Rush on Business : Iowa Corporate Lawyer & Attorney : Rush Nigut of Brick Gentry Law Firm : Serving Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, & Sioux City

Come join us for the LAWpportunities sponsored "Secrets of Successful Professionals Revealed" business conference on July 20, 2007 at the Professional Solutions Insurance Services Center in Clive.  It is a seminar you won't want to miss featuring many of Central Iowa's top professionals and renowned law blogger and entrepreneur, Kevin O'Keefe of Seattle, Washington.  Kevin is the President and founder of LexBlog, the leading provider of provider of marketing blogs for lawyers and other professional service firms.

Today's professionals have at their fingertips the tools and ability to make networking better, faster, cheaper and more effective than their predecessors ever could have imagined. LAWpportunities offers you the strategies, insights and secrets of successful professionals, showing you how to fill the gap left by businesses unwilling to adapt.

Topics include:

• Brand Strategy
• New Networking
• Blogging for Business
• Crucial Conversations
• Managing Office Politics
• Business Mobility
• Leveraging Technology
• Making Work Fun Again

This seminar is designed to help any professional including lawyers, accountants, bankers, insurance agents, real estate agents, mortage brokers, financial planners and more.  (Yes, we're lawyers but other professionals will benefit from this conference just as much). The seminar itself offers a tremendous networking opportunity and the speaker lineup is sure to be one of the best in Central Iowa this year.

Our A-list of speakers include:

Kevin O'Keefe - law blogger extraordinaire and successful entrepreneur

Drew McLellan - marketing and branding

Mike Sansone - changing how businesses talk with their clients and customers

Adam Steen - networking for the professional

Jim Goodman - Bring your clients success and your success will follow

Shirley Poertner - Crucial conversations and communication

Tre Critelli - lawyer and online networker

Victoria Herring - lawyer and expert on solo professional practices

Timothy Johnson - Author, consultant and office-politics expert

Mitch Matthews - Life / business coach and entrepreneur

Check out the Events page of the LAWpportunities site for more details and seminar information.  We will have our online registration up and running very soon but if you just can't wait to register you can feel free to email Brett Trout (trout@bretttrout.com) or Rush Nigut (rnigut@sullivan-ward.com) for registration information. 

We look forward to seeing you on July 20th!

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On the Apprentice Donald Trump always says with such gusto, "You're fired!"  The board room discussion usually focuses on what went wrong and the faults of the candidate.

But is it more important to organizational success to know how to fire or how not to fire?  If a problem arises with an employee do you always focus on what went wrong?  Or instead, do you focus on how changing behaviors and performance could have a positive impact on the organization and the employee?

Inc.com has a series of slides on the Dos and Don't of firing and an article with tips on how to fire employees. Chris Musselwhite, a consultant and columnist with Inc. says:

Despite the discomforts, dismissing an employee can be one of the most important tasks of leadership you'll face. It can be an opportunity to strengthen or build a culture of respect, accountability and trust--especially in an entrepreneurial environment--or it can foster a culture of fear and secrecy at all levels. Other employees are watching, and how you deal with the problem will set standards or norms in the organization. You are shaping your organization's culture whether you take action or ignore the problem. The real question is, what do you want your organization's norms related to competent performance to be?   

Musselwhite cites the three most common mistakes leaders make with a potential firing:

• To treat it as a legalistic, mechanical problem. If you only are worried about having filed the right paperwork and getting through it without having to call the security guards, you've probably been thinking of it as a chance to get rid of a thorn in your side, instead of thinking about the best way to solve the problem for everyone's benefit.
• To wait until a crisis occurs before taking action. If you can address the problem early, before frustration and resentment are high, the chances for success are exponentially greater.
• To make decisions based on emotions rather than facts. We can't fire people based on personality clashes or annoying behaviors. It's got to be about the impact on the organization, accountability and getting the job done. When the decision is fact-based, you remove many of the emotional stressors that arise when sitting down to consider your options.

