A pair of newsworthy matters attracted a lot of attention – and controversy – in legal circles. They include the firing of a grocery store manager, stabbed by a disgruntled customer in St. Paul; and a retired police officer, whose personal data was accessed by other officers for improper reasons. Here is a glimpse at the two incidents and their legal implications. Managerial Matter The store manager, Scott Ostrem, was fired from his job at a Roundy’s store … Continue reading
KOHL OFFERS AMENDMENT TO PROTECT AMERICAN BUSINESSES. WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Herb Kohl and Christopher Coons (D-DE) introduced an amendment to the Currency Exchange Rate Oversight Reform Act aimed at protecting American trade secrets and innovation. The amendment gives companies the ability to go to federal court to stop misappropriation of trade secrets and allows them to seek compensation for losses due to economic espionage. “The problem of economic espionage is not new, but it has grown and evolved as … Continue reading
Attorney Greg Perleberg was interviewed recently by the Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal in regards to the lawsuit filed in Federal Court against Groupon, the deal-of-the-day website that features discounted gift certificates usable at local or national companies. Mr. Perleberg’s practice includes advising clients on e-commerce issues and the article can be accessed here.
Mansfield Tanick & Cohen Attorney Greg Perleberg appeared on Fox 9 News on Wednesday, October 5, 2011, to discuss consumers’ rights with respect to cell phone contracts. To view the interview, click here.
One minute your life is great! You and your spouse are happy with your careers. Your children are great, the neighborhood is everything you always wanted, you have great friends, and are driving your dream car. Without warning, another driver who was busy sending a text blows a red light and crashes into you. The next minute bright lights are flashing; you’re hearing loud voices, your dream car is smashed up, and you are in severe pain. No, this isn’t … Continue reading
Homeowners whose homes are over-burdened with mortgage debt beceause of the real estate bubble have recently been given a powerful tool to help them stay in their homes. In Fisette v. Keller the 8th Circuit Bankruptcy Appellate Panel ruled that people who file for Chapter 13 protection can remove a wholly unsecured second mortgage on their home in bankruptcy. This can be a powerful tool for homeowners with second mortgages whose homes are underwater. Many bankruptcy jurisdictions around the country have … Continue reading
It’s the type of topic nobody wants to talk about, although we hear about things like this happening all the time. We say, “that is so sad, but it will never happen to anyone in my family.” We all hope that nothing really bad happens to our loved ones, but not many of us know what to do if something bad does happen to a member of our family. In the case of the wrongful death of a loved one, … Continue reading
It’s a sad fact that every year in the United States there are about 900 bicycle accident deaths. Of reported bicycle deaths in 1999, 29% of the people killed were under the age of 16. Emergency rooms saw 51,600 bicycle-related injuries in 2008. Intersections are particularly dangerous, accounting for 35% of bicycle accidents. These accidents not only affect people’s lives, but take a toll on the economy in general. Injuries and deaths from bicycle accidents alone cost our society over … Continue reading
The IRS or your state’s Department of Revenue are among the most difficult creditors to deal with if you have tax debt. Many people assume that income taxes are not dischargeable in bankruptcy. That is incorrect. Income taxes, both federal and state, can be dischargeable in bankruptcy if certain criteria are met. MTC Attorney Michael Sheridan recently discharged over $145,000 of IRS tax debt for a client. This article reviews criteria that must be met to eliminate tax debt in … Continue reading
When I discuss bankruptcy with people, the first thing people ask me is: will I lose my house if I file bankruptcy or will I lose my car if I go bankrupt? Many people think that they automatically will lose their house, their car and most of their possessions when they file for bankruptcy. That is not the case. Congress has set up the bankruptcy laws to allow people to protect most if not all of their assets. The reason … Continue reading