While the cliché, "You only get one chance to make a first impression," rings true in the social context, the phrase is also true in the business world where the stakes can be much higher. If you are applying for a bank loan, seeking capital from equity...
PLDO Law Blog
Pannone Lopes Devereaux West LLC
Considerations for Distressed Companies in a Down Economy
With the current state of the economy, some businesses have been more adversely affected than others. Typically, there are fewer options in financing debt for distressed companies. In his latest business advisory, PLDO Partner and business attorney Bill Miller,...
Social Media Issues in the Workplace: Key Risks and Trends
Perhaps no greater transformative change has occurred in workplace communications than with the advent and use of social media. The burden falls to employers to stay informed and up-to-date on current trends regarding social media issues for their businesses and their...
Water Utility Best Practices Guide to Better Manage Claims and Avoid Legal Issues
It's nearly impossible to control the damages to the environment and water systems that can be caused by natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina, Tropical Storm Sandy or the flooding that occurred in the State of Colorado last year. Infrastructure failures may also...
REAL ESTATE TITLE DISPUTES: THE PROCESS OF RECORDING “LIS PENDENS” IN RHODE ISLAND AND MASSACHUSETTS
If you or your business ends up in a dispute over real estate, it is likely that you will encounter a lis pendens. Lis pendens is Latin for “suit pending,” and it means just that, it is a statutorily governed legal tool that is often used to give notice on a...
HIGH STAKES: DRAFTING AND INTERPRETING PAYMENT REJECTIONS UNDER MASSACHUSETTS’ PROMPT PAY ACT
Under the Massachusetts Prompt Pay Act, which governs construction contracts, unless an owner meets the Act's "time and substance" requirements for rejecting a payment application from a contractor (ditto for subcontractors' applications to contractors), that...
RHODE ISLAND SUPREME COURT RULES THAT A PROPERTY’S FORECLOSURE WAS VALID DESPITE PLAINTIFF’S CLAIMS THAT MORTGAGE DOCUMENTS WERE “AMBIGUOUS”
BackgroundA recent case arose out of foreclosure proceedings that were instituted by Wells Fargo Bank (“Wells Fargo” or “defendant”) with respect to property located at 18 High Street in Bristol, Rhode Island. The property’s owner (“plaintiff”) secured the mortgage by...
FDA CONSIDERS RESCHEDULING MARIJUANA: A MILESTONE IN DRUG POLICY REFORM
The landscape of drug policy in the United States is poised for a significant shift as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) undertakes a reassessment of marijuana’s drug scheduling classification. The FDA is conducting a comprehensive review of marijuana’s current...
ARE NON-COMPETITION AGREEMENTS ENFORCEABLE IN RHODE ISLAND?
COURTS RULE IN FAVOR OF THE EMPLOYER’S AGREEMENT IN RECENT CASE The Rhode Island Supreme Court recently addressed the enforceability of a non-competition provision. In Walls v. Griggs & Browne Pest Control, Inc., the Court reviewed an agreement between Brian Walls...