I agree with Musselwhite that dismissal should be the last step in a postive process for your organization, leader or employee.  Be sure to set out clear performance expectations for employees and provide them with training, mentoring and other opportunities for success.  If it doesn't work after attempting this approach you are more likely to avoid litigation if you end up firing the employee.

Thanks to Mike Colwell of the Des Moines Partnership's new business accelerator for pointing out the articles.

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I recommend employers listen to a podcast from Jason Storipan of Stark & Stark concerning Attendance Control Issues for employees.  Please remember that laws do vary from state to state but much of the information given in Jason's podcast is applicable to all employers even if you are not located in New Jersey.

If you are developing policies and procedures to deal with employee attendance issues be sure to contact your employment lawyer and keep in mind two important ideals:  Fairness and Consistency.

If you treat people fairly and in a consistent manner your liability risks from an employee lawsuit decrease dramatically.  May seem like common sense but as George Will said, "This is an age in which one cannot find common sense without a search warrant." 

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I invite you to check out a special Memorial Day Blawg Review #110 from Norman Gregory Fernandez of Biker Law Blog.  Fernandez describes Memorial Day this way:

You see Memorial Day is a day that is set aside each year to honor those men and women who have lost their lives in the Service of the United States of America.

To honor these men and women is to honor not only the United States of America, but to honor the freedom for which the United States of America stands.

Above all, Memorial Day is a day is to remember those brave souls whose willing self sacrifice has given us all a chance to live free in the greatest nation on earth. God bless those men and women who have died in the service of the Untied States of America.

It is hard to say it any better than that. 

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Governor Culver recently signed into law a bill providing $4 million in funding for Iowa's Targeted Small Business Program.  To qualify under the program a business must have sales of less than $3 million and be at least 51% owned, operated and managed by women, minorities or persons with disabilities.

If you have a business that may qualify under the program you can receive your certification through the Iowa Department of Inspection and Appeals or the Iowa Department of Transportation.  A qualified recipient will be eligible to receive up to $50,000 for start-up expenses.

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Iowa - the new Hollywood?  It may sound crazy but Governor Culver and lawmakers are hoping to snare more filmmakers with the passage of a new law that provides incentives for movie producers who create their films in Iowa. 

The Iowa Film Promotion Act (House File 892) offers 25 percent tax credits for local filmmaking expenses and overall investments for films shot in Iowa with budgets of more than $100,000.  Details of the program have yet to be determined but there will be an application / certification process followed by a claims submission process.  If you are a filmmaker or investor interested in these incentives please contact the Iowa Film Office for more information.

The new law allows Iowa to compete with surrounding states that offer similar incentives.  It will also have another positive impact.  Young, aspiring filmmakers now have a reason to stay in the state rather than take off to Southern California, New York or Chicago.  According to an article in the Des Moines Register, that is just what three young filmmakers intend to do. 

With the new law and upcoming movie releases like the The Final Season, maybe the rise of the film industry in Iowa has just begun.  Baseball movies could be our ticket.  The Cityview reports another Iowa movie called "Sugar" is planned about a Domican baseball player.  Of course most people remember "The Field of Dreams" which is one of the all time great baseball movies and its famous dialogue, "Is this Heaven? No, it's Iowa."  The movie site in Dyersville still remains open to the public to this day.  

I wonder if it is too big of a leap to go from lawyer to blogger to screenwriter?

*I originally wrote this post for IowaBiz.com.

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Iowa Governor Chet Culver signed a bill today expanding housing and civil rights protections to the LGBT community.  In signing the bill Governor Culver said,

"It is unacceptable that members of the LGBT community are denied the same protections as every other Iowan, and that is why I made a promise to do whatever necessary to grant these individuals the rights they deserve. I am happy to say that today, we keep this promise. This legislation will guarantee that no individual, regardless of race, age, gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity, is denied the protections of state government."

If you are an Iowa employer be sure to talk with your employment lawyer concerning your employee handbooks and anti-discrimination policies.  It is important to review your handbooks to make sure your anti-discrimination policies now cover sexual orientation and gender identity.  Failing to include such provisions in your policies could result in increased liability.

