Learning From Others To Benefit Your Business

In a recent article entitled “When Mark Met Don” from the Wall Street Journal, the author discusses the benefits of a friendship between Washington Post’s Don Graham and Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook.  This article brought to mind how many of our business clients (and ourselves) learn from others. Often times, our business clients derive valuable knowledge and wisdom from others …

Independent Contractors/Employees Latest News from the Internal Revenue Service

As a business owner, how do you classify the people who work for you? Are they independent contractors or employees? The classification is important and can be scrutinized by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and others. The distinction between an employee and an independent contractor is important for several reasons. The following are a few areas of importance: Impacts tax …

Right of First Refusal; What Does It Mean?

Right of First Refusal; What Does It Mean?By James R. VannAttorney at Law Often times, business owners want to include a provision for a right of first refusal to buy or sale a portion of a business interest or asset.  There can be many variables of provisions for the right of first refusal to consider.  In the recent North Carolina Court …

Electronic Information-Hacking for Business (Make it a Dream and Not a Nightmare)

Our lives have been irrevocably changed by technology.  We use technology every day and rely upon the usefulness of it.  The technology which businesses utilize is normally designed to make work easier, more effective and efficient.  As technology advances, so do the minds of those who want to use technology dishonestly or for the wrong purpose. An article in the …

Location May Make A Difference

We have all heard the phrase “location, location, location”.  Well, according to a July 18, 2011 article in the Wall Street Journal the location of your pending lawsuit could make a difference in the outcome of consumer debt collections. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303365804576433763597389214.html Consumer debt is different from commercial debt but many of the same type issues arise.  Most of our cases are …

Preferential Transfers in Bankruptcy: How to Minimize the Preference Risk

Preferential Transfers in Bankruptcy: How to Minimize the Preference RiskBy James R. VannAttorney at Law For suppliers of goods and services, nothing may be more unsettling than discovering that a customer has filed for bankruptcy. To add insult to injury, there is a risk that any recently received payment or settlement might be recaptured by the bankruptcy trustee as a preferential …

Not So Fast With That Tax Penalty!

The North Carolina Business Court tugged on the reins of the Department of Revenue (“DOR”) in its recent case, Delhaize America, Inc. v. Lay.  In this case, the Court deemed the DOR’s $1 million tax penalty it attempted to impose on Plaintiff Delhaize (“Plaintiff”) unconstitutional since it ran afoul of both Plaintiff’s due process rights as well as the North …

Recovery of Lost Profits Allowed to Franchisor from Terminated Franchisee

In the recent case of Meineke Car Care Centers, Inc v. RLB Holdings, LLC, (2011) the Fourth Circuit held that a franchisor could recover prospective damages, including lost profits, from a franchisee.  Additionally, such recovery by the franchisor is permitted even when it terminated the franchisee due to the franchisee’s breach of the franchise agreement. In attempting to argue against …

Options To Purchase In Contracts: Why Courts May Opt Out of Enforcing Them

Without a doubt, many of you have come across options to purchase in contracts.  What you may not know about them however, is courts may not always enforce them.  So what do courts examine in determining whether to validate an option to purchase?  The recent North Carolina Business Court case, NRC Golf Course, LLC v. JMR Golf, LLC, offers tremendous …

Improve Yourself and Your Business Too!

Whenever a new year rolls around, you often hear people making resolutions for themselves.  But wouldn’t it be great if we could improve both ourselves AND our businesses this year?  Such a goal can easily be achieved by formulating a business plan specific to your company. But what is a “business plan”?  Generally, it is a plan that lays out …

We Have to Litigate This Across the Pond? A look at the recent ruling in the Fourth Circuit case, Albemarle Corp. v. AstraZeneca UK Ltd.

It is always interesting when a court holds that the laws of another country should apply, and such was the ruling in Albemarle Corp. v. AstraZeneca UK Ltd.  After examining the contract between the two parties, the Court held that even though the contract’s forum selection clause would have been allowed under American law and the lawsuit could have been …

Equipping Your Employees and Company for the Worst

When people encounter high pressure situations, their bodies react in one of three ways: fight, flight, or freeze.  What some employers do not recognize is that when employees find themselves in unexpected high stress situations, more often than not, workers freeze and are unable to adequately deal with the situation unfolding around them. So how can employers prepare employees for …

Frequent Foreclosures for North Carolina

North Carolina has been making headlines.  Why?  Because in October 2010, the state’s residential foreclosure rate increased 40 percent from last year’s figure and 13 percent from September 2010’s figure.  According to the Irvine, CA based company Realty Trac Inc., which keeps tabs on default notices, auction sale notices, and bank repossessions, in October 2010, 4,818 North Carolina homes were …