Bike Night, Twin Peaks and Franchise Agreements
The recent violence at a Waco, Texas restaurant has called into question the rights and responsibilities of franchisees and franchisors. On May 15th, during a so-called “Bike Night” at the [...]
Mediation: What is It and When Should it be Utilized?
95% of cases settle before trial. Within the past couple of decades, there has been a huge push within the legal profession to facilitate settlement through Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). [...]
Why Should We Care about Delaware?
What’s the big deal with the state of Delaware? It’s the smallest state in the union, and it’s ranked #45 in population with under a million residents. But it’s oversize [...]
The EPA Clean Water Rule: a Work in Progress
The Environmental Protection Agency has drafted and published the Clean Water Rule. The EPA has already presented it to community stakeholders and held public comment meetings. Now the Rule has [...]
The Summer Internship: Education, not Employment
Exams are ending (have already ended at UM and MSU), students are moving out, and the season of the summer internships is upon us. Internships allow young people the opportunity [...]
Commercial Landlord’s Headache: When Your Tenant Files Bankruptcy
Several large companies and small local concerns have filed bankruptcy. How does this affect their commercial leases, including their current and future rental payments? Before we give some general advice, [...]
New Michigan laws governing non-profit corporations
There are new laws on the books in Michigan, which may have a significant impact in the governance and operation of non-profit organizations. These laws, known as Public Acts 557, [...]
Dawda Mann Breakfast: Stage for Ford’s Hinrichs Presentation
Media from the automotive industry reported about Joe Hinrichs' presentation at the Dawda Mann Automotive Industry breakfast. "Without divulging the future, we're very excited about the Continental name," says [...]
IRS Commissioner Talks About Ramifications of IRS Staff Reductions
Just a week prior to April 15th, also known as “Tax Day”, John A. Koskinen, the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service spoke at the gathering of the Urban-Brookings Tax [...]
It’s Not so Easy to Say “You’re Fired”
It is the situation that business owners and HR personnel dread: when it’s time to let an employee go. They simply aren’t fulfilling their job responsibilities and/or they are having [...]
Tax Issues for Divorced Parents with Dependent Children
Getting divorced can be a complicated process. But, the complications are not necessarily over when the judge formalizes a divorce decree. Tax season is another one of those complicated times [...]
Funerals and Tax Forms: Estate Planning Issues for Surviving Spouses
Going through the grief process is not the only difficult work that has to be done after the death of a spouse. Indeed, following this significant loss, handling the estate [...]
Michigan Business Courts: A New Approach to Litigation
Business litigation is changing in Michigan. Public Act 333 officially requires Michigan circuit courts that have three or more judges to establish specialized business court dockets. Those courts with less [...]
Don’t Let Your Drafting be Drafty
In my experience most attorneys fancy themselves as capable, even good, writers. Sadly, in my experience, many of them are wrong (or, at least, they don’t have or don’t spend [...]
Real Property Tax Appeals: What You Need to Know
Municipalities are sending out notices of real property tax assessments for 2015. For residential properties, there are very tight time frames for appeals to your local Board of Review (usually [...]
Does Law School Need to Change?
Are there changes afoot in law school education? Most assuredly. Law school enrollment is down dramatically. Administrators of law schools and firms that recruit a large number of the newly [...]
Is Relief on the Way for the FAA’s Outdated Drone Rules?
The word "drone" usually conjures up images of large unmanned planes hammering terrorists in their redoubts in Afghanistan. However, most drones are much smaller (and more benign) than that; in [...]
Protecting Your Vacant Commercial Property
Owners of vacant commercial real estate have two major issues on their hands. First, they are often interested in selling their property, if it is economically feasible. The second issue [...]
Environmental Concerns Flow from the Pacific Northwest to Michigan: Brake Pads and Pacific Salmon
Compare the two brake pads. Copper flecks are visible in the upper one. Photo courtesy of Washington Dept. of Ecology Environmental concerns are rarely local anymore. This is certainly the [...]
Banking Funds Garnishment Ruling
Good news for our banking clients: We recently secured a favorable opinion when the Court of Appeals found that the placing of funds in a bank account as a trustee [...]
