The Rhode Island Supreme Court once again adhered to its long-standing precedent that arbitration awards will not be overturned but for exceptional circumstances. In ABC Building Corporation d/b/a Advanced Building Concepts v. Ropolo Family, LLC, the plaintiff-general...
MA Cannabis Control Commission Opens Application Process for Recreational Marijuana Licenses
On April 2, 2018, the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission began taking applications for adult use or recreational use marijuana licenses. The first eligible to apply are considered "Priority Certifications" and are those businesses that are already registered...
WEDDINGS ARE (STILL) NOT AN “AGRICULTURAL OPERATION”
The Rhode Island Supreme Court recently had the opportunity to review a 2014 amendment to the Right to Farm Act (the "RFA") in The Gerald P. Zarrella Trust et al. v. Town of Exeter et al., SU #2016-301-A. In that matter, the plaintiff sought a declaration that RFA, as...
INSURING ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE: A QUICK PRIMER
What do you do when your largest customer goes bankrupt? Panic? Probably. But, once the immediate panic subsides, some smart business owners call their insurance company and put in a claim under their "accounts receivable insurance" policy. Accounts receivable and...
Deadline for Comments to RI DOH For Proposed Cannabis Testing Laboratories is Jan. 18, 2018
The Rhode Island Department of Health (DOH) intends to stand up cannabis testing facilities, according to the agency's notice on Licensing Analytical Laboratories for Sampling and Testing Medical Marijuana. The public has until the close of business on January 18,...
TOP 10 IRS TAX CODE CHANGES YOU CAN EXPECT WITH THE HISTORIC TAX REFORM BILL
To heighten an already exciting time of year, yesterday both Houses of Congress passed a substantial re-write of major portions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. All that awaits now is the formality of President Trump's signature, which as of this writing has not...
WORKPLACE SEXUAL HARASSMENT: A PARADIGM SHIFT?
With the seemingly daily news reports of sexual harassment scandals, business owners and investors are starting to realize an inconvenient fact: leaving the problem of workplace sexual harassment to the human resources department or middle-managers may no longer be...
Stay Ahead of the Constant Innovations in Cybercrime
Most business owners have been exposed to cybercrime during the past ten years and the rate of attack by these criminals increases daily. Cybercrime includes phishing and spamming, and those performing the criminal act are referred to as "hackers." Cybercrime is...
Family Business Disputes…Like An Awkward Thanksgiving?
Family gatherings at Thanksgiving often bring a mix of emotions: happiness at being re-united with loved ones who may live far away, but also sometimes stress over strained family relationships caused by a myriad of reasons. When family members work together in a...
TRUE DEADLOCK: A LESSON IN DODGING BULLETS
Deadlock. Impasse. Stalemate. There are few words more dreaded to a corporate director (except maybe "SEC investigation"). What to do when the power brokers in a company just can't agree is a problem that plagues business planning experts and litigators alike. Spoiler...