ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Taxpayer First Act Helps Whistleblowers New Privacy Safeguards, Quicker Response Time, and Protections Against Retaliation Substantial Rewards for Whistleblowers Tips from whistleblowers are an important tool for helping the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) focus resources on examinations that are most likely to result in big returns. In fiscal […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER California Law on Gifts to Care Custodians Tightening the Marriage Loophole for Gifts to Care Custodians California law presumes that gifts – made either during life or at death – by an elder or dependent adult to their care custodian[1] are the product of undue influence (a defined […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Government Announces $48 Million Settlement In Healthcare Fraud Case Former Employees Blew The Whistle On The Fraud Whistleblowers Rewarded $12.4 Million The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) reported earlier this month that Encompass Health Corporation, formerly known as HealthSouth Corporation, has agreed to pay $48 million to resolve […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Governor Signs New Law Into Effect Abandonments During 2017 North Bay Wildfires Behind New Measure Sadly, at least 20 frail, elderly residents of care facilities were abandoned during the North Bay fires in the Fall of 2017. Many may have died in one case had family members not […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Full and Partial Surrenders or Cancellations of Athene Annuity and Life Company Annuities Athene Annuity and Life Company, formerly Aviva Annuity and Life Company,[1] issues fixed indexed annuities in California.  These contracts, like all deferred annuities, include penalties for early withdrawals, known as surrenders.  Surrenders may be full […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Increasing Reports Of Financial Elder Abuse What You Should Do If You Suspect Elder Abuse Throughout the United States and right here in the Bay Area, elder abuse in every form, and most especially financial elder abuse, is on the rise. As the older population here in the […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Financial Powers of Attorney and the Elderly A financial Power of Attorney (POA) is a very important legal document where the principal authorizes an agent to act on the principal’s behalf in business transactions and more.[1] Someone with a financial Power of Attorney has legal authority to transfer […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Commodity Futures Trading Commission Wants Whistleblower Help Commission Issues $2 Million Reward On July 1, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) announced a whistleblower award of $2 million to two whistleblowers who blew the whistle on violations of commodities trading regulations.[1] The CFTC is the government agency […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER The Importance of Accurate Age and Income Information How Insurance Agents and Advisors May Mislead You and Carriers Making You “Eligible” for Ineligible Contracts Our litigators think annuities are not a good investment for seniors, particularly when the application process can be rigged by an unscrupulous agent to […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Cheating Elderly Investors A Rash of Ponzi Schemes Targeting Seniors While the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) continues to make protecting seniors a priority, many still fall victim to Ponzi schemes and other financial fraud. Crooked insurance agents, retirement planners, and financial advisors cheat the elderly out of […]