beyond the legal opinion
Our deep bench of business attorneys support large and small businesses across a wide variety of industries. Our clients rely on our experienced business attorneys to advise them at every stage of their growth and development—from start-up through sale or other business transitions—on a wide range of transactions. Whether you’re buying, selling, recapitalizing, or restructuring your business, our business team helps clients navigate contracts, agreements, and negotiations.
We routinely advise businesses on their day-to-day issues, including contract negotiations, handling licenses and intellectual property rights, crafting personnel strategies, ensuring employment-related compliance, and negotiating settlement of commercial litigation and collections matters. We work collaboratively with our clients to provide creative solutions to the myriad of legal and regulatory challenges businesses face every day.
March 1, 2024
REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM THE OREGON ASSOCIATION OF NUSERIES. FIRST PUBLISHED IN FEBRUARY-MARCH ISSUE OF DIGGER On January 10, 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor (Labor Department) published new guidance for determining whether a worker is an employee or an…
October 28, 2022
As most Oregon employers are aware, the long-awaited paid family and medical leave program begins January 1, 2023. Enactment of the paid leave program, now called Paid Leave Oregon, was delayed over the past few years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the program is now set to begin with employers and employees paying into the program beginning January 1, 2023, and employees becoming eligible to apply for benefits September 3, 2023.
March 16, 2022
A hotels enter 2022 in a position far more promising than last year, it is crucial for decision-makers to monitor how COVID’s lasting impacts will continue shaping the future of the hospitality industry. On March 11, 2022, LODGING Magazine published Jordan Ramis President Matthew Lowe’s article outlining three hurdles hoteliers may face in the year ahead, ranging from financial to operational in nature.
January 15, 2016
An individual may be an employee for federal purposes and an independent contractor for state purposes or vice versa. This result substantially complicates the reporting requirements for the employee/independent contractor’s earnings.
January 15, 2015
Businesses face significant challenges managing employees and complying with employment laws, which are fact-specific and often challenge common sense. The following illustrate some of the top human resource issues.
January 15, 2014
Companies can enhance their rights and protections against unfair competition by identifying the company’s confidential and proprietary information, implementing safeguards, and entering into appropriate employment contracts.
January 15, 2014
By developing a 457(f) plan and granting these benefits, the public employer has an additional tool to retain key personnel. The employee, on the other hand, receives benefits which reward loyalty to the employer, and recognize his or her leadership and management skill.
January 15, 2013
An employer should periodically review, or “audit,” its I-9 forms to insure compliance with the law. In doing so, an employer may avoid future potential liability if it is ever audited by the DHS or DOL.
March 18, 2021
In an article that published on March 17, 2021 in the Portland Business Journal, James Howsley and David Rabbino write that business leaders should take steps now to plan for the next disaster.
February 22, 2021
The following is a review of the agreements or “restrictive covenants” potentially available to employers to most effectively protect their substantial business investments and resources.
July 28, 2021
This article originally appeared in the July 23, 2021 edition of the Daily Journal of Commerce Oregon. As most construction contractors and subcontractors know, construction liens can provide important payment security and also the ability to recover attorney fees if…
July 27, 2021
In an article published in SHALE Oil & Gas Business Magazine on July 24, 2021, Shareholder Gregory Zerzan discusses congressional investigations and how oil and gas companies should prepare for these investigations. “As long as a congressional committee is duly authorized and…
July 23, 2021
In an article published on July 22, 2021, in CrowdFund Insider, Shareholder Gregory Zerzan shares his thoughts on the upcoming House Committee on Financial Services’ hearing on Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs), the potential for CBDCs and what policymakers will…
July 15, 2021
In an article published in Agenda Week on July 6, 2021, Shareholder Gregory Zerzan was quoted discussing a recent lawsuit against the SEC claiming the “commission violated federal rulemaking requirements in altering the way shareholders submit proposals to be voted…
July 15, 2021
On June 14, 2021, Shareholder Gregory Zerzan was quoted in E-Crypto News discussing the long-term prospects for Bitcoin. “Price volatility has been a big part of the bitcoin story since the very beginning, and it seems too early to say…
June 16, 2021
By Gregory Zerzan, Shareholder Shareholder Gregory Zerzan and Zachary King of Clear Markets Holdings co-authored an article that published in the ACC Docket on June 9, 2021 discussing the thriving cryptocurrency market “amid legal uncertainty as to what extent US…
May 4, 2021
This article was originally published in the April 23, 2021 edition of the Daily Journal of Commerce Oregon. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic upon the food and beverage industry has been well documented and is readily apparent. According to…
June 1, 2007
By Chris Reive Spring 2007 The United States Supreme Court has resolved an issue that has vexed owners of contaminated properties and their lawyers for several years — can an owner who voluntarily cleans up a contaminated site recover those…
June 1, 2007
Spring 2007 Recent media reports have described an increase in enforcement activities of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) (formerly known as the Immigration and Naturalization Service). Recently, ICE has increased staffing levels in its Oregon offices (Medford, Eugene,…
February 1, 2007
Winter 2007 In a criminal case, an employee sought to suppress images of child pornography found on his workplace computer. The issue in the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals case was whether an employee has a legitimate expectation of…
November 18, 2005
Winter 2005 The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has published initial guidance on claiming a federal tax credit for the purchase of certain fuel-efficient vehicles. The guidance applies to both the “new advanced lean burn technology motor vehicle credit” and the “qualified…
May 1, 2004
Sellers of real property have long enjoyed the opportunity to defer recognizing the gain on a sale and thus, to defer paying capital gains taxes, by exchanging their property for other real property of a like kind. These changes typically…
November 1, 2001
By Brad Eriksen Fall 2001 In the previous articles, we addressed the necessity of proper succession planning to assure the continued viability of a business in the event of the death, withdrawal or retirement of an owner. We noted that…
July 13, 2021
Our client, a community-based lender, was the principal lender to an innovative wood products facility along with multiple government entities.
July 6, 2021
We worked creatively with our client to create a commercial lease enforcement package that consisted of systematic steps and fixed-fee services for the client and our internal teams, reducing the overall costs for both parties.
July 2, 2021
Jordan Ramis’s understanding of our firm and industry means we experience great efficiencies; industry standards and previous cases encountered by others in our line of work are easily referenced.
