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Jordan Ramis PC's attorneys are prolific writers on issues of interest and importance to our clients. We write for numerous industry publications as well as for our own newsletter, Off the Record, and email alerts. Our Article Database covers hundreds of topics. Below are our ten most recent articles. Our article database covers hundreds of topics. To find an article, use the search and filter feature below.

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Steps for Designers and Contractors to Limit Liability for Condominium Projects

Three Guidelines to Avoid Construction Allowance Pitfalls

Employer Alert: Ban the Box in Washington Effective June 7!

Need-to-Know Rules Governing SBA Programs for Socially and Economically Disadvantaged

Solar Energy Projects Water Rights

The Nursery Labor Shortage -- Is H-2A the Solution?

Enforcing Pre-Suit Mediation Clauses

Freelancing in the Gig Economy

Tips for Preparing Your Business for Immigration Enforcement Actions

New State Laws Affecting Oregon Hospitality in 2018

Delegated Design: More Risk, Less Certainty

Recent Changes to Oregon's Public Records Law Will Affect Public Charter Schools

Tax Cuts, Not Tax Simplification

The New Washington Paid Sick Leave

Legal Concepts Your Foreman Should Know

Oregon Business Tax Changes for 2018

FBAR and FATCA Filing Requirements for Foreign Bank Accounts

Changes to Renters’ Rights in Oregon May Be Imminent

Oregon Marijuana User Privacy Law

Fair Work Week and Drug Decriminalization in Oregon

Women and Leadership: Let's talk about it.

What is the Urban Land Supply?

President Trump’s Tax Plan Promises Sweeping Changes to the Federal Tax Code

Pay Now or Pay Later

Seattle-Style Income Tax Coming to a City Near You?

The Mandatory Paid Sick Leave Requirement Starts in January

Reducing Construction Litigation Costs - It’s in Your Control

Clark County Faces Tightest Housing Market in Decades, and it Could be Getting Worse

Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Participation in Construction

New Laws Affect Oregon Tobacco Retailers as Oregon Increases Smoking Age

DELAY CLAIMS – A Primer on Compensable and Uncompensable Delay

Change is Here for Federal Tax Laws

Oregon Seeks to Ensure Equal Pay for All

Population Growth on the Fringe of Portland Metro's Urban Growth Boundary

What I Learned from the Women in Construction Conference

Things Architects and Engineers Need to Include in Their Contracts

Protecting Your Business: Noncompetition, Nonsolicitation, and Nondisclosure Agreements in Oregon

Unjust Enrichment: A High Wire Act of Uncertainty

Trump Intends an Overhaul of Federal Tax Laws Affecting Businesses

Tenant Evictions in Portland

Oregon State Legislature Proposes Housing Bills in 2017 Session

Duty to Defend in Oregon

Portland CEO Pay Tax Targets Wealth Inequality

How the Hirst Decision Will Affect Development Plans

Construction Contracts: Notice to Owner in Oregon & Washington

Avoiding Compliance Pitfalls of Prevailing Wage Laws

Avoiding Probate Court in Oregon & Washington

Protecting Yourself From Claims of Copyright Infringement

Top Five Common Water Conundrums and Solutions

New Federal Overtime on Hold

Succession Planning for Architecture Firms

The New Oregon Sick Leave: Policy Update Pitfalls and a Wrinkle for Prevailing Wage Work

The Ninth Circuit Got It Wrong in ORLA v. Perez

How Oregon's Employer Liability Law Affects General Contractors

Guard Against a Claim of Specific Performance When Selling Your Home

Include RUFADAA Provisions in Your Will to Protect Your Digital Assets

Succession Planning for a Nursery

Termination for Convenience: Key Considerations for Contractors and Owners

New Antidiscrimination Rule from the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs

