If you want to distribute your loved one's property, you have three methods from which to choose: formal probate, informal probate, and the small-estate affidavit in the estate planning process. The small-estate affidavit is the quickest, cheapest, and simplest...
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Minneapolis company sues competitor for stealing trade secrets
Many Twin Cities companies protect their rights to unique products, technologies, and services by registering trademarks, filing patents and obtaining copyrights. Companies also may ask their employees to sign non-compete agreements in order to protect a business from...
Remember to Send the 21-Day Letter After Your Tenant Leaves the Property!
If you withhold any portion of a security deposit, Minnesota law requires that you send a written statement to your tenants within twenty-one days after move-out. Minn. Stat. § 504B.178, subd. 3(a). This statement, known as a 21-day letter, must explain the reason for...
The Importance of Requiring Certified Funds Before Letting Your Tenants to Move in
Most leases require the tenant to pay the security deposit and the first month of rent at signing, or before moving in. But what happens if the tenants move in without paying? As a landlord, your first reaction is to call the police. You may view the tenants as...
Boston Scientific sued for settling patent issues with St. Judes
A patent-licensing company has sued Boston Scientific Corp. over a reported secret settlement agreement Boston Scientific reached with Twin Cities-based St. Jude Medical Inc. According to a news report, the patent firm Mirowski Family Ventures - owned by the family of...
Is your unpaid internship program legal in Minnesota?
It's hard to believe it with all of this gloomy weather, but summer has almost arrived in Minnesota. For a great number of college students, this means that it is time to begin a summer internship. Many Twin Cities employers offer internships as a way to provide an...
9-year battle over control of family business comes to end
Building a successful family business and passing it down to one's heirs is the dream of many Minnesotans. Unfortunately, even those who are successful in step one of this process can fail to prepare for the complications that might arise in step two. When a business...
Entrepreneurs and the role of passion in business formation
In American public life, politicians who agree on little else both acknowledge that the role of entrepreneurs and small businesses is crucial to us all. For the U.S. to regain its economic vitality - and create jobs that will help heal the scars of the Great Recession...
Trespass and Nuisance: Minnesota Supreme Court Clarifies Law
When most of us think of a trespass, we think of a person going onto someone else's property. But is it possible to have a trespass involving a chemical substance that strays from one landowners' land to another's? The issue was raised in a recent Minnesota case...
Tax Break for Mortgage Forgiveness Scheduled to Expire at Year’s End
The housing meltdown has exacted severe pain in the Twin Cities and across the country. Though the federal government has tried to respond with some relief, those steps have not always been enough for homeowners struggling to keep their homes out of foreclosure....