Weiss & Associates eLawLines newsletter

The attorneys at Weiss & Associates, P.C. publish e-LawLines, an online newsletter with articles addressing legal (and some non-legal!) issues.

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Here are some recent articles of interest from e-LawLines:

My Partner is WHO? – Shareholder Duties and Minority Oppression
It is a nightmare scenario for any small business owner: your partner in business falls through, and you're stuck working with someone you never intended to. It could happen in a variety of scenarios. Maybe your partner decides they would rather vacation in the Bahamas eight months a year instead of showing up at the office; maybe your partner dies, and his loud-mouthed and obnoxious children suddenly inherit half of the business. Maybe your partner is your spouse, and after a divorce, you find yourself having to work side-by-side with your ex-spouse on a daily basis in order for them to keep bread on their table. It is a tough problem, and one with limited solutions. It is natural enough that resentment builds up, and the majority shareholder or president of the company may decide to freeze the minority or equal shareholder out of the corporation.
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Rolling the Dice: Business Plans for Start-Ups or, To Be or Not To Be
As small business attorneys for almost 25 years, we have seen many trends, heard many business ideas and have been pitched countless "business opportunities." During the course of that time, we have consulted on literally thousands of new start-up companies, and we have found that the single most important characteristic as a barometer of future success is the business plan.
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The Twenty Dollar Bill Quiz: Increased Emphasis on Employee Classifications
Can you name the president pictured on a twenty dollar bill? If that same $20 is spent by a service company to pay an individual house cleaner, would it be considered wages? What if a paralegal works a night shift at home writing a marketing brochure? Can she bill her employer $20 an hour as an independent contractor?
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Congressional Magic or Mischievousness:
Is the Federal Estate Tax Repealed, or Isn't It?
In spite of what you may have heard about taxes in 2010, we believe Ben Franklin's sardonic proverb, with Will Rogers' prescient addition, still holds true - this year more than ever.

Nothing is certain but death and taxes – the only difference between the two is that death doesn't get worse every time Congress meets.

For better and perhaps worse, this year is when the repeal of the federal estate tax took effect – but hold your applause.
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LLC or S-Corp? (Or, Why The Barber May Not Be Right)
Many individuals embarking on starting their own businesses have a preconceived idea that they want to form a limited liability company (LLC ) instead of an S-Corporation. Often, and I am not making this up, their opinions arise from conversations with barbers! (Nothing against barbers, but hopefully they will read this article and at least consider an alternative.)
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Browse more articles in the following Weiss & Associates, P.C. practice areas:


Weiss & Associates, P.C. occasionally takes the liberty of writing a more personal "Aside" for e-LawLines. Here are some of our non-legal reflections:

Baseball's Perfect Warrior; Baseball's Perfect Knight
Fifty years ago today, on a sunny day on Chicago’s North Side, Stan “The Man” Musial was called upon to pinch hit. Although Musial was supposed to wait for this moment until the team returned to Sportsman’s Park for a home stand, the team was behind 3-1 in the sixth inning against the Cubs at Wrigley Field, and Cardinals manager Fred Hutchinson decided he needed Musial.
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Reflections - Independence Day
Each of us has ideas of what Independence Day means, and memories of how we have celebrated, and commemorated, the greatest of America’s national holidays.
(view article)

>>> Browse all of our "Asides."