Troublesome Trucking Regulations

Know Your Default Statutory Timelines

Advice for Getting the Most Out of Your Lawyer

New Federal Overtime Rules Take Effect December 1, 2016

The Three Employment Law Changes Oregon Employers Need to Know for 2016

Location Rules for Oregon Minimum Wage Law

The Risks of Arbitration: Part 2

Failure to Apply a Veteran's Preference in Hiring Can Be a Costly Mistake

Land Use Trends

Top Tips for a Successful Design Build Project

Product Liability Reminders in Light of Gree Electric Appliance Settlement

Marijuana Use in Your Lodging Facility Under Oregon’s Recreational Marijuana Law

Bid Protests to the GAO: Initial Steps

Carefully Craft Your Next Arbitration Provision

New Minimum Wage in Oregon takes effect July 1, 2016

Do I Have to Allow My Tenant's Marijuana Use?

New Renter Protections

Vulnerable Renter Protections

The Risks of Arbitration

Plan Ahead to Avoid the Pitfalls of Hiring

Ban the Box is the Law in Oregon

Legal Issues with Solar Panels

Industrial Leasing

Tips to Address Cyber Defamation

ODOT Puts New Burdens on Contractors

A Restrictive Endorsement Could Discharge Your Dispute

Five Tips for Accommodating Mental Health Conditions in the Workplace

Loan with a Purpose

The Deed of Trust Act is Dead. Long Live the Deed of Trust Act?

Succession Planning in the New Economy

The 2015 Legislative Session: Impacts on the Construction and Development Industries

Legislative Alert: New Overtime Rules Proposed

Rewriting the Zoning Code by Memo

Commercial Leases: Monetary and Non-Monetary Defaults (and the Rewind)

Oregon Adopts Mandatory Paid Sick Leave

How to Improve Your Construction Lien [Infographic]

What if Those Design Plans Look Familiar?

Fear of Potential Religious Accommodation Cannot be Motivating Factor in Refusal to Hire

Water Rights Considerations in Agricultural Lending

Five Must-Review Contract Provisions

Growing a Veterinary Practice

Lurking Dangers in Purchase and Sale Agreements

Key Tips for Buying or Selling Your Business

Legislative Showdown Looms for Oregon Water Supply Investment in the 2015 Session

Succession Planning for Development and Construction

Leasing Issues Facing Early Stage Companies

Attorney-Client Privilege: Don't Blow it!

Suggestions For Getting Better Value From Professional Service Providers

Social Media In Employment: Employer Beware

Immigration Problem Solved—Not So Fast

Top 10 Clauses in Business Contracts to Review Regularly

Employee or Contractor? THAT is the Real Question

An Employment Lawyer’s Rendition of Auld Lang Syne: When May Old Personnel Records “Be Forgot”?

Don't Discount A No Further Action Letter

The Importance of Documentation

Expert Witnesses: What You Need to Know

A Refresher on Domestic Violence Leave

Pesky Employer Personnel Issues: When Should I Call My Attorney?

EPA Proposed “Waters of the U.S.” Rule Would Redefine Waters Subject to Federal Regulation

Business Tax Changes May Merit a Review of Your Choice of Entity

New IRS Tangible Property Regulations Change the Cost of Doing Business for Apartment Owners

Looking Behind the Curtain: Background Checks

Hot August Nights and an Even Hotter Housing Market

U.S. DOL Proposes a New FMLA Rule Regarding Employees in Same-Sex Marriages

Oregon Supreme Court to Decide Municipal Water Rights Case

Who is in Charge of that Signal?

Letters of Intent: Let Me Be Perfectly Clear...

The Most Popular 1,265,974 Myths About Lawsuits

Death in the Virtual Age

Oregon Limited Liability Protection Goes Only So Far

Looming Risks for LLC Owners

Tax Tips and Traps — Temporary or Permanent

2012 Promises Interesting Times for Business Taxpayers

A Key Step to Protecting Your Branding Investment: Trademark Registration

Investing in Litigation: Gains for Some... Losses for All

Fill in the Blanks... Are the Clauses in Your Contract Enforceable?

