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what’s In A Name – Just Your Business Survival!

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What’s so important about how I sign my name?”

I get asked that question all of the time from my business consulting clients.

I tell them that a better question to ask me is this:

“Who cares about how I sign my name?”

The answer is a simple one.

NOBODY.

FINE PRINT: Except… your customers and clients, your creditors, your bank, your mortgage company, your landlord, the I.R.S… oh yes… and anyone else that wants to SUE YOU (and don’t forget ALL their lawyers!).

As in many areas of the law, the exception to the rule swallows up the rule!

What do I mean by this?

Well, let’s start with some basics. For instance, if you’ve already formed a corporation or limited liability company (LLC), you may think that you’re already protected from personal liability in the event of a lawsuit against your business.

In general, the rule is that a corporation or LLC, if formed correctly, and if all of the formalities required under the law of the State where the entity was formed are followed, does protect you from personal liability for business debts and lawsuits.

FINE PRINT: Except… when you choose to do business as an individual, and not as the corporation or LLC that you initially formed.

You see, whenever you sign documents like contracts, purchase orders, contractual agreements, leases, loans, mortgages, promissory notes, and most other legal documents involving your business, you need to make sure that you sign your name only in your business capacity.

You MUST avoid signing your name in your individual capacity.

And how do you do that? It’s pretty simple. You see, the format that you use to sign your name is the controlling factor.

In many cases, you as the business owner, sign your name without knowing how to properly sign your name to business documents. In fact, most business owners of corporations and LLC’s still sign legally binding agreements in their individual capacity…and not as the business.

SIGN AS AN AGENT OF YOUR BUSINESS

If you have formed a corporation or an LLC, you must remember to sign all contracts, agreements, invoices, etc… as an agent of the business.

For example… Many business owners haphazardly, or perhaps inadvertently, sign legal documents like the format shown in

EXAMPLE 1 below:

EXAMPLE 1

(signature)
————————
John Doe

“But what is the consequence of signing my name like in EXAMPLE 1 above to invoices, agreements, or documents?”

EXAMPLE 1 and the above signature format legally establishes that YOU have signed the contract, invoice, loan, or agreement as an individual.

And not as an agent on behalf of your business.

If you sign your name to agreements in the form depicted in EXAMPLE 1 above, YOU could very well be liable personally to meet all of the terms of the agreement.

And you likely don’t want to do this!

Why Simply out, because you’re therefore subjecting all of your business assets and personal assets as well to the risk of a lawsuit.

If you sign agreements as depicted in EXAMPLE 1 above, YOU will very likely be named personally, as well as your business, in any lawsuit filed against the business.

Remember then:

Signing your name like in EXAMPLE 1 above DOES NOT establish that you have signed the agreement as an agent on behalf of your business.

“Okay. So how should I sign my name to my invoices, contracts, leases, loans, or any other business agreements?

What simple step can I take to protect my business, and my personal assets as well?

SIGN DOCUMENTS ONLY AS AN AGENT OF YOUR BUSINESS

Make sure that you only sign legal documents, letters, memos, invoices, loans, leases, etc… as an agent of your business.

How must I sign my name to any legal document or agreement to show that I am signing only as an agent of my business?

Follow EXAMPLE 2 below:

EXAMPLE 2

ABC CORPORATION, INC.

(signature)
———————————–
BY: John Doe
President (Company Title)

If you sign your name on the dotted line following the exact format depicted in Example 2 above, you legally establish that you are only signing as an agent on behalf of the business…and not in your individual capacity.

But you MUST follow the Example 2 precisely.

CAVEAT: Another very important point on this topic.

AVOID SIGNING documents that state “PERSONAL GUARANTY” on them.

A Personal Guaranty is usually a separate legal document attached to the main agreement. You generally see a Personal Guaranty in a loan, mortgage, or lease. However, sometimes a Personal Guaranty can be established just by the way you sign the legal document, invoice, lease, or agreement.

How?

Simple. If the agreement merely has a signature line that has your individual name on it without any reference to your business name, you are signing the document as a Personal Guaranty. You are therefore personally liable for that agreement if you sign the agreement with such a signature line.

