New Jersey Business Law eNewsletters

A dispute between two New Jersey companies over an alleged partnership agreement recently ended when a federal court found in favor of the defendant company. The two companies had been doing business together since the late 1970s, having entered into a 20 year, renewable lease in 1977. In 1980, they created an addendum to the agreement that provided that the defendant would pay the plaintiff one half the value of its liquor license if the lease ever expired or if the defendant sold the license. The two sides ran into problems in 2008 when the defendant filed for bankruptcy. The defendant’s bankruptcy trustee ultimately rejected the lease and informed the plaintiff. The plaintiff company then filed a lawsuit, arguing that there was a de facto partnership existing between the two companies and that, as a result, the court should enforce the 1980 amendment as a contract requiring payment. The court…
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Do strong family ties create a strong business? Maybe so, when you consider that some of the biggest and most successful companies are family-owned: Forbes, Inc., Ford Motor Co., Playboy, Gucci, Carnival Cruise Lines, Harley-Davidson and Tootsie Roll, to name just a few. Is the built-in family dynamic responsible for the success of these companies? Probably. Family-owned businesses owe their success to a number of factors. An experienced Monmouth County business lawyer can get you started on your own successful business tract. Is Your Family Cutout for Business? Almost anyone who has worked in a family-owned business will tell you that it offers distinct advantages over a traditional work environment. Freedom, flexibility, early exposure to the workplace and a built-in relationship with management are some of the instant benefits. However, what happens when management does not allow family-employees to grow and possibly assume management? Not only is the employer-employee relationship…
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Whether a company is large or small, it needs to have written policies in place to make sure everyone remains on the same page — owners, managers and staff alike. One of the most common methods for establishing written policies is to create an employee handbook. Handbooks that are well-written and consistently enforced can protect an employer involved in employment litigation with one or more employees. If you are creating or revising an employee handbook for your business, an experienced Monmouth County business attorney can help, whether you have five employees or 500. Benefits of Having an Employee Handbook Employee handbooks serve a number of important functions. They: Set expectations for both employer and employee Establish rules and procedures that employees must follow Establish consequences for employees who violate the company’s rules or procedures Outline employee benefits and incentives Provide a formal, written document employees can refer to when they…
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Starbucks is being sued by a customer who printed out a coupon from the Internet for a free Starbucks drink. While the coupon was actually issued by Starbucks, it had been canceled by the coffee giant before it was used, which meant that the man was out of a free drink. While Starbucks expected a few complaints, it did not expect a $114 million suit because the man was not able to get his free drink that day. In this case, Starbucks actually sent the coupon out to their employees themselves, hoping that they would share it with their friends. And they did, until a few websites got a hold of the coupon and made it go viral. But instead of honoring the coupons and keeping their customers feeling good, Starbucks canceled the promotion, which was news to the people who had not gotten the notice. The bad publicity did…
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