Trying to avoid the sweltering heat, “Uncle Jesse” Duke was in the garage working on his moonshine operation when he heard a loud shriek in the backyard. He ran to the back to find his niece, Daisy, sunbathing by the pool. Daisy shouted, “That drone keeps hovering over the pool area looking toward me. Do
End-of-Year Bonuses? Possible Tax Pitfalls!
After stepping down from running the family oil business (see last month’s article), Jed Clampett runs Mama’s Fried Pies, his late wife Rose Ellen’s fried pie business. With business booming, Jed decides to hire Elly May as the Vice President of Marketing so he can spend more time in the kitchen rather than sales.
Closely-Held Shareholder Derivative Actions are Alive and Well in Texas
After 30 years of running his family-owned business, Hillbilly Oil Co., Jed Clampett decided to retire in 2013. The board of directors elects Jethro Bodine as Hillbilly’s President and Elly May as Vice President. Both Jethro and Elly May sit on the company’s board of directors. Soon after taking over, Jethro is presented with a
A Lawyer and a Juror
This month I am flushing the format to talk about jury duty. I recently got selected to serve on a jury in a civil case. The experience fascinated me because, as a civil trial lawyer myself, it gave me the opportunity to see a trial from a juror’s perspective in the courtroom and in the
Paying Child Support: Are Your New Hires Being Honest?
Knowing that his old high school friend Iman Dedbeet had just been taken to the cleaners by his ex-wife Goldilocks in a nasty divorce, Johnny Clueless decided to help Iman out by hiring him as his general sales manager at Clueless Automotive. Johnny knew that Goldilocks got full custody of Dedbeet’s kids and that Dedbeet
Partner Liability: Out of the Woods?
Debbett Runnup Partnership, a Texas general partnership, was sued by Widgets R Us in 2010 for failing to pay Widgets R Us invoices. Judgment was granted to Widgets in 2012 against Debbett Runnup for $300,000. After chasing Debbett for over three years, Widgets’ lawyer Plinn T. Agreshun realizes that Debbett is penniless. Knowing that partners
Selling What You Don’t Have…What Happened to my Super Bowl Tickets?
Thursday before Super Bowl XLIX in Phoenix Ima Goen Nomattawatta, a huge Patriots fan, found an online broker Izzure Scalp with Super Bowl tickets for $2,500 apiece. Not believing that he could get 4 tickets at only $750 above face value, Nomattawatta quickly called three buddies, found flights and non-refundable hotel rooms, and all four
Have You Made Your New Year’s Resolutions for Your Business?
With 2015 upon her, Cinda Bossey is making her action item list for her business, Bossey Boots. Although the bulk of her time and efforts are spent on getting the business running and generating revenue, occasionally she asks herself whether she has cleared all of the necessary legal hurdles. What should Bossey ask her attorney?
Will Over-Serving Your Guests Ruin Your Holiday (Legally Speaking)?
The middle of the holiday season means more than just busy shopping malls. It is also the time when many people host holiday parties. After attending Mora Rounds’ holiday party and consuming several adult beverages, Bitu Tipsy agreed to drive her friend Shannon home. Shannon did not know Bitu had been drinking. Unfortunately, Bitu crashed
Does My Business Need Riot Insurance?
Broken windows, looting and fires were some of the lasting images from the Ferguson, Missouri riots. And if you looked at those pictures closely, you may have noticed that a substantial number of the damaged businesses were locally-owned, “mom and pop” shops. And if you are a business owner, you couldn’t help but ask