A Calmer Voice of Reason

A lot of attention has been paid in the media and industry regarding a new proposed law affecting breweries.  Given this, we thought a special, non-Tuesday blog post was warranted.  Jeff Glazer provides his opinion regarding this proposal.  So Jeff writing AND out on a Thursday – very special indeed! I know. Me? The calm … Read more

Don’t Skate Around Non-Competes

A covenant not to compete is a contract, and as a contract, it needs an offer, acceptance and consideration to be enforceable.  When presented at the offer of employment, as long as employment is conditioned upon signing, that is considered enough.  In Star Direct v. Dal Pra, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that employers may … Read more

Don’t Cross the Red Cross Trademark

Federal law prohibits anyone other than the American National Red Cross and “its duly authorized employees and agents and the sanitary and hospital authorities of the armed forces of the United States from using the Greek red cross on a white ground or the words ‘Red Cross’ or ‘Geneva Cross.’”  The law states that “[w]hoever wears … Read more

Courting Up The Line

Given this two different sets of laws we talked about last week, we have two separate court systems:  The federal system and the state system.  The federal courts interpret federal law; the state courts interpret their state’s laws.  State courts are not allowed to interpret federal law except as to how it impacts state law.  … Read more

Categories law

Giving 501(c)(3) Charitable Organizations Basics

Giving Tuesday was created as a vehicle to channel all of the good will and spending from the holiday season into charitable organizations.  A charitable organization are usually tax-exempt organizations under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and, thus called 501(c)(3)’s.  Organizations that are accepted by the IRS to be tax exempt under section … Read more

Play 100 Questions to Find Your Match

  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 Dancing Date at the City Clerk’s Office

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

Rock and Hard Place: Non-competes for new employers

Non-compete and non-solicitation provisions have been in my mind lately.  Almost like I had a presentation on them recently. Usually, I get asked by employees about the limitations placed on them and by employers how they can use this tool to be fair to employees and contractors but still protect the company’s assets.  A question … Read more

Who runs the world?

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

Location, Location, Location

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