Computer users would be well advised to remember TANSTAAFL when they’re online. TANSTAAFL, an acronym popularized by Robert A. Heinlein in his 1966 novel, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, translates to: “There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch.” A fairly common “free lunch” on the Internet is…
Your startup needs an infusion of capital. You’ve tapped your savings and retirement account, the bank’s loan officer begins to shake his head as soon as you walk in the door and your family and friends send your calls to voicemail. So you hear about this new thing called crowdfunding. …
CNN reported recently that Jonathan Martin will not return to the NFL this season. Martin was a tackle for the Miami Dolphins who left the team because of what he alleges was, in a word, bullying. Martin is an unlikely victim. He’s about six and half feet tall and weighs…
EMPLOYEES – CHECK YOUR WEAPONS AT THE DOOR! Illinois became the last state to pass legislation authorizing the concealed carrying of firearms by enacting the Firearm Concealed Carry Act. What does this mean for employers and what is the rule for having guns in the workplace? The Act allows…
Mandatory Arbitration: Friend of Big Business and Enemy of Consumers? Virtually every consumer contract now contains a mandatory arbitration clause that reads something like this: “All claims and disputes arising under or relating to this agreement are to be settled by binding arbitration.” That sounds innocuous enough, at least until…
Seattle rolled over Denver in Super Bowl 48, but according to that most reliable source—somebody on the Internet, Challenger, Gray & Christmas in this case—the day after the Super Bowl costs American businesses $850 million in lost productivity. People call in sick because of overindulgence, or come into work hung…
Illinois has adopted several new laws which will affect Illinois businesses. Here are just a few: Texting and Cell Phone use has been banned while driving in Illinois. Illinois businesses that have employees using vehicles as part of their work should take measures to insure that employees do not violate…
The Lawyer Grinch has stolen what made the office holiday party fun. No more mistletoe. No more open bars. No more all-night bashes. No more “fun” gifts. No more firings for conduct unbecoming. No more lawsuits from molested interns and employees injured on the way home. No more sexual harassment…
In my 40+ years of helping people start new businesses, I have identified several potential problems that entrepreneurs often overlook in their eagerness to get their business up and running. Businesses succeed because of a number of variables, not all of which can be foreseen. But many of the problems could have been…
In this electronic world, signatures are still required to create a binding and enforceable contract. Many negotiations take place thru email or the web. Many contracts are negotiated without the parties ever having met face to face. Laws have adapted to the changing world, and these changes make it…