Senate Advances Small Business Aid Package
The bill, which includes a $30-billion loan fund, is now all but guaranteed to pass. Read more
Legal Issues
Recent Legal Issues Articles
Small Businesses Rally to Fight New 1099 Rules
The new requirements -- a 1099 form for every purchase above $600 -- will cost them time and money, firms say. Congress will debate two possible solutions to... Read more
Would You Challenge Taylor Lautner to Push-ups?
Twilight star Taylor Lautner is suing a California trailer company. The company's response: A PR stunt in the form of a push-up challenge. Read more
FTC Settles First Case in New Crackdown on Fake Reviews
PR firm Reverb Communications posted phony positive reviews on iTunes without revealing it was being paid to do so. Read more
Facebook Sues Start-up Teachbook Over Name
The online community for teachers has two employees, less than 30 users, and is yet to launch officially. Read more
A Catch-22 for Oil Spill Victims
BP gives people looking for settlements a tough choice. Read more
Technology Slavery
Are we giving up our very freedom for the latest, greatest tools? Read more
Lemonade Stand Goes Sour For Young Entrepreneur
A 7-year-old's lemonade stand in Oregon is shut down because she doesn't have a temporary restaurant license. Read more
How to Comply With the Americans With Disabilities Act
Breaking down what the decades-old act means for small businesses. Read more
Would You Fire an Employee for Refusing to Disclose Her Weight?
An Iowa woman takes a stand against her employer on privacy -- and loses her job for it. Read more
How to Hire Legal Counsel
For one reason or another, you're going to need an attorney at some point. Here are tips on finding the best one to fit your needs. Read more
Sexual Harassment Complaints by Men Surge
Even as the overall number of complaints drops, men are increasingly calling foul. What are you doing to protect your company from lawsuits and liability? Read more
Stop Enforcing Noncompetes
Because we need to promote competition for labor and talent among start-up companies in fast-growing industries. Read more
Supreme Court Ruling Could Boost Software Sector
The high court says the test for business method patents is too rigid. The software industry, among others, is poised to benefit. Read more
Is It Legal To Use Social Network Data When Hiring?
Many start-ups use their Social Network contacts to find additional workers. Why not? Someone's friend of a friend is probably that chef, programmer or ad... Read more
Twitter Settles FTC Privacy Case
The Federal Trade Commission puts companies on notice that it expects password protection programs to work. Read more
How to Survive a Product Recall
A product recall doesn’t have to be the complete disaster it sounds like. Here’s how to limit the damage to your company and reputation. Read more
Court Backs Employers on Unpaid Bonuses
A state court rules that employers who are sued over some unpaid bonuses are not subject to stiff penalties associated with wages. Read more
If You Own the Phone, You Can Read the Text Messages
A new Supreme Court ruling says employees' text messages are open to company scrutiny. Read more
How to Manage an Office Bully
The news that former eBay CEO Meg Whitman settled a lawsuit with an employee whom she allegedly shoved has shined a spotlight on office bullying. Here's what... Read more
How to Deal With a Worker Classification Tax Audit
The IRS plans to audit the worker classification practices of 6,000 randomly selected companies, many of them small businesses. Here's what you need to know. Read more
Norm Brodsky on Finding a Good Lawyer
How can entrepreneurs get the most benefit and the best value from their attorneys? Read more
Google Maps Made Me Do It
A woman is hit by a car – and sues Google for putting her in the path of danger. Read more
How to Protect Your Business in a Divorce
Don't want your ex-spouse to end up as your business partner? Here's how to guard what's likely your most valuable financial asset. Read more
Would You Fire an Employee Over a Negative Facebook Post?
A pizza restaurant raises hackles – and consciousness – about corporate social media policies by letting a waitress go for ranting about a customer. Read more
Do You Comply With the FTC's Red Flag Rule?
Regulations to help prevent identity theft go into effect June 1, and chances are you've got some work to do to comply with them. Here's what you need to know. Read more
Novartis Verdict Opens Door for More Gender Bias Lawsuits
The Swiss pharmaceutical company's total damages bill could top $1 billion - a figure meant to deter it and anyone else from discrimination in the future. Read more
9 Avoidable Workplace Health and Safety Hazards
Workplace health and safety hazards can be costly (to lives and the bottom line), but the good news is that they are largely preventable if you take the righ... Read more
Business Groups Mum on Kagan
The American Enterprise Institute, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and other business groups have so far found little to criticize in the background of Obama's... Read more
Fired Over Breast Cancer?
Here's the case of one company that allegedly ran afoul of the new federal Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, and how you can avoid doing the same. Read more
How a Write a Warning Letter for Employee Conduct
When employee behavior or poor performance don't shape up after verbal warnings, its time to get formal. Here's how to do it right. Read more
Surprised Employer Fires Sex Blogger
A St. Louis blogger thought she went to great lengths to keep her office life and her personal life separate -- but then it all went wrong. A cautionary tale... Read more
A Virtual World Spawns a Very Real Lawsuit
Users of virtual world Second Life are seeking very real money to compensate them for their in-game loss of property ownership. Here's how the case affects you. Read more
How to Contest an Unemployment Claim
If you feel a former worker is filing an unemployment benefits claim that you should not have to pay, there are steps you can take to contest it. Read more
Employees Fired for Pursuing Alleged Shoplifter
Should your company policy prohibit an employee from preventing crime? Read more
