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BRENDA AU
847-267-2046 
brenda.au@wolterskluwer.com 

Wolters Kluwer Law & Business Offers QuickCharts: New, Easy-to-use Tool to Track Financial Reform

(RIVERWOODS, ILL., November 16, 2010) – Now professionals have a clear and organized way to track and keep up with new rule-making and regulations that arise from the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010, as well as understand the numerous provisions of the new law, with QuickCharts from Wolters Kluwer Law & Business. Wolters Kluwer Law & Business is a leading provider of research information and software solutions in key specialty areas for legal and business professionals, with products under the CCH and Aspen names (wolterskluwerlb.com).

Available as an add-on tool to online subscriptions of the CCH Federal Securities Law Reporter and the CCH Federal Banking Law Reporter, QuickCharts allow users to select and review key elements such as added, amended and/or repealed laws, effective dates and new agency guidance, opinions, rules and regulations. QuickCharts also include links to the underlying primary source material contained in the CCH Federal Banking Law Reporter or the CCH Federal Securities Law Reporter.

“As new regulations are proposed and adopted, QuickCharts will be continually updated to ensure users have the very latest information in this time-saving format,” said Peggy Hayner, Wolters Kluwer Law & Business Product Manager.

QuickCharts provide professionals with:

• Links to full analysis of the Dodd-Frank Act;
• Links to the full-text of the enacted law;
• Links to laws added, amended or repealed;
• Links to new rules, regulations and guidance;
• Effective dates;
• Results that may be exported to Microsoft Excel® or Microsoft® Word and also e-mailed;
• Weekly updates; and
• Highlighted updates (within the last 30, 60, 90 or 120 days as selected).

In addition, each provision covered in the Dodd-Frank Act is organized by topic with a full menu of sub-topics – all with full analysis. Topics include:

• Introduction;
• Financial Stability Oversight;
• Orderly Liquidation Authority;
• Supervision of Depository Institutions;
• Private Fund Advisers;
• Insurance;
• Bank and Thrift Regulatory Improvements;
• OTC Derivatives;
• Clearing and Settlement;
• Investor Protection and Securities Regulation;
• Consumer Financial Protection;
• Strengthening the Federal Reserve;
• Access to Mainstream Finance;
• Pay It Back Act;
• Mortgage Reform and Anti-Predatory Lending; and
• Miscellaneous Provisions

“By analyzing, distilling and organizing this important information in an easy-to-use format, professionals can be assured of having the most critical information at their fingertips, saving them hours of research time,” said Hayner.

For More Information
QuickCharts are available as an add-on tool to online subscriptions of the CCH Federal Securities Law Reporter and the CCH Federal Banking Law Reporter. A special bundle price is available for both versions of the QuickCharts. For more information, visit http://onlinestore.cch.com or call 1-800-248-3248.

About Wolters Kluwer Law & Business
Wolters Kluwer Law & Business is a leading provider of research products and software solutions in key specialty areas for legal and business professionals, as well as casebooks and study aids for law students. Its major product lines include Aspen Publishers, CCH, Kluwer Law International and Loislaw. Its markets include law firms, law schools, corporate counsel, health care organizations, and professionals requiring legal and compliance information. Wolters Kluwer Law & Business, a unit of Wolters Kluwer, is based in New York City and Riverwoods, Ill. Wolters Kluwer is a market-leading global information services company.

Financial Reform Still Possible in 112th Congress, Says Wolters Kluwer Law & Business

Reform Agenda May Shift, But Common Ground Emerging on Key Provisions

• Sunset over a four-year period the current government-sponsored enterprises (GSE) conservatorship and wind down the federal subsidies granted through their charters;
• Introduce full transparency and accountability to the secondary market;
• Reduce leverage by phasing in, over four years, capital requirements that are consistent with global standards for large, complex financial institutions; and
• Create a regulatory safe-harbor for mortgages that meet underwriting standards that are consistent with the Federal Reserve Board's final Home Owner's Equity Protection Act (HOEPA) rule.

CCH Says History May Repeat Itself for the Payroll Industry

Workers Will See Smaller Paychecks Beginning January 1, 2011
(RIVERWOODS, ILL., October 29, 2010) – With the Bush tax cuts about to expire at the close of 2010, the tax rates that will take effect January 1, 2011 will return to the rates that were in effect a decade ago and more money will be withheld from paychecks says CCH, a leading provider of employment and payroll law information and software and part of Wolters Kluwer Law & Business (hr.cch.com).

“Ten years ago, we were facing the same situation: There was talk of upcoming tax cuts. The tax cuts – now known as the ‘Bush tax cuts’ – were signed on June 7, 2001. The IRS then issued new withholding tables, effective July 1, 2001, that incorporated the new tax cuts. In addition, the new tables took into account the fact that too much money was taken from paychecks that were issued in the first half of the year,” said John W. Strzelecki, JD, CCH Senior Payroll Analyst. “Note, however, at the end of 2000, the IRS did not delay releasing new withholding tables for 2001, even though if a tax cut did come it meant too much money was being withheld from paychecks that were issued prior to the tax cuts. Rather, the IRS issued new tables based on the tax rates that were in effect on January 1, 2001, and also incorporated the 2001 personal exemption amount into the tables.”

Fast forward to present day 2010, the Bush tax cuts are nearing expiration at the end of the year. Under federal law, the tax rates that will be in effect January 1, 2011, will be the rates that were in effect on January 1, 2001.

Strzelecki says the IRS will likely issue new withholding tables in November effective January 1, 2011, based on the 2001 tax rates that are scheduled to go into effect at the start of the year. In addition, the IRS will incorporate the 2011 personal exemption amount which is projected to be $3,700, just like they did in the 2001 tables. Then, if the tax cuts are passed and signed, the IRS will revise the withholding tables with an effective date that allows just enough time for the payroll industry to implement the changes, just like in June of 2001. The tables will take into account the fact that too much money was withheld from the paychecks that were issued prior to the tax cuts, also just like in 2001.

“What it all boils down to is workers will see less take home pay beginning in 2011 and more take home pay later in the year, just as we saw in 2001,” said Strzelecki.

The following four examples show how more money will be withheld from paychecks beginning in 2011 as compared to current 2010 withholding amounts. The 2011 examples 2010 Example 1:use the withholding tables in effect on January 1, 2001, but take into account the 2011 personal exemption amount, which is projected to be $3,700. These amounts are approximate. 

Employee Jones, who is single, earns $500 weekly ($26,000 annually). He takes one withholding allowance for himself. The 2010 Percentage Method Withholding Table shows that the amount of the withholding allowance prescribed for a weekly payroll period is $70.19. Subtracting this amount from Jones' weekly pay of $500 leaves $429.81, which is Jones' “amount of wages” for tax computation purposes. Referring now to tax rate Table 1(a) – Weekly Payroll Period, Single Person – it is found that $429.81 falls in the “Over $200 but not over $693” bracket. The amount of tax to be withheld for wages in that bracket is stated to be $8.40 plus 15 percent of the excess over $200. The excess over $200 in Jones' case is $229.81. Thus, $8.40 plus 15 percent of $229.81 is $42.87.

2011 Example 1: Employee Jones, who is single, earns $500 weekly ($26,000 annually). He takes one withholding allowance for himself. The 2011 projected value of the withholding allowance for a weekly payroll period will be $71.15. Subtracting this amount from Jones' weekly pay of $500 leaves $428.85, which is Jones' “amount of wages” for tax computation purposes. Referring now to tax rate 2001 Table 1(a) – Weekly Payroll Period, Single Person – it is found that $428.85 falls in the “Over $51 but not over $552” bracket. The amount of tax to be withheld for wages in that bracket is stated to be 15 percent of the excess over $51. The excess over $51 in Jones' case is $377.85. Thus, 15 percent of $377.85 is $56.68.

Thus, in 2011, $13.81 more will be withheld each weekly paycheck than in 2010.

2010 Example 2: Employee Smith, who is married and has a dependent child, earns $1,700 biweekly ($44,200 annually). Although he is entitled to more than one withholding allowance, he claims only one on his Form W-4. Consequently, his “amount of wages” is $1,700 minus $140.38, or $1,559.62. Referring to tax rate Table 2(b) – Biweekly Payroll Period, Married Person – it is found that $1,559.62 falls within the “Over $942 but not over $2,913” bracket. The tax for that bracket is stated to be $41.30 plus 15 percent of the excess over $942. In this example, the excess over $942 is $617.62. Thus, $41.30 plus 15 percent of $617.62 is $133.94, the amount of tax to be withheld from Smith's biweekly wage.

2011 Example 2: Employee Smith, who is married and has a dependent child, earns $1,700 biweekly ($44,200 annually). Although he is entitled to more than one withholding allowance, he claims only one on his Form W-4. Consequently, his amount of wages is $1,700 minus $142.31, or $1,557.69. Referring to tax rate 2001 Table 2(b) – Biweekly Payroll Period, Married Person – it is found that $1,557.69 falls within the “Over $248 but not over $1,919” bracket. The tax for that bracket is stated to be 15 percent of the excess over $248. In this example, the excess over $248 is $1,309.69. Thus, 15 percent of $1,309.69 is $196.45, the amount of tax to be withheld from Smith's biweekly wage.

Thus, in 2011, $62.51 more will be withheld each biweekly paycheck than in 2010.

2010 Example 3: A married employee with four allowances is paid $4,100 semimonthly. Under the annualizing method, the $4,100 semimonthly wage is multiplied by 24 to arrive at the annual wage of $98,400. Next, the withholding allowances of $14,600 (4 x $3,650) are subtracted from the $98,400 annual wage to arrive at $83,800, the amount of wages subject to tax. The table for an annual payroll period, married employee – Table 7(b) – indicates that the tax to be withheld on $83,800 is $8,762.50 plus 25 percent of the excess over $75,750. Twenty-five percent of $8,050 (the excess over $75,750) is $2,012.50. The $8,762.50 is added to $2,012.50 for a total of $10,775. This amount is prorated over the 24 semimonthly periods to arrive at $448.96, the amount to be withheld from each semimonthly paycheck.

2011 Example 3: A married employee with four allowances is paid $4,100 semimonthly. Under the annualizing method, the $4,100 semimonthly wage is multiplied by 24 to arrive at the annual wage of $98,400. Next, the withholding allowances of $14,800 (4 x $3,700) are subtracted from the $98,400 annual wage to arrive at $83,600, the amount of wages subject to tax. The 2001 table for an annual payroll period, married employee – Table 7(b) – indicates that the tax to be withheld on $83,600 is $6,517.50 plus 28 percent of the excess over $49,900. Twenty-eight percent of $33,700 (the excess over $49,900) is $9,436. The $9,436 is added to $6,517.50 for a total of $15,953.50. This amount is prorated over the 24 semimonthly periods to arrive at $664.73, the amount to be withheld from each semimonthly paycheck.

Thus, in 2011, $215.77 more will be withheld each semimonthly paycheck than in 2010.

2010 Example 4: Employee Thomas, married with two dependent children, earns $3,000 semimonthly and claims four regular allowances and one allowance based on estimated deductions. The value of one semimonthly allowance is $152.08, 5 x $152.08 equals $760.40. After subtracting $760.40 from $3,000, the “amount of wages” is $2,239.60. Referring to Table 3(b) – Semimonthly Payroll Period, Married Person – the entry covering $2,239.60 is “Over $1,021 but not over $3,156.” The amount of tax to be withheld is $44.80 plus 15 percent of the excess over $1,021, which is $182.79. Therefore, the total amount to be withheld is $227.59.

2011 Example 4: Employee Thomas, married with two dependent children, earns $3,000 semimonthly and claims four regular allowances and one allowance based on estimated deductions. The value of one semimonthly allowance will be $154.17, 5 x $154.17 equals $770.85. After subtracting $770.85 from $3,000, the “amount of wages” is $2,229.15. Referring to 2001 Table 3(b) – Semimonthly Payroll Period, Married Person – the entry covering $2,229.15 is “Over $2,079 but not over $4,383.” The amount of tax to be withheld is $271.50 plus 28 percent of the excess over $2,079, which is $42.04. Therefore, the total amount to be withheld will be $313.54.

Thus, in 2011, $85.95 more will be withheld each semimonthly paycheck than in 2010.

About Wolters Kluwer Law & Business
Wolters Kluwer Law & Business is a leading provider of research products and software solutions in key specialty areas for legal and business professionals, as well as casebooks and study aids for law students. Its major product lines include Aspen Publishers, CCH, Kluwer Law International and Loislaw. Its markets include law firms, law schools, corporate counsel, health care organizations, and professionals requiring legal and compliance information. Wolters Kluwer Law & Business, a unit of Wolters Kluwer, is based in New York City and Riverwoods, Ill. Wolters Kluwer is a market-leading global information services company.

Does Your State Have Time-off-to-vote Laws? Wolters Kluwer Law & Business Details Election Day Rights Voters Need to Know

Employers Risk Fines, Even Jail Time for Interfering

(RIVERWOODS, ILL., October 27, 2010) – As political candidates from around the United States deliver their last stump speeches, air remaining TV ads and make final appeals before Election Day, voters are making up their minds on not only who to vote for, but when. On Tuesday, November 2, millions of voters will block out time around their work day to go to the polls and many states require employers to provide employees with adequate time away to vote – or face stiff penalties.

According to CCH, a leading provider of labor and employment law information and services – part of Wolters Kluwer Law & Business – voting is more than a personal civic duty. In more than half of states, voting takes legal precedence over work, and employers must allow employees time off to cast their ballots.

Employers in many states risk fines or even jail sentences for interfering with an employee’s right to vote. In other states, the law offers no special protection or incentive for someone who takes time away from their job to cast a ballot.

“In many cases, time off is only guaranteed if the employee does not have sufficient time outside of working hours to vote,” explained CCH Employment Law Analyst David Stephanides, JD. “However, the fact that early voting or vote-by-mail is available normally does not relieve the employer of the duty to provide time off on voting day itself.”

States Strike a Balance
While federal law protects a citizen’s right to vote, state laws specify time-off-to-vote provisions as well as the rights employers may have to discipline employees or withhold pay for time not worked. Many of these rules attempt to balance between the interests of the employee and the employer.

In 24 states, employees must be paid for time spent voting: employers are prohibited from penalizing an employee or making deductions from wages for at least part of the time the employee is authorized to be absent from work to cast a vote. Five states – Hawaii, Maryland, Missouri, Oklahoma and Wyoming – spell out in their statute books that workers will be paid for their time off only if they actually vote, although in Maryland it’s sufficient for employees to establish that they attempted to vote.

