Business and Corporate Law

Man Signing a Contract

The Importance of Having a Written Contract

If you own a business, you likely enter into contracts all the time. Whether you’re forming or expanding your business, hiring a new employee, or selling your products or services, your business probably enters into ...
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Lack of Reasonable Reliance as a Defense for Business Misrepresentation

Even the best businesses are susceptible to claims of misrepresentation, especially when selling goods or property. But there are defenses available for businesses facing this type of claim in Michigan. One defense against a misrepresentation ...
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Non-Compete Agreements: Are they Enforceable for Low-Wage Employees?

What are non-compete agreements? Michigan and other states recognize that businesses have a legitimate interest in protecting confidential proprietary information. Reasonable non-competition agreements (“non-competes”) are one tool for protecting that type of information. Many employers ...
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How Charging Orders Might Protect You From Your Co-Owner’s Personal Debts

Asset protection can be a major challenge when personal and business worlds collide. What if, for instance, your business partner is found liable to pay a judgment arising from personal debt? If your business entity ...
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Could Your Business Waive Its Right to Arbitrate by Participating in Litigation?

Arbitration clauses, which require parties to settle disputes through mediation (instead of through the courts) are common in many different types of contracts, including business contracts. But what happens when one business sues another—despite the ...
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Apparent Authority in Michigan

If an employee agrees to a contract on behalf of a business, is the business liable? It depends. If the owner authorized the employee to sign contracts on behalf of the business, then the business ...
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Filing Workplace Discrimination Complaints in Michigan

In the state of Michigan, employees who have experienced discrimination in their workplace have the choice of filing a lawsuit in a court, or they can file a claim in one of two agencies: the ...
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How Courts Interpret Ambiguous Contract Language

What happens when two parties disagree over the meaning and scope of a contractual agreement? Is the dispute resolved simply by reading the language of the contract in question? Yes, sometimes. Michigan courts (and federal ...
Contract or Agreement Papers

Employment Non-Compete Agreements: Enforceable in Michigan if Reasonable

Some Michigan employers use the tactic of attaching non-compete agreements to offers of employment. A non-compete agreement is a covenant that prohibits an employee from working for certain competitors over a given period of time ...
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What are Contingency Fees?

What is a contingency fee and how does it work? It’s not uncommon for potential legal clients to inquire about contingency fees. Basically, clients want to know what they are and how they work. A ...