Business Publications

If you are a small business owner, at one time or another you have probably considered buying an improved property to house your business. The idea of no longer having a landlord to deal with or imagining a grand investment may make it seem enticing, but there are important legal considerations a small business owner should evaluate before purchasing property.

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Our colleague Jamie Kent Hamelburg was recognized as “Volunteer of the Year” by the Maryland Women's Business Center.

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Starting a new business requires not just a great idea; it also involves an understanding of the maze of licenses required before a business can open its doors. With some careful attention to licensing requirements, business owners can operate successfully and profitably without running afoul of licensing requirements.

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It seems that every week there are new and salacious reports of sexual misconduct, which have sparked the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements. A common thread in the news reports has been that the misconduct occurred in the workplace, with higher-ups demanding sexual favors of employees and creating a hostile work environment. 
Sexual harassment not only subjects the wrongdoer to potential criminal or civil liability, it also poses risks for employers who may have looked the other way and tolerated unlawful behavior. NBC is a good case in point; it has come under fire for its handling of the multiple sexual harassment claims brought against news anchor Matt Lauer.
Companies can, and should, take steps to prevent their workplaces from becoming the type of environment where sexual harassment festers.

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In Maryland, a person collecting a debt arising out of a consumer transaction must follow rules established by federal and state consumer debt collection laws. 

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You’ve probably heard it before – a business is like a baby.  It takes so much work to give birth to a company and get it through the early stages.  Finally, it grows up and becomes sustainable.  You’ve done the hard work and can now enjoy a successful company while doing what you love.

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There is a new law in Montgomery County that affects the employment practices of many businesses.  Effective January 1, 2015, employers in Montgomery County may not inquire about arrests, accusations of crime, or criminal convictions in the job application process until after the first interview.

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Even though sick leave is a customary benefit, no law requires Maryland businesses to offer sick leave -- paid or unpaid--to their employees. However, employers that do in fact offer paid sick leave (or any other form of paid leave) have certain obligations under Maryland law. [We intend to address the law in Virginia and Washington, D.C. in a forthcoming blog.]

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Since Maryland is an "employment at will" state, many employers think they can terminate employees at any time and for any reason at all. While this is true generally, there are two important exceptions.

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If you're an employer, you may be required by the Affordable Care Act (the "ACA") to notify your employees by October 1, 2013, about the new Health Insurance Marketplace established under the ACA. The new notification requirement applies to you if you are subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act, meaning that you employ one or more employees who are engaged in, or produce goods for, interstate commerce with generally over $500,000 in annual business.

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