Eighteen states require employees to give advance notice of their intention to take time off to vote. Iowa and West Virginia add the requirement that the notification be in writing. Employers are allowed to specify the hours to be taken for voting in 22 states.

Range of Penalties
“Employers who violate time-off-to-vote laws face penalties that range from trivial to a corporate death sentence,” said Stephanides.

The highest fines for failure to allow time off to vote are authorized in Kansas and Missouri, where an individual employer may be fined $2,500, while North Dakota provides for corporations to be assessed up to $15,000. Eighteen states add possible jail time, in some cases up to a year, to monetary penalties. In New York and Colorado, businesses can forfeit their corporate charters if found in violation. Unlawful coercion of an employee’s vote can bring especially stiff penalties – up to $10,000 in fines and up to five years in jail in Nebraska.

On the other end of the scale is Arkansas, where failure to give an employee an opportunity to vote – without pay – is punishable by a fine as low as $25. In a number of states, no penalty is specified.

Laws requiring payment for time off to vote were approved in 1952 by the U.S. Supreme Court in a pair of decisions involving Missouri and California laws: Day-Brite Lighting, Inc. v. Missouri and Tide Water Associated Oil Co. v. Robinson. They were upheld as a proper exercise of the police power of the state.

In addition to the U.S. states, Puerto Rico provides that any day a general election, a referendum of general interest or a plebiscite is held is a legal holiday, and employees must be allowed to vote. General elections also are considered legal holidays within the Virgin Islands and employees who give prior notice are entitled to two hours off from work to vote, without loss of pay.

Overall, 31 states and Puerto Rico have time-off-to-vote laws on the books while 19 states and the District of Columbia do not. States without time-off-to-vote laws include: Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont and Virginia.

A table summarizing state laws follows. For expanded coverage of voting/employment laws, including citations to applicable codes and statutes, visit hr.cch.com or click here.

About Wolters Kluwer Law & Business
Wolters Kluwer Law & Business is a leading provider of research products and software solutions in key specialty areas for legal and business professionals, as well as casebooks and study aids for law students. Its major product lines include Aspen Publishers, CCH, Kluwer Law International and Loislaw. Its markets include health care organizations, law firms, law schools, corporate counsel and professionals requiring legal and compliance information. Wolters Kluwer Law & Business, a unit of Wolters Kluwer, is based in New York City and Riverwoods, Ill. Wolters Kluwer is a market-leading global information services company.

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No Change in Social Security COLA Offers Good and Bad News, Says Wolters Kluwer Law & Business

(RIVERWOODS, ILL., October 11, 2010) – ftwilliam.com, a leading software line in the Wolters Kluwer Law & Business pension portfolio, announced today the release of new enhancements to its integrated 1099 module. The web-based ftwilliam.com portfolio was designed from the ground up to streamline time-consuming tasks for the pension professional. All the tools for thorough 1099 form processing are now at your fingertips – eliminating the need to go anywhere else. ftwilliam.com is part of Wolters Kluwer Law & Business, a leading provider of information and software solutions for pension, benefits, and tax law information and software for professionals (hr.cch.com).

Fulfillment Capabilities via an Enhanced 1099 Service Bureau
The new 1099 Service Bureau features complete and comprehensive fulfillment functionality for fast, simple and accurate form processing. There’s no reason to bother with printers, ink and postage thanks to the ftwilliam.com 1099 Service Bureau that handles:

• Easy e-filing of federal and state 1099 forms;
• Assurance that all forms are compliant with federal & state regulations;
• All printing, copying and mailing functions; and
• Payer data from previous year’s form automatically transferred to current year.
  

The easy-to-use 1099 module requires little training and can quickly make significant impacts on productivity and workplace efficiency.

“Eliminating headaches in the pension professional market is important for maintaining financial accuracy and consistency,” said Tim McCutcheon, General Manager of ftwilliam.com. “By offering targeted solutions, we help our customers maximize their efficiency and focus on higher-value services.”

For More Information
For more information about ftwilliam.com’s new 1099 integrated tool module, please e-mail sales@ftwilliam.com; or click here.

About ftwilliam.com and Wolters Kluwer Law & Business
ftwilliam.com is a software as a service (SaaS) company providing the highest quality plan documents (retirement, welfare and non-qualified), government forms (5500/PBGC, 1099 and IRS) and now administrative/compliance software. ftwilliam.com’s software is web-based and can be accessed by any user with a computer connected to the internet. All plan documents and forms are delivered instantly to the desktop in word processing or Adobe PDF format.

ftwilliam.com is part of the Wolters Kluwer Law & Business pension and benefits portfolio. Wolters Kluwer Law & Business is a leading provider of information and software solutions in key specialty areas for legal and business professionals, as well as casebooks and study aids for law students. Its major product lines include Aspen Publishers, CCH, Kluwer Law International and Loislaw. Wolters Kluwer Law & Business, a unit of Wolters Kluwer, is based in New York City and Riverwoods, Ill. Wolters Kluwer is a market-leading global information services company.

• Real-time, 24/7 on-demand individual/batch screening against government databases;
• Unique filtering algorithms for individual and entity screening;
• Flexible architecture, including user-friendly handling mechanisms and real-time reports;
• Downloadable and filterable screening results;
• Security and privacy of sensitive information with users controlling results not accessible to any third party;
• A convenient, self-service platform;
• A ccess to customer support staffed with compliance experts and practitioners; and
• Flat fee pricing with no individual or batch searching transaction charges.

Federal and state databases covered under S3 include:

• OIG List of Excluded Individuals and Entities (LEIE);
• GSA Excluded Parties List System (EPLS);
• Unique Provider Identification Number Database (UPIN);
• National Provider Identifier Database (NPI);
• Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC);
• Specially Designated Nationals List (SDN); and
• State Databases (e.g. New York , Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, etc.).

New Guide from Wolters Kluwer Law & Business Provides Timely, Complete Coverage of Securities and Derivatives Reform

Valuable Knowledge Tools for Navigating Today’s Regulatory Environment

(RIVERWOODS, ILL., September 21, 2010) – Effective corporate counselors know that a thorough understanding of their company’s financial practices is essential for asking the right questions and eliminating potential risks involving conflicts of interest or other activities that may call credibility into question. Wolters Kluwer Law & Business’ new publication, Corporate Counselor’s Business Handbook, provides specific, practical guidance on the fundamentals of accounting and finance, and includes discussion on regulations such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Wolters Kluwer Law & Business is a leading provider of information and software solutions in key specialty areas for legal and business professionals, with products under the CCH and Aspen names (wolterskluwerlb.com).

The practical guidance topics will enable corporate counselors to:

• Read balance sheets, income statements and cash flow statements with confidence;
  
• Understand a company’s financial metrics;
  
• Engage in business valuation;
  
• Interact with clients on business topics;
  
• Read annual reports efficiently;
  
• Comprehend the advantages and disadvantages of different types of debt;
  
• Identify problems in a wide array of business areas; and
  
• Apply basic accounting principles – and recognize when they’re not being applied.

• purposes of the general exclusion for reimbursements for medical care expenses of an employee, spouse and dependents under an employer-provided accident or health plan;
  
• the deduction for the health insurance costs of a self-employed person, spouse and dependents;
  
• the rule that allows a qualified pension or annuity plan to provide benefits for sickness, accident, hospitalization and medical expenses to retired employees, spouses and dependents; and
  
• the rule that treats a voluntary employee benefits association (VEBA) that provides sick and accident benefits to its members and their dependents as a tax-exempt organization.

(RIVERWOODS, ILL., September 13, 2010) – For the first time, the $600 trillion derivatives market will operate under federal regulations and reforms outlined in the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, according to Wolters Kluwer Law & Business. Wolters Kluwer Law & Business is a leading provider of information and software solutions in key specialty areas for legal and business professionals, with products under the CCH and Aspen names (wolterskluwerlb.com).

The new legislation is designed to provide transparency and greater efficiency in processing derivatives by requiring the reporting of contract terms to regulators and market participants. Major components in the derivatives title within the act include:

• Mandatory trading and clearing of swaps and security based swaps;
• Mandated reporting of swaps and security based swaps; and
• Real-time price reporting for all swap transactions, including customized swaps.

End user clearing exemptions exclude businesses which must make significant investments in certain commodities in order to operate. For example, commercial airlines needing to purchase jet fuel may continue to invest in petroleum contracts, options and fuel hedges without additional regulations. The act also calls for all traded swaps to be exchanged on a designated contract market or a swap execution facility. All security-based swaps must be traded on either an exchange or through a swap execution facility.

“The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act works as a sea change by closing a huge regulatory gap and bringing accountability and transparency to the previously unregulated OTC derivatives market,” said Wolters Kluwer Law & Business Principal Securities Law Analyst James Hamilton, JD, LLM, one of the lead analysts for Wolters Kluwer Law & Business’ Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act: Law, Explanation and Analysis. “The new regulatory framework now requires most OTC derivatives to be traded on an exchange and cleared through centralized clearinghouses, but it doesn’t specify how to avoid potential conflicts of interest involving control over those clearinghouses."

From Lynch Amendment to “Lynch Lite”: Preserving Open and Fair Access
To prevent financial industry giants and major swap traders from taking control of new derivatives clearinghouses, the Lynch Amendment was added to the bill passed by the House of Representatives in December 2009. The amendment would have imposed a 20-percent voting stake limitation on clearinghouse and trading facility ownership. It also proposed that a majority of directors overseeing a clearing organization, swap-execution facility or board of trade could not be associated with a restricted owner. However, the Lynch Amendment was not included in the final legislation.

Instead, the Dodd-Frank Act features Sections 726 and 765 – requiring the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to adopt rules eliminating conflicts of interest. Because the full amendment was replaced with shorter, less-specific language in the final bill, many refer to Sections 726 and 765 as “Lynch Lite.” Some feel the broadly worded sections are appropriate governance rules for mitigating potential conflicts of interest, but others argue the Lynch Amendment would have provided greater market access by leveling the playing field.

New Exchange Rules Aimed at Stabilizing Economy
Although many factors led to recent economic instability, volatile swings in financial markets and government interventions to bail out failing businesses, a major contributor to the financial crisis was the unregulated OTC derivatives market. For derivatives trading, the Dodd-Frank Act provides the SEC and CFTC greater oversight of the OTC derivatives market and sheds light on derivatives trading that was allowed to happen without regulatory approval.

“OTC derivatives contracts have never been completely transparent and have even been opaque. This legislation is designed to bring greater transparency to the market for derivatives,” said Hamilton.

For More Information
Members of the press interested in speaking with Wolters Kluwer Law & Business securities and banking law experts should contact Leslie Bonacum at 847-267-7153, mediahelp@cch.com; or Eric Scott at 847-267-2179, eric.scott@wolterskluwer.com.

For a Briefing on Dodd-Frank, visit the Financial Reform News Center at http://financialreform.wolterskluwerlb.com. The Center provides the legal community and others with a cohesive and robust selection of new developments and analysis. Additionally, Jim Hamilton’s World of Securities Regulation offers unique analysis on securities law and regulation.

Wolters Kluwer Law & Business also offers two authoritative new references on the historic reform law. Available now is the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act: Law, Explanation and Analysis.

For further analysis on the national financial impact of the Dodd-Frank Act, the upcoming Wolters Kluwer Law & Business publication, Securities and Derivatives Reform in 2010: A Guide to the Legislation, focuses on the securities aspects of the bill. It is scheduled for an October 2010 release and also includes elements such as codification, rule-making proposals, industry reaction and expert commentary.

Members of the news media interested in receiving a complimentary copy of either reference book should contact Leslie Bonacum, 847-267-7153 or mediahelp@cch.com.

About Wolters Kluwer Law & Business
Wolters Kluwer Law & Business is a leading provider of research products and software solutions in key specialty areas for legal and business professionals, as well as casebooks and study aids for law students. Its major product lines include Aspen Publishers, CCH, Kluwer Law International and Loislaw. Its markets include health care organizations, law firms, law schools, corporate counsel and professionals requiring legal and compliance information. Wolters Kluwer Law & Business, a unit of Wolters Kluwer, is based in New York City and Riverwoods, Ill. Wolters Kluwer is a market-leading global information services company.

MediRegs Integrates HITRUST Common Security Framework with ComplyTrack to Accelerate Health Care Information Privacy and Security

New Reference from Wolters Kluwer Law & Business Details Health Care Reform Law from Employer’s Point of View

(RIVERWOODS, ILL., July 29, 2010) – Now there’s a comprehensive guide on the issues affecting employers as they navigate the sea change in how health benefits will be provided in the United States. The Employer’s Guide to Health Care Reform is a one-volume resource from Wolters Kluwer Law & Business that explains how the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act affects employers and other sponsors of health benefit plans, provides an overview of the new law as it relates to employers and identifies short-term, medium-term and long-term issues that employers need to address, with commentary on how they might respond to the new law (520 pages, $249). Wolters Kluwer Law & Business is a leading provider of research information and software solutions in key specialty areas for legal and business professionals, with products under the CCH and Aspen names (wolterskluwerlb.com).

“There has been much misinformation about what is actually in the law,” said Product Manager Chris Carr. “Employers need to sift through the health care reform maze to identify exactly how the law affects them and any opportunities that the law might present. That’s precisely what the Employer’s Guide to Health Care Reform helps them do.”

This essential resource traces the evolution of health care reform, explains basic concepts and key terms, details the immediate changes for employment-based health benefit plans, identifies important cost-savings opportunities for employers, discusses employer and employee mandates and health care exchanges as well as other changes relevant to employers.

About the Authors
Brian M. Pinheiro is the chair of the Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Group at Ballard Spahr LLP, and a member of its Health Care and Higher Education Groups as well as its Health Care Reform Initiative. He has represented employers before the IRS, the U.S. Department of Labor, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and has assisted employers in seeking approval under various government-sponsored voluntary correction programs, including the IRS Employee Plans Compliance Resolution System. He has also advised clients extensively on health plan compliance with the HIPAA privacy regulations. Prior to joining Ballard Spahr, he was a tax law specialist in the Employee Plans Division of the IRS (National Office) in Washington, D.C.

Jean C. Hemphill is the chair of its Health Care Group at Ballard Spahr LLP and a member of the Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation, CCRC Financing and Workout, Corporate and Government Investigations and White Collar Defense, Nonprofit Organizations and Higher Education Groups. She formed the firm’s HIPAA and Health Care Reform Initiatives, developing teams of experts in multiple disciplines to support clients’ compliance with the new laws. She concentrates her practice in the areas of general corporate, health care, employee benefits and nonprofit law, representing academic medical centers, medical schools, health systems, physician practice groups, social service agencies, managed-care organizations, pension and welfare plans, employers, business groups and other entities involved in health, retirement and social service issues.

