Category: Business Law

There is a widespread misconception that verbal contracts are unenforceable.  Nevertheless, a contract made orally with another party, without embodying the particular terms in a signed writing, can still be valid and binding. Even so, any disagreement concerning the deal may pose multiple problems for both parties.  In order for the court to give...

Authors often want to understand the eligibility of their writings for copyright protection. Legal copyright registration provides the copyright holder with a collection of special rights. Under the U.S. Copyright Act, a rightful owner maintains the “exclusive right to reproduce, distribute, perform, display, license, and . . . prepare derivative works” founded on his...

The law forbids businesses from including baseless statements or assertions in their advertisements.  According to the Federal Trade Commission Act (FTCA), a business must ensure that their representations are not misleading or unfair, and the entity must have data that supports all claims.  Evidence may, for example, be substantiated based by surveys, expert testimony,...

Most employers know that their workers are protected from discrimination while they are employed.  Surprisingly, some are unaware that prospective employees are protected throughout the application and hiring process as well.  Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Pregnancy Discrimination Act and the...

A 1992 Supreme Court decision Quill Corp. v. North Dakota established the principle that an out-of-state retailer does not have to collect state sales tax if it does not have a physical location—a store, business office, or warehouse—in the state where the purchase originated. Theoretically, the consumer placing the order in a state that has...

Employees do not always depart on the best of terms. When that is the case, what are your obligations in terms of disclosure when a prospective employer contacts you to check for references? Keeping negative opinions to yourself might seem like a surefire way to stay out of court. A bad reference might lead...

Sometimes a business grows more rapidly than expected and its leased space is no longer large enough. Other times a business finds itself losing money and unable to pay rent. In those instances, it is the commercial tenant that desires to break its lease. There are times, however, when a commercial landlord seeks to...

Frivolous lawsuits are an all-too-common problem for small businesses. This is because, under current laws, there is almost no risk to trial attorneys or their clients for bringing even absurd cases to court. While large companies routinely retain attorneys and have the financial means to protect themselves from frivolous lawsuits, small businesses may be...

It is impossible to predict every lawsuit that a small business might possibly face. There is nothing to prevent angry vendors, entitled customers, or disgruntled employees from filing a lawsuit, even if there is no legitimate basis for it. The more a business owner delegates responsibilities to employees, the greater the risk that an...

A 501(c)(3) nonprofit is one of a class of 29 different types of tax-exempt, nonprofit organizations under section 501(c) of the tax code. Most charitable organizations that receive donations from individuals in the United States are organized as 501(c)(3) nonprofits. The 501(c)(3) status is the most coveted type of nonprofit status because donations...

The overwhelming majority of employees are considered to be at-will employees. If an employee works without a contract stating otherwise, that person’s employment is considered at- will for its duration. This means that the person serves at-will and either party may terminate the employment at any time. Even though an explanation is not always...

A "surety bond" is a legal tool used to guarantee that a promise will be kept.  It ensures that contractual requirements will be met and work will be done according to specifications.  If they are not, the bond will cover some or all of the damages that result. The "surety bond" commits three parties to...