Chicago's Legal Latte

Lavelle Law Shareholder Matthew Sheahin, an experienced business litigator discusses the importance of establishing trademarks for a business and then details how to effectively use the legal process to defend those trademarks. Matt shares the steps business owners should take while he shares some examples of recent cases involving trademark infringement.

Employee Stock Ownership Plans are reviewed by Lavelle Law attorneys Steven Migala and David O'Leary, both of whom have extensive experience with this business succession option. ESOPs are a mechanism by which owners can sell their business to employees allowing their legacy to be protected. Learn about the advantages of the approach and some of the mechanisms involved in an ESOP transaction.

Once you pass away, your assets, including any businesses you own, can be passed on to your spouse, children, or anyone else you designate. However, they may be subject to taxes unless you prepare a sound estate plan that uses the right instruments. Lavelle Law Shareholder Brian Warens discusses how to minimize tax obligations for your heirs in this detailed estate planning discussion.

Mortgage interest rates have more than doubled in the last year causing some buyers to sit out for now while others look for the best way to finance their new home. Lavelle Law Shareholder Kelly Anderson and Sheila DuPaw of Guaranteed Rate discuss financing a home purchase in today's market including the seller buy-down option. Learn more about this financing tool and other approaches in this informative discussion.

In part 2 of this discussion, Elizabeth Maine Ellis, a Partner at Lavelle Law, drills down further on the topic of estate planning tools for independently-owned and family-owned businesses. She will look at the topic relative to the life-cycle of the business, retirement planning, and passing a business on to heirs.

When people start a business their focus is on the here and now. If a task is not critical, it often gets overlooked or deferred. Lavelle Law Managing Partner Ted McGinn and Associate Meghan Hartnett discuss the importance of creating a sound shareholder agreement right from the start. They'll discuss what should be included and how to make sure all parties are represented and protected.

When people start a business their focus is on the here and now. If a task is not critical path, it over gets overlooked or deferred. Lavelle Law Managing Partner Ted McGinn and Associate Meghan Hartnett discuss the importance of creating a sound shareholder agreement right from the start. They'll discuss what should be included and how to make sure all parties are represented and protected.

Estate planning takes on extra importance when running a family-owned business. Lavelle Law Partner Elizabeth Maine Ellis discusses a series of critical elements that families with a business need to consider to protect the legacy they have built.

The Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act was enacted several years ago but as often happens with new laws, it is being defined through a series of court cases. Lavelle Law attorney Thomas Fox talks about several of those cases and what the outcomes mean for employers and the future enactment of the law.

Until recently, it was very unlikely that student loan debt could be discharged in a bankruptcy proceeding. Lavelle Law attorney Timothy Hughes discusses a new change to laws that provide an opportunity for some filers to have a clearer path to dismissing that debt.