Seeing the bottom line awash with red ink yet again, Susie Sears reluctantly decided to shut down her family-owned Widgets-R-Us.  Pressured by thinning margins, a weakening labor pool and increasing competition from foreign markets, Widgets-R-Us is leveraged to the hilt and profits are insufficient to pay even her secured debt. With no viable assets or business, there’s nothing to mortgage or to sell. How can Susie and her fellow company officers walk away without becoming personally liable?
Continue Reading Closing up Shop: Your Company and You

Agreeing with Benjamin Franklin that there is nothing certain except death and taxes, Sketch Wood and his partner Minnie Brix, owners of Wood & Brix, and their 200 employees are certain that the new tax law will affect them, but they are a bit overwhelmed. Looking for an overview, Sketch asked his favorite non-tax lawyer to hit some of the high points of the first significant reform of the U.S. tax code since 1986.
Continue Reading New Tax Law – Impacting Your Small Business and You

Home for RentOver the summer, Brad Bevos’ company relocated him from Austin to Springfield, Illinois. A University of Texas alum and huge Longhorn football fan, the move bummed Brad because he won’t be able to attend home games this season.  Because hotels are scarce during home game weekends, and other special events at UT, Brad decides to

Jeff Leach (LRM associate and Texas House Representative), helped us recap 5 bills of critical interest to you and your business passed in the last Session.

DRUG TESTING FOR UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS (SB 21)

Drug testing required to receive unemployment benefits IF employer required pre-employment drug screening.

The legislation, effective September 1, mandates if someone submits

Ward and June recently received their property valuations from Comfort County. Their broker son Beaver Cleaver told them that, because county property valuations are intended to reflect the market value of the property as of January 1 this year, widespread foreclosures, declining building permits and high office vacancy rates should send Comfort County property values