Clifford J. Schoneris of counsel in the Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Group at Ballard Spahr LLP. He concentrates his practice in employee benefits law, including the establishment, operations and termination of qualified and nonqualified deferred compensation and welfare plans. His experience with executive compensation programs and health benefit plans includes the treatment of compensation and benefits in mergers and acquisitions. He is well versed in all fiduciary aspects of plan operation and investment.

Jonathan M. Calpas is an associate in the Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Group at Ballard Spahr LLP. He represents for-profit, tax-exempt, church and government employers on matters related to tax-qualified retirement plans and health and welfare plans. He focuses on compliance with the statutory and regulatory rules relating to such plans, including rules arising out of the Internal Revenue Code, ERISA and HIPAA. He regularly assists employers with IRS determination letter filings and filings for government-sponsored voluntary correction programs, including the IRS Employee Plans Compliance Resolution System (EPCRS).

For More Information
For more information or to order the 520-page Employer’s Guide to Health Care Reform , visit www.aspenpublishers.com or call 1-800-638-8437. Single copy price is $249.

About Wolters Kluwer Law & Business
Wolters Kluwer Law & Business is a leading provider of research products and software solutions in key specialty areas for legal and business professionals, as well as casebooks and study aids for law students. Its major product lines include Aspen Publishers, CCH, Kluwer Law International and Loislaw. Its markets include health care organizations, law firms, law schools, corporate counsel and professionals requiring legal and compliance information. Wolters Kluwer Law & Business, a unit of Wolters Kluwer, is based in New York City and Riverwoods, Ill. Wolters Kluwer is a market-leading global information services company.

Wolters Kluwer Law & Business Outlines Expanded Whistleblower Protections Under Dodd-Frank Act

Provisions Will Have Profound Impact on Employer-related Compliance

A Review of Changes to Whistleblower Rules

• Expanded filing period– aggrieved employees will have 180 days to file a complaint with the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), an increase over the 90-day filing period previously provided under SOX. And, the timely filing period now starts on the date on which the violation occurs or on the date on which the employee became aware of the violation. Previously, the clock started on the date on which the violation occurred, regardless of when the employee became aware of it.
• Right to a jury trial – The new legislation clearly states that employees bringing claims under SOX have a right to jury trial.
• Bans predispute arbitration agreements – The new law amends SOX to expressly prohibit the use of predispute arbitration agreements for SOX claims.
• Expanded employee coverage – Previously, SOX generally covered only employees working for publicly traded companies, brokerage firm or contractors of publicly traded companies. The Dodd-Frank Act expands SOX coverage to include employees of “nationally recognized statistical rating organization[s]” as well as employees of subsidiaries of publicly traded companies in specific instances.
  

Apparent expansion of whistleblower remedies, time limits – The Dodd-Frank Act also appears to provide employees greater remedies and more time to bring a claim for those who chose to pursue their SOX whistleblower claims through the Dodd-Frank Act’s amendments to the Securities Exchange Act. For example, the new Securities Exchange Act provisions allow for double back pay plus interest, while SOX allows only for back pay plus interest. Additionally, whistleblowers choosing to sue under the new law can seek remedies for violations of SOX while bypassing SOX’s requirement to exhaust administrative remedies with the Department of Labor before going to court. Also, SOX, as amended by the Dodd-Frank Act, now will require aggrieved employees to file a complaint with OSHA within 180 days of the alleged violation or of when the employee became aware of the violation, while the amended Securities Exchange Act now allows a whistleblower to bring a court action up to three years after becoming aware of the claim, or six years after the violation has occurred (provided the claim is brought within 10 years after the date of the violation).

According to Hackerott, several other whistleblower provisions are also included in the Dodd-Frank Act, including a new incentive program and a private right of action for commodity whistleblowers and new whistleblower protections for financial services employees. Additionally, the Dodd-Frank Act strengthens anti-retaliation provisions of the False Claims Act and calls for the SEC Inspector General to conduct a study on the whistleblower protections made under the new law.

“The Dodd-Frank Act contains historic and important federal whistleblower protections beyond any we have seen so far in the area of securities regulation. The interaction of existing Sarbanes-Oxley whistleblower protections and new protections enshrined in Dodd-Frank is particularly momentous, especially since there was little legislative debate on this significant development,” said Wolters Kluwer Law & Business Principal Securities Law Analyst Jim Hamilton, JD.

About Wolters Kluwer Law & Business
Wolters Kluwer Law & Business is a leading provider of research products and software solutions in key specialty areas for legal and business professionals, as well as casebooks and study aids for law students. Its major product lines include Aspen Publishers, CCH, Kluwer Law International and Loislaw. Its markets include law firms, law schools, corporate counsel, health care organizations, and professionals requiring legal and compliance information. Wolters Kluwer Law & Business, a unit of Wolters Kluwer, is based in New York City and Riverwoods, Ill. Wolters Kluwer is a market-leading global information services company.

New Antitrust Blog Now Available from Wolters Kluwer Law & Business

(RIVERWOODS, July 27, 2010) – Wolters Kluwer Law & Business is pleased to announce the launch of AntitrustConnect, a new antitrust blog offering a forum for discussion, analysis and commentary on the latest and most important antitrust issues in the United States (www.antitrustconnect.com). Wolters Kluwer Law & Business is a leading provider of research information and software solutions in key specialty areas for legal and business professionals, with products under the CCH, Aspen, Kluwer Law International and Loislaw names (wolterskluwerlb.com).

“AntitrustConnect was established to create a place where antitrust professionals can easily access insights and commentary on leading antitrust issues from well-respected experts in the field,” said Product Manager Kristin Colquhoun. “With this blog, we hope to foster a sense of community among users of our antitrust offerings.”

The blog provides fresh, insightful and timely examination of recent antitrust developments and will include posts on topics such as monopolistic activity, price fixing, tying arrangements, recent U.S. case decisions and DOJ enforcement actions.

Contributors to AntitrustConnect are esteemed experts from law firms and academia, including: Herb Hovenkamp, University of Iowa College of Law; Theodore Banks, Schoeman, Updike & Kaufman, LLP; George Paul, White & Case; and Lee Simowitz, Baker & Hostetler LLP. An internal team of antitrust experts from Wolters Kluwer Law & Business will also be regular contributors.

AntitrustConnect is one of several blogs from Wolters Kluwer Law & Business. An extension of the unit’s deep domain expertise, Wolters Kluwer Law & Business blogs cover topics ranging from securities to arbitration, trade and patents, and provide a premier forum for discussion and debate among renowned subject area authorities and thought leaders.

For More Information
For more information on the AntitrustConnect Blog, please visit www.antitrustconnect.com or contact Kristin M. Colquhoun, Esq. at Kristin.Colquhoun@wolterskluwer.com.

About Wolters Kluwer Law & Business
Wolters Kluwer Law & Business is a leading provider of information and software solutions in key specialty areas for legal and business professionals, as well as casebooks and study aids for law students. Its major product lines include Aspen, CCH, Kluwer Law International and Loislaw. Its markets include health care organizations, law firms, law schools, corporate counsel and professionals requiring legal and compliance information. Wolters Kluwer Law & Business, a unit of Wolters Kluwer, is based in New York City and Riverwoods, Ill. Wolters Kluwer is a market-leading global information services company.

Wolters Kluwer Law & Business Delivers Complete Text, Analysis of Dodd-Frank Act

Definitive Resource Offers Immediate Insight into New Financial Reform Law

(RIVERWOODS, ILL., July 21, 2010) – With the President’s signing of historic financial regulatory reform legislation, Wolters Kluwer Law & Business is delivering the definitive resource for immediate insight into the impact of the new law: the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act: Law, Explanation and Analysis. This 1,600-plus page authoritative new reference from Wolters Kluwer Law & Business banking and securities law experts provides the most timely, comprehensive and detailed analysis of the sweeping new law. Wolters Kluwer Law & Business is a leading provider of research information and software solutions in key specialty areas for legal and business professionals, with products under the CCH and Aspen names (wolterskluwerlb.com).

“These are historic reforms that will transform the way banks, hedge funds, credit rating agencies, broker-dealers, investment advisers, accountants, public companies and other financial institutions – and the attorneys who advise these entities – operate,” said Wolters Kluwer Law & Business Principal Federal Securities Law Analyst Jim Hamilton, JD, LLM.

“A comprehensive understanding of these changes is essential to all participants in the U.S. financial system, and this resource provides immediate insight into the impact of the new law,” said Wolters Kluwer Law & Business Senior Financial Institutions Law Analyst John Pachkowski, JD.

The book includes more than 600 pages of thorough analysis of every provision of the complex legislation including detailed explanations on:

• Systemic Risk Oversight;
  
• Federal Depository Institutions;
  
• Securitization;
  
• Dissolution Authority;
  
• Executive Compensation and Governance;
  
• Derivatives Markets;
  
• Consumer Financial Protection;
  
• Hedge Funds;
  
• Credit Rating Agencies;
  
• Financial Intermediaries;
  
• Enforcement and Litigation;
  
• SEC Funding, Organization and Reforms;
  
• Other Securities Reforms;
  
• Federal Insurance Office; and
  
• Mortgage Reform and Anti-predatory Lending.

Privacy and Data Security Law Deskbook from Aspen Publishers is Resource of Choice

(NEW YORK, N.Y., July 19, 2010) – Now there's a practical one-stop loose-leaf guide for privacy professionals, compliance officers and attorneys responsible for privacy or data security. Privacy and Data Security Law Deskbook from Aspen Publishers is a detailed and up-to-date overview of the areas of privacy and data security law most relevant to U.S. practitioners. Authored by a top professional in the field, the Deskbook will be the resource of choice when looking for an overview in this area of law. Aspen Publishers (www.aspenpublishers.com) is part of Wolters Kluwer Law & Business.

"This is an area of law undergoing frequent change and innovation," said Product Manager Chris Carr. "With author Lisa J. Sotto, we have an internationally acclaimed expert and active professional who focuses the content of the Deskbook on those areas most relevant for privacy practitioners, making it a highly valuable tool for users."

Privacy and Data Security Law Deskbook provides a detailed overview (with thousands of specific citations for the legal practitioner) of those areas of information privacy and data security law that have the greatest impact on and are most relevant for U.S. businesses that operate in the global arena.

The treatment of U.S. privacy and data security law includes chapters on:

• FCRA and FACTA;
• Financial Privacy;
• Privacy of Health Information;
• Children's and Students' Privacy;
• Telecommunications;
• Drivers' Privacy Protection Act;
• Privacy of Video Records;
• Marketing and Privacy;
• Privacy in the Workplace;
• Privacy Policies;
• Social Networking;
• Surveillance;
• Information Security;
• Information Security Breach Notification Laws;
• FTC and State Enforcement; and
• Privacy Torts.

European Union data protection laws and other global privacy laws are given extensive treatment, especially as they impact American firms doing business abroad.

The companion CD-ROM includes charts on:

• Breach Notification Laws;
• State Data Security Laws;
• Records Disposal Laws;
• Social Security Numbers Protection Laws;
• Anti-Spyware Laws;
• Do-Not-Fax Laws;
• Telephone Recording Laws;
• FTC Privacy and Data Security Enforcement Actions;
• Model Notices under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act;
• HIPAA Model Business Associate Agreement (HHS Model);
• EU Model Contracts;
• Safe Harbor Principles and FAQs;
• BCRs Official Documents;
• Article 17 Model Contract; and
• APEC Principles.

About the Author
Lisa J. Sotto, managing partner of the New York office of Hunton & Williams LLP, heads the firm's global Privacy and Information Management practice. She was rated the top global privacy adviser by Computerworld magazine in its two most recent annual surveys and also earned a number one U.S. national ranking for Privacy & Data Security from Chambers and Partners. She was named one of Ethisphere Magazine's 100 "2009 Attorneys Who Matter," a listing of attorneys who "have risen to the top." In addition, she has been selected for several consecutive years by her peers as a New York "Super Lawyer."

Sotto was appointed by Secretaries Ridge and Chertoff as Vice Chair of the Department of Homeland Security's Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee and she continues to serve as a member of the Committee. She is member of the Board of Directors of the International Association of Privacy Professionals and Co-chair of the New York State Bar Association's International Privacy Law Committee. In addition, Sotto is the Chair of the New York Privacy Officers' Forum and a member of SAI Global's Law and Ethics Advisory Board. She also is Co-chair of the PLI Privacy and Security Law Institute and serves as Lead Advisor on DataGuidance's U.S. Panel of Experts. Sotto has testified before Congress and federal agencies, frequently speaks around the world, and has authored or been quoted in over 200 articles on a variety of privacy, data security, and information management topics.

For More Information
For more information or to purchase the Privacy and Data Security Law Deskbook, visit www.aspenpublishers.com or call 1-800-638-8437. The price of this one-volume loose-leaf is $349.

About Wolters Kluwer Law & Business
Wolters Kluwer Law & Business is a leading provider of research products and software solutions in key specialty areas for legal and business professionals, as well as casebooks and study aids for law students. Its major product lines include Aspen Publishers, CCH, Kluwer Law International and Loislaw. Its markets include health care organizations, law firms, law schools, corporate counsel and professionals requiring legal and compliance information. Wolters Kluwer Law & Business, a unit of Wolters Kluwer, is based in New York City and Riverwoods, Ill. Wolters Kluwer is a market-leading global information services company.

The Long Road to Financial Reform: Wolters Kluwer Law & Business Reviews Major Milestones

(RIVERWOODS, ILL., July 14, 2010) – When the Senate passes the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, expected later this week, it will send to President Obama the most historic overhaul of U.S. financial regulation since the 1930s, according to Wolters Kluwer Law & Business. Wolters Kluwer Law & Business is a leading provider of research information and software solutions in key specialty areas for legal and business professionals, with products under the CCH and Aspen names (wolterskluwerlb.com).

“This is the culmination of an 18-month journey to enact regulation to reform U.S markets in the wake of the greatest financial crisis since the Great Depression,” said Wolters Kluwer Law & Business Principal Federal Securities Law Analyst Jim Hamilton, JD, LLM. “The Dodd-Frank Act restructures the foundations of the U.S. financial regulatory system, enhances regulation over more products and actors and promotes greater accountability in capital markets.”