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With Memorial Day coming up next Monday I thought it appropriate to touch on Military Leave Laws and Veteran Discrimination.

A law known as the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) protects the rights of military service members to take a leave of absence to take a leave of absence from their civilian jobs for active military service and to return to their jobs with accrued seniority and other protections.

Some of the core protections include (a couple of nice overviews are here and here):

1. Protection against discrimination with prior, current or even possibly future military service;
2. Protection against retaliation for trying to enforce USERRA;
3. Reemployment rights upon return from military service including certain protections from discharge;
4. Continuation of benefits that are based upon seniority or length of employee service;
5. Certain preservation of other benefits while absent and upon return of service.

However, as the Employment Advisory blog points out about a recent 11th Circuit decision involving USERRA, the rights of the military service members do have their limits.

Employers are required to provide notice to persons entitled to the rights and benefits under USERRA.  In Iowa you can find information on how to obtain your USERRA poster by going to the Iowa Workforce Development Web site.

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I generally recommend that new business clients visit with their accountant before deciding which type of business entity to form.  Even if I were to make my recommendation it is helpful to get the advice of the professional who will actually being doing the taxes. 

I saw a good post today on some of the potential tax considerations you should consider before you form a C corporation.  It's not a lemon of a post (you'll see why).  Please check out Joe Kristan's post on IowaBiz.com for more information. 

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Sixteen-year-old racing phenom Joey Logano accomplished what Jimmie Johnson could not this past weekend.  He raced past the reigning 2007 Daytona 500 Kevin Harvick to win the NASCAR Grand National Featherlite Coaches 200.  Harvick earned a $1 million payday Saturday night, winning the Nextel All-Star Challenge but didn't have enough left to hold off the young Logano.

The largest crowd in Iowa Speedway history - estimated paid attendance 24,741 -witnessed terrific side-by-side racing as Logano and Harvick changed the lead 15 times during the race.

The only people happier than Logano had to be the Iowa Speedway management and Rusty Wallace.  Harvick had lots of great things to say about the track despite the loss.  His most encouraging comments came when he said the Speedway would be a great facility for the Craftsman Trucks and Busch Series.  The Nextel Cup series schedule is a little full but overall Harvick's comments had to be music to Newton's ears. 

With nearly 25,000 attending a Busch Grand National race it ought to be an awesome crowd for the upcoming Indy Racing League.  Not sure if any tax breaks were involved with the Speedway (a little dig Joe) but it sure is great to see that kind of development in Iowa and the enthusiasm exhibited by the fans.  It was great fun and I highly recommend you grab a seat for the upcoming Indy race on June 24th.  Even if you are not a big race fan it is sure to be a great time. 

For more on the action last Sunday check out Doug Mitchell's post on Moments of Clarity.

P.S. That's me in the green shirt behind as Harvick gets into his car before the race.  Thanks to Dave Slinker for the pictures.  Dave and I reported for the Iowa Sports Connection about the race.

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Many employers today are conducting do-it-yourself background checks by surfing search engines and other social network sites such as Faceboook and MySpace.  I have discussed the risks and liabilities of utilizing such background checks in the past.

Another reason to be careful before using search engines or social network sites is "cyber slamming".  It occurs when defamatory statements are made about individuals on the Internet.  The Internet is full of sites and chat rooms where anyone can make postings.  Some of these may be anonymous comments that are not reliable.

Recently I was contacted by a prospective client who complained someone was writing defamatory and damaging comments about them on the Internet.  While a lawsuit is a consideration another option may be a service from ReputationDefender which attempts to remove such harmful comments for a fee and also provides monitoring services for clients.

I also suggest you follow this tip from Susan Cartier Liebel:

The same way  you check your credit report on an annual basis, Google your name and your company's name on a weekly basis to see if there is any information circulating that you find is potentially threatening to you.  You must stay proactive and aggresively stamp out any malicious virus threatening to infect and destroy your good name on the internet.   

Like so many things from a legal prospective, protecting your reputation on the Internet requires you to be proactive.

