The U.S. Treasury Department intends to issue new restrictions on pass-through entities to generate an estimated $50 billion in additional tax revenue over the next decade, The Washington Post reports. Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo specifically called out basis shifting, where business partnerships can move assets from one entity to another and gain favorable tax results. Adeyemo claims this practice does nothing to bolster economic activity and solely exists to reduce tax obligations. Currently, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) specifies such transactions must have “economic substance” rather than merely reducing tax bills, leading to the agency’s position that most of these transactions are illegal. The IRS recently provided guidance and new rules clarifying the "economic substance" requirement on its website.

The June 28 Court Square program in Jackson will feature a session on estate planning basics. Presented by attorney Nancy Choate, the primer will focus on essentials such as clients' conceptions of estate planning, key terms, an intro to trusts and more. The Court Square Series is intended to build relationships and foster collegiality in local bars while allowing lawyers to learn from top Tennessee experts. Other topics at the forum include law practice management, courtroom best practices, ethics and more. A networking lunch will be provided. Here are the key details:

When: Friday, June 28, 12:30 – 4:15 p.m. CDT
Where: Jackson Chamber of Commerce, 197 Auditorium St., Jackson 38301

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Davidson County lawyer Eric Donn Miller was reinstated to the practice of law on June 14. He had been on inactive status since June 26, 2012. The Tennessee Supreme Court took the action after the Board of Professional Responsibility reported that Miller’s petition for reinstatement was satisfactory.

The DeKalb County Bar Association recently elected new officers. Gayla C. Hendrix will serve as president, Tecia Puckett Pryor was elected vice president, and Brad Hannah will fill the dual role of secretary/treasurer. Attorneys in the Smithville area should contact Hendrix at gaylachendrixlaw@gmail.com to get involved with the bar's activities.

After many years of contentious post-divorce litigation, the trial court ordered the court clerk’s office to distribute property-sale proceeds to the parties. The trial court also ordered that the wife’s portion of the sale proceeds be taxed in an amount sufficient to satisfy a previous sanctions award against the wife and an award of attorney’s fees to the husband. The wife appeals to this Court. Discerning no error, we affirm.

This is an appeal from the trial court’s order of restitution. The Appellant asserts error, and the State concedes. After review, we reverse the trial court’s judgment and remand the case for a new restitution hearing.

A Knox County jury convicted Defendant of Class E felony theft of property valued at more than $1,000 but less $2,500. Defendant claims that the evidence was insufficient to sustain the conviction and that the trial court erred in denying Defendant the right to enter relevant evidence. Following our review, we determine that the evidence was sufficient for the jury to find Defendant guilty and that the trial court properly excluded the evidence because it was not properly authenticated. We affirm the judgment of the trial court.

The Department of Labor and Workforce Development announced that Tennessee's unemployment rate dropped to a historic low level, setting a record at 3%. WSMV reports that the rate decreased by 0.1% between April and May to 3% and made history as the lowest unemployment rate since the government began tracking the statistic in 1976. “Tennessee employers created 3,300 new nonfarm jobs between April and May. The accommodation and food services sector was responsible for most of those new jobs. The professional, scientific, and technical services sector was the next top job creator in May, followed by the health care and social assistance sector,” the department said.

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti will not issue an opinion as to whether Donald Trump should remain on the state's presidential election ballot. The Tennessee Lookout reports that in a letter to Rep. Vincent Dixie, D-Nashville (who requested a formal legal opinion after Trump was convicted on felony charges in New York), Skrmetti said that after careful consideration, his office cannot opine based on a state law dealing with election eligibility. “The Attorney General’s statutory authority is limited to providing ‘written legal opinions’ on matters submitted by officials ‘in the discharge of their official duties.’” Skrmetti’s office notes, “And Tennessee’s election officials — not individual members of the General Assembly — enforce (the state law) in specific factual scenarios.” Dixie said in a statement he is “disappointed” but “not surprised” by the response.

An inmate in the Gibson County Correctional Complex in Trenton filed a lawsuit alleging unsafe living conditions and being denied access to file court documents. The Tennessean reports that Thomas Brandon Karnes is seeking $100,000 in mental and emotional damages and $100,000 for the jail's failure to pass inspection. The suit names Gibson County Sherriff Paul Thomas, who is currently facing misconduct charges, as well as other corrections employees. Records show the Gibson County jail passed inspections in 2020, 2022 and 2023; in 2021, two infractions were noted in terms of supervision and storage of medical and dental equipment.