As the end of the year fast approaches, our thoughts turn to holiday cheer and family fun! However, it is also important to think about a few simple pieces of annual corporate maintenance to protect you and your company. Two important and often overlooked items include filing the annual registration for your company and holding your annual meetings. (more…)
Starting in April of 2010, the Environmental Protection Agency will require contractors working on homes built before 1978, and all schools and buildings where kids spend time, to be certified in and use lead-safe practices. The primary concern with construction or remodeling in buildings with lead-based paint is lead dust. Therefore, the EPA will require contractors to wear protective clothing, work in wet and clean areas and take other safety precautions. You can find more information here at the EPA website.
We have all been there — shouting, grand-standing and lines in the sand. Unfortunately, when a negotiation turns hostile, the client suffers. A missed opportunity, dead deal, lost capital or worse. All can be results of negotiations gone bad. I have found that interest-based negotiation can often prevent hostile negotiations and even turn a hostile negotiation more productive.
Recently, a client was lamenting a situation where it sold a significant amount of product to a customer, only to learn weeks after delivery, the customer filed for bankruptcy. In today’s economy, this situation happens all the time.
If you find yourself in this position, or in any situation where a customer or supplier becomes involved in bankruptcy, you should quickly reach out to counsel for guidance and assistance. It turns out in the example above, there may be some interesting remedies provided under law if the supplier acts quickly and correctly. However, even waiting a few extra weeks can be detrimental to a claim.
Turn over a new leaf and become proactive rather than reactive when it comes to legal matters in your business. As they say, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”