According to Hamilton, the road to regulatory reform began when President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 on February 17, 2009. In provisions authored by Senator Dodd, the recovery legislation mandated important corporate governance safeguards and imposed various executive compensation limits on companies participating in the troubled assets relief program (TARP). This included a requirement for a nonbinding shareholder advisory vote on executive compensation and for independent compensation committees – requirements that ultimately would be placed on all listed companies by the Dodd-Frank Act.

Other major milestones on the road to reform have included:

• February 25, 2009: President Obama outlined seven broad principles involving transparency, systemic risk management and investor protection to guide Congress in passing this historic legislation to reform the nation’s outdated financial regulatory regime (remarks by the President after Regulatory Reform Meeting).
  
• March 30, 2009: Senate Banking Committee Chair Christopher Dodd and House Financial Services Committee Chair Barney Frank sent a letter to President Obama pledging to work together to pass legislation creating a framework for 21st century regulation that would enhance financial stability and protect consumers and investors.
  
• May 20, 2009: President Obama signed the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act (FERA) improving the enforcement of securities and commodities fraud and financial institution fraud involving asset-backed securities and fraud related to federal assistance and relief programs. The legislation expands the scope of securities fraud provisions to include commodities and derivatives fraud.
  
• June 2009: The Obama Administration proposed to Congress the most sweeping and fundamental regulatory reform of the U.S. financial and securities markets since President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal. The proposal was based on the Treasury Department’s Financial Regulatory Reform, A New Foundation: Rebuilding Financial Supervision and Regulation (June 17, 2009).
  
• December 11, 2009: The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2009 (HR 4173) to restructure the financial services regulatory system.
  
• May 20, 2010: The U.S. Senate passed Restoring American Financial Stability Act of 2010 (S. 3217, the Senate version of H.R. 4173) to bring about far-reaching reforms.
  
• June 26, 2010: The House-Senate conference report was issued reconciling the House and Senate versions of the financial services regulatory reform bills.
  
• June 30, 2010: The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. It is based on the themes of regulating systemic risk and OTC derivatives, enhancing transparency and disclosure, moving executive compensation regimes away from a culture of short-term risk taking towards long-term value creation, expanding consumer and investor protection and preventing regulatory arbitrage.

“After nearly two years of congressional hearings and extremely intense legislative negotiations, we are on the verge of historic and comprehensive reform of U.S. financial regulation,” said Hamilton. “This is landmark legislation that touches many aspects of banking and securities regulation, regulates the OTC derivatives markets for the first time and enhances the powers and resources of the SEC."

For More Information
Members of the press interested in speaking with Wolters Kluwer Law & Business securities and banking law experts should contact Leslie Bonacum at 847-267-7153, mediahelp@cch.com; or Brenda Au at 847-267-2046, brenda.au@wolterskluwer.com.

The legal community and others can visit the Financial Reform News Center at http://financialreform.wolterskluwerlb.com for a cohesive and robust selection of new developments and analysis. Additionally, Jim Hamilton’s World of Securities Regulation offers unique analysis on securities law and regulation.

About Wolters Kluwer Law & Business
Wolters Kluwer Law & Business is a leading provider of research products and software solutions in key specialty areas for legal and business professionals, as well as casebooks and study aids for law students. Its major product lines include Aspen Publishers, CCH, Kluwer Law International and Loislaw. Its markets include health care organizations, law firms, law schools, corporate counsel and professionals requiring legal and compliance information. Wolters Kluwer Law & Business, a unit of Wolters Kluwer, is based in New York City and Riverwoods, Ill. Wolters Kluwer is a market-leading global information services company.

Wolters Kluwer Law & Business Special CCH Briefing Details Key Provisions of Dodd-Frank Act As Senate Readies to Vote on Financial Reform

(RIVERWOODS, ILL., July 9, 2010) – Wolters Kluwer Law & Business has issued an in-depth CCH Briefing Special Report detailing key provisions of the House-passed Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. To read the Briefing, click here. Wolters Kluwer Law & Business is a leading provider of research information and software solutions in key specialty areas for legal and business professionals, with products under the CCH and Aspen names.

Last month, a House-Senate committee reconciled previous versions of financial reform and on June 30, 2010, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Dodd-Frank Act to restructure the financial services regulatory system. The Senate is expected to vote on the measure the week of July 12.

“Since the financial crisis began more than two years ago, there have been calls for reform from all corners,” said Wolters Kluwer Law & Business Principal Federal Securities Law Analyst Jim Hamilton, JD, LLM. “It appears that enactment of legislation representing the most significant overhaul of the federal financial regulatory system is imminent.”

The CCH Briefing Special Report reviews each key provision of the legislation including:

• Creation of an independent Consumer Financial Protection Bureau;
  
• New federal government power to wind down large, failing financial institutions;
  
• Establishment of a ten-member Financial Stability Oversight Council to oversee system risks;
  
• Strengthened regulation of financial holding companies;
  
• Abolishment of the Office of Thrift Supervision;
  
• The new Volcker Rule to limit the amount of money a bank can invest in hedge funds;
  
• Provisions to discourage financial institutions from excessive risk-taking;
  
• Ending of new lending under the Troubled Asset Relief Program;
  
• Allowance of one-time audits by the Government Accountability Office of the Fed’s emergency lending activities during a crisis;
  
• Establishment of the Federal Insurance Office to supervise most insurance products;
  
• New stricter oversight provisions of over-the-counter derivatives market;
  
• Additional new investor protections, including stricter oversight of credit rating agencies;
  
• New securitization reforms and expanded SEC enforcement powers; and
  
• Establishment of a federal standard for all home loans to ensure borrowers can repay their loans.

“Assuring consumers that their interests are protected has been a major emphasis among lawmakers,” said Wolters Kluwer Law & Business Financial Institutions Law Analyst John M. Pachkowski, JD. “Now, just like there are consumer protection organizations to protect consumers’ interests in other areas, the legislation calls for a Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection to regulate consumer financial products.”

For More Information
Members of the press interested in speaking with Wolters Kluwer securities and banking law experts should contact Leslie Bonacum at 847-267-7153, mediahelp@cch.com; or Brenda Au at 847-267-2046, brenda.au@wolterskluwer.com.

For a copy of the Briefing on the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, visit the Financial Reform News Center at http://financialreform.wolterskluwerlb.com. The Center provides the legal community and others with a cohesive and robust selection of new developments and analysis. Additionally, Jim Hamilton’s World of Securities Regulation offers unique analysis on securities law and regulation.

About Wolters Kluwer Law & Business
Wolters Kluwer Law & Business is a leading provider of research products and software solutions in key specialty areas for legal and business professionals, as well as casebooks and study aids for law students. Its major product lines include Aspen Publishers, CCH, Kluwer Law International and Loislaw. Its markets include health care organizations, law firms, law schools, corporate counsel and professionals requiring legal and compliance information. Wolters Kluwer Law & Business, a unit of Wolters Kluwer, is based in New York City and Riverwoods, Ill. Wolters Kluwer is a market-leading global information services company.

New Advancements to IntelliConnect Make Access to Premier Content, Tools Easier Than Ever

New, from Wolters Kluwer Law & Business
(RIVERWOODS, ILL., July 6, 2010) – IntelliConnect®, the award-winning, intuitive research system from Wolters Kluwer Law & Business has added many new features to deliver answers faster and more smoothly than ever. Wolters Kluwer Law & Business is a global leading provider of legal and business compliance information, software and services, with products under the names of Aspen, CCH, Kluwer Law International and Loislaw (wolterskluwerlb.com).

More than 160,000 people rely on IntelliConnect today as the gateway to Wolters Kluwer’s specialized content and time-saving tools. With the new advancements, users can now find and put information to work even more easily and quickly.

“Legal and compliance professionals need fast access to active intelligence. They want to be able to find and apply our premier information and trusted answers quickly and effectively – anytime, anywhere,” said Wolters Kluwer Law & Business President and CEO Stacey Caywood. “IntelliConnect is the single, powerful tool that delivers this.”

New Enhancements Deliver Big Benefits
“With these latest changes, we’ve concentrated on things that make a big difference in the user’s experience as they access all the great assets that Wolters Kluwer Law & Business has to offer,” said Product Development Director John DeFeo. “From logging in, to printing, to accessing related content, we’re delivering new ways of getting the job done with new levels of accuracy and speed.”

Customers who previewed the new changes found them intuitive and are pleased with the flexibility that enables them to get a rich set of results.

“The new IntelliConnect enhancements such as the Titles A-Z feature make it much easier for our users to find their favorite Wolters Kluwer publications and more quickly complete their research tasks,” said Susan Streiker, Head Librarian at Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP.

First up, users can get off to a faster start because of changes to the home page. The Browse tree now appears directly on the home page, so when users log into IntelliConnect, they’ll be able to directly access it. “Favorites” can be found at the top of the Browse tree, so they’re also always available upon login. “Download” provides links to training, tutorials, forms and more have been moved to the home page as well.

A publication list on the Browse tree provides an overview of all the publications each user subscribes to on IntelliConnect. This give s users another method to find the content they want. Researchers can use the publications list by clicking on one of the alphabet letters to use a Table of Content format, or by typing the publication they are looking for right into the search box.

Relate Provides Direct Links, Filters Open Automatically
Selected documents now contain Relate buttons so users can easily access the appropriate related content. For example, on a federal statute, there are Relate buttons for Committee Reports, Regulations, Explanations and Annotations. Users can now link directly to other documents just by clicking on one of the Relate buttons. This direct link saves time and takes researchers directly to the information they are looking for. Also, when a user performs a keyword search, IntelliConnect automatically opens the filter used in the last search, saving time.

Searching, Printing, Viewing
One of the most popular features of IntelliConnect is the ability to conduct multiple research sessions at the same time. Now, users can conduct up to eight sessions at the same time. Users can also now print selected text in a document by clicking on and highlighting the text, then clicking on the printer icon that appears on the screen. This is a great time-saving feature for when users want to quickly print just a portion of a document for review. The title of the document will also print with the selected text. By using the browser settings, the font size of IntelliConnect can be increased for easier viewing, or decreased, as well. The display of Tracker News has also been enhanced, with a more detailed description of each story and color-coding to enable quicker and easier viewing.

Connected to Customers
Wolters Kluwer Law & Business continues to invest in leading the way to meet the evolving needs of professionals. And the company’s commitment to seeking customer feedback and to ongoing development is valued by customers. One professional commenting on the changes called Wolters Kluwer “commendably responsive” to user feedback as it continues to advance the platform.

“We’re connected to our customers,” said Caywood. “Wolters Kluwer was first in the professional research market to deliver such an innovative platform driven by the way professionals work today, and we’ll continue to advance IntelliConnect based on our customers’ needs. And just as we’ll always find ways to add new value to our specialized content and productivity tools, we’ll continue this same commitment to finding new ways to enhance IntelliConnect as the gateway to these premier assets that only Wolters Kluwer Law & Business can deliver.”

View IntelliConnect Now
To learn more about the new advancements to IntelliConnect, view a product demonstration here.

For More Information
For more information on the award-winning IntelliConnect, please call a sales representative at 1-888-CCH-REPS (1-888-224-7377) or visit CCHGroup.com/IntelliConnect.

About Wolters Kluwer Law & Business
Wolters Kluwer Law & Business is a global leading provider of legal and business compliance information, software, and services in specialty areas for professionals, as well as casebooks and study aids for law students. Its major product lines include Aspen, CCH, Kluwer Law International and Loislaw. Its markets include law firms, law schools, corporate counsel and professionals requiring legal and compliance information. Wolters Kluwer Law & Business, a unit of Wolters Kluwer, is based in New York City and Riverwoods, Ill. Wolters Kluwer is a market-leading global information services company.
 
EDITOR’S NOTE: A special web site has been created for journalists who want more information about IntelliConnect at http://www.cch.com/intelliconnectpress/enhancements2010.asp.

Financial Reform: Wolters Kluwer Law & Business Outlines Key Provisions of House-Senate Conference Report, and What’s Next

(RIVERWOODS, ILL., June 28, 2010) – The House-Senate conference report issued Saturday moves sweeping overhaul of the regulation of U.S. financial services and markets one step closer to enactment. According to Wolters Kluwer Law & Business Principal Federal Securities Law Analyst Jim Hamilton, JD, LLM, the overhaul of the U.S. financial regulatory system is based on the themes of regulating systemic risk, enhancing transparency and disclosure, a shareholder advisory vote on executive compensation, expanding consumer and investor protection and preventing regulatory arbitrage. Wolters Kluwer Law & Business is a leading provider of research information and software solutions in key specialty areas for legal and business professionals, with products under the CCH and Aspen names.

Both houses of Congress now have to vote on the legislation, which is expected to occur this week. The President is expected to have the legislation to sign by the Independence Day holiday.

“Once the legislation is signed, that still really is just the beginning,” said Hamilton. “Many of the provisions require the adoption of new regulations to fill in the detail of the legislative framework and create a mosaic of complete financial regulatory reform.’’

Among the key provisions in the historic reform are:

Creation of Systemic Risk Regulator: The legislation would enact an early warning system by creating a regulator to police systemically important firms.

Establish new Financial Stability Oversight Council: This council, chaired by the Treasury Secretary and comprised of key regulators such as the Fed, SEC and CFTC, would monitor emerging risks to U.S. financial stability, recommend heightened prudential standards for large, interconnected financial companies and require nonbank financial companies to heightened supervision by the Federal Reserve if their failure would pose a risk to U.S. financial stability.

New Office of Financial Research: The legislation establishes an executive agency to collect and standardize data on financial firms and their activities to aid and support the work of the federal financial regulators with the data and analytic tools needed to prevent and contain future financial crises by developing tools for measuring and monitoring systemic risk.

Regulation of Derivatives: The legislation would mandate, for the first time, the federal regulation of derivatives under a dual SEC-CFTC regime that emphasize transparency. The CFTC would regulate swaps and the SEC would regulate security-based swaps. The Act requires central clearing and exchange trading for derivatives that can be cleared and provides a role for both regulators and clearing houses to determine which contracts should be cleared.

Added power for PCAOB: The Madoff fraud revealed that the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board lacked the powers it needed to examine the auditors of broker-dealers. Thus, the legislation brings broker-dealers under the PCAOB oversight regime.

