Articles
Options to Avoid Foreclosure: When a Strong Offense Makes a Good Defense
Most people understand the basic construction of a home loan: they receive a loan from a lender and sign a "promissory note," which is a promise to pay the lender for the principal of the loan along with interest. This promissory note is "secured" by a "deed of trust"...
Business Entities: An Alphabet Soup of Possibilities
Many entrepreneurs are familiar with the basic concept of incorporating or organizing a business entity; however, there are so many different types of entities that an entrepreneur can become understandably confused. We recognize those letters at the end of the...
Appealing Real Property Taxes
2009 is a "Reassessment Year" for real property taxes in Missouri. A property owner's right to appeal an assessment is usually available only in "reassessment years." Unless special circumstances exist, the assessment establishes the value for the next succeeding year...
Am I Buying More Than a Business? Successor Liability Issues that May Remain After the Closing
You’re an entrepreneur, and you’ve just found a company you want to buy in order to expand your own business. In setting up the purchase, you’ve decided you want to do an asset purchase. After all, you’ve heard that one of the benefits of an asset purchase is that,...
2009 Employment Law Updates
Keeping up with changes in the law is important for all employers in order to avoid liability and help maintain good employee relations. Recent changes to federal and Missouri immigration law and to the Family and Medical Leave Act rules have recently taken effect or...
Safeguarding a Business’ Intellectual Property: Patents and Trade Secrets for Small Businesses
The small business owner may have intellectual property that is vital to the success of the enterprise. This introductory note explains two methods by which an entrepreneurial business can take steps to protect itself against the loss of assets of great importance to...
Reasonable and Necessary Compensation: Undocumented Work Disqualifies Benefit Reimbursements
Compensation paid by a business, whether a corporation, limited liability or sole proprietorship must be “ordinary and necessary” to be deductible for corporate income tax purposes. If such compensation does not meet the “ordinary and necessary” standard, or if the...
Taxes Beyond Choice of Entity; Minimizing Employment Taxes
When forming a new company, you have a choice of business entities. For most small business owners, electing to be taxed under the Internal Revenue Code as a Subchapter "S" corporation or forming a limited liability company are the obvious choices for the reason that...
Baseball’s Perfect Warrior; Baseball’s Perfect Knight
May 13, 2008 Fifty years ago today, on a sunny day on Chicago’s North Side, Stan “The Man” Musial was called upon to pinch hit. Although Musial was supposed to wait for this moment until the team returned to Sportsman’s Park for a home stand, the team was behind 3-1...
Joint Tenancy Accounts and Safe Deposit Boxes: “Will Substitutes” or “Will They Substitute for a Will?”
You may be a party to a joint checking or savings account – most married people are and many seniors have children or other loved ones on one or more bank accounts. In choosing the type of account to have, you may have sat down with a bank officer who might have...
Thank You! Weiss Attorneys at Law Celebrates 20th Anniversary
2007 marked the 20th anniversary of Weiss Attorneys at Law, an accomplishment which was celebrated by friends and clients this past December 27th with a concert at The Roberts Orpheum Theater. Featuring London-born Sony recording artist Simon Mulligan, an audience of...
Weiss Attorneys at Law Celebrates 20 Years!
Weiss & Associates, P.C. celebrated 20 years of business by hosting a gala to thank clients and colleagues. View some of the photos from the event.