Businesses depend on their good reputation, especially in the wedding industry. If customers have a bad experience, it's unlikely that they can simply switch to a different wedding vendor. Instead, customers take to online review platforms like Yelp to express their...
PLDO Law Blog
Adam Greshowak
Statute of Limitations versus Contractual Time Periods — An Important Difference
In a recent Rhode Island Supreme Court decision, OSJ of Providence, LLC v. Aly T. Diene, No. 2016-14-A, the court determined that the expiration of a guaranty in a contract did not operate to shorten the applicable statute of limitations to recover for breach of that...
RI Supreme Court Reaffirms that Plain Contract Language Controls in Recent Construction Law Case
The first instinct of a business owner faced with a lawsuit may be to find the best attorney in town. That's a good instinct, but even the best attorneys will tell you that a case begins long before anyone files suit. Protecting your business interests and prevailing...
Nursing Facilities Under Increased Government Scrutiny
Nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities ("SNF") should be aware that they will be in the crosshairs of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) in 2017. As part of this year's Annual Work Plan, OIG has identified...
YOU’VE BEEN HACKED: SHOULD YOU (OR YOUR INSURER) PAY THE RANSOM?
It’s 4:00pm on a Friday. You get a text message from a colleague saying they can’t log into their email. Then others start texting you with a similar message. Your IT person reports that there’s unusual activity on your computer network and they’re having trouble...
HOW TO AVOID AN UNWELCOME SURPRISE IN YOUR BUSINESS & ESTATE PLANNING STRATEGY
In 2015, the Rhode Island Division of Taxation issued Declaratory Ruling 2015-01. The question at issue was whether a non-Rhode Island resident decedent’s interest in a multi-member LLC that owned real property was sufficient to subject the decedent’s estate to the...
CREATING A POSITIVE CORPORATE CULTURE STARTS AT THE TOP
Corporate culture is defined in many ways; however, it is generally referred to as the shared values and vision of the company that will serve to achieve short and long-term goals of the business enterprise. It is a top-down dynamic that will impact everyone in the...
THE IMPORTANCE OF A SELLER’S CONTRACTS WHEN BUYING A BUSINESS
When purchasing another business, one of the most important aspects of due diligence is reviewing the selling business’ contracts. Often the selling business’ revenue stream is tied to some type of contract. For example, it may get income through services contracts,...
“FRUSTRATION OF PURPOSE” DISCHARGES COMMERCIAL TENANT’S RENT OBLIGATION
While specificity is typically a good thing in contract drafting, sometimes, too much specificity can backfire. A commercial landlord in Boston discovered this recently when the Suffolk County Superior Court discharged rent otherwise owed by a cafe operator during the...
