When reading documents from your lawyer, you may find a number of legal terms that you do not recognize. Some of the legal terms you're most likely to encounter when involved in a legal dispute are: Mediation, Arbitration and Trial Mediation is an attempt to settle a legal dispute with the help of an impartial mediator (or referee), who tries [...]
You're angry. Your employer fired you, or your neighbor plays loud music every day, or you slipped walking into the grocery store. Should you sue? Maybe not. Before filing a lawsuit, there are a number of things you should think carefully about, including these risks. 1. No matter how good your case appears to be, you might lose. 2. Even [...]
This week, the US Supreme Court resolved a division among circuit courts as to whether a trademark license agreement remains in effect when a trademark owner files a bankruptcy petition and rejects the trademark license in accordance with the Bankruptcy Code. Section 365 of that code lets a debtor either assume or reject any "executory contract," which is a contract [...]
No longer limited to social media, hashtags seem to be everywhere. With this ubiquity come questions about whether hashtags can be protected from use by competitors, as well as whether a hashtag can subject a user to liability for trademark infringement. As you may already know, a hashtag is a word or a phrase preceded by a "hash mark," also [...]
Washington legislators have passed - and the governor is expected to sign - two new laws that employers and employees will both want to know about. Pay Equity If signed by the governor, effective July 29, 2019, employers will be prohibited from asking for prior salary history from applicants (including existing employees seeking promotions and transfers) and their current or [...]
Surveys show that while most small-business owners plan to sell their businesses to fund their retirement, few have written succession plans. Further, many of these businesses are operated in such a way that it will be difficult, if not impossible, to find a purchaser. While you might think succession planning is a concern only for older business owners, it's important [...]
Could you be liable for the infringing activities of your tenants? It may surprise you to learn that the answer is "yes." In a number of cases, commercial landlords have been held responsible for contributory trademark infringement. Although contributory trademark infringement is not specifically addressed in the federal trademark statutes, the US Supreme Court has endorsed this judicially created doctrine. [...]
Whether you're an employer or an employee, you'll want to be aware of your state's laws about when paychecks must be delivered and how payment can be legally made. It is especially important that you know the rules for final paychecks, because failure to comply with applicable laws may result in an employer being ordered to pay the former employee [...]
We frequently get questions from our clients about requests for payment of registration, publication or renewal fees for corporate, domain name and intellectual property filings. Requests may also be received for monitoring fees or the preparation of minutes. The scam requests typically look like invoices or letters, often containing false due dates or threats about loss of rights if you [...]
With the continued focus on sexual harassment brought about by the #MeToo movement, it is important that all employers make sure they have appropriate written sexual harassment policies and training procedures in place. Employees at all levels should participate in anti-harassment training and, if your company doesn't already have an employee handbook that covers this issue, it's time to change [...]
