What is the price to pay for wearing a Green Bay Packers tie to work in Chicago? For John Stone, the price was his job at Webb Chevrolet. Stone says he wore the tie to honor his late grandmother, who loved the Packers. Stone’s grandmother was buried on Friday. However, general manager Jerry Roberts ordered Stone to remove the tie or else he would be fired. Stone, believing that Roberts had to be joking, returned to work with the tie intact....
It takes courage to blow the whistle on fraud, but it can pay off for tipsters. The Securities and Exchange Commission rewards those who come forward with valuable tips and help with investigations of market malfeasance, and this program can be instructive to indiviudal businesses. In one week this month the agency announced three monetary awards totaling $10 million for whistleblowers. In a statement, the SEC explained why it pays so much and where the funds come from....
Bernie Madoff’s daughter-in-law wants out. Out of the Madoff name, that is. Stephanie Madoff wants her name, and the name of her two children, changed. On Wednesday, the wife of Bernie Madoff’s son, Mark Madoff, filed a petition for name change in a New York court. She is asking that she and her two children change their names from “Madoff” to “Morgan.” In many states, a name change petition is not necessary....
Michigan became the 19th state to ban texting while driving when Gov. Jennifer Granholm signed a new bill into law. Gov. Granholm signed the new bill on national television during a safe driving rally that was broadcasted on “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” the Detroit Free Press reports. The new law aims to promote better driving habits and reduce the number of accidents. Michigan now joins several other states and the District of Columbia that ban texting behind the wheel....
Homeowners generally have the right to defend themselves and their property in their own home. Specifically, the so-called “castle doctrine” says that a homeowner does not have a duty to retreat if they are in their home, though state laws may limit the amount of force allowed and require that an intruder be in the house to permit that force. Neither of these legal principles, however, apply to firing a 12-gauge Mossberg shotgun at a teenager who knocked on your door for directions to school....
New rules from the U.S. Department of Labor were announced on Thursday, July 15. These long anticipated regulations will affect the way advisors and brokers communicate to the sponsors of 401(k)s. Specifically, the new DOL rules, called 408(b)(2) rules, due to take effect in July 2011, require detailed statements about fees, services and some new requirements regarding possible conflict of interests. This is good news for sponsors of employee 401(k) plans....
It’s the new year, and new gay-rights laws are now in effect in a handful of states. Here’s a summary of the most significant changes. Civil Unions Hawaii and Delaware are now the seventh and eighth states to allow same-sex couples to tie the knot. A new Delaware law allows for same-sex civil unions with the same legal protections and benefits as marriage, USA Today reports. Delaware’s governor signed the bill in May, after both houses of the legislature approved the bill by more than a 2-to-1 margin....
A Maryland jury has awarded two women $1.6 million after they were severely injured in a 2005 stabbing attack that occurred at a Montgomery County Nordstrom. Jurors found that the high-end retailer failed to properly protect customers from the attacker despite their ability and responsibility to do so. Back in 2005, the day after Antoinette Starks was released from prison, she entered a nearby Nordstrom with four knives and, after threatening employees, started attacking shoppers....
The national battle over LGBT rights is heating up, with North Carolina’s newest law challenged by transgender activists in a lawsuit and Georgia’s governor announcing he’ll veto a controversial bill deemed discriminatory. The North Carolina law prevents localities from extending protections for sexual orientation and gender identity in service businesses. It was written in response to a Charlotte ordinance permitting people to use restrooms according to their gender identity. Meanwhile, Georgia House Bill 757 would have allowed for discrimination against the LGBT community by faith-based organizations....
The Nevada Supreme Court ruled in November that pharmacists may be liable for adverse reactions to drugs in some limited circumstances. The court said that they have the duty to warn customers of certain adverse effects when filling out prescriptions if they are aware of a customer-specific risk. The suit, filed against Walgreen Co., alleged that the drugstore fulfilled a prescription despite a computer notation that the customer, Helen Klasch, was allergic to the medication....