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The Better Business Bureau warns businesses across the U.S. and Canada of a spoofing scam using the BBB name and a false BBB email address to entice recipients to access potentially damaging hyperlinks. 

The most recent e-mail has a false return address of consumer-complaints@bbb.org and a phishing hyperlink citing a BBB complaint case number, for example, "DOCUMENTS FOR CASE #BBA749BED0". These links actually direct access to a subdirectory of the hacked firm's website where users are asked to download documents related to the complaint. The download is actually an executable file that is believed to be some form of a computer virus.

All recipients are advised that any e-mail from the consumer-complaints@bbb.org address is not coming from any BBB and should be considered counterfeit. The BBB strongly encourages recipients of any such message to delete the message immediately without clicking on the "DOCUMENTS FOR CASE" links.

So be careful and delete any such messages.  If you receive a complaint from the Better Business Bureau you will generally be notified by letter and you will have some advance warning of the complaint.

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Most small businesses will enter into a contract or business deal from time to time.  Some agreements may be simple while others may require the skills of a contract or business attorney.  In either case, you will want to feel comfortable that you have negotiated your best deal possible.  The following are five basic suggestions for negotiating the best terms for your next business contract:

1. Set out your goals before you start.  The process of writing down your goals in the negotiation helps you clarify what you intend to do, understand the importance of significant issues, and commit yourself to making it happen.
2. Do your homework.  You should know the law, relevant facts and figures.
3. Decide what you really need and what areas are "throw aways".  Be prepared to trade something to get something important to you. 
4. Build trust and listen to the other party.  A recent post from Brett Rogers sets out the importance of listening.  You learn far more in a negotiation from listening than you do from talking.
5. Manage your emotions.  Resolutions rarely occur when parties lose their temper or become irrational.   

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Mike Sansone pointed out a great new small business resource today in his post on IowaBiz.com.  Small Business Link is a new offering from the Wall Street Journal Online.  Each month the Small Business Link will focus on one particular issue facing small business owners.  From there, readers will be able to participate in conversations with others, including the people featured, on the various topics.

The first month featured Employee Benefits and this month's feature is IT Outsourcing.

Be sure to check this resource out.  It looks to be very helpful.  Thanks to Mike for the great find.

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In my last post on franchising I discussed some available franchise due diligence resources for prospective franchisees.  And while I know due diligence is critical before buying a franchise, I cannot help but remember an email I received from a non-client franchisee in response to a different franchise due diligence post I wrote after the Franchise 500 issue of Entrepreneur hit the news stands:

The most difficult information to obtain and verify is franchisee profitability.  The profitability of the franchisor and the franchisees is not always related.  Sometimes those selling franchises make money while the franchisees do not.  And it is not always due to lack of due diligence on the part of the franchisee.  It may be because of inaccurate information supplied by the seller or franchise support that was promised but never delivered.

The reality is that franchisors are required to make only limited disclosures about profitability and many will make no earnings claims of any type.  The number one reason listed to not buy a franchise according to Nolo is questionable profitability.  So what is a prospective franchisee to do?

Franchise lawyer Richard Solomon of Houston, Texas says you should consider conducting the ulitimate due diligence by going to work for someone in that franchise business for a year.  In buying your franchise you may be asked to make a substantial investment of $150,000 to $1 million.  Solomon believes that even if you made minimum wage for a year you will be much better off than risking your liquidity on an investment you know a lot less about because you were in a hurry. 

Risk is inherent in any business venture.  You are taking a chance and a leap of faith.  But actually working in a franchise business before you buy would allow you to find out whether you want to stake your life savings on the opportunity.  Taking a chance with maximum information is not random chance but a calculated risk - and that could make all the difference.

*I originally wrote this post forthe Iowa business law section of IowaBiz.com.

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Earlier this week Larry McLellan and I spoke to a group of clients concerning employment law.  Larry gave a fascinating talk on conflict in the workplace.  I took two main things away from Larry's talk.  First, not all conflict is negative.  There can be constructive conflict in the workplace.  Second, people who have good conflict management skills spend less time dealing with unproductive conflict.  Employees who are trained in conflict management can manage conflict so that it creates positive results instead of tension and stress.  And this is important because unproductive conflict in the workplace often leads to litigation.

