When the Virtual Storefront Is the Home Front
October 27, 2010
One of the virtues of e-commerce has always been its low barrier to entry. For little investment of time or money, anyone can set up shop online, whether selling advice or widgets. But can something so easily accomplished really be a business? Will an entrepreneur run something out of her spare bedroom the same way as if she had venture capitalists peering over her shoulders, demanding a business plan, financial statements, budgets, marketing plans and everything that a bricks-and-mortar retailer has (except the expense of leasing space)? If not, she may treat it as just another hobby, something to handle in her free time.
Provisions of the Small Business Jobs and Credit Act of 2010
October 27, 2010
President Obama signed into law the Small Business Jobs and Credit Act (SBJC) of 2010 on Sept. 27. More than $12 billion in tax incentives and relief provisions that are contained in the Act will directly or indirectly affect law firms, partners, their staffs and their clients.
Whose Signature Is on the Check?
October 27, 2010
When it comes to getting paid for legal services, attorneys typically focus far more on getting paid than on who is making the payment. But they need to be concerned about the signature on the check.
Social Media Marketing
October 27, 2010
There are good reasons to believe that social media represents the next frontier in effective legal marketing, and many competitors have already hit the ground running. What do you need to know?
New Laws Expand Whistleblower Protections
October 27, 2010
Federal statutes protecting whistleblowers are on the rise. Most recently, the Dodd-Frank Act, meant to overhaul and strengthen federal oversight of the financial system, included workplace protections for whistleblowers in the financial services industry. But that is not the only new law to include whistleblower protections.
Recruiting and Developing Associates
October 26, 2010
Ensuring longer-term and continuous improvements in providing greater value, and therefore sustaining higher levels of client satisfaction, requires addressing areas that have received little attention in the whole value discussion — the recruiting and development of associates.
Japan's Proposed Deregulation
September 30, 2010
It has recently been reported that the Japan Ministry of Justice has decided to revise its Practicing Attorney Law to allow a foreign law firm to conduct its law practice in Japan through a Legal Professional Corporation. These revisions may be submitted to the Extraordinary Diet session this autumn for introduction in 2012.
Recruiting and Developing Associates
September 30, 2010
Ensuring longer-term and continuous improvements in providing greater value, and therefore sustaining higher levels of client satisfaction, requires addressing areas that have received little attention in the whole value discussion ' the recruiting and development of associates.
FBAR Rules for Employee Benefit Plans
September 30, 2010
Employee benefit plans and those with authority over their investment activities may be required, like other investors, to file an FBAR if plan investments involve foreign banks or securities accounts.