If you are like me, you are always seeking tips on how to overcome challenges. When accelerating progress in your business and professional life, though, you want to avoid reinventing the wheel. We all know that entrepreneurs have vision; however, what sets them apart...
PLDO Law Blog
Business
Insuring Accounts Receivable: A Quick Primer
What do you do when your largest customer goes bankrupt? Panic? Probably. But, once the immediate panic subsides, some smart business owners call their insurance company and put in a claim under their "accounts receivable insurance" policy. Accounts receivable and...
Not The Sweet Kind Of “Cookies”: The New Tax On Vendors Making Internet Sales
Sure, it’s the holiday season, but these cookies aren’t the heart-shaped kind that you give your Valentine. These “cookies” are packets of data that businesses rely on to operate their websites. Cookies allow businesses to identify and track users, then customize...
Weddings are (Still) not an “Agricultural Operation”
The Rhode Island Supreme Court recently had the opportunity to review a 2014 amendment to the Right to Farm Act (the "RFA") in The Gerald P. Zarrella Trust et al. v. Town of Exeter et al., SU #2016-301-A. In that matter, the plaintiff sought a declaration that RFA, as...
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...