Buy-Out of Business Partner With Life Insurance Results in Massive Income Tax Hit From IRS
A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision in Connelly v. United States disputes a common succession strategy for many closely owned businesses with more than …
Can an Employer Enforce a Non-Disclosure and Non-Disparagement Agreement Against a Former Employee?
You work for an employer. You’re fired, or let’s say you’re terminated, or you separate from your employer. You sue your former employer. You …
A Women Owned Business in N.J. Means Women Owners, Not a Corporate Owner With Women Employees
This case challenged a final decision by New Jersey denying a company’s application for certification as a “women’s business” under N.J.S.A. 52:27H-21.17 and the …
Is There Such a Thing as a Lifetime Contract of Employment?
An employment contract may specify a fixed term of employment; but like any other contract, such a contract must be sufficiently definite in its …
Is a Personal Service Contract Enforceable in NJ?
The general rule has historically been that in NJ, a personal service contract, including an employment contract, can be specifically enforceable, especially when the …
Understanding The Breach of Contract Defense Known as “Laches”
“Laches is an equitable doctrine under the law which penalizes a party with a legal right to relief from enforcing that right after passage …
If You Loan Money and Wait Too Long to Collect It You May Lose Your Right to Collection
In this collection case a private lender challenged the court’s dismissal of his breach of contract claims because of the legal doctrine known as …
Implied Covenant of Good Faith and Fair Dealing Applies to All NJ Contracts and the NJ Consumer Fraud Act
An important law governing New Jersey commercial transactions is known as the “implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing”. This law states that …
Just How Far Can You Go with Making a Conscientious Employee Protection Act (CEPA) Claim Against Your Employer? (Part 2 of 2)
In my last blog I discussed a public employment case involving a corrections officer employed at Fort Dix. He claimed employment retaliation because of …
The NJ Revised Uniform Limited Liability Company Act Limits Derivative Lawsuits by Family Members of a Small LLC
This case originated as a dispute between brothers over the managerial rights of a family owned LLC. Each member owned a 48% interest in …
Can You Sue Your Insurance Agent for Not Recommending Enough Coverage?
Do you have enough insurance? Does your insurance agent ever discuss your coverage? Without enough insurance you risk loss of your savings and property. …
Claiming to Be a Victim of Discrimination Isn’t Enough to Win an Employment Discrimination Case
I notice that many employees (actually they are now former employees when they bring their lawsuit) allege a violation of the New Jersey Law …
A Former Employer Cannot Claim “Specialized Knowledge Gained on the Job” to Stop an Employee from Leaving
One of the nation’s largest home building companies applied to court for injunctive relief to prevent one of his former employees from misappropriating alleged …
Trusts as Members of NJ LLCs
This blog discusses whether a trust can be a member of a NJ LLC and addresses a few interesting questions about how a trust …
Is There Legal Liability When an Incapacitated Person Signs a Contract?
• A contract signed by an incapacitated person is generally voidable by the incapacitated party, meaning they can terminate it at any reasonable time …
Installation of a Complex Computer System Ruled Not Subject to the NJ Consumer Fraud Act
The Consumer Fraud Act (CFA) provides protection for many NJ consumers when dealing with the sales of real estate and merchandise. The Act provides …
Are Doctors, Psychologists, and Accountants Subject to a Restrictive Agreement Not to Compete?
Restrictive agreements of physicians are still enforceable. The Supreme Court found nothing in the nature of the medical profession requiring exemption from the general …
A Party’s Tax Returns Are Generally Protected from Disclosure in Litigation… But Not Always
The NJ Court Rules control the procedural aspects of all litigation in the state. Rule 4:10-3 allows a court to prevent the disclosure of …
Understanding the Legal Concept Known as “Quantum Meruit” Under NJ Contract Law
In order to receive payment under a defective contract a legal claim called “quantum meruit” must be asserted to win; “a plaintiff must establish”: …
A Real Estate Broker is Screwed When She Fails to Get a Signed Listing Agreement
Here’s a recent case that seems unfair to a real estate broker who failed to get a signed commission agreement before introducing a buyer …
A Court Can Order a Contractor to Finish the Job Instead of Giving Money Damages
Money damages are generally given in a breach of contract case. Sometimes a court will order a contractor to finish a job instead of …
If Your Business Makes Too Much Noise, You’re Going to Get Shut Down and Be Sued
There is a legal action known as a “private nuisance”. “The essence of a private nuisance is an unreasonable interference with the quiet use …
How to Correct a Mistake in a Certificate of Formation
Recently a client provided me with a NJ LLC Certificate of Formation he filed online by himself several weeks previously. For unknown reasons, he …
COVID, the Flu and the Law Against Discrimination
In a recent case handled by our office, a school district terminated a teacher in violation of the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (LAD) …
A NJ Partnership That Owns Real Estate is Subject to a Petition Action by its Partners
In this case, three partners owned three properties as tenants in common in Newark (tenants in common means they each own a percentage of …
A Liquidated Damage Cause in a Breach of Contract Cases Isn’t Always Enforced
A recent case I read involved a dispute over a $852,100 deposit made by a buyer in connection with a commercial real estate sale …
When Gifting Real Estate in NJ, What is the Actual Date of the Gift?
We have clients who want to gift to their ownership in New Jersey Real Estate. These clients want to complete their gift in 2022. …
Claiming to Be a Victim of Discrimination Isn’t Enough to Win an Employment Discrimination Case
I notice that many employees (actually they are now former employees when they bring their lawsuit) allege a violation of the New Jersey Law …
When Shareholders Are Fighting What Statutory Remedies Can Be Used to Win
When things go bad between shareholders, fights erupt and litigation is most often filed by and against the corporation and the individual shareholders. Once …
A Real Estate Broker Must Understand the Statute of Frauds and NJ Contract Law
The statute of frauds requires certain types of real estate agreements to be in writing or the agreement will not be recognized by law. …