The Dingeman & Dancer Blog consists of articles, news, and press releases written and edited by the attorneys and legal professionals at our firm, providing updates on both recent legal developments and established advice and guidance. Choose from the various topics listed in the sidebar menu to narrow in on a particular focus.
How Does a Retainer Fee Work for an Attorney?
What Is a Retainer Fee for an Attorney? A retainer fee for a lawyer is a form of prepayment for future services. The payment structure is common in various industries but is prevalent in the legal world because it tends to build a strong, ongoing relationship between attorney and client. How Does a Retainer Fee…
New Bankruptcy Law for Small Businesses
Author: W. Dane Carey The Small Business Reorganization Act of 2019 will go into effect in February 2020. The Act creates a new Subchapter V under Chapter 11 of the US Bankruptcy Code and is intended to streamline the process for small business reorganizations and make restructuring faster and less expensive. The Act provides a…
Four Exit Plan Mistakes for Family Business Owners to Avoid
Author: Dane Carey Many of our clients are family business owners—some large, some smaller. There are many similarities, and many differences among this group of clients. But one thing that all family business owners share is the common need for an established and well thought out exit plan. When working with clients on this issue, we…
Corporate Relief Under Michigan’s Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act
Author: George E. Powell The snow has (finally) melted. Northern Michigan residents can now dig through closets for their sandals, beach towels and swim trunks. Seasonal changes bring more than wardrobe changes, however—the warm months escort in droves of construction and land development projects. Such projects are not always as clean and tidy as they appear from…
Attention Employers: New Overtime Exemption Rules Imminent
Author: W. Dane Carey Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Labor sent to the Office of Management and Budget its final draft of proposed new regulations that govern the white collar exemptions to overtime pay. The anticipated impact these regulations will have on many employers and employees is significant. One change that will almost certainly…
Major Changes to the Michigan Nonprofit Corporation Act
Author: W. Dane Carey On January 15, 2015, Governor Rick Snyder signed a series of bills that implemented a number of changes to the Michigan Nonprofit Corporation Act. Many of the changes could have a major impact on the way a nonprofit organization is governed. This article contains a summary of the significant changes that may…
Act Now For Small Business Tax Relief
2014 marks the first year of the phase-out of personal property tax for businesses in Michigan. While the phase-out is a several year process, one significant component taking effect in 2014 is an exemption of commercial or industrial personal property of a business that has a combined value of less than $80,000. The most important…
The Value of Mediation in Business Disputes
Mediation of business disputes is a better alternative than expensive litigation. Mediation is a voluntary process in which two or more parties involved in a dispute work with an impartial party, the mediator, to generate their own solution to settling a conflict. As an alternative to business litigation, mediation of business disputes is usually less…