Washington Tax Amnesty Could Benefit Oregon Businesses

Avoiding Costly Mistakes When Planning a Technology Upgrade

Loan Modifications in Today's Economic Environment

What to Do When the FDIC Becomes Your Lender

Tax Court Victory for Business Owners

Redefining Corporate Sustainability and Responsibility — A New Paradigm

The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008: Tax Incentives and Other Provisions That Benefit the Nursery and Greenhouse Industry

Version and Conversation: How Is the Business Organized?

Choosing Your Business Entity: Solving the Conundrum

New Bankruptcy Act Expands Collection Rights for Utility Providers

Are Gift Certificates, Coupons and Other Cash Equivalents Taxable?

A Document by any Other Name: The Developing Law of Discovery Pertaining to Electronic Records

Immediate Action Required to Address Changes to Deferred Compensation Laws — American Jobs Creation Act of 2004

Derailing the Train to Delaware: Keeping Chapter 11s in Your Home Jurisdiction

CAN-SPAM — What You Need to Know

Approaching Water Rights as Collateral

What's the Best Way to Choose Legal Representation for Your Company?

Fiduciary Duties After Enron — Watch Your Back

Estate Planning in an Uncertain Economy

Tax Credits for ADA Remediation Efforts

Let's Make a Deal!

Water Rights Issues in Agricultural Lending

Undercapitalization Means Personal Liability

Joining the Family Business

Family Council for Family Businesses

The Successful Family Business

Family Business Hot Spots — Employment and Compensation of Family Members

Good Record Keeping Makes For Good Business Practices Under Oregon Limited Liability Company Act

Keystones to Effective Succession Planning

Preventing Shareholder Disputes in Close Corporations

Good Succession Planning Yields Results in Family Owned Business

Minority Shareholder Beware

The "ABCs" of Commercial Leases in Bankruptcy

New Rules for Restrictive Endorsements

Why You Need a Written Estate Plan

Succession Planning in an Uncertain Economy

Oregon Legislature Amends Estate Taxes — What Planning Steps Should You Take?

Multnomah County Business Income Tax and City of Portland's Business License Tax

Are Estate Taxes No Longer a Concern?

Estate and Gift Taxes Fixed — For Now

Entity Choice as a Wealth Transfer Method

Succession Planning For a Closely Held Business

The Latest on the Estate Tax

Advanced Directives — How to Plan Now for Your Future Care

Learning Succession Planning from Shakespeare

Succession Planning: Seven Hard Lessons Learned From a Family Feud

Good Succession Planning Yields Results in Family Owned Business

Addressing Employee Harassment Complaints

Independent Contractor: An Easy Solution Until the Other Shoe Drops

Health Care Reform Update: Model Employee Notices Now Available, and Due by October 1, 2013

Seasonal Youth Employment: What Employers Need to Know

That’s Why They Call it the ADA Blues

Managing Risk Through Retainage

Will your Liability Insurance Be a Helping Hand?

Top Oregon Lien Mistakes

Construction Industry Unions Don't Always Have to Show Proof of Majority Support

Some Foremen Eligible for Union Membership

Oregon Prevailing-Wage Law Significantly Altered

If Defects Aren't Addressed, Owners Absorb Losses Alone

A Risky Business

Discovering the Damage Suggestions for Property Manager Who Discover Construction Defects

System Development Charges Ruled Constitutional

Do Good Fences Really Make Good Neighbors?

Walking the High Wire Without a Safety Net: The Unbonded Federal Project

Notice Requirements of Oregon's Prompt Pay Act

Liabilities Under Design-Build Contracts

Throwing Good Money After Bad: Collection of the Small Receivable

Filing Your Claim of Lien: Be Honest and Be Careful or Risk Getting Nothing

Should I Pursue a Construction Claim or Hunt Pheasant?

Practice Tips for Avoiding Electronic Discovery Sanctions

Recognizing the Hidden Costs of Arbitration

OOPS it's EIFS!

