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Urban Outfitters Inc., which owns the Anthropologie line of stores, is being sued in federal court for requesting customer ZIP codes in violation of the District of Columbia’s consumer protection laws. According to the complaint, which was filed last week and obtained by the Blog of LegalTimes, Urban Outfitters and Anthropologie have been asking customers for ZIP codes in a way that misrepresented the company’s ultimate purpose. Urban Outfitters had allegedly been requesting customer ZIP codes, implying that it was necessary to complete any credit card transaction....

When it comes to urban businesses, the fight to provide customer parking is often fraught with local, state, and federal restrictions and requirements, not to mention local politics. However, businesses can learn a lesson from a small business in Albuquerque that ignored the permitting process and just painted the curb in front of their door to designate a loading zone. In most locales, there are specific rules and regulations as to when a curb can be painted to designate a specific type of parking, or prohibition against parking....

Congress has subpoenaed the gatecrashers who attended the White House dinner to appear on Capitol Hill about the security breach. But Michaele and Tareq Salahi say you won’t hear a peep out of them. The alleged gatecrashers plan to invoke their Fifth Amendment rights and refuse to testify, the Associated Press reports. The Homeland Security Committee voted to subpoena the couple to testify to answer questions about the Nov. 24 incident....

With inclement winter weather comes increased odds of being involved in a multiple-vehicle chain-reaction crash. A winter storm that created whiteout conditions and icy roadways led to one such chain-reaction pileup in Michigan last week. The crash involved a total of 193 vehicles, reports the Lansing State Journal, causing the death of a truck driver and more than two dozen injuries. What should drivers know about these wild winter wrecks? Here are five legal considerations:...

Just about everyone would like to sample something before they buy it. We try on clothes and shoes before purchasing, get sips of wine before assenting to the whole bottle, and hear snippets of music before downloading an entire song or album. It’s no surprise that we’d like to try on our makeup before we buy it as well. What else could account for the ubiquitous free samples at makeup counters in malls and stores nationwide?...

Unless you’re a high-tech guru or run a business that’s focused on technology, it’s easy to make some high-tech mistakes that can come back to haunt you. There’s no way to ignore technology since it’s central to almost every aspect of running a company. Connecting with customers, dealing with sales and inventory, and organizing paperwork all rely at least in part on computers and mobile devices. You don’t have to be a master of all technology....

The holidays are right around the corner. Most small business owners, especially those in retail, depend on the holiday shopping season to meet their year-end goals. However, while a small business may have a solid team of workers for 11 months a year, the time from Thanksgiving to Christmas often requires adding seasonal or temporary workers to the team. If your business is considering hiring seasonal or temporary workers, the following 5 tips will help you figure out what to do....

The Trump administration continues to talk tough on immigration. And while some of the administration’s immigration reform initiatives have been met with legal setbacks, immigration enforcement officers have been aggressive in arresting, detaining, and deporting those who have entered the country unlawfully. The next step, announced by Attorney General Jeff Sessions this week, is a so-called “zero-tolerance policy” for illegal entry into the United States. “To those who wish to challenge the Trump Administration’s commitment to public safety, national security, and the rule of law,” Sessions said, “I warn you: illegally entering this country will not be rewarded, but will instead be met with the full prosecutorial powers of the Department of Justice....

A New York clothing store worker who was repeatedly bullied by a security guard was awarded $4.7 million by a federal court jury earlier this month. In his lawsuit for assault, infliction of emotional distress, and negligent hiring against the owner of the Pretty Girl clothing store where he works in the stock room, Osama Saleh alleged that the store’s security guard punched him in the face and repeatedly called him “bin Laden....

As many small businesses in California know first hand, the state recently began paying some vendors with IOUs not payable until October. Some, however, need the cash sooner rather than later. Certain banks have agreed to accept them from customers for a short window of time. With fears that IOU sales would explode into a secondary market, the state has set out rules on selling them. Last week, we discussed the California IOUs being issued to businesses, individuals and county agencies....

As we’ve learned from the Bill Cosby allegations, sometimes a district attorney declines to bring charges against accused rapists. Or if they do, it could be 10 years later. And even if a rapist is charged, convicted, and goes to jail, a victim may not be compensated for his or her trauma, pain, or suffering. So can rape victims sue their rapists in civil court? Intentional Torts There is a class of civil lawsuits that cover intentionally inflicted injuries, both physical and mental....

Airbnb may be disrupting the hotel/short-term rental market, but it’s also disrupting a few ideas about injury liability. And after Zak Stone’s story about his dad being fatally injured at an Airbnb rental, it’s only natural to wonder who’s responsible if someone is injured or killed in an Airbnb. The law is pretty clear when it comes to premises liability and the duty owed by property owners to visitors on the property....

Whether you want to hand out flyers promoting your favorite political platform or your latest business venture, you may be wondering if you need to get a permit first. (Or you may be wondering if the person hassling you with a flyer needed or got a permit to do so.) After all, there are all sorts of ordinances regulating posting ads and flyers on poles and street signs, so wouldn’t the same be true of handing out coupons and leaflets?...

With half of all marriages ending in divorce, the child support payment has become a staple of American life. Unfortunately, the recession may be calling into question your ability to pay yours. If this is the case, you’re probably wondering how to lower child support payments to meet your recession-time income. Well, here’s how. Generally speaking, a child support payment is calculated in consideration of a child’s financial needs and both parents’ income....

It all depends. That’s the standard and most honest answer for just about every legal question, and nowhere is it more true than when it comes to injury settlements. The severity of the injury claim, the time passed since the injury, and the forum for settlement negotiations are just some of the myriad factors contributing to the time it will take for a settlement to be finalized. Besides, both parties must first decide they want to settle, as well as the exact amount of the settlement and any other liability agreements....

You’re hurt and out of work, so who should compensate you? While they both aim to provide income for people too hurt to work, workers’ compensation insurance and Social Security disability insurance (SSDI) function a little bit differently. So if your workers’ compensation claim is denied, can you receive SSDI benefits instead? The answer may depend on if you’re filing for benefits from the state or federal government. Where Were You Hurt?...

Despite the fact that more and more states are passing laws to legalize marijuana for both medical and recreational use, there are numerous legal obstacles that marijuana businesses face. At the outset, all marijuana businesses operate with the fear of federal prosecution. While individual states may have legal marijuana, the federal government still regards it as a Schedule I narcotic drug, and considers the sale, use, and possession to be illegal....

We here at FindLaw know that legal jargon can be confusing. We hear people misusing legal words and phrases all the time. So we’ve decided to help you better understand all the legal phrases tossed around on Law & Order. Here is a new educational series we like to call FindLaw’s Legalese 101. Today our topic is a phrase you hear a lot, though many people don’t really understand what it is all about: the grand jury system....

Lawmakers are proposing a new bill that would ban smoking in CA state parks. The bill aims to cut down on cigarette waste, limit exposure to secondhand smoke and prevent wildfires. If signed into law, it also would make California the first state to ban smoking throughout an entire park system, the Associated Press reports. If the bill passes, the smoking ban in California’s state parks would be one of the most far reaching in the country....

Many businesses offer paid sick leave to their employees, but not all businesses can afford to. However, a growing number of states and cities are making paid sick leave a required cost of doing business within their borders. Portland, Maine has become the latest city to do so, with a new ordinance receiving some fierce support and opposition before the city council. The Proposed Ordinance Portland’s mandatory sick leave ordinance would force employers to give their full-time, part-time, and seasonal employees one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked (for a total of 48 hours per year)....