Category: Newsletters
Robinson-Patman Act or Why Wal-Mart Has Not (Yet) Taken Over the World
Antitrust laws are at the heart of our competitive free market system, and while they are the principal means of keeping monopolies in-check, there are many other laws that act “behind the scenes” to ensure a competitive market. One of the most important laws that… Continue reading
A Closer Look at Annulment and Divorce
We all know the sad statistics that roughly half of all marriages end in divorce. What many people don’t know is that there is a variety of ways that a marriage can be dissolved. One way to dissolve a marriage is called annulment. When a… Continue reading
Planned Communities
If you are house-hunting and have considered purchasing a home in what is called a planned community, you should be aware that there is a body of law which regulates such communities. In 1997, Pennsylvania’s Uniform Planned Community Act (the “Act”) became effective, regulating residential… Continue reading
Queen’s English — Setting Off Non-Restrictive Thoughts [Hint: , , ( ) — ]
In composition there are often choices that depend more on the subjective response of the writer than on rigid, objective rules of grammar. So it is with the use of commas, parenthesis, and dashes to set off thoughts. We have previously discussed restrictive and non-restrictive… Continue reading
Increased IRS Tax Audits
The IRS recently announced the launch of a new project this fall intended to improve IRS methods for auditing individual tax returns. This new project, labeled the National Research Program, is in addition to the regularly conducted audits. The goal of the National Research Program… Continue reading
My Trip to St. Emilion
If you enjoy French wine, you will recognize the name St. Emilion as one of the more famous appellations for red wine coming from the Bordeaux region of France. Lisa and I recently had the joy of visiting the small medieval town of St. Emilion,… Continue reading
Cut Your Insurance Bill
Here are five suggestions to potentially reduce your annual car insurance premiums: Make sure your vehicles are properly rated as to mileage and use classification. Insurers typically charge based upon potential risks, and the more you drive a car and the riskier situations you put… Continue reading
Security Deposits
The end of the lease is a time to assess the condition of the premises and determine whether any or all of the tenant’s security deposit should be returned. Because the landlord will likely be preparing the unit for the next tenant, it is important… Continue reading
Effective Negotiating: Five Tips
As business lawyers, one of the tasks we are called upon to do is to negotiate, whether it be for the purchase or sale of a business, negotiating the terms of a real estate deal, drafting leases, or straightforward contract negotiations. While legal negotiations contain… Continue reading
Proximate Causation
Proximate cause, also known as legal cause, exists when the defendant’s negligent act is a substantial factor in bringing about an injury to the plaintiff. For example, in a wrongful death action, it is essential to prove that the wrongful act of the defendant was… Continue reading