Investment Protections for Consumers and Investors: This includes:

• Financial literacy: The legislation requires the SEC to conduct a financial literacy study and develop an investor financial literacy strategy intended to bring about positive behavioral change among investors.
• Creation of the Investor Advocate: The legislation strengthens the ability of the SEC to better represent the interests of retail investors by creating an Investor Advocate tasked with assisting retail investors to resolve significant problems with the SEC or the self-regulatory organizations.
• Greater disclosure to retail investors: The legislation requires disclosures to retail investors prior to the sale of financial products and services. This provision will ensure that investors have the relevant and useful information they need when making decisions that determine their future financial condition.
• More protection for underserved investors: The legislation intends to increase access to mainstream financial institutions for the unbanked and the underbanked.

Reform of Securitization: The legislation requires companies that sell products like mortgage-backed securities to retain a portion of the risk to ensure that they will not sell toxic securities to investors, because they have to keep some of it for themselves.
Resolution Authority: The legislation’s new orderly liquidation authority would allow the FDIC to safely unwind a failing nonbank financial firms or bank holding companies, an option that was not available during the financial crisis.

Corporate Governance: The legislation gives shareholders a say on pay and proxy access, ensures the independence of compensation committees, and requires companies to set clawback policies to take back executive compensation based on inaccurate financial statements as important steps in helping shift management’s focus from short-term profits to long-term growth and stability.

Hedging Rules: The SEC is directed to adopt rules requiring a company to disclose whether any employee or director is permitted to purchase financial instruments designed to hedge the market value of equity securities granted to the employee or director as part of their compensation.

Executive Compensation Disclosure: The SEC is required to amend Item 402 of Regulation S-K to mandate disclosure of the median of the annual total compensation of all employees, except the CEO; the annual total compensation of the CEO; and the ratio of the two.

Voting by Brokers: Exchange rules must prohibit members that are not beneficial owners of a security from granting a proxy to vote the security in connection with a shareholder vote for the election of directors or executive compensation.

Hedge Fund and Private Equity Fund Advisers: Hedge funds and private equity funds will have to register with the SEC and be subject to heightened disclosure.

Federal-State Regulation of Advisers: The legislation raises the asset threshold above which investment advisers must register with the SEC from the $25,000,000 set in 1996 by the National Securities Markets Improvement Act to $100,000,000.

Added Credit Rating Agencies Oversight: The SEC will have a new office of credit ratings to regulate and promote accuracy in ratings, staffed with experts in structured, corporate and municipal debt finance. The legislation imposes tough new requirements on credit rating agencies. Rating agency boards are subject to new independence rules and rating analysts must be separated from those who sell the firm’s services.

For More Information
Members of the press interested in speaking with Wolters Kluwer securities and banking law experts should contact Leslie Bonacum at 847-267-7153, mediahelp@cch.com.

For ongoing analysis of financial reform, visit Jim Hamilton’s blog called Jim Hamilton’s World of Securities Regulation, or visit the Financial Reform News Center at http://financialreform.wolterskluwerlb.com. The Center provides the legal community and others with a cohesive and robust selection of breaking news stories, analysis and links to the full text of source documents for regulatory actions and serves as a central entry point for professionals for banking and securities law resources related to financial reform.

About Wolters Kluwer Law and Business
Wolters Kluwer Law & Business is a leading provider of research products and software solutions in key specialty areas for legal and business professionals, as well as casebooks and study aids for law students. Its major product lines include Aspen Publishers, CCH, Kluwer Law International and Loislaw. Its markets include health care organizations, law firms, law schools, corporate counsel and professionals requiring legal and compliance information. Wolters Kluwer Law & Business, a unit of Wolters Kluwer, is based in New York City and Riverwoods, Ill. Wolters Kluwer is a market-leading global information services company.

Special CCH Briefing Details Key Provisions of Senate-Passed Financial Reform

(RIVERWOODS, ILL., May 21, 2010) – CCH has issued an extensive Special Briefing on the Senate-passed financial reform bill: Restoring American Financial Stability Act detailing the key provisions affecting securities and banking regulation. To read the Briefing, click here. CCH is part of Wolters Kluwer Law & Business, a leading provider of research information and software solutions in key specialty areas for legal and business professionals (business.cch.com).

Regarded as the most significant financial and securities reform since the 1930s, the Senate version must now be reconciled with the House’s Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2009, which passed in December. The Briefing examines each aspect of the legislation, touching on an array of issues ranging from over-the-counter derivatives to consumer protection, and compares the Senate and House provisions.

“This legislation marks a sweeping overhaul of the regulation of U.S. financial services and markets,” said CCH Principal Securities Analyst Jim Hamilton, JD. “It provides for the regulation of hedge funds and OTC derivatives, as well as a new resolution authority to unwind failing financial firms. The legislation contains significant corporate governance reforms, including a shareholder advisory vote on executive compensation. It is intended to end taxpayer bailouts of financial institutions and securities firms by creating a way to liquidate failed firms without taxpayer money and includes hundreds of other provisions that will change the regulatory landscape.”

Hamilton is a prolific blogger on current issues in the securities field. Jim Hamilton’s World of Securities Regulation can be found at http://jimhamiltonblog.blogspot.com/. He has written and spoken extensively on federal securities law and has been cited as an authority by a federal court.

For More Information
Members of the press interested in speaking with CCH securities and banking law experts should contact Leslie Bonacum at 1-847-267-7153, mediahelp@cch.com; or Neil Allen at 1-847-267-2179, neil.allen@wolterskluwer.com.

For a copy of the CCH Briefing on the Restoring American Financial Stability Act, visit the CCH Financial Reform News Center at financialcrisisupdate.com.

Also on this site, CCH also offers a wealth of other special resources related to financial reform. The Center provides the legal community and others with a cohesive and robust selection of breaking news stories, analysis and links to the full text of source documents for regulatory actions and serves as a central entry point for CCH banking and securities law resources related to financial reform.

About Wolters Kluwer Law and Business
Wolters Kluwer Law & Business is a leading provider of research products and software solutions in key specialty areas for legal and business professionals, as well as casebooks and study aids for law students. Its major product lines include Aspen Publishers, CCH, Kluwer Law International and Loislaw. Its markets include health care organizations, law firms, law schools, corporate counsel and professionals requiring legal and compliance information. Wolters Kluwer Law & Business, a unit of Wolters Kluwer, is based in New York City and Riverwoods, Ill. Wolters Kluwer is a market-leading global information services company

New Employment Law Daily From CCH Built to Meet Needs of Today’s Employment Law Attorneys

Important Labor and Employment Law Information Delivered Directly to Professionals’ Desktops, Mobile Devices

(RIVERWOODS, ILL., April 26, 2010) – Now there’s a daily labor and employment law update service from CCH built from the ground up to meet the needs of today’s professionals. Employment Law Daily offers daily e-mails, access to an online searchable database and the ability to sign up for breaking news alerts. CCH is part of Wolters Kluwer Law & Business, a leading provider of research information and software solutions in key specialty areas for legal, business compliance and human resources professionals.

Employment Law Daily covers the most current federal and state court decisions with links to full text from supreme courts, appellate courts and district courts. Subscribers can quickly access updates on pertinent federal and state law changes covering 52 jurisdictions, and with CCH’s expert editorial staff of attorneys, they can count on timeliness and accuracy.

At the end of each day, subscribers receive a daily wrap-up e-mail covering current court decisions, legislative developments, agency rulings (EEOC, NLRB, DOL, DHS, OFCCP) and more.

Built for Today’s Employment Law Professionals
“CCH built this service with input from top labor and employment law attorneys,” said CCH Product Manager Kristen Kaplan. “Timing is everything. These professionals want critical information filtered and reported to them the day it occurs and they want to be able to access it in an efficient manner from their mobile devices. We’re responding with Employment Law Daily and an ongoing commitment to partner with them to deliver a service that meets the needs of today’s employment law professionals.”

CCH’s Employment Law Daily is also priced to provide a unique combination of quality content and affordability that makes the service an outstanding value for legal and corporate employment law professionals.

Employment Law Daily responds to busy attorneys who need quick access to breaking cases and legislative developments by delivering the news on the day it happens, requiring fewer clicks to navigate and no need to log in to access links from mobile devices. It can be delivered via RSS feed for subscribers who prefer viewing content on an intranet or private web page.

Updates contain full summaries of federal and state supreme, appellate and district court decisions with links to full text. Each day’s wrap-up e-mail is all inclusive. There’s no need to log in to a web site for additional information. The only time a subscriber would need to log in would be to search for a story in Employment Law Daily’s archival database, with content dating back to June 2008. Subscribers who also purchase CCH’s Labor & Employment Law Library will have access to content dating back to 1937.

Employment Law Daily is formatted for easy viewing on BlackBerry® or iPhone® devices, making it logical for professionals to take it along wherever they go. They can access documents without logging in, see headlines and summaries with links to full text, all viewable in one concise e-mail from their mobile devices, with no logins required.

“Anyone in this field who uses an iPhone or BlackBerry owes it to themselves to see how much easier Employment Law Daily is to use compared to other daily labor and employment services,” Kaplan said.

For More Information
For more information, visit www.employmentlawdaily.com or contact a CCH sales representative at 1-888-224-7377.

About Wolters Kluwer Law & Business
Wolters Kluwer Law & Business is a leading provider of research products and software solutions in key specialty areas for legal and business professionals, as well as casebooks and study aids for law students. Its major product lines include Aspen Publishers, CCH, Kluwer Law International and Loislaw. Wolters Kluwer Law & Business, a unit of Wolters Kluwer, is based in New York City and Riverwoods, Ill. Wolters Kluwer is a market-leading global information services company. Wolters Kluwer has 2009 annual revenues of €3.4 billion, employs approximately 19,300 people worldwide, and maintains operations in over 40 countries across Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, and Latin America. Wolters Kluwer is headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands. Its shares are quoted on Euronext Amsterdam (WKL) and are included in the AEX and Euronext 100 indices.

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CCH Offers Complete Text, Explanation, Analysis of Health Care Reform Law

(RIVERWOODS, ILL., April 13, 2010) – Now there’s a single, comprehensive resource from CCH that explains and makes accessible the sweeping changes brought about by recently enacted health care reform legislation: CCH's Law, Explanation and Analysis of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Including Reconciliation Act Impact. The authoritative new resource provides employers, health, insurance and legal professionals with comprehensive explanation and analysis of every aspect of the Act and its accompanying Health Care Reconciliation Act. CCH is part of Wolters Kluwer Law & Business, a leading provider of information and software solutions for legal, business compliance and human resources professionals (hr.cch.com; health.cch.com).

“Significant portions of this legislation are going into effect as early as this year, and changes will imminently impact thousands of employers, insurance industry professionals and health care providers,” said Janeen Kopale, Director, Corporate Compliance Market. “We’ve committed our editorial resources to making sure that professionals have all the resources they need to understand, interpret and make optimal decisions about every provision.”

The two-volume book includes CCH explanations of all provisions, from insurance market reforms to Medicare and Medicaid program changes, including the revenue provisions that impose new taxes and fees to fund and guide reform.

The legislation covers a wide range of topics of interest to employers and the insurance industry, including enhanced employer responsibility, health insurance exchanges and an individual responsibility mandate. Health providers and beneficiaries will be affected by expanded eligibility rules for Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program, reimbursement changes for physicians and hospitals to focus on primary and preventive care, provisions to increase coverage in rural areas and expansion of existing value-based purchasing and quality programs for Part A providers.

In all, CCH’s expert analysts crafted nearly 500 explanations detailing the impact of the legislation. To unravel the complexity of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by its Manager’s Amendment (Title X) and further by the Reconciliation Act, the book also includes an editorially enhanced version of the new law with all amending language integrated in place in the law text. This integrated version of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act provides readers immediate access to the final, fully amended impact of each provision of the new law.

Text, Reports and Tables
In addition, CCH’s coverage includes the full text of Executive Order 13535 and congressional committee reports that provide significant background information on the law, as well as numerous finding devices to help navigate between analysis and the official text documents.

A number of tables provide at-a-glace information that speeds research. Three tables of effective dates are keyed to sections of the Social Security Act, ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code. Other tables correlate sections of the Social Security Act, ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code to CCH explanations, listing the sections of each which have been added, amended or repealed, and listing the Act sections amending each one.

Access to Website
Customers who purchase CCH's Law, Explanation and Analysis of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Including Reconciliation Act Impact also receive Internet access to the Social Security Act, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, and Internal Revenue Code provisions, as amended by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care Reconciliation Act Any changed, added, or deleted text of these laws will be available on the website, including Amendment Notes detailing the changes. Website access details will be provided in the front inside cover of the book. Purchasers should visit the website to view the amended law and other valuable health reform resources and information.

“This comprehensive coverage and correlation represents an enormous amount of work by the CCH analysts, and the result will be that professionals will save countless hours as they work to understand and interpret this massive reform law in the years ahead,” Kopale said.

For More Information
For more information, including the table of contents of the 2-volume, approximately 2,000-page CCH's Law, Explanation and Analysis of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Including Reconciliation Act Impact, click here , visit onlinestore.cch.com/?BU=hme or call 1-800-248-3248. Single copy price is $149; quantity discounts are available.

About Wolters Kluwer Law & Business
Wolters Kluwer Law & Business is a leading provider of information and software solutions in key specialty areas for legal and business professionals, as well as casebooks and study aids for law students. Its major product lines include Aspen Publishers, CCH, Kluwer Law International and Loislaw. Its markets include law firms, law schools, corporate counsel and professionals requiring legal and compliance information. Wolters Kluwer Law & Business, a unit of Wolters Kluwer, is based in New York City and Riverwoods, Ill. Wolters Kluwer is a market-leading global information services company.

Editor’s Note: For a complimentary copy of CCH's Law, Explanation and Analysis of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Including Reconciliation Act Impact members of the news media should contact Leslie Bonacum (847-267-7153 or mediahelp@cch.com).

To view the cover of the book, click here.

CCH analysts are available to discuss the tax, employee benefits and Medicare/Medicaid aspects of health care reform. Please contact: Leslie Bonacum (847-267-7153 or mediahelp@cch.com) or Neil Allen (847-267-2179 or neil.allen@wolterskluwer.com ).

CCH also offers timely and expert discussion of health reform, at Health Reform Talk, a blog to help professionals decipher the many codes and puzzles of health care reform. The blog, at http://healthcare-legislation.blogspot.com/, covers a wide range of health reform issues and draws on the expertise of Wolters Kluwer Law & Business analysts.

Wolters Kluwer Law & Business also publishes Health Care Reform Update NetNews, a free weekly newsletter delivered via e-mail. Click here to view an issue of the Health Care Reform Update NetNews.

ftwilliam.com’s EFAST 2 Form 5500 Software Used For Over 2,750 filings

(RIVERWOODS, ILL., April 15, 2010) – ftwilliam.com, a leading employee benefits software provider, announced today that its software has been used to transmit over 2,750 successful 5500 filings. The company released its EFAST 2 Approved Form 5500 Software at the end of January 2010. ftwilliam.com is part of Wolters Kluwer Law & Business, a leading provider of information and software solutions for pension, benefits, and tax law information and software for professionals (hr.cch.com).

