“Petition denied.”
One hundred fifty years ago, the Wisconsin Supreme Court issued one of its most famous – and infamous – decisions. The afternoon edition of the Tuesday, February 15, 1876 Wisconsin State Journal contained a list of the opinions the court had handed down earlier that day. Two of those opinions were written by Chief Justice Edward Ryan. The first was a routine matter: the denial of a writ of mandamus. The second was the denial of Lavinia…
Continue Reading “Petition denied.”
On February 12, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas (the “Court”) struck down the Federal Trade Commission’s (“FTC”) rule expanding the scope of the Hart-Scott-Rodino (“HSR”) Act Premerger Notification Form. See Chamber of Com. of the U.S. v. Fed. Trade Comm’n, No. 6:25-CV-9-JDK, 2026 WL 402498 (E.D. Tex. Feb. 12, 2026). The Court deemed the new rule “arbitrary and capricious” under the Administrative Procedure Act (“APA”) and ruled the FTC failed to show…
Continue Reading Texas District Court Strikes Down Updated HSR Act
Milwaukee County employees’ health insurance coverage is in the news lately, due to an error in the renewal process for the County’s health insurance contract. Unfortunately, the County’s contract with United Healthcare lapsed at the end of 2025 without a renewal in place. More than 5,000 employees and retirees are covered under this policy, WPR reported, and rely on this insurance for doctor’s visits, prescriptions, hospitalizations, and other health care.
As of this writing, Milwaukee County employees remain covered for the time being under…
Continue Reading Employer’s error caused you to lose health insurance coverage? You may have legal options
On January 27, 2026, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) Office of the Inspector General (“OIG”) issued a Special Advisory Bulletin (the “Bulletin”) detailing how the federal Anti-Kickback Statute (“AKS”) applies to direct-to-consumer (“DTC”) prescription drug sales by manufacturers to cash-paying patients enrolled in federal health care programs. The Bulletin provides a roadmap to structure DTC prescription drug programs in a low-risk manner under the AKS.
Background
The AKS imposes criminal sanctions for individuals and entities…
Continue Reading Selling Prescription Drugs Directly to Patients? OIG Flags Anti-Kickback Pitfalls with TrumpRx and Other DTC Programs
On January 30, 2026, the U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) proposed a regulation under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (“ERISA”) that would require pharmacy benefit managers (“PBMs”) to make detailed disclosures to fiduciaries of employer-sponsored self-insured group health plans. The proposed regulation implements President Trump’s Executive Order 14273, Lowering Drug Prices by Once Again Putting Americans First, which directs the DOL to improve employer health plan transparency into the direct and indirect compensation received by PBMs. Specifically,…
Continue Reading DOL Proposed Rule Would Impose Transparency Requirements on PBMs Providing Services to Self-Insured Health Plans
One of the most common questions we hear from parents is simple:
“Can my child support be lowered?”
The answer is: possibly. But it does not happen automatically, and timing matters more than most people realize.
In this article, Family Law Attorney, Kyle Kaufman, provides insight on when you may qualify for a reduction in Wisconsin and what steps you should take if your financial situation has changed.
For additional depth, view his YouTube video at this LINK.
Continue Reading WISCONSIN CHILD SUPPORT MODIFICATIONS
Effective January 1, 2026, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) implemented significant changes to the accreditation and enrollment framework for Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (“DMEPOS”) suppliers through the CY 2026 Home Health Prospective Payment System Final Rule (“Final Rule”). CMS adopted these changes in response to what it describes as long-standing program integrity vulnerabilities in the DMEPOS sector and acknowledged that the reforms will increase compliance costs and operational burdens for suppliers and accrediting…
Continue Reading 36-Month Rule Applies to DMEPOS Suppliers Effective January 1, 2026
In 2026, the definition of an “estate” has expanded far beyond physical property, real estate, and paper records, with estate planning for digital assets becoming all the more necessary. For today’s affluent families, a substantial portion of their wealth—and their legacy—is stored entirely online. Cryptocurrency portfolios, revenue-producing websites, valuable domain names, cloud-based business systems, and AI-generated intellectual property now form the backbone of modern estates. Yet these digital assets are often secured behind complex layers of encryption, two-factor authentication,…
Continue Reading Estate Planning for Digital Assets: Protecting Your Online Wealth
For many families in Illinois and Wisconsin, a vacation home is more than just real estate; it is a repository of memories, a sanctuary for multi-generational gatherings, and a significant component of a family’s legacy. However, without a strategic approach to estate planning for vacation homes, these cherished properties can become a source of legal complexity and family disharmony.
At Lexern Law Group, we help families navigate the unique challenges of passing down secondary residences, ensuring that…
Continue Reading Beyond the Deed: Estate Planning for Vacation Homes
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that the registration period for the fiscal year 2027 H-1B cap lottery will open at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time on March 4 and will close at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time on March 19. The registration fee for this year is $215 per registration.
New Weighted Selection Process
This year marks the first use of USCIS’s new weighted H-1B selection process. If the number of registrations exceeds the annual cap and a…
Continue Reading USCIS Announces Registration Dates for Fiscal Year 2027 H-1B Cap Lottery
A new wave of litigation under the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) has emerged, zeroing in on a technology many employers now routinely use: AI-powered meeting transcription and note-taking tools. In recent months, plaintiffs have filed class actions alleging that vendors like Fireflies.AI collect and store “voiceprints”—unique biometric identifiers derived from speech—without providing the written notice, informed consent, or transparent retention and destruction policies BIPA demands.
Continue Reading Employers Beware: Uptick in BIPA Lawsuits Targeting AI Note-Taking Software
Valentine’s Day is often celebrated with flowers and fine dining, but the ultimate expression of commitment is ensuring your partner’s future is secure. Whether you are navigating the complexities of a family business, managing significant real estate holdings, or protecting the interests of a blended family, strategic estate planning for couples ensures your legacy remains intact and your wishes are legally enforceable.
At Lexern Law Group, we specialize in helping couples in Illinois and Wisconsin navigate these sensitive…
Continue Reading Strategic Estate Planning for Couples in 2026
Although a significant percentage of Wisconsin’s population
lives outside of the main metro areas, access to clinical research studies has been primarily limited to trials initiated by the two academic medical health centers located in
Milwaukee and
Madison. However, the availability and adoption of digital health technologies (DHTs) – such as software and digital applications, electronic sensors, and computing platforms – is increasing. As a result, clinical research studies can incorporate one or more components of telehealth…
Continue Reading Technology is Expanding the Wisconsin Clinical Research Map
It is February 2026. Tax season is underway, and like most people, you are gathering W-2s, 1099s, and receipts, trying to make sure nothing important is missing before your return is filed.
Every What many people do not realize is that this same stack of tax documents also provides one of the clearest snapshots of their financial life they will see all year. From an estate planning perspective, that snapshot is invaluable.has its own rhythm, milestones and turning points.
Continue Reading More than a Refund: The Strategic Link Between Tax Season and Estate Planning
If your practice includes residential real estate transactions where the buyer is an entity or a trust and the deal is not financed through a traditional lender, an important new federal reporting requirement starts March 1, 2026. Read on for more information.
What is changing, in plain English
Beginning March 1, 2026, certain people (including lawyers, in some cases!) involved in real estate closings and settlements will have to file a report with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (…
Continue Reading New FinCEN Reporting for Certain Residential Real Estate Transactions Begins March 1, 2026