New Rules Regulating Public Contracting

Partnering is Dead; Long Live Partnering

Layoffs and Downsizing

Intent and Indication in the New A201

Does Design-Build Provide Risk Relief?

Limited-Scope Design Services — Deal With the Risks to Avoid Disaster

Who Owns the Design?

Green Building Is Here to Stay

Heard It Through the Grapevine

Design Professional's Certificate for Payment What Does It Mean?

Doing Design Work Adds Liability Risks for Subcontractors

Woodburn UGB Strike Two

2003 Legislative Land Use Update

Community Water Supply Permit Extension Developments

Construction Site Water Runoff Liability

Recent Developments Related to Oregon Wetlands

Salmon Rules to Be Rewritten — But Impact Unknown

Options for Developers Absent Approved 4(d) Limits

The Big Picture in Real Estate

Can I Get a Mulligan?

Good Intentions Gone Bad — The High Cost of DOE’s Stormwater Permit

The Incredible Shrinking Inventory

On Mating Elephants: The State of Permitting in the Pacific Northwest

For New Central City Plan, Look to History

Does Sackett Flush the Clean Water Act?

I've Got the Stormwater Blues

Public Sector Alternatives for Project Financing

Bon Appetit, Bottom Feeders

Mixed-Use Projects: Knowing Occupancy From Use

Singing the Employee Handbook Blues 2014

New Crib Standards: No Reprieve for Retailers

Supreme Court: Employers Need Not Accommodate Medical Marijuana Use

After Measure 67, Should Your C Corporation Become an S Corporation?

FMLA Rules Revisions Effective Today

The Deadline is Approaching for Compliance with New 409A Regulations for Executive Compensation Plans

The Other Shoe Has Dropped — DHS No-Match Letter Supplemental Proposed Rule

Businesses to Receive Tax Benefits as Part of the 2008 Economic Stimulus Act

New FMLA Covered Leave

Casting a Wide Net: DHS Issues Final Chemical Security Regulations, Appendix A

Final Rule Regarding SSA No-Match Letters Announced

No-Match Letter Compliance Nightmare for Employers Continues

Health Care Reform Update: A Temporary Reprieve for Small Businesses

Beware! Builders Targeted by Patent Trolling Company

Washington Supreme Court Acts to Limit Acquisition of New Water Rights

A Primer in Employee Leave Rights for Managers and Administrators

Low Impact Coming to a Development Near You

Low Impact Development Rules Impacting Development Soon

HB 4078 | A Grand Bargain for Some; Years More Work for Others

Business Owners Face Potential Successor Liability for Wage Reimbursements to the Bureau of Labor and Industries

Are Your Organization's Employment Policies Up to Date?

“THINK”ing About Construction

NLRB Drops its Notice Posting Rule for Now

Mandatory Sick Leave for Portland Employees Started January 1, 2014

Mandatory Sick Leave for Portland Employees Begins January 1, 2014

Buying Real Estate with Legacy Environmental Contamination — Yes, You Can

How Changes to Same-Sex Marriage Laws Affect Pacific Northwest Employers

Oregon Legislature Passes Landmark Water Supply Funding Bill

Supreme Court Decision Gives Landowners Leverage When Facing Development Requirements

The Risks and Rewards of Joint Checks

I Promised to Do What? When Warranties and Correction Obligations Don’t Mix

Washington Supreme Court Says Annexed Lands Can Remain

New Form I-9 Issued

Employment Management in Three Words: Document, Document, Document

An Architect’s Survival Guide — Two Things to Consider

Corporate Compliance Alert: Annual Corporate Minutes Scam

Health Care Notice Deadline Postponed!

The SERA Decision: Establishing Lien Priority

New Federal Tax Changes in Store for 2013

A New Year’s Snapshot on Health Care Reform: 5 Key Changes Affecting Employers in 2013

Rockin’ Around Retaliation Claims or It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like...Retaliation

An Employment Lawyer’s Rendition of Auld Lang Syne: When May Old Personnel Records “Be Forgot”?

