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Even if you aren’t doing business online, it would be hard to find a business today that doesn’t rely on the Internet or exist on the web in some form. As such, cyber security is an increasing concern for businesses and individuals. The cost from a data loss could be high indeed and you do need to be paying attention to a number of security issues. Here are three simple tips, reported by CIO, to help you to ensure your business’s electronic safety....

Subleasing might be a good option if you need to move before your lease is up, but a few legal problems can potentially arise. Subleasing, or subletting, allows the current tenant to lease the property to another person, rather than having the subtenant lease directly with the landlord. But as the original tenant, you need to be careful. Here are five legal problems that commonly occur in subleasing situations: Need more legal help with subleasing your place?...

When an employee leaves your company there may be some significant “housekeeping” to do before the position can be filled again. And none of that includes telling the ex-employee not to let his or her rear end hit the door on the way out. Be professional and consider these five things you may want to do when an employee resigns or quits: Exit interviews can be a great way to gather useful information on how your company can better function in the future or how to reshape the position that is being vacated....

Are electronic wills valid? After all, even technophiles face the two certainties in life: birth and death. According to a judge in Ohio, yes, electronic wills are valid. But that’s not necessarily the case in all jurisdictions nationwide. A probate court in Ohio recently tackled this novel issue of law and ruled that a will, drafted on a Samsung Galaxy tablet, was valid under state law. Javier Castro was told by doctors that he needed a blood transfusion to survive his illness....

Nearly two years after the actual accident, another case stemming from a terrible traffic collision during the “El Tour de Tucson” bike race has been settled. Racer Gary Stuebe was one of the riders hit when an elderly driver collided with the bikers in November of 2008. Stuebe, who suffered a life threatening brain injury, has settled his suit for $3.5 million. The Arizona Daily Star reports the accident that hurt Stuebe and the others occurred on November 22, 2008, when William Wilson, then 91, made a turn which plowed his vehicle into 10 riders....

A customer’s stabbing is going to cost a Connecticut restaurant a pretty penny. A Boston Red Sox fan who was harassed and stabbed in the neck by a New York Yankees fan at a restaurant in 2010 has been awarded $4.3 million by a jury, reports The Associated Press. Red Sox fan Monte Freire, 45, suffered life-altering injuries, including a brain injury, a stroke, impaired speech and vision, and severe scarring....

No, you haven’t stepped into the world of Office Space. But we are going to talk employee flair. A few years back, employees at a Manhattan Starbucks filed a complaint against the company with the National Labor Relations Board over its flair policy. Employees, who were trying to unionize, were only permitted to wear one pro-union button less than 1-inch in diameter while on the clock. The NLRB deemed this an unfair labor practice, but now the Second Circuit has reversed....

Ryan Coleman, an Oregon construction worker, is suing his former employer, Dahled Up Construction, for firing him because he stopped attending the employer’s Bible study class. He is seeking $800,000 in damages. John Dahl, the company’s owner and founder, claims that he paid the employee for the hour of Bible study every week, and the employee was an at-will worker, so he doesn’t see the problem. At issue here is at-will employment vs....

An explosion at a Colorado fracking site has left one Halliburton employee dead and two seriously injured. According to the Los Angeles Times, on Thursday, a frozen pipe burst at the site near Fort Lupton, Colorado, as workers were attempting to warm it. Of the three reported casualties of the explosion, one died at the scene, while two others were hospitalized and are “expected to survive.” How might this explosion have happened, and who could potentially be held liable?...

A confession by Ronald Brisbon, Jr. has helped police close out five cold case homicides. Ronald Brisbon, Jr. recently plead guilty to the five killings in D.C. Superior Court, FOX reports. Bribson admitted that he took part in one murder over a dog and another murder he was involved in was to try and keep a woman from testifying in court. According to the police announcement, detectives linked Brisbon to these homicides:...