But, what do I do if I am being required to sign a Personal Guaranty, like for a business loan or commercial lease for example?

If a Personal Guaranty is required, you or your lawyer should negotiate a limited period of time (the shortest possible) that the Personal Guaranty will bind you as an individual.

Remember, if you formed a corporation or LLC in the first place, you did it to avoid personal liability and to protect your personal assets. Anyone who does business with your company should, and usually does, know this. So, be careful. Other possibilities can be negotiated too. Just do your best not to sign in your personal capacity by signing a Personal Guaranty.

It’s important to remember to only sign legal documents, invoices, and even letters as an agent of your business. (Follow the format found in EXAMPLE 2 above).

How else can I make sure that I am signing my name properly to all of my business documents?

Call your attorney to review all of your agreements, invoices, leases, and legal documents BEFORE you sign them. Your attorney will offer sound advice that protects YOU, your loved ones, and your business.

Now, let’s review.

What’s in a name?

Well… besides your business…

…it could be all of YOUR personal and family assets!

The best advicve especially in the midst of tough economic times or a Recession, is to have any document you sign first reviewed by your lawyer or business consultant.

Copyright (c) 2008. Miguel Mendez, Jr. All rights reserved.

Download Transporter 3 Movie For Free – Legal

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Frank Martin, the good and the bad guy in the movie series Transporter, is back in his usual role in Transporter 3 as the professional transporter who delivers packages to the assigned destinations with no questions asked.
**To Download Transporter 3 Movie For Free visit the link in the resource box under this article.

The heart throb of many female movie buffs, Jason Statham, plays the lead role of Frank Martin in Transporter 3. The inspectors role of Tarconi is played by Francois Berland and the leading lady Valentinas role is played to perfection by Natalya Rudakova. The other star casts in Transporter 3 include Robert Knepper, Jeroen Krabbe, Yann Sundberg and the movie is directed by Olivier Megaton.

Frank Martin is forced to transport the kidnapped lady Valentina, the daughter of Ukraines Head of Environmental Protection Agency, Leonid Vasilev, from Marseilles to Odessa in the Black Sea. During the course of the journey he is instructed to cover the cities of Stuttgart and Budapest. The action packed journey from the source to destination is full of thrills and spills and is sure to keep the audiences glued to their seats.

Frank seeks the help of Inspector Tarconi to tackle the people who have entrusted him with the job of kidnapping Valentina throughout this journey. Moreover, he is confronted with stiff resistance from his co- passenger for the greater part of this journey. The manner in which Valentina falls for Frank and the way in which the couple escapes life threatening attempts during the course of the journey is the core of the story.

Any ardent action movie enthusiast will vouch for watching movies like Transporter 3. But, with the huge ticket prices these days, it is getting more and more difficult for the ordinary man to spend huge bucks to watch movies in theaters. There is a simple solution to tackle this problem.

One can download Transporter 3 Movie for free from many legal online websites. All you need is a computer and an internet connection to download Transporter 3 Movie for free.

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How To Change An Existing Employment Contract

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If you want to change an employee’s terms and conditions of employment, you will need to get their agreement first. Otherwise, the employee may be entitled to sue for breach of contract, or resign and claim constructive dismissal. You must tell the employee in writing about any changes no later than one month after you have made the change. Do changes have to be in writing? Agreed changes don’t necessarily have to be in writing. However if they alter the terms in your ‘written statement of employment particulars’,

your employer must give you another written statement showing what has changed within a month of the change. Employee Enforcement of the Right Employees have certain rights. These rights are enforceable by law: The right of fair treatment regardless of age, race, religion, gender, disabilities, or sexual preferences The right to equal treatment, also with regard to wages The right no be dismissed without proper cause and the correct procedures The right not to get fired for giving birth to a child Employees also have the right to a proper written notice time for termination of their work agreement in relation to the period employed Employees have the right for compensation when they are retrenched Safe workplace Terminating the Employment ContractBoth employer and employee can terminate the employment contract according to the terms contained within it. Either side can make a complaint against the other.

