In the running for the most asked question of 2016 is “How do I pick a good lawyer?” I have been asked this again and again by people. My best answer is “Ask questions!” First, ask people you trust: Who do you use? Do you like them? Do they listen to you? Are they … Read more
A stereotypical date night out includes dinner, drinks, and maybe dancing to a band. Turns out that is also a stereotypical list of licenses you need to get if you are starting a place where people will enjoy those behaviors. The license that I, at least, hear the least about is the Entertainment License. In … Read more
Turns out, it isn’t girls who run the world, but contracts that do. Sorry, Beyonce You can barely get through a week without agreeing to one whether it is getting a cell phone, signing up for a new social media account, or getting an oil change. The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory … Read more
In August, the Wisconsin Court of Appeals declared that non-solicitation provisions are restraints of trade and must be narrowly tailored as such as part of the case The Manitowoc Company v. Lanning. OK. So….what does that mean? First, it means that if the parties want to spend even more money, they can ask the Wisconsin … Read more
I have a friend who has completed multiple Ironman competitions (7 of them, I believe). For those not aware, an Ironman competition is a triathlon organized by the World Triathlon Corporation. It consists of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bicycle ride and a marathon 26.2-mile run, done in that order and without stopping. It is … Read more
Capital letters are special things. They mark the beginnings of sentences. They show proper nouns are distinct from other nouns. They help differentiate a title from a sentence and an acronym from a word. All sorts of magic! In contracts, they have an additional job: They show that a term is defined somewhere within that … Read more
One provision often found at the end of a contract discusses jurisdiction, venue, and choice of law. It is one of those paragraphs that you probably skipped over and maybe even called boilerplate. But, guess what, it could matter a whole lot if the parties get involved in a lawsuit. First, let’s talk about jurisdiction. … Read more
When signing a commercial lease, it is very important to know what is included as part of the rent payment and what additional payments may be due. Often tenants go into a lease negotiation with a belief that as long as they are paying their base rent, everything is covered. However, that may not be … Read more
Everyone needs someone that you can ask dumb questions and get good answers. One of those people for me is Ryan Waite at Neckerman Insurance. Whenever I have (or a client has) an insurance question, I know that I can call over there and get a good, full, and not dumb answer in a timely … Read more
Intellectual property tends to be a land of first come-first serve. Patents are only awarded to inventions that are new and non-obvious, which means your invention isn’t the logical next step based on what is already out in the world. Trademark protection looks at what marks potential customers have come into contact with in connection … Read more