Articles
Crowdfunding as a Platform for Small Business Capital Raising
By: D. Scott Freed
07/02/2012
Overview
Maryland: Strict Liability for Pit Bull Attacks
By: Jennifer S. Jackman
05/16/2012
On April 26, 2012, the Maryland Court of Appeals, the highest Court in Maryland, held that pit bulls are "inherently dangerous" and imposed strict liability on dog owners for injuries caused by their pit bulls or pit bull mixes. This strict liability standard applies not only to the dogs' owners,...
By: M. Trent Zivkovich
05/14/2012
The 2012 Maryland General Assembly Session ended on April 9th with the passage of a number of bills that promise to have a significant impact on real estate and land development activities in Maryland.
Can I Stop “Bargain Basement Pricing” of My Branded Products?
By: David L. Cahn
05/07/2012
While the continuous growth of Internet-based commerce has to lower prices for many consumer shopping for goods, it has been a major problem for many “bricks and mortar” retailers and also has caused concerns for product manufacturers who want to insure quality experiences for customers purchasing...
Retirement Plan Disclosure Deadline Looms
By: Mary Claire Chesshire
05/03/2012
Nonprofit organizations and associations may be feeling a little more loved by the custodians of their retirement plan assets and third party administrators lately, if “love” means how many communications you’re getting about the upcoming deadline for fee and investment disclosures.
Court Order Indefinitely Delays Implementation of NLRB Notice Posting Requirement
By: David M. Stevens
04/26/2012
In the latest development of the ongoing drama surrounding the National Labor Relations Board’s mandate that all employers covered by the National Labor Relations Act must post a notice of employee rights under the law, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit has issued an...
Maryland Legislature Passes Bill Prohibiting Employers from Requesting Social Media Passwords
By: David M. Stevens
04/26/2012
During the recently completed legislative session, the Maryland General Assembly became the first state legislature in the country to pass legislation prohibiting employers from requesting access to employees’ and job applicants’ personal computer accounts, most notably Facebook and other social...
Fourth Circuit Holds That Internal FLSA Complaint Can Support Retaliation Claim
By: Kevin C. McCormick
04/26/2012
In a recent decision, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit held that an employee’s internal complaint to company management about possible wage-hour violations may be protected under the Fair Labor Standards Act’s anti-retaliation provisions. The Fourth Circuit reversed...
SEC Issues Warning on Crowdfunding
By: D. Scott Freed
04/24/2012
As discussed in our Client Alert distributed last week1, on April 5, 2012 President Obama signed into law the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act (the “JOBS Act” or the “Act”). Some parts of the Act, such as the new category of “emerging growth companies” and the new thresholds for...
By: D. Scott Freed
04/20/2012
On April 5, 2012, President Obama signed into law the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act (the “JOBS Act” or the “Act”) following passage by the U.S.
