In March 2020, Governor Reynolds issued a proclamation closing all bars and restaurants from dine-in or in-person services in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In compliance with the proclamation, both Jesse’s Embers (Des Moines bar and restaurant) and Wakonda Club (Des Moines country club) closed down. Both businesses had commercial property insurance with similar language […]
On March 1, 2022, Ben Erickson obtained a defense verdict on behalf of a local business. The case stems from claims that Erickson’s client negligently caused thousands of dollars’ worth of damage to Plaintiff’s property. The case proceeded to trial on February 21, 2022. After considering the evidence presented at trial, including contradictory statements harvested […]
Grefe & Sidney is already handling Coronavirus/COVID-19 related litigation. Countless businesses have been affected by this pandemic, causing disruptions with both demand and supply. Our firm is involved in defending claims that business interruption clauses contained in many insurance policies should be triggered by pandemic related/government ordered closures. In addition, the first of what is […]
On August 5, 2019, Clark Mitchell and Michael Currie obtained a dismissal for their client. Plaintiff contracted with Defendant for the purchase and installation of three hoop buildings. Plaintiff entered into a warranty agreement with Defendant at this time. The warranty agreement provided that Defendant would repair or replace any product covered under the warranty, […]
Plaintiff and Defendant were business associates, who had an oral agreement regarding a salvage yard business. Plaintiff locked Defendant out of the business and filed suit for breach of an oral contract. Plaintiff also obtained a temporary injunction that prevented Defendant from returning to the business property, where many of Defendant’s tools, equipment, and inventory […]
Many business owners choose to organize their businesses as separate legal entities such as corporations or LLCs. There are many advantages for doing so, but one of the primary advantages a corporation or an LLC provides a business owner is limited liability protection. This means that, generally, if a plaintiff wins a lawsuit against a […]
Over the next few newsletters, we will be doing a series on “The Basics” of a variety of things in our practice areas, including Trusts, Residential Real Estate Transactions, Probate, etc. In this Newsletter, we are starting with business structures and how they each differ from one another. Sole Proprietorship – A sole proprietor is […]
Internal Revenue Code Section 1031 Like Kind Exchanges (LKE) can be incredibly beneficial upon the sale of income producing property, but are one of the most underutilized sections of the tax code. A LKE is a transaction or series of transactions that allows for the disposal of an asset and the acquisition of another replacement […]
An eleven year old girl, K.N.T., was seriously injured in an ATV accident. The drivers of the ATV were uninsured, so K.N.T.’s mother filed an uninsured motorist claim with her own insurance provider, American Family. The American Family claims manager responsible for the claim denied it, citing an exclusion contained in a generic American Family […]
If you own a small business, you know that it can be difficult to manage the day-to-day operations of the business while also keeping up with all of the rules and regulations employers must follow. Fortunately, there are many resources available to assist small business owners on many topics, such as: Employees: If you intend […]
