News & Events

On Saturday, September 26, 2020, UKS was honored to be a Sponsor of the Connecticut Association of Independent School’s (CAIS) Annual Governance Conference. The yearly conference is designed for trustees, heads, business managers and senior-level school administrators interested in governance issues facing the independent school community.  Attorney Christopher L. Brigham is Chair of the Employment Practices Group and heads the firm’s Education Law Practice.  Attorney Brigham, as a former indep ...

On September 15, 2020, Governor Ned Lamont issued his Executive Order No. 9B, which authorizes local authorities to impose fines for violations of previously issued mask and gathering requirements.  On September 17, 2020, the Governor also issued Executive Order No. 9C, which provides amendments to mandatory self-quarantine for travelers from states with high COVID-19 levels.[1]  EXECUTIVE ORDER 9B: Authorization for the Issuance of Fines for Violations of Mask and Social Gathering Rules Exe ...

Updike, Kelly, and Spellacy, P.C., is pleased to announce a favorable result for Attorneys Brian Hoeing and Jennifer Groves Fusco in successfully defending a physician before the State of Connecticut, Department of Public Health (“DPH”).  Pursuant to General Statutes § 19a-14, DPH is responsible for handling petitions against regulated health professionals.  In 2019, a UKS client was informed that a former patient had sadly committed suicide after many years of treatment for a complicated conste ...

Updated FAQs Concerning Eligibility for Paid Sick Leave under FFCRA pertaining to the Reopening of Schools On August 27, 2020, The U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) published an updated list of frequently asked questions concerning employees’ eligibility for paid leave under the Families First Coronavirus Reponses Act (“FFCRA”) in conjunction with the reopening of schools and the various formats for learning in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.   The FAQs contain clarification regarding a ...

The Greater New Britain Chamber of Commerce is presenting a two-hour sexual harassment training session in accordance with the mandates of Connecticut law.  As of October 1, 2019, all Connecticut employers with three or more employees are now subject to expanded notice and training requirements regarding the prevention of sexual harassment in the workplace.  Training Requirements: Employers will be required to provide to a new employee a copy of information regarding the illegality of sexua ...

At the Connecticut Bar Association’s Annual Meeting on September 14th, Attorney Donald W. Doeg will serve as the moderator for the Construction Law Section’s presentation.  The topics will include a discussion of critical judicial decisions in the construction law industry over the past year and their potential impact on the construction field, as well as a presentation regarding the impact of COVID-19 on the construction industry in Connecticut.  To learn more about the annual meeting and the C ...

On August 8, 2020, President Trump signed an executive memorandum directing “the Secretary of the Treasury to use his authority to defer certain payroll tax obligations with respect to the American workers most in need.”  In response to the executive memorandum, the IRS issued guidance on the evening of August 28, 2020 in the form of IRS Notice 2020-65.    Generally, employees are required to pay a 6.2% Social Security tax on wages up to a certain limit ($137,700 for year 2020).  These amounts ...

            The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (the “CDC”) issued a new Agency Order to be published on September 4, 2020 concerning the Temporary Halt in Residential Evictions to Prevent the Further Spread of COVID-19. Based on the rationale that evictions exacerbate the spread of infectious disease by causing homelessness and forcing individuals and families to move into congregate settings, the CDC issued a temporary moratorium on all residential evictions through De ...

The Connecticut Supreme Court will hear cases from September 8 – 18 of 2020, which will kick off the Supreme Court’s First Term for the 2020-2021 year. The attorneys at Updike, Kelly & Spellacy, P.C. continuously monitor the Supreme Court docket and have identified four cases of particular interest in the First Term.   CITY OF MERIDEN et al. v. FREEDOM OF INFORMATION COMMISSION et al., SC 20378  This case involved a gathering between four political leaders of the Meriden City Council in w ...

On August 27, 2020, The U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) published an updated list of frequently asked questions concerning employees’ eligibility for paid leave under the Families First Coronavirus Reponses Act (“FFCRA”) in conjunction with the reopening of schools and the various formats for learning in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.   The FAQs contain clarification regarding an employee’s eligibility to take paid leave under the FFCRA in instances when an employee’s child attends school ...