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Last week, the US House of Representatives passed the Working Families Flexibility Act, sending the new proposed law to the Senate. This new law could have a significant impact on private businesses, small and large, as it restructures labor standards to allow more flexible overtime agreements. The proposed law would allow private employers to offer employees the opportunity to “bank” overtime hours for later use, rather than be paid for the overtime when it is earned....

Today is Election Day, and many of you may be stuck in an office wondering if you can take time off to vote. Time-off-to-vote laws are state-specific, and there is no federal requirement that employees must be allowed time off to cast a ballot. So if you live in a state without any time-off-to-vote laws, you may have no option but to cast an absentee ballot or request a leave of absence to vote....

The latest NHTSA report on truck accidents reveals the Top 10 states where large trucks were involved in fatal crashes. The data also shows that in some states, large trucks made up a significantly higher proportion of vehicles involved in fatal crashes than the national average. Of the 45,637 vehicles involved in fatal crashes on U.S. roadways in 2012 (the latest year for which statistics are available), 3,802 – or 8....

‘I am canceling the last administration’s completely one-sided deal with Cuba,’ President Donald Trump declared in June, announcing yet another rollback or rescission of Obama-era policies. And those new rules went into effect this week, banning Americans from doing business with 180 listed entities with ties to the Cuban military, intelligence, and security services, including over 80 hotels, stores, marinas, tourist agencies, and industries owned by the government or its subsidiaries....

In an injury lawsuit, the legal concept of strict liability may make a defendant liable regardless of whether it can be proved that he was at fault for causing the plaintiff’s injuries. Strict liability is most commonly found in lawsuits involving injuries caused by defective products. In a product liability case, a plaintiff typically asserts one or more legal theories (such as negligence, tortious misrepresentation, or breach of warranty) under which the manufacturer or seller of a product is liable for the plaintiff’s injuries; in addition to these theories, a plaintiff may also claim that a manufacturer should be strictly liable for injuries caused by a defective product....

You spent months looking for the right house at the right price. After making an offer, getting a counteroffer, accepting the offer, inspecting the house, and trying to get a loan, your bank tells you that you need to buy title insurance. What’s title insurance? Title Title is the designation of legal ownership. The person who has title of a house has ownership of it. A seller who doesn’t have title cannot sell the property....

When starting your own business, it’s important to figure out which business licenses and permits you need before you can legally open up shop. Although most businesses need a federal employer identification number for tax purposes, the number of required licenses and permits needed at the state and local level can seem daunting. So which types of business licenses or permits do new business owners need to have? More From This Series:...

Forget about weight loss and spending more time with your family. Those resolutions tend to fall by the wayside. But here’s one that won’t – and shouldn’t: Trademarking your logo. If you haven’t already trademarked your logo, doing so should be your top New Years’ resolution. It’s absolutely necessary, and if you put your mind to it, you can do it yourself. Every business should trademark its logo because it provides the highest form of protection ....

They say there’s an app for anything these days - and it looks like they’re right. Have you ever been in a car accident? There’s an app for that. Don’t remember what to do after an accident? There are apps that will help you with that too. It may seem strange but perhaps it was just an eventuality. Many Americans are addicted to their smartphones now and most people are bound to have their phones on hand when they’re driving....

After watching the events in Baltimore last week, or those in Ferguson last year, business owners can’t help but wonder if the same couldn’t happen to their downtown storefronts. And if so, will insurance cover the damage from riots and the loss of revenue from curfews? Let’s take a look at some common business insurance policies and see if you and your small business are covered. Riot Protection Most basic forms of small business property insurance will reimburse you for damage from riots and vandalism, including explosions and fire damage....

Minority-owned businesses may be entitled to government benefits and special programs, but not every business will qualify. And claiming to be a minority-owned business when you’re not is a terrible idea, as Moretech American Corporation has learned the hard way. Federal prosecutors allege Moretech passed off a shell company as a minority-owned firm in order to land a government contract; Moretech has agreed to pay $3 million to settle those claims, the New York Daily News reports....

Lawmakers have introduced a federal bill that would revoke the citizenship of people who provide support to terrorists. The proposal is in reaction to the Times Square car bomber suspect Faisal Shahzad, who is a Pakistani-born American. It also has set off set off much legal and political debate, according to the New York Times. The new federal bill would remove American citizenship from terrorists’ allies. The bipartisan legislation was introduced in both houses of Congress....

Guest post by Jennifer K. Halford, Esq. Independent contractors are very much in vogue these days. I recently attended a Women in Business Conference where I was asked by a small business owner if she should hire an independent contractor for her business. It occurred to me during our discussion that business owners generally understand the difference between employees and independent contractors. Failure to treat an independent contractor appropriately can have negative consequences for a business....

Sleepless nights, unwieldy cravings, dissatisfaction with other options… eating a burger from the famous west-coast chain that started in Southern California can leave you wanting more. But after visiting an In-N-Out Burger fast-food restaurant on the west-side you are warned from trying to appease your condition by replicating the experience where you live. In-N-Out takes trademark infringement seriously. And it’s not the first time that In-N-Out has sent back an order, it was also successful in a trademark infringement action against a Utah-based burger place, Chadders, for swiping its logo colors and secret menu....

It’s fodder for many jokes, but seriously speaking, is it legal to marry your cousin? The answer depends on where you live, and how closely related your cousin is. Some famous historical figures married their cousins. Outlaw Jesse James married his first cousin Zerelda. Scientist Albert Einstein married his second cousin Elsa. And several presidents married cousins of more distant relations. While some states allow these kinds of marriages, others do not....

Obviously you want to take good care of your employees, and sometimes that means giving them time away from the office. And as an employer, this can be a difficult balance to strike: you hired your employees for a reason – to work – but if they’re not happy, they won’t be working for you for long. For the most part, federal labor laws strike the balance for you – most workers are limited to 40 hours per week unless they’re paid overtime....

A Hurricane researcher is suing his former employer in a wrongful discharge lawsuit. He claims that his former employer pushed him out of his job because they didn’t like the findings of his research. Dr. Ivor van Heerden claims that Louisiana State University “engaged in illegal reprisal” against him while he was the deputy director of LSU’s Hurricane Center. He alleges that the reprisal was due to his critical research as well as his harsh testimony regarding the failure of the levees in New Orleans in 2005....

May 1 in the United States in officially recognized as Law Day. President Dwight D. Eisenhower established the day, saying, “In a very real sense, the world no longer has a choice between force and law. If civilization is to survive it must choose the rule of law.” In honor of Law Day, FindLaw surveyed 1,000 American adults, asking them to rank the most important civil liberties and rights, as enumerated in the U....

Washington State is poised to become the first state to legalize recreational pot use. On January 26, the Secretary of State certified Initiative 502, finding that supporters collected enough signatures to put the issue on the November ballot. Polls show that 48% of voters support the ballot measure, while only 45% oppose it. And if Washington doesn’t legalize recreational pot this November, Colorado may. Activists fell about 3,000 signatures short of a ballot measure, but have until February 21 to collect the rest....

The new TSA procedures have instilled an array of reaction in air travel passengers. Many are worried about airport body scanners radiation; other are upset about being felt up in the now infamous TSA pat downs. From pasties designed to block the screening to National Opt Out Day, passenger reactions to the enhanced pat-downs and screenings have been making as many headlines as the procedures themselves. Recently a man walked through Phoenix’s Sky Harbor airport with nothing but a Speedo on and “I Heart TSA” written on his back....