Breach-of-Contract Claims Both employers and employees can be in breach of a contract of employment. A breach of contract happens when either employee or your employer breaks one of the terms. If an employee continues to work under these changes without objecting, they may be regarded as having accepted the changes. Not all the terms of a contract are written down. A breach may be of a verbally agreed term, a written term, or an ‘implied’ term of a contract. Employer would normally use a county court for a breach of contract claim. The only way an employer would be able to make an application to an Employment Tribunal is in response to a breach of contract claim that an employee has made. The most common breaches of contract by an employee are when they quit without giving (or working) proper notice, or when they go to work for a competitor when their contract doesn’t allow it. Our Employment Law DocumentsAvailable documents include employment contract templates, as well as a director contract template and a range of employment policies. Our documents are designed for use in England and Wales. Our Contract of Employment Template is easy to customize to your business’ requirements.

They provide comprehensive legal protection, whilst avoiding excessive legal jargon. They have been designed with ease-of-use in mind. To this end, they include guidance notes. They are excellent value and available for immediate download. All the templates have been drafted by a team of Solicitors and Barristers who are expert in the field of employment.

If you want to change an employee’s terms and conditions of employment, you will need to get their agreement first. Otherwise, the employee may be entitled to sue for breach of contract, or resign and claim constructive dismissal. You must tell the employee in writing about any changes no later than one month after you have made the change. Do changes have to be in writing? Agreed changes don’t necessarily have to be in writing. However if they alter the terms in your ‘written statement of employment particulars’,

your employer must give you another written statement showing what has changed within a month of the change. Employee Enforcement of the Right Employees have certain rights. These rights are enforceable by law: The right of fair treatment regardless of age, race, religion, gender, disabilities, or sexual preferences The right to equal treatment, also with regard to wages The right no be dismissed without proper cause and the correct procedures The right not to get fired for giving birth to a child Employees also have the right to a proper written notice time for termination of their work agreement in relation to the period employed Employees have the right for compensation when they are retrenched Safe workplace Terminating the Employment ContractBoth employer and employee can terminate the employment contract according to the terms contained within it. Either side can make a complaint against the other.

Breach-of-Contract Claims Both employers and employees can be in breach of a contract of employment. A breach of contract happens when either employee or your employer breaks one of the terms. If an employee continues to work under these changes without objecting, they may be regarded as having accepted the changes. Not all the terms of a contract are written down. A breach may be of a verbally agreed term, a written term, or an ‘implied’ term of a contract. Employer would normally use a county court for a breach of contract claim. The only way an employer would be able to make an application to an Employment Tribunal is in response to a breach of contract claim that an employee has made. The most common breaches of contract by an employee are when they quit without giving (or working) proper notice, or when they go to work for a competitor when their contract doesn’t allow it. Our Employment Law DocumentsAvailable documents include employment contract templates, as well as a director contract template and a range of employment policies. Our documents are designed for use in England and Wales. Our Contract of Employment Template is easy to customize to your business’ requirements.

They provide comprehensive legal protection, whilst avoiding excessive legal jargon. They have been designed with ease-of-use in mind. To this end, they include guidance notes. They are excellent value and available for immediate download. All the templates have been drafted by a team of Solicitors and Barristers who are expert in the field of employment.

Michigan Unemployment Benefits Made Easy

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Michigan Unemployment Benefits Explained

The State of Michigan is facing tough times. With rising unemployment and the often complex unemployment benefits system, mistakes are being made and workers are wrongfully being denied their unemployment benefit payments. With new developments in unemployment laws and the federal stimulus package, unemployment benefits in Michigan are worth more than ever. For some beneficiaries, benefits can reach 72 weeks and nearly $30,000.

If an initial claim for unemployment benefits is denied, it is important for an unemployed worker to understand why they were denied, and what they can do to request a re-determination or appeal to protect their rights and get a proper and just determination. This article addresses the basic framework and is intended to help the Michigan unemployment applicant understand the process. In difficult situations, experienced legal representation may be essential.

The Unemployment Application Process in Michigan

During their first week of unemployment, unemployed workers are asked to visit the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agencys website at: http://www.michigan.gov/uia, the website is available to file new unemployment claims Monday Saturday from 7am to 7pm. There is also a telephone option: 1-866-500-0017. Unless instructed otherwise by Unemployment Agency staff, applicants must register within two to three business days at their local Michigan Works! Agency to upload a resume to the Michigan Talent Bank.

