I am frequently involved with the purchase and/or sale of a business. Often the purchaser discovers the business through a business broker. In the Des Moines area, it seems as though several of the business brokers convince prospective buyers to make an offer before seeking legal advice or reviewing the basic terms before the offer is signed. (i.e. price, financing terms
Iowa LLC Law has Key Changes
In his new blog, Marc Ward of the Dickinson Law Firm, sets out some key changes to the new Iowa LLC Act. One important issue to remember is that by default under the current law, Iowa LLCs are member managed unless unless the articles of organization or the operating agreement provides for management by manager(s).
Writing the Better Contract from Anita Campbell- Part II
Former general counsel and small business owner, Anita Campbell, offers sage advice in her post on the Build a Solo Practice Blog about how to write a better contract . What is the better contract in Anita’s view?
- First and foremost, the better contract protects the client.
- The better contract is written in plain
How to Write Contracts for Business People
Anita Campbell of Small Business Trends shares her thoughts about how to avoid the contract from hell on the Build a Solo Practice site.
As a former general counsel and now a small business owner, Anita has been on both sides of the fence when it comes to contracts. According to Anita, here are some things
Notify Insurers Immediately About Claims
In a recent blog post, Daniel Schwartz of the Connecticut Employment Law Blog reminds employers just how important it is to notify insurers under their employment practices liability insurance.
This advice is not just critical in the employment context. It is vital for every type of insurance your business may have. If a claim
Overdocumentation in Employment Cases
In last week’s Tip of Week (yes, I am a little behind), John Phillips of the Word on Employment Law raises the interesting perspective that it is possible to overdocument in employment cases.
Some of John’s warnings on overdocumentation include:
- Documentation on trivial matters.
- Creating a paper trail right before an employee is terminated.
- Documenting
Take This One to the Bank: F-Bombs in Depo Are Bad Idea
The Dickinson Law Firm’s Iowa Banking Law Blog ignores its disclaimer and provides some legal advice:
It’s just another subprime market meltdown. One F-bomb is a mistake. Two might be forgiven. But 73? That’s gonna get you sanctioned every time.
Evaluate the Strength of a Franchisor
Are you considering a franchise business? Read this blog post on evaluating the strength of your franchisor before signing on from the First Prize Franchise blog.
Time and time again I see people invest their life savings into franchise operations. Some of these people achieve great results but others do not. There is no validity to
Electronic Workplace: Dangers & Pitfalls
Today I will present at the Central Iowa SHRM monthly meeting located at Copper Creek Golf Course on electronic workplace issues. The electronic workplace is all around us. Computers, voice mail, internet, intranet, e-mail, fax machines, laptops, PDAs, videoconferencing, social media, blogs and more are common features in the American workplace. The development of the
Pizza Hut: A Tough Employment Situation Any Way You Slice It
The Des Moines Register had an article about how support has poured in for a Pizza Hut Delivery driver that was suspended from work after he shot an alleged armed robber. The employee had a valid handgun permit but a Pizza Hut human resources representative indicated that employees are not allowed to carry guns "because we (Pizza