Category Archives: Business

The Ethics of Backups

on 03/15/2016 by David Szostek

  When it comes to backups – or lack thereof – most of us have at least one horror story. But when it comes to our client’s files and confidential information, the Michigan Rules of Professional Conduct impose certain duties on us to ensure that our client’s information does not become part of any horror …Read More

The Ethics Behind Cloud Storage

on 02/15/2016 by David Szostek

The ease and affordability of online billing, client management, document storage, and payment platforms is a powerful lure. When you sign-on or hit send on these sites, is there a little voice inside your head wondering whether these platforms are truly safe and whether using them could lead to an ethics violation? There should be, …Read More

What Is an Independent Contractor?

on 02/01/2016 by David Szostek

The Sharing Economy – What Is an Independent Contractor? In the new and emerging sharing economy, where goods and services are exchanged through peer-to-peer networks, many companies have sprung up to help facilitate this peer-to-peer sharing.  Despite the advantages of a sharing economy, such as reducing waste, saving money and more choices for consumer, a …Read More

Usable Password Management

on 01/15/2016 by David Szostek

  Nearly every company, from banks, to cell phone providers, to utility providers offer online portals that require a username and password. The easiest way to remember all of these is to use the same username and password for everything, but that is also the least secure (and arguably an ethics violation). The second easiest …Read More

Piercing the Corporate Veil Basics

on 09/08/2015 by Clayton Jipping

Piercing the Corporate Veil Basics As many of you probably already know, one of the advantages of running a business as a corporation is the ability to limit the liability of its shareholders (owners). Generally speaking, shareholders are only liable for the amount of money they put into the corporation (in other words, their investment). …Read More

Copyright Law Basics

on 09/01/2015 by David Szostek

Copyright Law Basics Even though you may not know the definition of a copyright, you probably understand the basic concept of a copyright: the author of a creative work holds certain rights to that work, such as restricting the copying or profiting of that work without the author’s permission. According to the United States Copyright …Read More

Attorney Fees and the American Rule

on 08/25/2015 by Clayton Jipping

Attorneys Fees and the American Rule When litigating in the United States, the general rule is that each party pays for its own attorney’s fees. This is called the American Rule. This means that the losing party does not pay for the winning party’s attorney’s fees. The reasoning behind this rule is that individuals or …Read More

Battle of the Forms

on 08/18/2015 by Clayton Jipping

“Battle of the Forms” Under traditional contract common law, in order for a legal contract to exist, there must be an offer of terms and an acceptance of the exact same terms (referred to as the “mirror image rule”). However, in certain situations, a contract can exist even though the contractual terms made by the …Read More

Trademarks and Trade Dress

on 08/11/2015 by David Szostek

Trademarks and Trade Dress Trade dress refers to the visual appearance of a product or its packaging that convey the source of the product to consumers. Trade dress protection is intended to protect consumers from packaging or appearance of products designed to imitate other products, to prevent consumers from buying one product under the mistaken …Read More