Washington, You’re Number ONE!

Up, Up and Away: Oregon Minimum Wage Climbs to $8.95

Oregon Supreme Court Decision Expands Attorney Fee Exposure on Insurance Cases

New Federal Consumer Credit Protection Agency Adopts New Forms that Employers Must Start Using by January 1, 2013

Layoffs Roulette: Will Liability Attach?

"Do You Swear to Tell the Truth, the Whole Truth and Nothing But the Truth?" Tips for Giving Your Deposition

Greedy Contractor Faces Big Consequences for Gaming the DBE System

Keeping Up With the Greens

A DREAM Come True? Deportation Policy Change Will Allow Some to Legally Work and Stay in the U.S.

MSHA Has Upper Hand in Jurisdictional Battle With OSHA

Cyber Risk: What Every City Should Avoid

Federal Appeals Court Suspends NLRB Posting Rule

EEOC Issues Guidance on Use of Arrest and Conviction Records in Employment

Spring Cleaning... Sine Die Means it is Time to Dust Off Your Construction Contract Forms!

Mining Industry Equipment Manufacturers: Stuck Between a Rock and a Hard Place MSHA

E-Verify Self Check Goes Nationwide: Employers Beware

Measure 49 Measured Up

New Changes in Federal Law Provide Some Relief for Defendants Sued in State Courts

New NLRB Rule Postponed until April 30, 2012

Is Your Construction Site at Risk for Fines? Demystifying Construction Stormwater Permit Requirements

Business Divorces

Top Ten Tips for Annual Employee Performance Reviews

Before You Shriek About Leaks and Creaks: Tips for Homeowners Who Discover Leaks and Other Construction Defects

Of Time and the Weather

2011 Legislative Update for Construction Contractors

Government Contractors Get a 3 Percent Reprieve

Arizona Business "Death Penalty" Act Constitutional

Company Facebook, Employee Faces — Is Consent Required?

Bid Protests in Oregon and Washington

FDA Seeks to Expand its Role in the Global Marketplace

U.S. Supreme Court Decisions Limit Liability of Foreign Manufacturers

Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity: What's the Difference?

Construction Material Suppliers: Stuck Without a Payment Remedy on Government Projects

Follow These 10 Steps Before Signing a Contract

Succession Planning: 2011 May Be Your Last, Best Chance

Sticks and Stones: When Words Can Hurt You

Navigating Contractor Prequalification in Oregon

Copyright of Building Design

I-9 Compliance: A Revised Employer Handbook

Singing the Employee Handbook Blues 2011

Snatching Victory from the Jaws of Defeat

Employers, Are You Ready for the Flu Season?

Congress Hands Out Happy New Year Presents to the Design and Construction Industry

Party On!

Competitive Bidding — Tips & Traps

Changes in MSHA Leadership Beneficial to Industry

Getting Paid — Getting Difficult

Hungry for Construction Work? Don't Eat a Bad Contract

All in a Day's Work

The Federal Government Wants Your Opinion on Affirmative Action Programs

Knowing Whether to Initiate a Bid Protest — Washington

A Big Win for Aggregate Producers

Trending Towards Commercial Condos

Legislature Embraces High-Density Development Projects and Provides Incentives

Seize the Opportunity: Prepare Your Commercial Property Leases for Sale or Refinancing

Succession Planning: Gifting in 2010

Danger, Will Robinson, Danger!

Construction Labor Policy Update

Aggregate Producers Feel the Heat as MSHA Enforcement is on the Rise

2010: A Look at the Estate Tax and Wealth Planning

Energy Regulations Are Heading Your Way

Risk Management in a Competitive Market

Important Changes to ODOT's DBE Program — Effective March 1, 2010

A Commercial Landlord's Guide for the Workout or Restructured Lease

Managing Employees? Proceed With Caution!

