Year: 2015

The modern legal landscape has changed dramatically since I became a lawyer nearly 20 years ago. Some changes have been obvious, like the impact of the Internet, while other changes are more subtle, like the impact of the Great Recession on how legal services are...

Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court quietly issued an important ruling which promises to have a long-lasting and deep impact on the residential housing industry. In Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs v. The Inclusive Communities Project, the high court...

As the Texas Legislature ramps up another session, my thoughts turn to hoping the politicians don’t add more burden to business owners trying to make an honest living. I’m reminded of one of my favorite stories of a politician who finally “got it.” I’ll leave to...

With a birthday coming up this spring (a birthday north of 40), my attention starts to turn to the annual tune-up at the doctor’s office. After an embarrassing wait in a drafty “robe” and being intimately checked out by my doctor, I get the usual news: lose 20 pounds,...

The following is a true story with the names changed to protect the innocent. I was once introduced to a prospective client who owned an environmental services company; he cleaned out tank cars. Serious work. When I asked him what kind of entity his company was, he...

Negotiations concerning your business can be stressful and overwhelming. Many people are under the misconception that anything goes in negotiations, as long as it achieves the desired result. Bluffing, or bending the truth, has been a common tactic of many business...

In 2009, during the heart of the housing crisis of the Great Recession, Congress enacted the Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act (PTFA). The PTFA was designed to protect honest tenants who did not know the house they were renting was in default and sold at a...

Everyone makes New Year’s resolutions (many of which will be broken by the end of January). Go to the gym, start a diet, watch less TV…generally people are trying to be better than they were the year before. The same should hold true for entrepreneurs and companies....