Well, a cure for workplace conflict may just be a new book written by Timothy Johnson called GUST - The "Tale" Wind of Office Politics.  Like Larry suggests, Timothy shows us that office politics are not necessarily negative.  The key, however, is identifying the strategies to deal with the various office politicians including the Snake, Ostrich and Bear.  What are those strategies?  Well, I strongly suggest you buy the book.  It is a business fable and a quick read.  I know it can help you develop skills to spend less time dealing with unproductive conflict in the workplace and to create positive results.  It is available on Amazon.com. 

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The continued success of the Central Iowa Bloggers continues to amaze me.  This week both Timothy Johnson of Carpe Factum and Matt and Nathan Owen of U.S. Rodeo Supply were featured in Des Moines Register articles.  That means, according to my recollection, at least 11 Central Iowa Bloggers have been featured in either the Des Moines Register or The Business Record over the last six months.  An amazing feat indeed.

Of course it is one thing to gain publicity but many skeptics ask do you actually get hired because of your blog?  Recently a new client told me that he loved the fact I had a blog.  He said it was helpful to read information on topics of interest before he made the decision to call a lawyer.  He told me the blog helped convinced him that I was an authority on the subject while other lawyers he researched did not make the same showing.  And if you wonder about the quality of clients you attract, experience has told me these clients are well-educated and successful.  The client referenced here runs a multi-million dollar company.  Many of the other clients who have contacted me because of the blog are transitioning from a corporate career to an entrepreneurial career.  These people are using the Internet (and specifically blogs) as a search tool for finding a business lawyer. 

It always nice to get high rankings and accolades but nothing beats making a positive impact and helping prospective or current clients.  The lawyers I know who are successful bloggers have a deep devotion to assisting the public and are willing to give before they receive.  It helps to reach out to other lawyers and assist them in promoting their blogs and providing additional resources for your prospective or current clients.  I think some lawyers worry that if you send the reader to another site they will never come back.  To the contrary, my theory is that if you act as a resource hub for your readers they will come back again and again and again.  Be sure to link out to other lawyers.  Acknowledging others for their work is a great way to see your law blog grow.

One other thing:  my experience tells me you don't have to be flamboyant or catchy.  What people really want is information!  The most basic posts on this blog are by far the most popular.   

If you are a lawyer in the Midwest interested in finding out more about law blogs and other legal technology issues you do not want to miss an upcoming seminar Brett Trout and I have planned for July.  We should have the date confirmed by early next week and we anticipate one of the world's most prolific law bloggers will be on hand to present. No, I don't mean Brett - although having the guy who has the sixth best law blog in the world present at your seminar isn't too shabby.  Stay tuned for our announcement on LAWpportunities next week for the exciting news. 

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Are you interested in a business franchise opportunity?  It seems as though more and more Iowans are choosing franchises as an option rather than starting businesses on their own.  It is extremely to important to conduct due diligence and check out franchisors thoroughly. 

Inc.com has an excellent Guide on Buying a Franchise.  Topics covered include:

• Information to Secure from a Franchisor;
• Franchise Site Evaluation Form;
• 10 Common Mistakes of Prospective Franchisees;

and much more.

You should also check out my podcast with Joe Cooney of Frannet which covers some basics of buying a franchise.  Joe also has a list of questions to ask franchisors.  But remember, when conducting franchise due diligence there is no substitute for digging in and working hard.  Above all, always interview as many franchisees as possible to get a better sense of how the franchisees themselves are performing.   

* I originally wrote this post for IowaBiz.com.

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Every blogger should take a look at the post "12 Important U.S. Laws Every Blogger Should Know" on the Directory Aviva.  (Thanks to Liz Strauss for pointing out her "Great Find").  Overall, it is an excellent post and I wish the author was disclosed.  I particularly like the "How to Stay Out of Trouble" section of each post.  However, I have a few comments about No. 10 - Limited Liability Laws and Incorporating since that is one of my main areas of legal practice.

