The Briefing Room: November 2024
Writing Tips From the Simpsons The Simpsons can teach good writing by demonstrating the importance of wellrounded characters, strong dialogue, layered themes, precise pacing, and structure. It’s an excellent example of how humor, when combined with thoughtful storytelling, can not only entertain but also provoke thought and emotion. Sometimes the grammatical jokes hit home as […]
Legal Update: Federal Court Halts FTC Ban on Worker Non-Compete Agreements
On August 20, 2024, Judge Ada Brown, a Texas federal judge, issued an order halting the Federal Trade Commission’s (“FTC”) worker non-compete rule. The court order prevents the FTC ban from taking effect on September 4, 2024. Judge Brown’s order says that the FTC lacks statutory authority to promulgate the non-compete rule and that the […]
Three Reasons to Avoid Probate
When you pass away, your estate may need to go through the probate process before your beneficiaries can receive their inheritance. This can happen if you own property (like a house, car, bank account, investment account, or other asset) in your name only. Although having a will is a good basic form of planning, a […]
Why Touring Agreements May Not Abide by NAR Settlement Terms
The National Association of Realtors (“NAR”) proposed settlement agreement[1] (the “Agreement”) in Burnett, et al. v. NAR, et al. requires NAR and its members to implement certain practice changes no later than August 17, 2024. One of the major terms of the Agreement is that “all REALTOR MLS Participants working with a buyer [must] enter […]
Qualified Domestic Trusts: Your Jumpstart to Protecting Your Noncitizen Spouse
Married couples love each other and want the best for each other. Establishing a comprehensive estate plan is one way to provide the best for each other. Not only does an estate plan protect you when you are unable to care for yourself during your lifetime, but it also protects your hard-earned money and property […]
Office of Cannabis Management Releases Draft Rules for Public Feedback
The Office of Cannabis Management (“OCM”) finally released its draft rules for regulating the cannabis and hemp industry, which can be found on OCM’s website. These are not the proposed rules OCM will submit as part of the formal rule-making process, but rather the precursors to those proposed rules. To get a better sense of […]
MNGI Data Breach Investigation
MNGI Digestive Health (“MNGI”), a company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, recently provided data breach notice letters, dated July 15, 2024, to its patients confirming it suffered a data breach of its digital environment, in which an unauthorized third-party cybercriminal gained access to approximately 765,000 patients’ sensitive personal information on its networks. Upon realizing that a […]
Passing the Torch: Smart Business Succession Strategies
For many business owners, their business is one of the most valuable and important things they own. When it is time to sit down and create an estate plan, it is critical that business owners plan for their business just as they would plan for their home or finances. Effective business succession planning ensures a […]
Let’s Party! Should an Association Host the Shindig?
Summer in Minnesota just screams barbeques, pool parties and, of course, National Night Out/Night to Unit gatherings. For some, such events are shared with a few friends, For others, they are shared with the entire neighborhood. Regardless, everyone wants to be a good host. But what does that mean when the association is the host? […]
Decanting: How to Fix a Trust That Is Not Getting Better with Age
Wine lovers know that the term decant means to pour wine from one container into another to open up the aromas and flavors of the wine. In the world of irrevocable trusts, decanting refers to the transfer of some or all of the accounts and property owned by an existing trust into a brand new […]