"The adoption of the new EFAST 2 Approved Form 5500 Software has been very fast, and the electronic filing process has gone quite smoothly,” said Joe Bremer, ftwilliam.com Director of Technical Services.

One hurdle that other filers have faced is that signer names must be identical to the name entered when registering with the Department of Labor (DOL). An extra space entered by a user at the DOL site can result in a filing being rejected. All signers must register with the DOL for signing credentials (no other credentialing is required for ftwilliam.com users).

"This is not an issue for our customers, however. The vast majority of filings for ftwilliam.com customers are accepted immediately,” Bremer said.

All filings are transmitted via the company’s web portal. The portal enables form signers to view draft 5500 filings, upload attachments, edit the filing and sign and submit filings directly to the DOL. In addition, ftwilliam.com has added a workflow management feature to assist its customers in keeping track of filing status. Other improvements include streamlined data entry, easier edit checking and improved navigation.

Any new ftwilliam.com customer can convert to ftwilliam.com by using the 55Autofill feature (patent pending). 55Autofill automatically imports the prior year’s Form 5500 filing from the DOL database into the current year’s forms. This can also be done in batch mode by providing ftwilliam.com a spreadsheet of client EINs. The EFAST 2 software is available on ftwilliam.com’s state-of-the-art web servers so there is no software or updates to install. Multiple concurrent users are allowed free of charge.

About ftwilliam.com and Wolters Kluwer Law & Business
ftwilliam.com is a leading provider of the highest quality plan documents (retirement, welfare and non-qualified), government forms (5500/PBGC, 1099 and IRS) and now administrative/compliance software. ftwilliam.com's software is web-based and can be accessed by any user with a computer connected to the internet. All plan documents and forms are delivered instantly to the desktop in word processing or Adobe PDF format.

ftwilliam.com is part of Wolters Kluwer Law & Business, and is part of the company’s pension and benefits portfolio. Wolters Kluwer Law & Business is a leading provider of information and software solutions in key specialty areas for legal and business professionals, as well as casebooks and study aids for law students. Its major product lines include Aspen Publishers, CCH, Kluwer Law International and Loislaw.

CCH Briefing Highlights Employer, Medicare Provisions of Health Care Reform Proposals

(RIVERWOODS, ILL., March 22, 2010) – CCH has issued a Special Briefing (health.cch.com/pdf/congress-passes-health-reform.pdf) on the various employer and Medicare-related provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the companion Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act in the House. Significant changes to the way employers provide health benefits to their employees – or choose not to provide them – will be in the offing . The legislation also makes major changes to Medicare and Medicaid, according to CCH, part of Wolters Kluwer Law & Business, a leading provider of research information and software solutions for legal, business compliance and human resources professionals (hr.cch.com). The stage is now set for Senate concurrence of budgetary changes in the law through a simple majority vote and signing by the president to wind up the long legislative path to health care reform.

The legislation includes a requirement that individuals be covered, and employers would be required to offer coverage that meets certain minimum standards or else contribute a dollar amount per employee – a “play or pay” approach. Credits will ease the financial burden on low-income individuals and small businesses.

Employers will also see measures aimed at making high-value medical plans more expensive through a tax on insurers, limitations on health savings accounts, reimbursement of health expenses under flexible spending arrangements and health reimbursement accounts.

“The legislation will affect every business in the country, whether it’s currently providing coverage to its employees or not – and especially if it’s not,” said Stephen Huth, Managing Editor, Wolters Kluwer Law & Business. Huth is a regular contributor to the blog, Health Reform Talk. He tracks the employer-provided health coverage business on a daily basis and regularly answers questions on health benefits issues.

Medicare, Medicaid Affected
While the public debate on health care reform often has centered on the existing private health insurance market, much of the legislation is devoted to changes in Medicare and Medicaid.

“Medicare and Medicaid is seen as an area where savings can be – must be – made,” said Jay Nawrocki, Senior Medicare Analyst with Wolters Kluwer Law & Business. “The aim is to control costs of the programs themselves but also introduce efficient medical practices that will become the norm and will lower costs of the entire health care system.”

Changes include reducing payments to Medicare Advantage providers, eliminating the “donut hole” in Part D drug coverage, incentives and procedures to reduce readmissions to hospitals and changes in reimbursement formulas to encourage greater use of primary care physicians, less use of specialists.

“It’s likely that that even more changes for Medicare and Medicaid will be forthcoming once the legislation is adopted, because it gives the Secretary of Health Human Services broad authority to test new payment systems,” Nawrocki observed.

For More Information
CCH analysts are available to discuss the tax, employee benefits and Medicare/Medicaid aspects of health care reform. Please contact: Neil Allen (847-267-2179 or neil.allen@wolterskluwer.com ) or Brenda Au (847-267-2046 or brenda.au@wolterskluwer.com ).

CCH’s comprehensive book, Law, Explanation and Analysis of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will go to press immediately following the final passage of the bill. Single-copy price is $149. For more information or to order, click here or call 1-800-248-3248.

For additional timely and expert discussion of health reform, visit Health Reform Talk, a blog to help professionals decipher the many codes and puzzles of health care reform. The blog, at http://healthcare-legislation.blogspot.com/, covers a wide range of health reform issues and draws on the expertise of Wolters Kluwer Law & Business analysts.

Wolters Kluwer Law & Business also publishes Health Care Reform Update NetNews , a free weekly newsletter delivered via e-mail. Click here to view an issue of the Health Care Reform Update NetNews.

About Wolters Kluwer Law & Business
Wolters Kluwer Law & Business is a leading provider of research products and software solutions in key specialty areas for legal and business professionals, as well as casebooks and study aids for law students. Its major product lines include Aspen Publishers, CCH, Kluwer Law International and Loislaw. Its markets include law firms, law schools, corporate counsel and professionals requiring legal and compliance information. Wolters Kluwer Law & Business, a unit of Wolters Kluwer, is based in New York City and Riverwoods, Ill.

Wolters Kluwer is a market-leading global information services company. Professionals in the areas of legal, business, tax, accounting, finance, audit, risk, compliance, and healthcare rely on Wolters Kluwer's leading, information-enabled tools and solutions to manage their business efficiently, deliver results to their clients, and succeed in an ever more dynamic world. Wolters Kluwer has 2009 annual revenues of €3.4 billion, employs approximately 19,300 people worldwide, and maintains operations in over 40 countries across Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, and Latin America. Wolters Kluwer is headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands. Its shares are quoted on Euronext Amsterdam (WKL) and are included in the AEX and Euronext 100 indices.

CCH Briefing Examines Jobs Bill Impact on Foreign Financial Institutions

(RIVERWOODS, ILL., March 17, 2010) – A new Briefing from CCH details the provisions of the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (HIRE) Act that affect foreign financial institutions. The Act passed the House on March 4, 2010 by a vote of 217 to 201. The Senate passed the measure on March 17 by a vote of 68 to 29. It now goes to President Obama for his expected signature. CCH is part of Wolters Kluwer Law & Business, a leading provider of research information and software solutions in key specialty areas for legal and business professionals (business.cch.com).

To read the Briefing: Jobs Bill Places Offshore Financial Firms under Reporting and Tax Regime,click here, or visit http://business.cch.com/briefings/jobsbill.pdf.

The HIRE Act offsets the cost of its job-creation provisions by casting a wide net in search of U.S. accounts at foreign financial institutions.

“The legislation would create a broad new reporting and taxing regime for foreign financial institutions with U.S. accountholders ,” said Briefing author and CCH Principal Securities Law Analyst Jim Hamilton, JD, LLM .

The Act will essentially present foreign financial firms with the choice of entering into agreements with the IRS to provide information about their U.S. accountholders or becoming subject to 30-percent withholding tax.

The Briefing notes that the reach of the legislation goes beyond traditional financial institutions and covers virtually every type of foreign investment entity, including hedge funds, private equity funds and typical offshore securitization vehicles that hold U.S. assets and issue their own equity and debt securities, such as collateralized debt obligation issuers.

“Securities industry representatives have voiced concerns that the HIRE Act will necessitate costly reporting systems that will be extremely difficult to implement,” Hamilton notes. “In addition, reporting systems may run afoul of foreign data-protection and privacy laws.’’

For More Information
Members of the press interested in speaking with CCH securities and banking law experts should contact: Leslie Bonacum at 1-847-267-7153, mediahelp@cch.com; or Neil Allen at 1-847-267-2179, neil.allen@wolterskluwer.com.

For a copy of the Briefing: Jobs Bill Places Offshore Financial Firms under Reporting and Tax Regime, click here, or visit http://business.cch.com/briefings/jobsbill.pdf .

CCH Financial Crisis News Center
CCH also offers a wealth of special resources related to the financial crisis at the CCH Financial Crisis News Center, financialcrisisupdate.com. The Center provides the legal community and others with a cohesive and robust selection of breaking news stories, analysis and links to the full text of source documents for regulatory actions and serves as a central entry point for CCH banking and securities law resources related to the crisis. Analysis by Hamilton can be found there, as well as on his blog at http://jimhamiltonblog.blogspot.com/.

About Wolters Kluwer Law & Business
Wolters Kluwer Law & Business is a leading provider of research products and software solutions in key specialty areas for legal and business professionals, as well as casebooks and study aids for law students. Its major product lines include Aspen Publishers, CCH, Kluwer Law International and Loislaw. Its markets include health care organizations, law firms, law schools, corporate counsel and professionals requiring legal and compliance information. Wolters Kluwer Law & Business, a unit of Wolters Kluwer, is based in New York City and Riverwoods, Ill.

Wolters Kluwer is a market-leading global information services company. Professionals in the areas of legal, business, tax, accounting, finance, audit, risk, compliance, and healthcare rely on Wolters Kluwer’s leading, information-enabled tools and solutions to manage their business efficiently, deliver results to their clients, and succeed in an ever more dynamic world. Wolters Kluwer has 2009 annual revenues of €3.4 billion ($4.8 billion/£3.0 billion), employs approximately 19,300 people worldwide, and maintains operations in over 40 countries across Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, and Latin America. Wolters Kluwer is headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands. Its shares are quoted on Euronext Amsterdam (WKL) and are included in the AEX and Euronext 100 indices.

MediRegs Gains AHA RACTrac Approval, Adds One Click RACTrac Submission

(RIVERWOODS, ILL., March 17, 2010) – MediRegs ComplyTrack® Audit Detail Manager (ADM) has been approved by the American Hospital Association (AHA) as a RACTrac compatible product. This means that ADM users can submit data to the AHA's RACTrac web-based data collection system, all via a single click. RACTrac allows the AHA to collect and report the impact of Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC) activity on hospitals across the country. MediRegs is part of Wolters Kluwer Law & Business (www.MediRegs.com).

“We are pleased that ADM has passed the approval process for AHA’s RACTrac compatibility,” said Steve Lefar, General Manager of MediRegs. “Our team took it to another level with a ‘one click to submit’ solution that executed in a demonstration with no human intervention. ADM is now being used in nearly 400 hospitals for audits including RAC, MIC, MAC, ZPIC and internal programs.”

Audit Detail Manager provides the health care community with the tools needed to manage the RAC, MICs and other audit bodies efficiently and effectively. This module in the MediRegs ComplyTrack Suite is specifically designed to handle the high-volume, time-sensitive, complex workflow needed to satisfy RAC and other record requests, process determination letters and navigate the multi-tiered rebuttal and appeal process.

About ComplyTrack Suite
The ComplyTrack Suite, which is now in use at nearly 1,000 U.S. hospitals, has earned the confidence of hundreds of thousands of users. The Suite is an Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) solution that delivers a comprehensive, cost-effective and practical set of compliance and risk management solutions for the health care industry.

The Suite’s powerful and targeted capabilities offer quick, tangible ROIs for an organization’s ERM programs, including: 

• Increased ERM effectiveness at lower cost
• Integrated end-to-end management, with consolidated subscription fees;
• Fast implementation;
• Greater focus and efficiency for a team’s daily activities;
• Effective reporting capabilities, including greater ability to demonstrate a program’s success to management and Board; and
• Optimization of existing ERM systems through convenient interfaces and data integration.

The ComplyTrack Suite consists of the following modules:

• Audit Detail Manager™: Designed to handle the high-volume, time-sensitive, complex workflow needed to satisfy RAC record requests, process determination letters and navigate the multi-tiered rebuttal and appeal process;
• Risk Assessment Manager™: Identifies risk, proposes remedial action and creates surveys;
• Survey Manager™: Provides the essential survey tools needed to document evidence of compliance as part of the risk assessment process;
• Activity and Event Manager™: Centrally manages and stores all communications, investigations, audits and interactions;
• Contract and Relationship Manager™: Consolidates all contractor and contract-related data, including compensation and compliance information; and
• Document and Policy Manager™: A powerful new ComplyTrack module for coordinating the creation, management and distribution of corporate and departmental documents.
  

About the AHA RACTrac Program
Hospitals participating in the AHA RACTrac program will provide data from their RAC audits to AHA on a quarterly basis. AHA will use the data to identify regional and national trends in claims denials and appeals. This information will also be used to educate health care providers, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and Congress on the true impact of RAC audits on the health care industry and changes needed to the RAC program. The “RACTrac Compatible” designation certifies that hospitals using the ComplyTrack Audit Detail Manager can automate the process of providing their quarterly data extracts to AHA.

About Wolters Kluwer Law & Business
Wolters Kluwer Law & Business is a leading provider of research products and software solutions in key specialty areas for legal and business professionals, as well as casebooks and study aids for law students. Its major product lines include Aspen Publishers, CCH, Kluwer Law International and Loislaw. Its markets include law firms, law schools, corporate counsel and professionals requiring legal and compliance information. Wolters Kluwer Law & Business, a unit of Wolters Kluwer, is based in New York City and Riverwoods, Ill.

Wolters Kluwer is a market-leading global information services company. Professionals in the areas of legal, business, tax, accounting, finance, audit, risk, compliance, and healthcare rely on Wolters Kluwer's leading, information-enabled tools and solutions to manage their business efficiently, deliver results to their clients, and succeed in an ever more dynamic world. Wolters Kluwer has 2009 annual revenues of €3.4 billion, employs approximately 19,300 people worldwide, and maintains operations in over 40 countries across Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, and Latin America. Wolters Kluwer is headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands. Its shares are quoted on Euronext Amsterdam (WKL) and are included in the AEX and Euronext 100 indices.

