Publications

• Court Enforces Shareholder Valuation Agreement

  October 18, 2019

  Shareholders who want to avoid protracted litigation over shareholder rights and valuation can specify a valuation protocol in their operative agreements – including a forced redemption on termination of employment of a shareholder for any reason – and the courts will enforce the resulting purchase price. In its October 1, 2019 decision in Niewiek v […]

• DOL Announces Rule Increasing Minimum Salary Level

  September 25, 2019

  On September 24, 2019, the U.S Department of Labor (DOL) announced its final rule updating the minimum salary level required to be paid to employees classified as executive, administrative or professional employees. The rule updates the salary level of $23,660 that had been in effect since 2004 to a new level of $35,568 per year […]

• Renew Your Michigan Hemp Registration or License

  August 21, 2019

  In Michigan, industrial hemp and products manufactured therefrom are regulated by the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development (“MDARD”). Earlier this year, MDARD issued licenses permitting the manufacture, processing, and sale of hemp-based products on a temporary basis as the Department developed the “state industrial hemp plan” (the “IHP Plan”) required by last year’s […]

• Legal Documents Every College Student Should Have

  August 5, 2019

  As fall quickly approaches, my oldest child will soon be leaving for college.  We have begun the process of packing and I have learned that the typical college-bound student’s packing list will include “essential items” such as a mini fridge, laptop computer, cell phone, clothes, and shower shoes.  There is one other item that I, […]

• New Resource Available for Michigan Hemp Producers

  June 17, 2019

  A new resource is available to anyone interested in taking advantage of recent changes in the law regarding the growth, production and sale of hemp products in Michigan. On June 12, 2019, Michigan’s Department of Agriculture & Rural Development (“MDARD”) issued an electronic update publicizing the Michigan State University (“MSU”) Extension Bulletin E3402 entitled Industrial […]

• Michigan Court of Appeals Clarifies Next Friend Appointments

  June 6, 2019

  The Michigan Court of Appeals recently published an opinion addressing “whether a lawsuit, timely filed by or on behalf of a minor plaintiff, is defective and invalid until the trial court formally appoints a next friend for the minor.”  Estate of Olin v Mercy Health (Docket Nos: 341523; 342937).  The Michigan Court Rules require the […]

• Ruling Defines “Issued” Date for Letters of Authority in Wrongful Death Cases

  May 20, 2019

  In an opinion published on May 14, 2019, the Michigan Court of Appeals clarified when letters of authority are “issued” to a personal representative for purposes of determining the running of the two year period of limitation provided by the wrongful death savings provision of MCL 600.5852.  Estate of Jesse v Lakeland Specialty Hospital (Docket […]

• Court of Appeals Maintains Status Quo: Crego v McLean

  April 23, 2019

  Crego MD vs. DO Ruling The Michigan Court of Appeals released its long anticipated published opinion in Crego v McLean on April 16, 2019.  The issue presented in Crego was whether an allopathic physician (i.e. M.D.) is qualified to testify regarding the standard of care applicable to an osteopathic physician (i.e. D.O.) under MCL 600.2169(1)(b)(i).  […]

• Paranoid about Cannabinoids? The FDA’s Newly-Expressed Concerns About CBD in Food Products

  March 19, 2019

  Whether you’re a consumer or work in the food business, you likely have seen hemp-based cannabidiol (or “CBD”) products exploding in the market recently. CBD, which is a popular natural remedy used for many common ailments, is one of the 104 chemical compounds known as cannabinoids found in the cannabis or marijuana plant. Unlike tetrahydrocannabinol […]

• Michigan Employers Face Potential Return of Wage and Salary Increases

  March 11, 2019

  Two recent developments have resurrected wage and salary increases that Michigan employers thought were dead. These developments will force them to be cautious when determining the cost of labor for purposes of their operations and the cost at which they can sell their goods. News from Washington Regarding Potential Salary Increase While salaries paid to […]