Category: Business Law
Age Discrimination: Employer Recruiting Practices Under Fire
Identifying age discrimination in the employment process can sometimes be a daunting task, since the discrimination can often be concealed. Experience caps on jobs as well as targeted job advertisements that only appear on the social media pages of certain age demographics are examples of how alleged age discrimination has entered the digital world. In
IRS to Crack Down on “Independent Contractors vs. Employees”
The IRS has begun a crackdown on the classification of individuals in the workplace. Specifically, the IRS is beginning to examine whether an individual meets the requirements of an independent contractor or if they are, in fact, actually an employee. The IRS currently estimates that 80% of workers that are classified as “independent contractors” are
Big Benefits for Women-Owned Businesses
As the amount of women business owners in the United States continues to grow at a rapid rate, the federal government, along with state and local governments, are offering opportunities to promote this expansion. By certifying your business as a Women-Owned Small Business or a Woman Business Enterprise, you and your business can get access
City Program Supports Local Businesses on the South / West Sides
Businesses located on Chicago’s South and West Sides will soon receive another round of grants from a program that sets aside millions in fees from the City’s flourishing downtown building development. The program, called the Neighborhood Opportunity Fund (“Fund”), was started in 2016 by Mayor Emmanuel. As part of the program, Emmanuel first expanded the
Could Your Private Business Benefit from a Board of Directors?
While normally associated with large publicly-traded businesses, instituting a board of directors could significantly help your private or family-owned business achieve and maintain success. While “fiduciary boards” have a responsibility to protect and act on behalf of the shareholders for publicly-traded businesses, “advisory boards” evaluate business opportunities and provide non-binding advice to management for private-held
You Don’t Need Big Law for Big Wins
People often think that bigger or more expensive law firms equal more quality work from the attorneys at those firms. One recent award to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation represented by a small boutique law firm proves otherwise. As you may remember, in 2009, Colonial Bank failed, and was scalded by the court for being
U.S. Supreme Court Protects Colorado Baker’s Religious Beliefs
The U.S. Supreme Court has decided that a local Colorado baker is not required to make a wedding cake for a same-sex marriage. Jack Phillips of Masterpiece Cake in Denver was sued in Colorado state court after he refused to make a wedding cake for a same-sex marriage. The Colorado court ruled that the baker
Potential Benefits to Hiring Your Child Part Time
Following one of the country’s most dramatic tax changes in history, hiring your child home for the summer is more appealing than ever. Both your child and your business can receive serious tax advantages should you decide to hire him or her part time. For sole proprietorships, single member LLCs, or husband-wife partnership LLCs, hiring
Class Action Effort Thwarted by Company’s $100 Check
A telecom company’s $100 check offered to a customer who lost service for two weeks prevented him from bringing a class action against the company, an Illinois Appellate Court ruled this month. The company sent the customer a $100 check to cover the portion of his bill for the period of lost service, which totaled
Zillow Beats Class Action Fraud Lawsuit
Earlier this month a federal judge in Chicago dismissed a class action lawsuit against the online real estate company, Zillow. Zillow was accused by Illinois homeowners of violating the Illinois Deceptive Trade Practices Act and the Illinois Consumer Fraud Act in its promotion and use of the website’s “Zestimate” tool which posted millions of estimates