S. Virgin Islands
U.S. Virgin Islands Governor Kenneth E. Mapp recently held a press conference at Government House, where he discussed a number of economic development initiatives.
Tourism has long been the single-largest driver of the economy in the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the industry has fully recovered since the Great Recession. Mapp emphasized the importance of the
How the ‘One Person-One Vote’ Supreme Court Ruling Will Affect Virgin Isalnds Senate Elections
Back in April, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously that states were allowed to count all of its residents—and not just those eligible to vote—when drawing their elective districts. The decision was a significant statement on the principle of “one person, one vote,” and marked the first time the Supreme Court had ever ruled on
Will the Puerto Rico Debt Situation Impact the US Virgin Islands?
Officials in the U.S. Virgin Islands continue to watch closely the situation in Puerto Rico, where the territory has been unable to make service payments on its roughly $70 billion in debt. The crisis has become so severe that the Puerto Rican government has had to make drastic cuts to healthcare, public safety and education—and
Does Your Commercial Lease Allow for Improvements and Renovations?
Moving your business into a new space can be an exciting prospect. Whether you’re starting a new company or upgrading to a larger or better-located commercial property, you’re likely thinking of all the ways you might modify the space to meet your evolving needs.
If you’re renting the space, however, you will need to be