Here's how the post says to stay out of trouble and my comments about each:

1.  Never mix your company funds and your personal funds if you want to preserve your limited liability protection. 

My response:  So true.  Business owners always need to make sure to keep their company funds and personal funds separate.  It is important to set up a company bank account and do not pay your personal bills and other personal expenses directly from your company account.  And you also need to watch personal guarantees which are often required of new business owners for loans and other expenditures.  You also should use your LLC or corporate name on all documentation and sign any documents using your name and title, i.e. "John Smith, Member or John Smith, President".  This helps make it clear you are acting in a company capacity as opposed to an individual capacity.  Also if you form an LLC or corporation for an existing business be sure to assign any contracts to the new business entity.  You will also want to follow your state corporate or LLC formalities along with drafting minutes of director, shareholder or member meetings.  Articles of interest on this site may include:

• How to Maintain Corporate Status and Maintain Limited Liability;
• Corporate Minutes Help Maintain Limited Liability Shield;
• Exceptions to Limited Liability for Corporations and Limited Liability Companies.

2. Always form an LLC rather than a corporation (Inc.) unless there are very specific reasons which apply to your unique case.

My response:  Small businesses may indeed benefit from forming an LLC because in general that form of business entity may have less formalties than the corporate form of business.  But it is important to realize that each business person may have different circumstances and therefore one entity may be better than the other for that individual.  I believe it is a bit of an overstatement to say that the formation of an LLC is the way to go for almost every single blogger.  In many instances, the S corporation form of business may be a better way to go.  Further, the decision does vary greatly on state laws.  Some states may not even allow single member LLCs.  Getting the advice of a small business lawyer and accountant is key in making the decision on which entity to form.  Articles of interest on this site may include:

• Limited Liability Company (LLC) Formation in Iowa;
• Small Business Incorporation in Iowa;
• Sole Owner:  What type of business entity should I form?

3.  Consider the state you form your LLC in determines the law and to some degree the state taxes that apply to your company.  The vast majority of LLC's are formed in Delaware or Nevada because of the strong legal entity caselaw in those states which tends to favor companies over individuals in lawsuits, but at a minimum creates a set of clear laws for companies to use if something goes wrong.

My response:  Many Iowa entrepreneurs have asked me where they should incorporate or form their LLC.  The question used to surprise me but given the number of advertisements on the Internet touting Delaware and Nevada corporations and LLCs, it is no longer a surprising question.  But in general, most small businesses will likely want to incorporate or form an LLC in their home state for a variety of reasons including convenience and cost savings.  Articles of interest on this site include:

• Where should you incorporate your Iowa small business?
• Iowa Ranks 4th in Judicial Fairness;
• Iowa is Not a Litigious State.

Overall, I believe the Directoy Aviva post is helpful but I do recommend you get the advice of a business lawyer and accountant before you make a decision on which type of business entity to form and where to form it.  The article warned about the application of unique circumstances and those just might apply to you.  It is best to be fully informed before you move ahead.   

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In October of 2006 I posted about an Iowa Association of Business and Industry survey regarding how Iowa business leaders perceived the legal climate in Iowa.  The survey stated that many business leaders are dissatisfied with Iowa's legal climate and believe it is costing the state jobs because of competition with other states.

That survey seemed to contradict the U.S. Chamber of Commerce survey which said Iowa ranks fourth in the country for judicial fairness.  Iowa has ranked in the top five for each of the last four years. 

So, which is it?  Well, we may have the answer.  Jim Carney, Legislative Counsel for the Iowa State Bar Association, says that Iowa's civil trials are on a downward trend.  In the latest addition of the Iowa Lawyer Carney pointed out that there has been a 17.5 percent reduction over the last five years in civil jury trials relating to tort law.  Moreover, the number of civil jury trials in Iowa continues on a downward trend.  There were a total of 262 civil jury trial in the entire state during 2006.  But even more important Carney says is the fact there has been a 44 percent decline in the total number of jury trials (civil and criminal) from 1994 to 2006.  In 2006, 37 counties in Iowa reported no civil jury trials while 21 counties reported one civil jury trial, 18 counties reported two and 7 counties reported three civil jury trials.  All in all, an astonishing 83 counties reported three or less civil jury trials.

