Author Archives: Jay Butchko
Here’s What Happens When Your Insurance Company Files for Bankruptcy
We all know that companies go out of business all the time. But insurance companies? Those are pretty safe bets. They have plenty of capital-and some have reinsurance, which is basically insurance for insurance. So insurance companies would never go out of business. But they do. And if it’s your insurance company that goes… Read More »
Dark Patterns and Other Sneaky tricks on Your Website Will Get You in Trouble
Do you have dark patterns on your website? That phrase may seem evil, or scary or like something out of a science fiction movie. But in reality, it’s a term that describes techniques and tricks on websites that can deceive and trick consumers, and you may be using them on your website, whether you… Read More »
Fraudulent Transfers Will do More Harm Than Good if You’re a Debtor
When businesses are being pursued for money and the creditors come calling, many may resort to drastic measures. Some of those measures may include trying to hide, sell, transfer or dispose of assets that creditors could get to. But be warned because doing something like that can lead to claims of fraudulent transfers. Confusion… Read More »
Loans and Investments: Which Are You Making?
If you are in the business of lending or you are letting someone borrow money, you know there is always the chance that you don’t get paid back. But while this is an inherent risk in lending, the last thing you want to have happen is to not get paid back because of a… Read More »
The Other Side to Your Contract Has Filed for Bankruptcy: What Now?
Bankruptcy can, in some instances, be a help to people or businesses in debt. But for many on the opposite end of the contract-the end of the contract that is potentially being discharged if the bankruptcy goes through—bankruptcy can be a financial nightmare. What Does Bankruptcy Mean to the Creditor? Bankruptcy means that in… Read More »
Daryl Hall and John Oates’ Dispute is a Business Lesson for All of Us
We often don’t think of famous musical duos as legal partnerships, but that’s exactly what they often are. Famous musical bands and duos are multimillion dollar business entities; from royalties to intellectual property to revenue from sales, they aren’t much different than your business. And also like so many businesses, when there is a… Read More »
Don’t Forget Your Articles of Incorporation
When you form a new company and register it with the state, it will ask you for Articles of Incorporation. Filling out the information online is simple. But just because you can do it simply, doesn’t mean that you should—the online Articles are just the skeleton or baseline for filing valid Articles of Incorporation,… Read More »
Injunctions: How to Get Them and Why You May Need Them
If you have the need to sue someone, you may at first wonder what you can stand to gain in damages; that is, how much money will a jury or court compensate you for your business losses. But sometimes, money itself isn’t enough. Sometimes, offending, hurtful, or damaging behavior needs to be stopped, immediately…. Read More »
Privileges: When Defamation is Legal
Most of us are aware of, and try to be careful of, committing defamation. And if we say anything critical or questionable, it isn’t uncommon to be threatened with defamation. But is there any time when defamation is OK? Are there situations where you can write or say something false, and be protected from… Read More »
Closing a Business and Opening Another Won’t Avoid Debts and Liabilities
Let’s say you purchase a pre-existing business. After the purchase, you realize that the company owes a lot of money to a lot of people. Or, your own business ends up with judgments or other debt against it. In either scenario, you want to get out of having to pay back all of those… Read More »
