Firm Insights

Should You Draft An Employee Agreement? Employers often wonder if they should require all employees to sign an employee agreement at the time of hire. Unfortunately, there is no easy answer, as there are both advantages and disadvantages to signing on the dotted line. Below are five of the most important legal considerations for New […]

C&J Energy files Chapter 11 C&J Energy Services Ltd., one of the largest oil field service companies, has announced that it recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. According to The Wall Street Journal, the firm has negotiated a $1.4 billion deal with its senior bondholders, to resolve some of the issues connected to its […]

Everything You Need to Know about the SPE When expenses grow as large as they do in filmmaking, it is important to keep accounting straightforward as well as establish clear roles for participants. Film producers can achieve each of these goals through special purpose entities also known as the SPE. We will now take a look […]

Everything You Should Know About Proposed Assembly Bill No 1921 Owners of contaminated residential properties often have great difficulty selling them due to real or perceived health threats associated with said contamination. However, if Assembly Bill No 1921 is enacted into law, owners of residential property contaminated with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) may be able to demand […]

The O’Bannon Petition & the future of “amateurism” Ed O’Bannon Jr. and a group of former NCAA athletes have filed a petition to the Supreme Court to not consider the NCAA’s appeal to overturn a decision for intellectual property of athletes’ images and likenesses. This has already been a groundbreaking case for intellectual property rights, […]

What does overturned decision in Giant Eagle Inc v Commissioner mean for future of tax deductible liability regulations? The 3rd Circuit recently overturned an IRS decision with the assertion that Giant Eagle, a supermarket chain, was entitled to make a $3.7 million deduction on the expenses associated with loyalty discounts from its tax returns. According […]

Here are some of the factors to consider when selling your franchise Preparing an exit strategy is a difficult aspect of owning a franchise and a decision many owners don’t fully consider. According to a recent Securian Financial Group study, more than 60 percent of business owners do not currently have or plan to develop an […]

A critical decision: choosing the best legal structure for your franchise Selecting the best legal structure is a major decision for new franchisees. Legal obligations and tax implications are only part of the challenge because the legal structure of a franchise can impact its operations and eventually, profits. Determining the proper legal entity is a key factor […]

What You Need to Know about the SEC’s New Rules for Administrative Proceedings The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently adopted several amendments to its rules of practice governing administrative proceedings. According to the agency, the rule changes are “intended to update the rules and introduce additional flexibility into administrative proceedings.” The Dodd-Frank Act gave […]

What small businesses should do about the DOL’s wage and hour regulations On the surface, the intent of the Department of Labor’s new overtime wage and hours regulations was to establish rules that make it easier for businesses to apply to their operations. However, according to Business News Daily, for small businesses, the proposal serves as a major shift […]

Athlete privacy and the transparency of their injuries When top defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul blew off a chunk of his hand in a fireworks incident last summer, he may have changed how the media looks at athlete privacy.  Lawsuit asks whether athletes’ medical records are private  Is an athlete’s health a matter of public concern? […]

Fines assessed by Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will increase significantly next month. OSHA is one of several government agencies that must increase its civil monetary penalties pursuant to the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act. Will these increased OHSA fines affect you? Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act Under […]