A construction lien is a great tool to enforce the collection of debts by giving yourself security interest in the property on which work is being performed. A common concern in any debt collection matter is balancing attorney fees against the amount of the debt being sought. Fortunately, Michigan law holds that a prevailing construction lien […]
There’s an old proverb that if you allow a camel to stick its nose into your tent, its body will soon follow. It illustrates the danger of allowing a minor offense to continue until it becomes a problem too large to handle. Protecting your trademarks and copyrighted materials works the same way. If infringing use […]
When people come together to start a new business, too often the focus is solely on how to get the business off the ground, without any clear understanding of the relationship between the owners. However, it is critical to establish the rights and obligations of the owners early to help minimize or avoid conflicts down […]
When a business receives notice that one of its customers has filed for bankruptcy, they often assume any payments still owing will be discharged and just write off the debt. However, depending on the circumstances and chapter of bankruptcy that your customer files under, you may be entitled to receive at least a portion of […]
If you are a business owner who has been asked by your customer to execute a new contract for your business’s services, the best time to understand the terms of the new agreement is before you sign. If you aren’t careful, your customer may include unfavorable terms, including terms that limit your rights to do […]
The Family and Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”) is designed to aide employees in balancing their work with family responsibilities by granting qualifying employees the right to take reasonable unpaid leave for certain family or medical necessities. When an employee exercises their rights under the FMLA, they are entitled to a return to the same, or […]
Two very important factors to consider in filing for bankruptcy are the value of your assets and how best to protect them. In bankruptcy, your assets consist of everything you own, including your home, vehicles, furniture and savings. The Bankruptcy Code provides many ways to protect these assets, and many people who file for bankruptcy […]
When debts become too difficult to manage, many people try to compensate by focusing on paying one particular debt over another, selling assets or borrowing money from friends and family to pay off debts. However, bankruptcy does not treat all debt equally, and these strategies can sometimes backfire and lead to a less effective bankruptcy. […]
Under the Bankruptcy Code, there is a presumption that payments or other transfers of assets by the Debtor in the 90 days leading up to its filing for bankruptcy are “preferential transfers.” Often, when a business files for bankruptcy it will try to take back these payments or transfers by filing lawsuits (known as adversary […]
Federal and state statutes not only prohibit discrimination in the workplace, they also prohibit an employer from retaliating against an employee who exercises his/her right to oppose actual or suspected discrimination, or who participates in internal or external investigations into actual or suspected discrimination. This is true whether the discrimination happened to the employee or […]