First time applicants will receive in the mail the following items:

–A determination showing the amount of weekly benefits and the number of weeks they may receive based on the wages earned.
–A booklet with detailed information about their rights and responsibilities for unemployment benefits.
–If there is an eligibility issue with their claim, they will receive a separate notice.

The unemployment claim process starts with an initial determination by the Unemployment Agency as to whether the applicant is eligible. Provided the applicant was fully employed in an eligible job, the agencys determination is based on two questions: whether the separation from employment was voluntary and, if not, whether the employment termination was based on misconduct. The initial determination is a first look and is not often without mistakes.

Unfortunately, mistakes in the initial unemployment determination are common. The most common mistakes involve inappropriate assumptions about a resignation or overreaching claims of misconduct in employer challenges. Often, employers challenge the benefits based on general performance issues or tardiness, issues not considered to be misconduct under the unemployment law. Misconduct under the employment laws is meant to be a limited category related to outright theft, misrepresentation or workplace drunkenness, not generalized performance issues.

When it comes to voluntary termination of employment, mistakes are often based on assumptions when employees resign just to protect their record, when in fact, many employees resign only involuntarily and only because they have been told their job is ending. Such resignations are not voluntary under the Michigan unemployment laws and should not be used to deny benefits.

Basic Requirements for Michigan Unemployment Benefits

The Michigan unemployment agency looks at the unemployed workers earnings in the first four out of the past five completed calendar quarters to determine if they are eligible for benefit payments. If they do not qualify under the standard base period they will then be reexamined using the four most recent quarters called the alternate base period. There is one last section to determine qualifications that the unemployed worker will have to certify with the State of Michigan. According to the UIA website, To be eligible for unemployment benefits, you must be unemployed and able to, available for, and actively seeking suitable full-time work. Some may worry that if they left their previous employer by turning in a resignation that they would be exempt from unemployment benefits. Although initial unemployment determinations may result in a denial of benefits, the fact of a resignation should not result in a denial, if it is involuntary.

The Process for Unemployment Beneficiaries Explained

Once qualified with an approved claim, the unemployed worker must continually certify their unemployed status with the State of Michigan every other week. The unemployed worker is expected to report to the UIA through the use of the Internet or telephone using Michigans Automated Response Voice Interactive Network, (MARVIN). A scheduled MARVIN appointment is based on the last two digits of their Social Security number. To access MARVIN via the Internet, unemployment beneficiaries can visit http://www.michigan.gov/uia and select the UIA Online Services for Unemployed Workers link. A free UIA online account can be created. MARVIN can also be reached at 1-866-638-3993, to find out scheduled times, beneficiaries can visit http://www.michigan.gov/uia.

How Much Will Michigan Unemployment Beneficiaries Receive and How?

Once approved and certified, it is important to know how the UIA determines the amount of unemployment benefit payment and how to receive it. During the unemployment application process, the UIA will ask the unemployed workers to select a choice of payment through either a state issued debit card or direct deposit into their personal bank account. To determine the specific amount of benefit payments, the UIA staff multiplies the highest amount of wages paid in any base period quarter by 4.1%. For each dependant claimed, the UIA adds $6 per dependant up to five. Currently, the weekly benefit amount is capped at a maximum of $362.

To determine how many weeks of benefits are available to an unemployed worker, the UIA multiplies total base period wages by 43% and then divides that answer by a weekly benefit amount. The initial benefit cannot be less than 14 weeks or more than 26 weeks. However, many emergency changes to the process have resulted in a series of extensions for unemployment beneficiaries. For some, benefits may extend up to 72 weeks. The new federal stimulus package may also include subsidy for extended COBRA benefits for some beneficiaries.

