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However, in many cases coverage disputes between you and your insurance company can be avoided. Before problems arise, it helps to understand your coverage, your needs, and any obligations your policies impose on you
Attorney Julie Fershtman explains the art of mentoring in this DBusiness article.
Most commercial leases, like other business contracts, are filled with provisions (often called “boilerplate”) the parties to the contract pay little attention to; that is, until a dispute arises. At that point, these provisions become critical to the outcome.
There is nothing quite like obtaining a new customer or getting a new big sale - the prospect of recurring revenue from a new source, the validation of business strategy, or the culmination of a successful negotiation. However, there is nothing more disheartening than when a new customer is unable or unwilling to pay for the product you just shipped or services you just provided. Perhaps there is one thing that is worse, when a long-term customer fails to pay.
Libraries, like other governmental entities, face challenges in making capital improvements to serve the needs of the public.
Imagine that you are the head of your municipality and you receive a frantic call from a constituent. The constituent says “Hey, Mr. Supervisor- I live in a residential subdivision and my next door neighbor is growing 72 marijuana plants in his backyard! I thought he couldn’t do that unless there was an ordinance allowing it? What are you going to do about it?”
Estate planning is done to avoid family disputes, but despite the best of intentions, disputes happen when money is at stake.
If you have someone work for you, then you, the employer, need to determine whether you have hired an “independent contractor” or an “employee.” “Classification” is the term employment lawyers use to sort out whether the worker is an employee or an independent contractor. Classification has very important legal and financial implications for you, the farm or business owner.
New amendments to the Michigan Fireworks Safety Act modify when and how a municipality may regulate the ignition, discharge and use of consumer fireworks.
Thanks to increased urbanization, livestock facilities and agribusiness operations are closer than ever to highways and population centers, heightening the risk of accidents. It is important to understand liabilities under Michigan law if livestock or farm animals escape.
In a previous article (The Case for Putting it in Writing), the case was stated for putting “spoken” agricultural contracts in writing. This time, the focus shifts to a particular type of contract: the land lease.
Effective December 28, 2018, the Legislature approved two important amendments to the Michigan Freedom of Information Act. Learn more from attorney Anne Seurynck.
On November 28, 2018, the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued an opinion in the matter of Sulyma v. Intel Corporation Investment Policy Committee, 2016 U.S. Dist. Lexis 186834 (2018) ("Intel").
In sports, it is often said that, “The best offense is a good defense.” This adage holds true not only on the field of play, but also in business and in life.
The IRS recently issued proposed regulations that would expand the availability of hardship distributions under 401(k) and 403(b) plans (the “Proposed Regulations”). The Proposed Regulations reflect the changes that were implemented by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (the “Act”), and address many of the questions that were left unanswered by the Act.
As the end of the year approaches, the increase in online activities creates a ripe opportunity for hackers to gain access to your computers, networks and personal information.
If passed, Michigan Senate Bill 637 will create the Small Wireless Communications Facilities Deployment Act (the Act.)
Over the course of the coming months, we will be publishing a series of articles that discuss some of the common real estate, finance, and corporate issues that our clients face on a day-to-day basis.
In late August, an 18-month long lawsuit against Almer and Ellington Townships ("the Townships"), which was brought by a subsidiary of wind energy giant NextEra Energy Resources LLC (“NextEra”), was dismissed by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, North Division.
Libraries across Michigan, and across the country, are tasked with striking a tricky balance: ensuring that citizens’ constitutionally-protected rights to use library resources are protected, while creating a safe, orderly and non-disruptive environment for patrons and staff.
On November 6, 2018, Michigan voters approved Proposal 1, the Marihuana Legalization Initiative*.
In an unpublished opinion released on October 30, 2018, the Michigan Court of Appeals held that a local zoning ordinance cannot prohibit medical marijuana caregivers from cultivating marijuana as a “home occupation.” Charter Twp of Ypsilanti v Pontius, Court of Appeals Docket No. 340487 (Oct. 30, 2018).
The purpose of bankruptcy is twofold: (1) to provide the party filing for bankruptcy—the “debtor”—with a fresh start, and (2) to fairly distribute the debtor’s non-exempt assets to creditors in accordance with the priority scheme set forth in the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) could require you to follow certain regulations as to your hours-of-service, including the Electronic Logging Device (ELD) rule.
Drones have quickly become popular and their use has rapidly expanded throughout the U.S.
Is it time for your first meeting with an estate planning attorney? We understand that the initial meeting with an estate planning attorney can be a stressful event.
IRC 642(c) Plans, referred to as “Pooled Income Funds” offer unique ways for participants to utilize tax favored deferred compensation.
A. Summary of the New Rules
The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 ("Act") includes three provisions that expand the availability of hardship distributions under a qualified retirement plan, each of which is described below.
An employee handbook is an important tool that employers use to communicate with employees about important workplace issues and can serve as an excellent defense to claims.
It can be hard enough for an employer to understand its obligations under state workers’ compensation laws. But it can be downright overwhelming when the myriad of other state and federal statutes, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act, also come into play.
In May 2017, the City of Detroit announced its intention to implement a city-wide effort to enforce tougher rental ordinance rules on landlords, including demanding that rental properties be registered and brought into compliance.
