Blog
Are Oral Contracts Legally Binding (in NYS)?
An arrangement can be as simple as a handshake agreement or an oral understanding over coffee. When two parties form an agreement without written documentation, is that agreement legally binding? The answer, generally, is yes, unless the agreement is required to be...
An Overview of Email Marketing – the CAN-SPAM Act
Businesses use email marketing to engage prospects, clients and customers on a regular basis. If you’re one of these businesses, you should have some familiarity with the laws governing email marketing. Specifically the The CAN-SPAM Act, a law that establishes rules...
Can an Employer Mandate COVID-19 Vaccinations?
With vaccinations for COVID-19 now readily available and with the Pfizer vaccine fully approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration, employers are considering whether they can (or should) impose a vaccination requirement on their employees. The simple legal...
HIVE Closes $100,020,000 Private Placement
November 30, 2021. We congratulate our client, HIVE Blockchain Technologies Ltd ("HIVE") (TSX.V:HIVE) (Nasdaq:HIVE) (FSE:HBF) on closing a Cnd$100,020,000 private placement of shares and warrants. Stifel GMP acted as lead underwriter and sole bookrunner on behalf...
Kavinoky is Hiring
We are seeking an associate attorney to join us, primarily in our litigation practice. In addition to working on litigation matters, we also would ask this person to work on commercial transactions as needed. The firm is looking for a candidate with three to five...
We Mourn the Loss of Richard Griffin
Kavinoky Cook LLP mourns the loss of our former partner, Richard F. Griffin, who died, peacefully, on Thursday morning, October 14, 2021, in Millard Fillmore hospital, of complications of a lung infection. We offer heartfelt condolences to his wife Jane and to all...
Non-Compete Agreement Update
Non-compete agreements are “bread and butter” agreements in the business world. While the enforceability of these agreements has been a fundamental element in their drafting for many years, the environment is evolving more rapidly with the issuance of Executive Order...
Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) Guide for Small Businesses
Many businesses have proprietary information that they rely on to stay competitive. However, there are many instances where information has to be shared in order to accomplish an objective or simply to have a candid discussion that will not come back to bite the...
Share Transfer Restrictions – Sometimes We Want Them, Sometimes We Don’t
An issue that comes up regularly when we form a new business entity is restrictions on transfer of the equity shares. In a nutshell, the founders of the company usually are comfortable with each other, but they do not want new faces at the table if someone in the...
HIVE Blockchain Technologies Ltd. listed on the NASDAQ
Today we congratulate our client, HIVE Blockchain Technologies Ltd. on its new listing on the NASDAQ Capital Market. The ticker symbol is “HVBT”. HIVE mines Bitcoin and Ethereum in its state-of-the-art, green energy-powered data centers located in Canada, Sweden, and...
New York State Enacts the “NY HERO Act”
On May 5, 2021, Governor Cuomo signed legislation known as the New York Health and Essential Rights Act, or “NY HERO Act.” This new law imposes substantial new requirements on private sector employers related to workplace safety. First, the Act requires all private...
An Unfortunate Fact of Business Life
We have all encountered it. Sometimes business people stretch the truth or outright lie. Do chronic liars have unique personality traits that help you spot them? We thought the article linked below was interesting. Judge for yourself.
Why Most Venture-Backed Startups Should Be C-Corps
If Your Company is a Candidate for Venture Capital Investors, Use a Structure That Investors Actually Like At the start of any business, the founders have to decide what type of business entity structure to adopt. Should you establish your business as a limited...
Private Placement and Crowdfunding Rule Changes Create New Opportunities
As of March 14, 2021, the Securities and Exchange Commission amended its private offering rules to harmonize an overly complex set of rules for smaller offerings. Many of the changes will apply directly to our smaller and medium-sized clients looking to raise equity...
Real Property Tax Assessment Grievance Filing Deadline
As the deadline for tax assessment challenges approaches, we are being asked whether declining values of commercial and office properties due to the pandemic can be the basis for filing a property tax assessment challenge. The answer is "Yes." The commercial retail...
New York Amends Sick Leave Law
New York's new sick leave law went into effect on January 1. New York is one of 15 states with a paid sick leave law. Workers can use sick leave to recover from an illness themselves, care for a sick family member, or seek help for themselves or a family member for...
43North Publishes 2020 Year In Review
Our client, 43North, has published its 2020 Year in Review. Overview: 43North, since inception, has made grants to 51 companies that have raised a combined $600 million and collectively have a valuation exceeding $2 billion. 43North represents an entirely innovative...
Swift Rails Launches Crowdfund Offering
Our client, Swift Rails, Inc., launched a Crowdfunding campaign today on the WeFunder web site. Information about this offering can be obtained at https://wefunder.com/swift.rails. Kavinoky Cook assisted with legal compliance and disclosure documentation for this...
A Message From Our Partners About COVID-19
We have re-opened our office, but the re-opening is being staged in a manner that provides a safe environment for our lawyers and staff. Our full staff will not be in our office at any one time for the foreseeable future. Some of our lawyers are continuing to work...
Scott Becker Joins the Governor in Presenting the Jaeckle Award for 2020
Scott Becker (left), President of the UB Law Alumni Association, presented the 2020 Edwin F. Jaeckle Award, the University at Buffalo School of Law’s highest honor, to former United States Attorney for the Western District of New York and Director of the Executive...
Sue Gardner Retires
Sue Gardner retired from the practice of law as of December 31, 2019.
Sue Gardner Receives Professional Advisors Award
On June 4, 2018, Sue Gardner received the 2018 Gordon R. Gross Professional Advisors Award from the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo. The Award was presented at the Buffalo Club. Pictured above is Sue Gardner with Gordon Gross (blue jacket). The Award...
2018 Arnold B. Gardner Scholarships Awarded
For the seventh consecutive year, the Buffalo Urban League awarded two Arnold B. Gardner scholarships to students graduating from a City of Buffalo public school and attending college. The Award Ceremony was held on May 30, 2018.
2017 Arnold B. Gardner Urban League Scholarship Awarded
The Arnold B. Gardner Urban League Scholarship was awarded this year to Ashley Sanders at the Urban League's annual Award Ceremony on June 28, 2017. Ms. Sanders plans to attend SUNY - Fredonia and will major in biology with the goal of becoming a pediatrician....