Acquisition Strengthens Leadership in Retirement Plan Administration Market 

(RIVERWOODS, ILL., March 15, 2010) – Wolters Kluwer Law & Business announced today that it has acquired ftwilliam.com, a software as a service (SaaS) company providing third-party administrators (TPAs) and other retirement plan professionals integrated workflow solutions to automate administrative functions as well as securely comply with 5500 filing requirements. It will become part of the pension and benefits portfolio within the Business Compliance Group in Wolters Kluwer Law & Business. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Wolters Kluwer Law & Business, with its CCH and Aspen Publishers brands, is a leading provider of pension, benefits and tax law information and services to professionals.

“Wolters Kluwer Law & Business holds a market-leading position in pension and benefits content and services. This acquisition provides us with a best-of-breed SaaS workflow tool to further build out our portfolio, strengthen our market position and deliver even more innovative solutions to third-party administrators and other retirement plan professionals,” said Wolters Kluwer Law & Business Vice President of Business Compliance, Paul Gibson.

With the acquisition of ftwilliam.com, Wolters Kluwer Law & Business is further expanding its suite of innovative workflow solutions for pension planning professionals. These resources include Technical Answer Group (TAG), a technical support service providing answers to pension-related questions for TPAs and other retirement plan professionals, and the Pension and Benefits eLibrary, offering a breadth and depth of expert hands-on knowledge to help customers create and manage pension and benefit plans. Some of this content already is available to ftwilliam.com customers as part of a pre-existing relationship with Wolters Kluwer Law & Business to provide pension plan content to ftwilliam.com customers.

“We’re pleased to join Wolters Kluwer Law & Business,” said Timothy M. McCutcheon, APM, ftwilliam.com President. “The combination of ftwilliam.com and Wolters Kluwer Law & Business is poised to deliver a unique set of content, service and web-based workflow solutions to ensure pension and benefits professionals have access to the integrated solutions they need to efficiently fulfill their responsibilities. In addition, Wolters Kluwer Law & Business shares our same passion for quality and outstanding customer service.”

Founded in 2005, ftwilliam.com, legal name Fort William LLC, has over 2,000 customers nationwide. It is based in Milwaukee, Wis. and has 11 employees, all of whom will join Wolters Kluwer Law & Business. The organization’s web-based integrated workflow solutions focus on simplifying and improving the consistency and accuracy of key areas of a pension professional’s compliance workflow, including pension plan document creation and management; annual compliance filings; and plan administration. It was the first vendor to be approved by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Form 5500 EFAST2 electronic filing, providing a strong market advantage by making it easier for customers focused specifically in the pension area to comply with IRS plan reporting requirements.

About Wolters Kluwer Law & Business
Wolters Kluwer Law & Business is a leading provider of research products and software solutions in key specialty areas for legal and business professionals, as well as casebooks and study aids for law students. Its major product lines include Aspen Publishers, CCH, Kluwer Law International and Loislaw. Its markets include health care organizations, law firms, law schools, corporate counsel and professionals requiring legal and compliance information. Wolters Kluwer Law & Business, a unit of Wolters Kluwer, is based in New York City and Riverwoods, Ill. 
Wolters Kluwer is a market-leading global information services company. Professionals in the areas of legal, business, tax, accounting, finance, audit, risk, compliance, and healthcare rely on Wolters Kluwer's leading, information-enabled tools and solutions to manage their business efficiently, deliver results to their clients, and succeed in an ever more dynamic world. Wolters Kluwer has 2009 annual revenues of €3.4 billion, employs approximately 19,300 people worldwide, and maintains operations in over 40 countries across Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, and Latin America. Wolters Kluwer is headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands. Its shares are quoted on Euronext Amsterdam (WKL) and are included in the AEX and Euronext 100 indices.

CYBERSECURITY POLICY REPORT FROM ASPEN PUBLISHERS TO KEEP INDUSTRY POSTED ON EMERGING REQUIREMENTS

(RIVERWOODS, ILL., March 8, 2010) – Now there’s a weekly e-newsletter from Telecommunications Reports International, Inc. (TRI) and Aspen Publishers for owners and operators of commercial and enterprise networks and their legal advisors that provides vital intelligence on cybersecurity regulation and legislation that impacts how operators protect their networks.

Cybersecurity Policy Report provides in-depth news and analysis of regulations and legislation detailing how commercial and enterprise networks – and any personal information that they contain – must be protected. TRI and Aspen Publishers are part of Wolters Kluwer Law & Business (www.aspenpublishers.com).

“The policy cyberstorm is rapidly gathering in Washington,” said John Curran, co-editor with Brian Hammond and Tom Leithauser of Cybersecurity Policy Report. “Right now, network operators and owners may still be able to get by on their own in implementing defenses to cyberattack using voluntary best practices, but we feel that era may be coming to an end soon. With new and more sophisticated cyberattacks coming to light on almost a daily basis, and with leadership in Congress and the White House increasingly worried that the U.S. is unprepared for a significant cyberattack that they fear may be coming, we feel it is inevitable that the government will soon begin to mandate increasingly complex layers of cyberdefense regulations on companies that own and operate networks of nearly any size.”

In addition to offering Cybersecurity Policy Report, the editors also talk briefly about day-to-day cybersecurity issues at an accompanying new web blog at www.trcybersecurity.blogspot.com, where they invite interested parties to join the conversation.

“The policies under consideration are potentially sweeping, covering a wide range of parties that operate networks or hold personal data that could potentially be subject to cyberattack,” said Cybersecurity Policy Report Product Manager Chris Carr.

Cybersecurity Policy Report gathers in one place coverage of the network security policy steps from the myriad different sources and ensure that readers are fully informed.

“Our role is to provide detailed, unbiased reporting on legislation, regulation and policy rulings that goes deeper than the surface-level and often hysterical reporting found elsewhere,” Carr said.

“Early Warning” of Policy Developments

Subscribers to Cybersecurity Policy Report will have “early warning” coverage of policy developments, such as regulations as they are being proposed and legislation as it is being drafted, to give them time to try to shape the debate and to prepare compliance strategies for any new policies. It is designed to give them the heads-up they need to build in mandated capabilities to their systems rather than having to retrofit them later to meet the standards.

Cybersecurity Policy Report provides coverage on a wide range of developments, including:

The Cybersecurity Act introduced by Senators Jay Rockefeller and Olympia Snowe, which would mandate the development of a national cybersecurity strategy, create cybersecurity standards and enable the president to slow Internet traffic to federal or privately operated networks that are found to have been compromised;

• Cybersecurity legislation expected to be introduced by Senators Joe Lieberman and Susan Collins;
• The Department of Homeland Security’s efforts to protect critical infrastructure, in particular public-private partnerships to promote information sharing and to develop network security plans; and
• Cybersecurity-related initiatives that have been launched at the Federal Communications Commission since the change in administration, including considering cybersecurity issues within the context of the FCC’s upcoming National Broadband Plan.

Cybersecurity Policy Report is produced by the editors of TRI, which has been the authoritative source for federal and state telecommunications and information technology regulatory and legislative news and analysis since its founding 76 years ago when Congress created the FCC. The product’s three principal editors – Tom Leithauser, Brian Hammond and John Curran – bring more than 50 years of Washington journalism experience between them to TRI’s newest publication.

“Whether the action is taking place in Congress, federal agencies, or state legislatures
or international organizations, Cybersecurity Policy Report provides the coverage professionals need to keep up to date and ahead of the game in this challenging area,” Carr said.

For More Information

For more information or to subscribe to the Cybersecurity Policy Report weekly online newsletter, call 1-800-638-8437 or visit www.aspenpublishers.com. Price of a one-year subscription is $795. The Cybersecurity Policy Report blog can be accessed at www.trcybersecurity.blogspot.com.

About Wolters Kluwer Law & Business

Wolters Kluwer Law & Business is a leading provider of research products and software solutions in key specialty areas for legal and business professionals, as well as casebooks and study aids for law students. Its major product lines include Aspen Publishers, CCH, Kluwer Law International and Loislaw. Its markets include law firms, law schools, corporate counsel and professionals requiring legal and compliance information. Wolters Kluwer Law & Business, a unit of Wolters Kluwer, is based in New York City and Riverwoods, Ill.

Wolters Kluwer is a leading global information services and publishing company. The
company provides products and services for professionals in the health, tax, accounting, corporate, financial services, legal, and regulatory sectors. Wolters Kluwer had 2009 annual revenues of €3.4 billion, employs approximately 19,300 people worldwide, and maintains operations in over 40 countries across Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, and Latin America. Wolters Kluwer is headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands. Its shares are quoted on Euronext Amsterdam (WKL) and are included in the AEX and Euronext 100 indices. Visit http://www.wolterskluwer.com for information about our market positions, customers, brands, and organization.

(RIVERWOODS, ILL., January 11, 2010) – Challenges were abundant for both employees and employers in 2009; however, some issues will have a long-term impact on the workplace, according to CCH, a leading provider of tax, benefits and payroll law information and software and a part of Wolters Kluwer Law & Business (hr.cch.com).

Following, CCH employment law, human resources and workplace analysts identify 10 of the most significant developments in labor and employment over the past year and their implications for this year and beyond, as detailed in the CCH WorkDay blog.

1. Health care reform will require fast action
After the Senate’s Christmas-eve passage, the House and Senate versions of health care reform still need to be ironed out in a debate that seems likely to last well into early 2010. If health care reform is signed into law, employers would need to respond quickly. Some areas employers should watch include the potential need to:

• Eliminate cost-sharing requirements for a variety of preventive measures;
• Cover dependents until a later age;
• Modify all preexisting condition limits; and
• Revamp health summary plan descriptions to meet new requirements.

2. H1N1 drives reexamination of employment policies
The H1N1 flu virus emerged in March 2009, became a global pandemic by June and a national emergency by October. With the H1N1 threat, came a flurry of guidance on what employers should do about it.

“Employer preparedness implicates a whole host of practical and legal considerations including absenteeism, presenteeism, paid sick leave, vaccination programs, employee cross-training, telecommuting, travel, disability and employee communications,” said CCH HR Analyst Joyce Gentry. “The wrong reaction could create liability for an employer under the various employment laws.”

3. Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act signed into law
The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act was signed into law January 2009. It amends four anti-discrimination laws (Title VII, the ADEA, the ADA and the Rehabilitation Act) to restart the statute of limitations for filing a charge of discrimination each time a discriminatory paycheck is issued, not just when an employer makes an adverse pay-setting decision.

“As a result of the law, employers must review their HR, benefits and compensation practices to ensure that they are consistently applied to reduce the risk of any potential employer liability resulting from this law,” said CCH Employment Law Analyst Brett Gorovsky, JD.

4. Enforcement of labor and employment laws ramped up
The election of President Barack Obama promised a renewed focus on labor and employment law legislation. However, with Congress focused on health care reform, the Obama Administration has increased its enforcement of existing labor and employment laws. This has included stepped-up enforcement in the areas of minimum wage, overtime and prevailing wage violations, federal contractor compliance, Form I-9 compliance and employee misclassification.

5. OSHA assesses largest fine in its history
Vowing to aggressively enforce safety and health standards to protect America’s workers, the Obama Administration marked 2009 with high penalties for safety violations. This included a record-setting $87.4 million fine issued to BP Products North America, Inc, for its alleged failure to correct potential hazards after an explosion killed and injured many employees at one of its refineries. The fine, which is the largest in OSHA’s history, is being contested by BP. High fines were also proposed against several other companies.

“These high fines are OSHA’s way of sending a strong ‘zero tolerance’ message that worker safety cannot be compromised and that employers should look elsewhere to reduce their expenses,” according to CCH OSHA Analyst Laurel Gershon.

6. Title VII: Ricci underscores tension between disparate treatment and disparate impact
The U.S. Supreme Court adopted a new Title VII standard in its 5-4 Ricci v. DeStefano decision. The Court held that before an employer can engage in intentional discrimination for the asserted purpose of avoiding or remedying an unintentional disparate impact, it must have a “strong basis in evidence” to believe it will be subject to disparate-impact liability if it fails to take the race-conscious, discriminatory action. The city of New Haven, Conn., was found to have failed to make this showing and, thus, should not have tossed the results of its firefighter exams solely because it feared litigation from black or Hispanic applicants who were disparately impacted by the exam.

“The decision underscores a tension between Title VII’s disparate treatment and disparate impact provisions that has created a real conundrum for employers,” said CCH Employment Law Analyst Pamela Wolf, JD.

7. Title VII: Supreme Court raises the bar for plaintiffs in Gross and Iqbal
In June 2009, the U.S. Supreme Court in Gross v. FBL Servs , Inc. ruled that the Title VII mixed-motive framework does not apply in Age Discrimination in Employment Act cases, leaving age bias plaintiffs to prove age was the “but-for” cause of the adverse action taken against them. In Ashcroft v. Iqbal, a non-employment case issued a month earlier, the U.S. Supreme Courtimposed heightened pleading standards for plaintiffs of every stripe when it concluded that plaintiffs cannot survive a motion to dismiss by relying on “mere conclusory statements,” but must instead set forth facts that establish “a plausible claim for relief.”

Much like what happened after the U.S. Supreme Court decided Ledbetter, Congress took notice and corrective legislation is already in the works with bills to overturn both decisions pending in Congress.

8. Controversial no-match rules rescinded while E-verify extended
In a major reversal of Bush Administration immigration policy, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) rescinded its controversial 2007 no-match rule. At the same time, DHS announced the Obama Administration’s full support for E-verify by increasing the reach of the program to require certain federal contractors and subcontractors, including those who receive Recovery Act funds, use the program to verify the employment eligibility of their new hires and existing employees.

“The E-verify program, which has critics as far-ranging as business groups and immigrant advocacy groups, has been extended for three more years, and DHS has been given $137 million for fiscal 2010 to further improve its accuracy and compliance rates,” said Gorovsky.

9. Validity of two-member NLRB rulings to be heard by U.S. Supreme Court
With the precedential value of nearly 500 National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) decisions at stake, the U.S. Supreme Court granted cert in November 2009 in New Process Steel v. NLRB (Dkt No 08-1457) to consider whether a two-member panel of the NLRB has the authority to hear cases and issue orders regarding unfair labor practice charges. The NLRB has been operating with only two members for nearly two years. Rather than cease functioning, these two board members have continued to issue decisions in matters on which they can agree.

