Category: News & Events
Minnesota’s New Boating Law Requirements Begin July 1
June 20, 2025 | Adriel B. Villarreal
Starting on July 1, a new law will require some Minnesota boaters to have a valid watercraft operator’s permit in order to operate a motorboat. The new law, passed in 2023, is designed to increase safety on Minnesota’s lakes and rivers as well as educate people on the environmental impacts of boating. Here’s what you need to know. Who Is Affected? Boaters born after June 30, 2004, aged 12 years or older, will need a valid watercraft operator’s permit to drive any motorboat or personal watercraft. This requirement goes into place on July 1, 2025, but the requirement will gradually extend to older age groups through 2028. People without a permit can still operate a boat as long as there is an accompanying operator on board who does have a permit and is at least 21 years old. Those born before June 30, 1987, will never be required to have a permit unless they rent a motorboat or are serving as an accompanying operator for another person. People younger than 12 years old cannot operate a personal watercraft or motorboat with a motor over 75 horsepower. They can, however, operate a motorboat that is not a personal watercraft and is under 75 horsepower as long as there is an accompanying operator on board….
Read MorePotential Updates to Medicaid/Medical Assistance Benefits
April 17, 2025 | Cathryn ReherOur BGS Estate Planning Team has attorneys working with persons with disabilities of all ages and their families to help them obtain and maintain Medicaid/Medical Assistance benefits. There is a massive budget reconciliation package being fast tracked through Congress that would cut hundreds of billions of dollars from Medicaid. The impact could be very challenging for our elderly and disability populations. If you want to keep informed on the impact of the proposed budget cuts, the National Health Law Organization April 23, 2025 at 1:00 p.m. will be hosting a free webinar entitled Medicaid in the Crosshairs: Understanding the Threat and the Path Forward. You can find out more about this seminar and other resource materials at: https://healthlaw.org/resource/protect-medicaid-funding-series-2024/. UPDATE MAY 1, 2025:Governor Walz holds roundtable on proposed federal health care cuts: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNDHS/bulletins/3de7cde
Read MoreBe Wary of Letters from Lawyers Claiming Your Company Name Is at Risk
September 16, 2024 | Carole Clark Isakson
Over the last several months, we have seen an uptick in the number of false claims being made concerning company names. These claims come in the form of a letter from a lawyer warning the recipient that its business name is about to be “taken” by a third party. There is an offer of help, and frequently a claim that if the recipient doesn’t act, this unknown third party will file a trademark application on the company name and deprive the recipient of the right to use it. THESE CLAIMS ARE GENERALLY FALSE. There is a difference between an entity name (i.e. for an entity that is created at the Secretary of State level) and a trademark, although they can certainly also be the same. A trademark designates the source of goods or services. It exists, meaning you own rights to it, when you start using it. One way to enhance the protection of a trademark is to file an application to register it with the United States Patent and Trademark Office—though you still own it and have rights to it even if you do not register it. This is a common misconception, and one that lawyers prey upon. Simply put, your company name is yours in the state where you created it. And if your…
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