Special Emergency Extensions Available to Michigans Unemployed Workers

In recent developments, the Federal Government has provided an extension of benefits under the Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC), which includes a 20 week extension upon the initial state benefit period. The second part of the EUC is an additional 13 week extension upon that. In addition, Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm signed an extension benefit for an additional 13 weeks as of February 13th, 2009. Therefore, the total of available weeks of unemployment benefits that unemployed workers may receive would equal 72 weeks. The unemployment agency is responsible for notifying those eligible for the extensions when they are approaching the end of their initial claim.

What to Do If Michigan Unemployment Benefits are Denied or Challenged

The Michigan unemployment process is complex and has many layers. The agencys first decision is called a determination. After that the employer or the employee has 30 days to challenge the determination and request a redetermination. If either side is not satisfied, they are given an additional amount of time to request an appeal, to be heard by an administrative law judge at the unemployment agency.

For both sides, the appeal will be the first chance to present evidence and take testimony. After the appeal, challenges may go on to a board of review and then to Michigans court system. The biggest mistake people make is to give up on the process too early or to allow deadlines to pass. Employees often lose their rights sometimes worth over $20,000 simply by missing the deadlines. Sometimes, employers succeed by making continuous challenges and waiting for the employee to give up.

Other times employees may lose because they did not prepare for the appeal, or they are not adequately represented when they get there. When it comes to an appeal, many employees lose because they are not prepared to give testimony at the hearing or they are not represented. Simple steps can be taken to protect unemployment appeal rights. Unemployment advocates are available free of charge through the agency and some private employment attorneys are willing represent individuals in the unemployment process for a flat fee. Whatever they do, beneficiaries should never let their unemployment agency deadlines lapse with out seeking qualified legal advice.

Is It Legal Or Illegal To Jailbreak Verizon Iphone

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Recently, a lot of uncertainty has been circling around the issue of whether or not it should be legal to jailbreak 3G phones. “Jailbreaking” is now the common slang term for hacking into a Verizon iPhone, allowing users to run applications on the Apple OS that are not licensed or authorized by the Apple corporation. Confusion has now been cleared up by DMCA regulators, who have reached a consensus, which basically states that there is no unfair use attributed to the user who makes modifications to his or her iPhone, thereby making it operable with applications not approved by Apple.
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) is a U.S. Copyright law that makes it criminal to produce or propagate technology used to hedge digital rights management (DRM) which limit access to works that are copyrighted. However, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has requested that the jailbreak Verizon phone be added to a list of specific exemptions that will ultimately not be applied to this act. The EFF contends that the iPhone’s integration protection system is purely a strategic business decision, bent on preventing competition. The EFF also maintains that jailbreaking represents fair use of the firmware linked to the operating system.
This new revelation comes at the expense of Apple, which has profited on a closed business model, introduced in 2007 when the iPhone debuted. While Apple has stated in the past that is not legal to jailbreak, to this date no action, legal or otherwise, has been taken against the untold numbers of iPhone users who have hacked into their phones to use Cyndia, an underground application store.
Apple has currently sold in excess of three billion applications, and emphatically states that its closed model has been the key to the iPhone’s success. Apple executives feel that other cellular phone networks could likewise be victim to devastating cyber attacks by iPhone users worldwide if they are permitted to legally break into their devices.
Proposed exemptions to the DMCA are brought up for review every three years. From Apple’s perspective, the DMCA should protect the encryption (which is copyrighted) and included in the start up of the iPhone OS. However, the Copyright Office came to a different conclusion – that instead, the restrictions that a copyright owner might impose upon an OS are not covered under a law meant to criminalize the violation of those restrictions.
Cydia, the forbidden application marketplace, can currently boast about nine million iPhones having the app installed. This news, naturally, comes as a great relief to the folks at Cydia and other alternative (but not sanctioned) applications written for installation and function on the iPhone (such as Rock Your Phone, which sells an app that enables the iPhone to become Wi-Fi hotspot.) The jailbreak community at large feels that this decision has given it legitimacy.
In response, Apple states that modification of the iPhone OS can lead to the inception of work which is a violation, yet protected by copyright law – and that the applicable license on the OS prohibits any software alterations. In addition (and not surprisingly) Apple has found that the unauthorized modifications are to be blamed for OS instabilities and other technical issues. Henceforth, they have explicitly stated that such alterations will void the iPhone warranty.