Insight, Analysis, and Perspective for Businesses and Individuals

Collecting against an insolvent debtor (i.e., defendant) creates issues and places pressure on the creditor (i.e., plaintiff) to secure the debtor’s assets while final judgment in a lawsuit is pending. Oftentimes there is a concern that the debtor is secreting/moving assets or not maintaining assets prior to or during the pendency of the lawsuit, to […]

***UPDATE: Per the U.S. Treasury Department announcement, FinCEN is now dead except for some limited foreign entity reporting. See post at FINCEN Filings Terminated for additional information.*** The Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) was enacted to enhance corporate transparency and combat illicit activities such as money laundering and tax evasion. While the primary focus of the […]

A Leaseback Agreement or a “rentback agreement” is an agreement between a buyer and seller of a property that permits the seller to continue living in the property for a period while paying rent to the buyer. Leaseback agreements are usually short-term arrangements that provide sellers with additional time to move out of the property […]

In Washington State, closely held companies are those in which the ownership is concentrated among a small number of shareholders. These companies may also be family-owned or held by a group of individuals who have a relationship with one another beyond just being co-owners. While these companies may have a different dynamic than public corporations, […]

The concept of the metaverse, a virtual world where users interact with digital environments and each other in immersive ways, has gained significant attention in recent years. With advancements in virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies, the metaverse is becoming more accessible and has the potential to revolutionize various industries, including real estate. […]

On February 2, 2023, Microsoft released a brand-new suite of features for its popular Microsoft Teams platform under the moniker “Microsoft Teams Premium.”[1]  One of the standout features of this premium service is “Intelligent Recap,” a software feature powered by the headline-news-generating ChatGPT AI system. Using ChatGPT, Intelligent Recap will “automatically generate[]meeting notes, recommended tasks, […]

Mayor Bruce Harrell officially ended the City of Seattle Civil Emergency Proclamation on October 31, 2022, which affects the requirement for landlords to negotiate payment plans with commercial tenants that qualify as a small businesses or nonprofit organization. Despite the end of the eviction moratorium and the lifting of  the COVID-19 Emergency Orders, commercial landlords […]

The world is transforming in the post-covid era and business needs are evolving as consumer habits change.  These changes can directly impact the space where you conduct business and have you contemplating what to do about one of your business’ largest expenses.  Whether your company is growing and in need of a new space to […]

What is the difference between a service animal and an emotional support animal? A service animal is a dog which has been trained to perform a specific task or to do work directly related to a person’s disability. Service animals perform a wide variety of vital services such as allergen alerts, seizure response, and hearing […]

Beginning January 1, 2023, many Washington employers will be required to disclose the salary range and benefits in their job postings.  Today, Governor Jay Inslee signed Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5761, amending the Washington Equal Pay and Opportunity Act to require all employers with 15 or more employees to disclose the wage scale or salary […]

In February 2022, Washington’s Court of Appeals for Division III reached a decision awarding attorney’s fees and costs for prelitigation bad faith in a matter of first impression for Washington courts.  In Dalton v. North Cascade Trustee Services and U.S. Bank, the appellate court reversed the superior court’s judgment in favor of a homeowner in […]

One day you are sitting with your friend brainstorming different ideas for your new startup business and before you know it you have a name, marketing and social media accounts, and a lease for your store front. In the excitement of putting together a business, you never formalize (in writing) the structure of the business, […]