Force Majeure Hits the Spot(light)
Many businesses are dusting off the seldom used force majeure clause in their agreements because of the current pandemic (due to government orders or otherwise). We have touched on this topic before. But what is a force majeure clause and what does it do? A force majeure clause allows a party to delay, suspend, negate,… View Article
Posted on Thursday, April 30th, 2020
The Time for Waiting is Over: Appeal Your Property Taxes Before It’s Too Late
For owners of commercial real estate, cash flow is important. Property owners should always be looking for opportunities to cut unnecessary costs, particularly during periods of economic uncertainty. Frequently overlooked, a real property tax appeal may present an opportunity to save a significant amount of money and may even lead to a recovery of a… View Article
Posted on Sunday, April 19th, 2020
Coronavirus (COVID-19) and Leased Real Property – Top Considerations for Landlords and Tenants
Companies everywhere are analyzing options, safety nets, and contingency plans for these challenging times. The growing number of shutdowns, “shelter-in-place” and “stay home” orders is putting a strain on landlords and tenants, who either need to work together or react in different ways. As COVID-19 numbers increase, you should know more about your specific lease… View Article
Posted on Monday, April 6th, 2020
Executive Order 20-20: Stay at Home Direction and Strategies for Minnesota Employers
In a previous article, we discussed the various ways the coronavirus may impact Minnesota businesses. The potential economic impact of COVID-19 came into sharp focus on March 26, 2020, when Governor Walz issued Executive Order 20-20. This order requires “all persons currently living in Minnesota” to stay at their home or residence, with some exception… View Article
Posted on Friday, March 27th, 2020
Safeguarding Your Business Against the Coronavirus
Within a relatively short amount of time, the coronavirus disease has impacted the economic landscape around the globe. Coronavirus has spread to approximately 150 countries as of the time of this writing, including all 50 states. Minnesota is no exception. In response to the threat posed by the coronavirus, on March 16, 2020, Governor Walz… View Article
Posted on Saturday, March 21st, 2020
Employee Handbooks: Pitfalls and Best Practices
Though employee handbooks are common in modern employment relationships, handbooks vary significantly in the legal protections they provide. A well-drafted handbook provides helpful guidance to employees, serves as a valuable tool for an employer, and may even give businesses an edge in litigation. If drafted poorly, a handbook may have unintended consequences and may cripple… View Article
Posted on Tuesday, March 10th, 2020
ALERT: Website and App Accessibility Lawsuits
My last post on web/app accessibility issues was in 2014. Since then, the issue has surfaced for clients very infrequently. However, the recent holding from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, that Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act required Domino’s Pizza to make its websites and mobile applications accessible to… View Article
Posted on Saturday, February 15th, 2020
Alert – Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) Threshold Increase
The HSR Act requires that parties to a merger and acquisition transaction (which includes more than you might think), file with the Federal Trade Commission and US DOJ and deal with a waiting period if the transaction or parties (or both) are above certain thresholds (and does not fall within an exemption). The FTC’s legally… View Article
Posted on Tuesday, February 4th, 2020
Red Flags from Employees
Minnesota Employers Should Call Their Attorney Immediately if They See One of these Red Flags Minnesota laws impose many requirements on employers. Concerns about violating these laws can keep a business owner up at night. Without an audit by an experienced employment law attorney, employers are often operating in the dark and may fail to… View Article
Posted on Monday, January 20th, 2020
Happy New Year – Reminder: The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) is Now in Effect
Perhaps you saw the warnings throughout 2019 regarding the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) going into effect on January 1, 2020. Maybe you also saw that the CCPA applies to a large swath of companies throughout the world, including many companies with no physical presence in California. The steep penalties for non-compliance with the CCPA,… View Article
Posted on Wednesday, January 1st, 2020