News Briefs
Highlights of the latest franchising news from around the country.
Court Watch
Highlights of the latest franchising cases from around the country.
Features
Managing a Franchise System When 'Game-Changers' Arise
One of the difficult balancing acts encountered by all franchise systems is between the relatively static nature of the franchise agreement and the dynamic, impossible-to-predict changes that occur in the real world. At the 34th Annual ABA Forum on Franchising, two industry veterans with perspective as senior in-house counsel spoke about how in-house counsel can identify potentially "game-changing" developments and lead their organizations' response.
U.S. Supreme Court Denies Certiorari in Iowa Tax Case
On Oct. 3, 2011, the U.S. Supreme Court denied a petition for certiorari in <i>KFC Corp. v. Iowa Department of Revenue</i>. As a result, the Court has given its silent blessing to extending the "economic nexus" theory to justify states' imposition of tax obligations on out-of-state franchisors with no physical presence there.
People's Republic of China Adopts Social Security System
Law firms and their foreign attorneys working in China should ensure that they will be compliant with the latest local Social Security rules and practices to avoid noncompliance penalties.
Features
'Second Generation' Long'Term-Care Planning
In the absence of the implementation of the CLASS Act, employers who have not done so already might want to consider offering a private long-term-care insurance plan with an enrollment strategy that touches on paying for and planning for long-term care.
The Vital Signs of Firm Profitability
The ultimate objective of law firm management is to create profit for owners. It is the role of a managing partner, management committee, and CFO to understand the elements that impact profitability, identify and improve weaknesses that soften profitability, and capitalize on opportunities to enhance profitability.
2011 Law Department Compensation Benchmarking Survey
News reports about the overall U.S. economy may still be trending negative, but there is good news in the results of Corporate Counsel's 2011 Law Department Compensation Benchmarking Survey.
Ethics Considerations When Computing in the Cloud and on the Earth
Attorneys must remember that while the technology has changed, the ethics rules have not ' the same rules apply in the Cloud as on the Earth, and the benefits of technology do not come without potential ethical pitfalls.
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