Security flaws in Internet Explorer have caused the Department of Homeland Security to recommend using alternative browsers. Microsoft decided to stop offering security updates for Windows XP users earlier this month, and those who haven’t upgraded will potentially be vulnerable to hackers when using Internet Explorer, even after the vulnerability is fixed, Reuters reports. Why does Homeland Security think Internet Explorer is so dangerous? The United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) issued a short but powerful message Monday: Stop using Internet Explorer until an official update is available....

Is social media going to replace labor unions? Will there be Facebook labor unions? Are the social media tools making unions and collective bargaining groups obsolete? It’s a conversation topic that is spreading, as people begin to contemplate what current systems will become obsolete in the future. Perhaps that means that large labor unions have always jumped the shark, and are no longer necessary. People no longer need unions in order to organize, writes Tom Hayes of The Huffington Post....

These days, it’s more convenient than ever to do all your holiday shopping online. What better day to start than on Cyber Monday, when sales are abundant and plentiful? Before you start getting click-happy, though, beware of online traps that may be set up for you this Cyber Monday. Here are seven simple cybersecurity tips to keep in mind: To learn more about protecting yourself while shopping online, check out FindLaw’s comprehensive section on Online Scams....

Whether a rite of passage or a violation of rights, hazing of any form usually comes loaded with controversy. Five members of the Needham high school soccer team in Massachusetts are being sidelined for some off-the-field antics that involved hazing two freshman members of the team. Specifically, the girls have been accused of blindfolding the freshman and dragging them across the soccer field with dog leashes, according to MSNBC. The Needham soccer players are suspended pending further investigation into the case....

There is an app for everything these days - including for your health. For patients everywhere, the use of healthcare apps creates the question: who will be held liable if an app is used, and an injury occurred? Would it be the app provider, the app marketplace, or the healthcare provider? It seems that all would be on the hook. “The reality in this day and age is that both the healthcare provider and the manufacturer/creator of the app or device will likely be sued if the use of an app or device leads to injury or death,” says J....

A class-action Hooters lawsuit settlement will bring an end to “indignities” suffered by the restaurant chain’s waitresses, an attorney for the workers says. The suit, filed in March 2010 in Sacramento, involved about 400 Hooters workers at the chain’s central California locations who claimed the company violated their rights as employees, KCRA-TV reports. Hooters is known for outfitting voluptuous waitresses in tight-fitting t-shirts. The workers alleged they weren’t allowed to take breaks as required by law, had to pay out-of-pocket for their uniforms, and were held financially responsible when customers bailed on paying their checks....

The news hit the Internet like a Grande Caramel Ribbon Crunch Creme Frappuccino Blended Creme: Starbucks is now offering its cold brewed coffee nationwide. (And they’re also raising their prices again, even though the cost of raw coffee beans is dropping.) This will be welcome news to some who have been burned, literally, by hot coffee in the past. With more chill options available this summer, let’s reminisce on some of the most (in)famous hot coffee lawsuits:...

Here’s a huge win for business taxpayers. Well, it’s a win for those involved in Son of Boss tax shelters. Generally, the IRS can’t audit your company for anything over three years back. Now, after the recent Supreme Court ruling, the IRS 3-year rule also applies to Son of Boss tax shelters. Son of Boss tax shelters have been a major source of IRS tax revenue. First, though, do you know what exactly a tax shelter is?...

Litigation may be a fact of life when you run a small business, but that doesn’t mean small business owners don’t want to avoid it as much as possible. The bad news is that the majority of the litigation risk comes from your own employees. The good news is that you can mitigate this risk with some common sense adjustments to your managerial style. Here’s how your company’s management culture can minimize your risk of employment litigation:...

Finding out your spouse cheated may have you thinking of taking revenge during your divorce proceedings. But does your soon-to-be ex’s infidelity matter when it comes to the divorce? And if so, how? These days, most states have “no fault” divorce laws, which allow spouses to divorce for any reason, regardless of fault. However, some states still recognize adultery as a legal ground for divorce, where your spouse’s affair could have an impact on your divorce....