The Board has been acting on the advice of the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel, which concluded “if the Board delegated all of its powers to a group of three members, that group could continue to issue decisions and orders as long as a quorum of two members remained.” The Board made such a delegation in December 2007 and, since that time, Liebman and Schaumber, acting as a quorum, have issued nearly 500 decisions. Meanwhile, three NLRB nominees are awaiting confirmation by the full Senate.

10. Economy free fall, mass layoffs fuel need for compliance guidance
The economy and unemployment were big news in 2009. Employers faced painful choices in 2009, forced to cut hours and workers – and they stared down the risk of lawsuits as a result. Among fears were complying with the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act and other statutory obligations, on which CCH offered guidance.

About Wolters Kluwer Law & Business

Wolters Kluwer Law & Business is a leading provider of research products and software solutions in key specialty areas for legal and business professionals, as well as casebooks and study aids for law students. Its major product lines include Aspen Publishers, CCH, Kluwer Law International and Loislaw. Its markets include health care organizations, law firms, law schools, corporate counsel and professionals requiring legal and compliance information. Wolters Kluwer Law & Business, a unit of Wolters Kluwer, is based in New York City and Riverwoods, Ill.

Wolters Kluwer is a leading global information services and publishing company. The company provides products and services for professionals in the health, tax, accounting, corporate, financial services, legal, and regulatory sectors. Wolters Kluwer had 2008 annual revenues of €3.4 billion, employs approximately 20,000 people worldwide, and maintains operations in over 35 countries across Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, and Latin America. Wolters Kluwer is headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands. Its shares are quoted on Euronext Amsterdam (WKL) and are included in the AEX and Euronext 100 indices. Visit www.wolterskluwer.com for information about our market positions, customers, brands, and organization.

Aspen Publishers Offers Must-read Book for Women Considering a Career in the Law

(RIVERWOODS, ILL., January 5, 2010) – Aspen Publishers now offers a unique, new resource for women considering a career in the law. Best Friends at the Bar: What Women Need to Know about a Career in the Law addresses the realities of law firm practice, especially in large firms, and gives pre-law students, law students and new attorneys a realistic view of the opportunities and hazards most often encountered by female lawyers. Aspen Publishers, part of Wolters Kluwer Law & Business, is a leading information provider for legal and business professionals and law students (www.aspenpublishers.com).

Drawing on her many years of practicing law and mentoring young lawyers and with the help of other women in all areas of the legal profession, author Susan Smith Blakely strives to help women entering the legal profession begin their careers with open eyes and a more level playing field than women lawyers of past generations.

"Practicing law in a male-dominated profession and within the struggles of work-life responsibilities can be very challenging for young women attorneys. This is the book that past generations of women lawyers needed but did not have, and retention rates for women lawyers today are disappointing and unacceptable,” author Susan Blakely explains. “To address these issues, I have called upon an impressive collection of mentors, my Best Friends at the Bar, to candidly address those challenges and to help young women lawyers make good career choices for successful and satisfying careers.”

Best Friends at the Bar is written in a direct, personal tone that engages the reader and provides valuable insight into the field. The book:

• Explores the experiences of the author and the varied experiences of more than 60 private and public sector attorneys, judges, law school career counselors and law firm managing partners who forthrightly address a wide variety of issues;
• Candidly speaks to the issues women face in law firm practice and provides invaluable advice for planning enduring and satisfying careers in the law; and
• Critically addresses business, cultural and personal conditions and offers strategies for dealing with them, including how to manage expectations in the context of actual job conditions and the dynamics of personal life.

“Whether you’re a student exploring a possible legal career or a female professional considering a switch in fields, this book provides real-world advice stemming from the experiences of seasoned professionals in a wide-range of legal careers,” said Jen Armstrong, Aspen Publishers’ Legal Education Marketing Director. “This book serves as an invaluable resource to any woman planning a career in the law.”

About the Author

Susan Blakely graduated from the University of Wisconsin and Georgetown University Law Center. As a practitioner with 25 years of experience in both private law firms and the public sector, Blakely has viewed the legal profession from many perspectives – as an associate, counsel and partner; and as a chief of staff in the public sector. At every step along the way, Blakely has mentored and continues to mentor young lawyers. The author shares more information about the book and her career at her web site and on her blog. Visit http://www.bestfriendsatthebar.com/ to learn more.

For More Information

For more information or to order Best Friends at the Bar: What Women Need to Know about a Career in the Law, call 1-800-638-8437, click here or visit www.aspenpublishers.com. The 272-page paperback is priced at $29.95.

About Wolters Kluwer Law & Business

Wolters Kluwer Law & Business is a leading provider of research products and software solutions in key specialty areas for legal and business professionals, as well as casebooks and study aids for law students. Its major product lines include Aspen Publishers, CCH, Kluwer Law International and Loislaw. Its markets include health care organizations, law firms, law schools, corporate counsel and professionals requiring legal and compliance information. Wolters Kluwer Law & Business, a unit of Wolters Kluwer, is based in New York City and Riverwoods, Ill.

Wolters Kluwer is a leading global information services and publishing company. The company provides products and services for professionals in the health, tax, accounting, corporate, financial services, legal, and regulatory sectors. Wolters Kluwer had 2008 annual revenues of €3.4 billion, employs approximately 20,000 people worldwide, and maintains operations in over 35 countries across Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, and Latin America. Wolters Kluwer is headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands. Its shares are quoted on Euronext Amsterdam (WKL) and are included in the AEX and Euronext 100 indices. Visit www.wolterskluwer.com for information about our market positions, customers, brands, and organization.

EDITORS’ NOTE: Editorial review copies of Best Friends at the Bar: What Women Need to Know About a Career in the Law are available upon request for members of the press. Contact Brenda Au, 847-267-2046, brenda.au@wolterskluwer.com or Neil Allen, 847-267-2179, neil.allen@wolterskluwer.com.

New CCH White Paper Provides In-depth Look at Provisions of Financial Regulatory Reform Legislation

RIVERWOODS, ILL., January 5, 2010) – A new white paper from CCH provides in-depth analysis of the securities, derivatives, corporate governance, systemic risk and dissolution authority components of the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, passed by the House in December. CCH is part of Wolters Kluwer Law & Business, a leading provider of research information and software solutions in key specialty areas for legal and business professionals (business.cch.com).

To read the special new report, House Passes Historic Securities, Derivatives and Systemic Risk Reforms: HR 4173, click here, or visit http://www.cch.com/press/news/CCHWhitePaperHR4173.pdf.

“This bill would be the most significant reform of the U.S. financial system since the New Deal of the 1930s,” said white paper author and CCH Principal Securities Analyst Jim Hamilton, JD.

The legislation would create a Financial Services Oversight Council to monitor systemically significant financial institutions, counterparties and potential threats to the financial system. This ensures that there is no place to hide by closing loopholes, improving consolidated supervision and establishing robust regulatory oversight.

The measure also would provide for the orderly wind-down of failing firms that are systemically significant, ending the notion of “too big to fail.” By dissolving these firms, the Act would end them and avoid more taxpayer bailouts. The bill also offers robust consumer protections and reforms. It puts the regulation of consumer protection on a level playing field with the regulation of safety and soundness of financial institutions. It would create an independent agency focused solely on writing meaningful consumer protection standards and keeping watch over predatory practices that some lenders have shown a propensity to pursue.

Moreover, the legislation increases transparency and accountability by establishing, for the first time, a regulatory system for the over-the-counter derivatives market. Under the new regime, most derivative trades will take place on exchanges or through clearinghouses. Other important aspects of the bill include the registration of hedge funds and the doubling of SEC funding to hire more experts and investigators. Investor protection is substantially strengthened. Also, the regulation of credit rating agencies is enhanced under a new regime supervised by the SEC. A federal insurance office is created to gather information, mitigate systemic risk and provide for insurance expertise to the federal government.

The legislation passed by the House is different from the proposal issued by the Senate Banking Committee last year. A conference committee will likely have to iron out any differences, assuming that the Senate proposal is passed by the full body.

For More Information

Members of the press interested in speaking with CCH securities and banking law experts should contact: Leslie Bonacum at 1-847-267-7153, mediahelp@cch.com; or Neil Allen at 1-847-267-2179, neil.allen@wolterskluwer.com.

For a copy of the white paper, House Passes Historic Securities, Derivatives and Systemic Risk Reforms: HR 4173, click here, or visit http://www.cch.com/press/news/CCHWhitePaperHR4173.pdf.

CCH Financial Crisis News Center

CCH also offers a wealth of special resources related to the financial crisis at the CCH Financial Crisis News Center, financialcrisisupdate.com. The Center provides the legal community and others with a cohesive and robust selection of breaking news stories, analysis and links to the full text of source documents for regulatory actions and serves as a central entry point for CCH banking and securities law resources related to the crisis.

About Wolters Kluwer Law & Business

Wolters Kluwer Law & Business is a leading provider of research products and software solutions in key specialty areas for legal and business professionals, as well as casebooks and study aids for law students. Its major product lines include Aspen Publishers, CCH, Kluwer Law International and Loislaw. Its markets include health care organizations, law firms, law schools, corporate counsel and professionals requiring legal and compliance information. Wolters Kluwer Law & Business, a unit of Wolters Kluwer, is based in New York City and Riverwoods, Ill.

Wolters Kluwer is a leading global information services and publishing company. The company provides products and services for professionals in the health, tax, accounting, corporate, financial services, legal, and regulatory sectors. Wolters Kluwer had 2008 annual revenues of €3.4 billion, employs approximately 20,000 people worldwide, and maintains operations in over 35 countries across Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, and Latin America. Wolters Kluwer is headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands. Its shares are quoted on Euronext Amsterdam (WKL) and are included in the AEX and Euronext 100 indices. Visit www.wolterskluwer.com for information about our market positions, customers, brands, and organization.

CCH Special Report Details Employer, Medicare Provisions of Senate Health Care Reform Bill

(RIVERWOODS, ILL., January 4, 2010) – CCH has issued a Special Report on the Senate version of health care reform legislation, detailing the provisions of the bill which passed by a vote of 60-39 on December 24, 2009. To access the Special Report, click here.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act mandates significant changes to insurance coverage, including provisions affecting employers, as well as major changes for Medicare and Medicaid, according to Wolters Kluwer Law & Business, a leading provider of research information and software solutions for legal, business compliance health care and human resources professionals (hr.cch.com).

The House passed its version, The Affordable Health Care for America Act, on November 7, 2009 . There are significant differences between the two measures and a Conference Committee will be necessary to reconcile them.

The Senate bill provides a financial penalty for employers not offering coverage, with relief and tax credits for small employers.

“If health care reform passes, all but the smallest employers will be assessed some sort of tax or penalty if they do not offer coverage to their employees,” said Stephen Huth, Managing Editor of Spencer’s Benefits Reports produced by Wolters Kluwer Law & Business.

The Senate bill, like the House measure, would prohibit taxpayers from using health flexible spending arrangement (FSA) dollars to pay for over-the-counter medications (unless prescribed by a health professional) and also cap annual contributions to a health FSA offered under an employer-sponsored cafeteria plan at $2,500, indexed for inflation.

Health Insurance Exchanges But No Public Option

The Senate bill requires that, like businesses, individuals either provide insurance for themselves or face a financial penalty. Those covered by an employer would meet this requirement.

Like the House bill, the Senate measure establishes a new Health Insurance Exchange in which consumers who are not covered by their employer can comparison shop from among health care plans. Unlike the House, the Senate did not provide for a “public option” to be offered through the exchanges. It also provides premium assistance tax credits and reduced cost sharing for lower-income individuals.

“The public option is one of the more controversial parts of the House bill, and likely will not be included as the measure moves through the Conference Committee,” Huth said.

The Senate bill raises money to finance its reforms through a new tax on high-cost group insurance and an additional Medicare tax on individual earned income over $200,000. In addition, individuals who fail to maintain minimum essential coverage would pay a yearly penalty.

Medicare, Medicaid Affected

A significant part of the House bill is devoted to changes in Medicare and Medicaid, according to Paul Clark, Senior Medicare Analyst with Wolters Kluwer Law & Business.

“Savings in these programs can help finance other parts of the reform program,” Clark said. “In addition, by setting standards of what it will and will not pay for, Medicare/Medicaid can affect the entire health care system, encouraging efficient and cost-savings practices in the treatment of all patients.”

Changes include reducing payments to Medicare Advantage providers, measures to close the “donut hole” in Part D drug coverage, and incentives to provide a better link between quality outcomes and payments.

“Dozens of changes have been proposed, in areas ranging from reducing hospital readmissions to expanding rural health care to increasing the pool of primary health care providers,” Clark said. “Even if health care reform as a whole is unsuccessful, many of these changes are likely to eventually become law.”

For More Information

To access the CCH Special Report, click here.

CCH’s comprehensive book, Law, Explanation and Analysis of Health Care Reform Legislation will be available immediately following the final passage of the bill. Single-copy price is $149, but those who pre-order can receive a $20 discount by using priority code Y6804. For more information or to order, click here or call 1-800-248-3248.

For additional timely and expert discussion of health reform, visit Health Reform Talk, a blog to help professionals decipher the many codes and puzzles of health care reform. The blog, at http://healthcare-legislation.blogspot.com/, covers a wide range of health reform issues and draws on the expertise of Wolters Kluwer Law & Business analysts. Wolters Kluwer Law & Business also publishes Health Care Reform Update NetNews , a free weekly newsletter delivered via e-mail. Click here to view an issue of the Health Care Reform Update NetNews.

About Wolters Kluwer Law & Business

Wolters Kluwer Law & Business is a leading provider of research products and software solutions in key specialty areas for legal and business professionals, as well as casebooks and study aids for law students. Its major product lines include Aspen Publishers, CCH, Kluwer Law International and Loislaw. Its markets include health care organizations, law firms, law schools, corporate counsel and professionals requiring legal and compliance information. Wolters Kluwer Law & Business, a unit of Wolters Kluwer, is based in New York City and Riverwoods, Ill.

Wolters Kluwer is a leading global information services and publishing company. The company provides products and services for professionals in the health, tax, accounting, corporate, financial services, legal, and regulatory sectors. Wolters Kluwer had 2008 annual revenues of €3.4 billion, employs approximately 20,000 people worldwide, and maintains operations in over 35 countries across Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, and Latin America. Wolters Kluwer is headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands. Its shares are quoted on Euronext Amsterdam (WKL) and are included in the AEX and Euronext 100 indices. Visit www.wolterskluwer.com for information about our market positions, customers, brands, and organization.