Several years ago, I was helping one of my clients go head-to-head in a trademark dispute with furniture manufacturer Steelcase, an 800 pound gorilla if ever there was one. I spoke nearly every day with the attorney on the other side. Years… Read More
Blog
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Hit Cancel for Credit
As I type this, I can almost hear the exchange I’m going to have with Stacy Reed, our Program Coordinator, when she reads this blog post: Me: “I wrote this week’s blog post.” Stacy: “I saw it. It’s not a post; it’s a… Read More
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Notre Dame, The Crimson Tide, and The Importance of Recency
There’s a meeting that will take place after the one you just ran. It will convene in the restrooms, at the water cooler, or in someone’s office down the hall. That second meeting will feature only one agenda item – “what was… Read More
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Of Mother Goose, Bill W, and God
Last year, we fired a few clients and one fired us. I learned from each – which I think is the best a person can do. Each of the clients with whom I asked to part company were bad fits…or became… Read More
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Wherefore Art Thou?
We’re lawyers. Collectively, we’ve been trained for decades to write words that never appear in conversation. Words like “wherefore” and “herein” as well as phrases like “notwithstanding the foregoing.” The problem is that these documents are generally meant to be read by… Read More
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Rule #2: Understand the Sum of All Fears
Hope is motivation. It is vital to life…or at least a life well-lived. Each new day is suffused with the hope of accomplishment, realization, or fulfillment. Hope is a marketing brochure, sunny images, friendly smiles, and business on a handshake. It is, in a… Read More
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Death By Unit Pricing
CNNMoney reported this week that your weekly dry-cleaning bill may be in line for a dramatic increase. The reason? Hangers. Hangers represent a significant share of the average dry cleaner’s cost of goods and it seems that a large part of the… Read More
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A Business Lesson from Hallowed Ground
I visited Ground Zero on April 21st. Even the process of getting to the memorial added grace to the experience. It took just about an hour, but there came that one moment when the long slog and inconvenience of security gave… Read More
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A Short Post about Long Contracts
The Employee will receive 10% of net profits realized on all contracts delivered. Final payment will be rendered upon completion of work to the Owner’s satisfaction. Insubordination will be grounds for termination with cause. Just about anyone who has… Read More
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How to Document a Transaction
Perhaps one of the most misunderstood aspects of drafting documents relating to corporate transactions is the function of the documents themselves. Many business owners believe two widely-held myths:(1) that the contracts signed in connection with a transaction are documents designed… Read More