Why the downward trend?  One of the major reasons for the decrease in civil jury trials is the increased use of mediation as an alternative to taking cases to court.  Overall, my experience with business clients leads me to believe that Iowa's judicial system is just as good as any state.  There are always ways to improve our Iowa's business climate but it just doesn't appear the facts support the notion that Iowa's legal system is a problem.   

*This was originally written by me for IowaBiz.com.

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Ordinarily people say only two things are certain - death and taxes.  Well, there is one other thing.  If I schedule a baseball practice for my little league teams it will rain.

But it's also raining law blogs in Iowa.  The law firm of Huber Book Cortese Happe and Lanz has four new law blogs in their infancy including:

• Richard Book's Workers' Compensation and Employment Law Blog;
• Lanz' Law by Jeff Lanz;
• Bill's Legal Cite by Bill Grell;
• Law Notes by Joe Happe.

Another blog includes the personal injury and workers' compensation blog by Corey Walker on his impressive injurediowan.com Web site.  And you'll notice that rather than feature corn stalks Corey has decided to emphasize the mountain range somewhere around Newton.  (If that were only the view from the Iowa Speedway).  But seriously it looks like Corey will have valuable information for injured iowans on his blog in addition to the special reports he features on his site.

Barb Diment has also just started her law blog.  She will focus on personal injury and workers' compensation as well.  It's nice to see Barb isn't afraid to give kudos to other lawyers as her intial post congratulates Roxanne Conlin on her big settlement with Microsoft.

Good luck to all these new Iowa law bloggers.  I hope you will reach out and join the conversation with other law bloggers out there.  Also, stay tuned for an upcoming law blog and technology seminar through Lawpportunities.  It would be great to see everyone there.  We expect to schedule it in July.

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Brett Rogers of Beat Canvas had an angry post entitled "What is Wrong with America".  Brett is disgusted with a justice system that allows a lawyer (and administrative law judge) to sue his dry cleaner for $67 million in damages for a lost pair of pants.

It's cases like this one that upset people and tarnish the image of lawyers and the justice system.  I predict justice will ultimately prevail but it is unfortunate our system is often clogged up with cases of this nature.  For example, last year I blogged about a man that sued Michael Jordan for $832 million because he was constantly mistaken for his Airness.  (The case was ultimately dismissed and it was reported no money was paid).

And although these cases are considered by many as outrageous it is important to point out that neither plaintiff had a lawyer to represent them.  Moreover, I take issue with some of the commentary on Brett's post which lumps the famous McDonald's coffee case in the same category.  Sadly, there are many misconceptions about that case.  If you are interested in reading facts about the McDonald's case you might want to check out this site.  You might actually think McDonald's got what it deserved if you know the facts.  We know the jury who heard all the facts sure did.

It sure is helpful to see how many view our justice system.  I'll remember a lot of the commentary in preparation for my next trial.

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Today is the official launch of Iowabiz.com--a content rich, very focused site with amazing Iowa business bloggers all focused on helping your business grow.  The site is sponsored by Professional Solutions Insurance Services.

I am excited to be a part of Iowabiz.com as a contributing author.  The other authors include:

• Adam Steen - Networking
• Brett Trout - Intellectual Property Law
• Brian Honnold - Insurance
• Drew McLellan - Marketing / Branding
• Joe Kristan - Accounting / Finance
• Mike Sansone - Social / Viral Media
• Mitch Matthews - Life/Work Balance
• Shirley Poertner - Human Resources / Leadership
• Timothy Johnson - Project Management
• Tom Vander Well - Call Center / Customer Service
• Victor Aspengren - ESOP / Company Culture

So be sure to add Iowabiz.com to your blogrolls and feed readers. 

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