We’ve all had a bout of food poisoning at one point or another, and we usually just call in sick, curl up in bed, and wait for the worst of it to pass. But sometimes, the food contamination may not be limited to just a dish or two, and the health effects may be more severe. In that case, you may be thinking of filing a lawsuit against the food manufacturer, supplier, or restaurant....
According to the Las Vegas Sun, Sandra Murphy, who was made infamous for being accused of murdering casino mogul Ted Binion (Ms. Murphy’s ex-lover), has filed a lawsuit accusing Nevada of malicious prosecution and false imprisonment. Ms. Murphy and her lover Rick Tabish were convicted of the murder of Mr. Binion back in 2000. However, their convictions were overturned and a new trial was ordered in 2003. The new trial ended with an acquittal for the murder charges of Mr....
There are a handful of disruptive companies that have asked for forgiveness, rather than permission, when setting up a business. Classic examples are Airbnb, Uber, and Bird. Unsurprisingly, some particular lawyers have worked at all three! But is this really the best business model for success? That depends on your industry, investors, workers, and clients. Josephine, a company that hired home cooks to sell meals to neighborhood customers, ran into legal problems from the start....
As any small business owner knows, the world of small business is never boring. And 2014 was no different. From the Ferguson riots to breastfeeding “nurse-ins,” business owners were certainly faced with some new challenges in 2014. At the same time, business owners also continued to seek guidance on some of the more fundamental issues affected SMBs, such as managing employees, FMLA compliance, and customer rights. FindLaw’s Free Enterprise blog touched upon all these subjects and more in 2014....
Spring Break is almost upon us, and for some it may have already sprung. Whether it’s fun in the sun, partying on the slopes, or just a much needed spring cleaning, everyone could use a little spring time off. But while you’re maxin’ and/or relaxin’ on your Spring Break, don’t forget these 10 legal tips: Drink responsibly. Spring Break should be a time to cut loose, but public intoxication and DUI charges are also very real consequences of overdoing your drinking....
A class-action suit against Visa and MasterCard on credit card swipe fees has reached a settlement and it requires a large payout to merchants. The credit card giants will be paying about $6 billion to plaintiffs to settle claims that credit cards engaged in price fixing on swipe fees. The settlement also includes an eight-month reduction in swipe fees that represents $1.2 billion in savings for business owners. According to the settlement, merchants will be able to pass along the cost of credit card swipes to customers which Visa and MasterCard did not allow previously....
After weeks of dust, banging and clanking, and construction, you completed a brand new bathroom with a huge tub, two sinks, and heated tile floors for your customer. While the customer is luxuriating in his new comfort, he refuses to pay you! How do you get your money? Have you considered a mechanic’s lien? Here are three things you need to know about a mechanic’s lien: 1. What is it? A lien is a claim of right to property of another person to cover a debt....
Small businesses across the country are likely wondering whether or not they should be dropping American Express after the Supreme Court’s recent decision in the credit giant’s favor. If you care about the company’s share price, that might not be a smart move, but if you’re not invested, then it’s a bit different. That case centered on whether Amex’s standard practice of requiring retailers to not promote other cards, or steer shoppers to use other credit cards, like Discover or Visa, resulted in an antitrust violation for anti-competitive behavior....
When we think of wheelchairs, we may think about the added mobility and freedom they can provide to injured and disabled people. We don’t tend to consider the estimated 300,000 serious wheelchair-related accidents each year. When these tragic accidents occur, it can be hard to figure out who is responsible. Accidents with Other Vehicles Sadly, there have been too many recent stories about collisions between automobiles and wheelchairs, some of them fatal....
While going viral can be a boon for business, it can also lead to nightmarish PR disasters. Take for example the recent United Airlines scandal where a passenger was dragged off the plane. The incident made national news headlines for weeks and likely cost United quite a bit of business. Unfortunately, there was no scapegoat that United could point at to blame. But clearly, when an employee’s on-duty conduct causes a public scandal, an employer will be justified in issuing an immediate termination....
