If your company has more than fifty employees at any location within a 75-mile radius, you know that you need to extend 12 weeks of unpaid medical leave under the FMLA. But even if you are not subject to the FMLA, or if you have already provided the…
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In the wake of the #MeToo! movement, my phone has been ringing off the hook with requests for me to offer training sessions on preventing and reporting sexual and other unlawful harassment in the workplace. While most companies should have been doing…
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I joined Bill Wright’s law firm in 1995, and within a year I was defending a manufacturer who had been sued for additional commissions by its former sales representative. Over the years, I’ve represented clients on both sides of these disputes. C…
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On a recent visit to the Dominican Republic, I toured las Casas Reales (the Royal Houses) in Santa Domingo — the seat of Spain’s government in the New World. It dates from the very early sixteenth century when Columbus’ son served as the te…
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I represent a lot of companies in disputes with customers, suppliers, and employees. Conventional wisdom says that a judge or “bench trial” is preferred for a corporate defendant rather than a trial by jury. Many contracts and employment…
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Last week, our very own Dirk Beamer and Julie Cotant attended the Taste of Diversity dinner hosted by the Oakland County Bar Association. The biannual event was created to help encourage diversity in the legal profession. This year’s gathering…
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Two weeks ago, I attended the annual meeting of the Michigan Bar’s Business Law Section. Section member and Dykema attorney Stephen Tupper offered an overview of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which takes effect May 28, 2018.…
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Under current Michigan law, minors caught drinking — or simply possessing — alcohol face misdemeanor charges and a possible criminal record. Starting January of 2018 that will all change. First time violations will be treated as a civil infractio…
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The Department of Homeland Security introduced Form I-9 both to prevent the hiring of illegal immigrants and also to protect workplace rights of “authorized” individuals living in the United States, regardless of their status. Starting January 22…
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LinkedIn recently announced my 21st anniversary at Wright Beamer. Several kind-hearted connections remarked that I couldn’t possibly be old enough to have a 21-year work anniversary. Well, if you ever need a reminder that you’ve moved on to the n…
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