For over fifty years, the Sullivan & Ward law firm has represented rural electric cooperatives and generating electric cooperatives in the state of Iowa, as well as several electric cooperatives from across the country. Our attorneys, including John Ward and Michael Joynt, have gained national recognition for their expertise in the area of rural
Employers Use Google to Find Scoop on Employees and Applicants
Seattle, Washington lawyer D. Jill Pugh recently wrote an interesting blog post regarding the fact employers are increasingly using Google to find out information about employees and applicants. Employers are able to find out all kinds of information on the Internet including the sorts of information that are illegal to ask in an interview. (Such
Iowa Secretary of State Biennial Report Revocation Deadline
Iowa Secretary of State Biennial Report Revocation Deadline
If you have not filed your biennial report with the Iowa Secretary of State the revocation deadline is fast approaching. If you fail to comply with filing the report your Certificate of Authority to operate your business in Iowa will be revoked on August 7, 2006. This
Your (Law Firm) Management Sucks
Your (Law Firm) Management Sucks
I recently read Your Management Sucks by business consultant Mark Stevens. It’s a great book that I highly recommend. (It is the sequel to Your Marketing Sucks which I also recommend). In his latest book Stevens advises that you should declare war on your business management philosophy. Here is his
Rush on Business Included in the Taxonomy of Legal Blogs
Rush on Business Included in the Taxonomy of Legal Blogs
Rush on Business was recently included in the Taxonomy of Legal Blogs. This worthwhile and ambitious project is the creation of Ian Best who is a recent graduate from the Moritz College of Law at Ohio State University. Ian’s work was recently mentioned in
SIX QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER BEFORE FIRING EMPLOYEE
Six Questions to Consider Before Firing an Employee
You should consider the following in deciding whether to fire an employee:
1) Do you have documentation of the employee’s poor performance and/or poor behavior? What is in the employee’s personnel file? You should also conduct a thorough investigation of the events in question including the employee’s
REVIEW STUDY BEFORE PURCHASING AN IOWA FRANCHISE
Review Study Before Purchasing an Iowa Franchise
In our last blog post we discussed the fact that there is no longer any validity to claim that franchised businesses are less likely to fail than independent businesses. Now the International Franchise Association (IFA) President recommends that all potential franchisee review a comprehensive study profiling the franchise
No Validity to Claims that Franchised Businesses are Less Likely to Fail
I recently read an article in Trial Magazine entitled, "Litigating Fraud Claims for Franchisees" by lawyer Jeff Haff of Minneapolis. It is an excellent article. One of the more interesting points in that there is no validity to the claims that franchised businesses are less likely to fail than independent businesses. In fact, many franchisors
Iowa Corporate & Business Attorney to Write “The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Starting a Business in Iowa”
Iowa Corporate and Business Attorney to Write "The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Starting a Business in Iowa"
Des Moines,Iowa corporate and business attorney Rush Nigut is currently working on an online handbook entitled, "The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Starting a Business in Iowa". The handbook will appear on the Web site of Sullivan & Ward, P.C.(a
U.S. SUPREME COURT LIMITS WHISTLEBLOWER RIGHTS
U.S. SUPREME COURT LIMITS WHISTLEBLOWER RIGHTS
A recent United States Supreme Court ruling limits protections for government workers who blow the whistle on official misconduct. New Justice Samuel Alito cast the deciding vote in the 5-4 decision.
Critics have said the ruling silences millions of workers who fear retribution for reporting corrupution or problems with