Beginning January 1, 2019, Washington state will join the small group of states mandating paid family and medical leave (“PFML”) for Washington state employees. Here are some of the key questions our clients are asking: What is the purpose of the law? Is our business required to collect the employer and employee premiums and implement... View Article
For most business owners, selling a business happens once in your lifetime. You have worked hard to build the business from the ground up, and it’s been a central part of your life for years – perhaps even part of your identity. Before you sell, you need to prepare both the business and yourself. These... View Article
Q: If a business owner takes one piece of information from this event home with them, what is the most important? Shahar: Taxes are not a “Dead End.” Planning and Financial maintenance is like health care. If you are proactive and take good care of how healthy and clean the business is – it will... View Article
We seem to value “lifelong learners” in business – you see this as a desired characteristic in job postings and those who are “successful” are typically called out as such. What is a lifelong learner, though? We all learn every day from our experiences, both personal and professional, in our interactions with clients, employees and... View Article
Internships offer additional benefits to employers, namely recruiting and grooming talent for future employment in the organization. The question is: when is a company required to pay interns? There is a common misconception these individuals do not need to be compensated for their work if they are classified as interns. The misclassification of employees as... View Article
Physical Abilities Tests (PAT) can be a useful tool for employers that seek ideal workers for physically demanding jobs. However, a biased test could cost your business millions in investigations, charges, and lawsuits. Just earlier this year, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed two cases of female discrimination that cost the respective companies $2.5... View Article
Regardless of how careful we are, conflicts arise in business. Conflicts among owners, among employees, and with vendors and customers are common. Generally speaking, we try to resolve these conflicts quickly with minimal risk and cost but sometimes they spiral out of control. As a business owner, it’s essential that you know what tools are... View Article
We often get asked to review commercial leases on behalf of our clients. Here’s a quick summary of the most common “gotchas” in commercial leases from our years of experience as a commercial lease lawyer. Responsibility for Repairs. Who is responsible for fixing what in a commercial lease? This is often confusing because it can be... View Article
Over the past year, I’ve watched all past seasons of the show “The Americans”; and if you follow the show, you know that the last season began a few weeks back on FX. The show centers on two Russian spies who were sent to America during the Cold War. They have integrated into American society... View Article