The BriefingNotes for people who run companies

The Briefing

Straight, practical writing on Michigan business and employment law: what the rules actually require, where companies go wrong, and what to do about it. No filler, no fear-mongering, no legalese.

Litigation

What Business Litigation Actually Costs (and What Drives the Number)

The honest answer to what a commercial case costs is that it depends, but the drivers behind that number are knowable. Here is how to see them before you commit.

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Employment

Independent Contractor Misclassification: The Risk Michigan Employers Underestimate

Labeling a worker an independent contractor does not settle the question. Agencies and courts look at the actual relationship, and getting it wrong is expensive.

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Litigation

Litigate or Settle? A Framework for Commercial Disputes

The decision to fight or settle should be made with a spreadsheet, not with pride. Here is the framework we use to make it clear-eyed.

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Partnership Disputes

Minority Shareholder Oppression in Michigan: Your Rights When You Are Frozen Out

Being pushed out of a business you own a piece of is not something Michigan law asks you to simply accept. Oppressed minority owners have real leverage.

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Contracts

The Elements of a Breach of Contract Claim in Michigan

Winning a breach of contract case is not just about being wronged. It is about proving four specific things. Here is what each one requires.

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Litigation

Demand Letters: How to Send One, and What to Do When You Receive One

The demand letter is the most underrated tool in commercial disputes. Done well, it ends the matter. Done badly, it hands the other side ammunition.

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Employment

How to Respond to an EEOC Charge Without Making It Worse

The way an employer responds to an EEOC charge in the first weeks often matters more than the underlying complaint. Here is how to get it right.

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Employment

Terminating an Employee Without Inviting a Lawsuit

At-will employment is a defense, not a shield. The difference between a clean termination and a lawsuit is usually made in the weeks before the firing.

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Employment

The Employee Handbook Mistakes That Quietly Create Lawsuits

The handbook is supposed to protect the company. Written carelessly, it does the opposite, handing a plaintiff the company's own words to use against it.

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Employment

Are Non-Compete Agreements Enforceable in Michigan?

A non-compete is only as good as its reasonableness. Michigan courts enforce the measured ones and rewrite or discard the overreaching ones.

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Partnership Disputes

When a Business Partner Breaches Your Operating Agreement

The operating agreement is the constitution of your company. When a co-owner breaches it, your remedies begin in that document, and moving deliberately matters.

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Talk to us

Have a dispute, or want to prevent one?

Tell us what is going on. You will get a straight read on where you stand, the range of outcomes, and what it costs, before you commit to anything.