Stormwater Discharge and New Construction

Employer-Paid Mandatory Cobra Subsidy Extended and Enlarged

Collaboration Makes Better Projects

I Earned It, I Spent It, Why Can't I Keep It?

Forced Choice Under Proposed Labor Law?

How Green Is My Lease?

Employers: New EEOC Poster Required by November 21

What's Left of the Employee Free Choice Act?

Urban Renewal: A New Beginning

The Trouble With TICs

DHS Abandons Social Security No-Match Rule

EEOC Stepping up Sexual Harassment Enforcement

Allocating Risk in Construction

How Safe Is Your Construction Lien in Foreclosure?

2009 Oregon Water Resources Legislation

No Need to Panic: USCIS Extends Validity of Current I-9

Christmas Tree Growers' Lights Go Dark

Knowing Whether to Initiate a Bid Protest

Just Around the Corner: The Revised Form I-9

Immigration Law Update: New Form I-9 and Federal Contractor E-Verify Rules Delayed

2009 Jordan Ramis Construction Law Update

Are You a Corporate Officer for a Washington For-Profit Corporation? Time to Opt Out of Unemployment Insurance Coverage

Metro Requires Cities and Counties to Adopt Mandatory Business Recycling Requirements

Doing Business in Columbia County, Oregon: Unauthorized Workers Not Welcome

Federal Contractors: New Federal Acquisition Rule Requires E-Verify Enrollment

No-Match Rule Implementation Delayed Until 2009

DEQ Proposes Rule to Mandate Registration and Reporting of Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Municipal and Industrial Sources

DEQ Proposes Rule to Mandate Registration and Reporting of Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Municipal and Industrial Sources

Preparing for the Fall: Federal Contractors and Immigration Law Enforcement

Wind Energy Leases

DHS Again Seeks Delay in No-Match Letter Lawsuit

Office Parties — Risky Business

New U.S. Passport Card Qualifies As I-9 Document

Salvaging Unfinished Projects in the Current Credit Market

What's Coming Down the Pipeline? Natural Gas Facilities and Agricultural Land

DHS Requests Additional Delay in No-Match Letter Lawsuit

Oregon Supreme Court Renders Decision in Landmark Water Rights Case

Effective July 1, 2008: New Requirements for Residential Construction

Upping the Ante on Immigration Enforcement Against Federal Contractors

Hard Times Make for Hard Decisions

Superfund Enforcement

Future Owners Can Sue Builders for Negligence

Fed Issues New Contractor Ethics and Integrity Regulations

Contractors — Increasing Your Chances of Getting Paid in These Tough Times

New FMLA Covered Leave

Compensable Commute?

2007 Jordan Ramis Legislative Update for Construction Contractors

Employer Beware: Immigration Update

Sigh of Relief: SSA No-Match Enforcement on Hold

Waiver of Legal Claims for Pre-Employment Investigations OK'd by Ninth Circuit

Top Down Organizing Through Project Labor Agreement Ruled Illegal

Supreme Court Re-opens Door to Private Cost Recovery Actions

When the ICE Man Calls

Court Clarifies Employee's Expectation of Privacy in the Workplace

Employee-Owned Companies: Exit Strategies

Who Is an Independent Contractor?

Hybrid Tax Update

§1031 Exchanges for Fractional Interests in Real Property — Like Kind or Not?

Effective Business Succession Planning: Part I

Keeping Your Construction Business in Shape with Five Simple Checkups

Is Business Succession Planning Still Needed When Estate Taxes Go Away?

Court Rules on Majority/Minority Shareholder Issue

Effective Business Succession Planning: Part III

Effective Business Succession Planning: Part II

Internal I-9 Audit and Correction Instructions

When a Key Employee Departs

Frequently Asked Questions About Employment Law

Longevity Award Programs, IRC §457(f) Deferred Compensation Agreements

When is an Estimate Not Just an Estimate?

Due Diligence in Agricultural Land Transactions

Capital Gains or Ordinary Income — A Developer's Choice?

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