Once upon a time, people in business could close a deal without worry that there would be any misunderstandings in the future and certainly no possibility of a lawsuit. Unfortunately, those days are long past. But does this mean someone in business always needs an attorney for every aspect of his or her business? That certainly would be cost prohibited.   This Blog discusses, in layman’s terms, the most common legal issues that face today’s small business owners.

Business law encompasses the law governing contracts, sales, agency, employment law, business organizations, property, and bailments. Other popular areas include insurance, wills and estate planning, and consumer and creditor protection. Business law may include issues such as starting, selling, or buying a small business, managing a business, dealing with employees, or dealing with contracts, as well as numerous other topics.

Commercial law includes all aspects of business, including advertising and marketing, collections and bankruptcy, banking, contracts, negotiable instruments. The Uniform Commercial Code (UCC), which governs sales and commercial paper, has been adopted in some form by almost all states. There are agencies at the state and federal level which administer the law in such issues such as employment affairs and consumer and credit protection. The laws aim to protect fair business practices and due process rights for aggrieved workers and others. This Blog will discuss such areas as:

• Definitions and Sources of Law
• The Court System and its Personnel
• The Participants in the Court System
• Steps in a Civil Lawsuit
• Alternative Methods of Dispute Resolutions
• Administrative Agencies
• Government Regulation of Competition and Prices
• Business Law and Cyberlaw
• Torts
• Intellectual Property Rights
• Contracts
• Personal Property
• Bailments
• Sales and Leases of Personal Property
• Nature and Form of Sales
• Warranties and Product Liability
• Consumer Protection
• Bankruptcy
• Secured Transactions
• Agency Law
• Regulation of Employment
• Equal Employment Opportunity Law
• Disability Discrimination
• Violence in the Workplace
• Forms of Business Organizations
• General Corporation Law
• Management of Corporations
• Corporate Stock and Bonds
• Securities Regulation
• Partnerships (Including LLP’s and LP’s)
• Limited Liability Companies
• Real Property and Leases
• Environmental Law
• Wills and Trusts
• E-Commerce

Author: William Glover

I received my B.B.A. from the University of Mississippi in 1973 and his J.D. from the University of Mississippi School of Law in 1976. I joined the firm of Wells Marble & Hurst in May 1976 as an Associate and became a Partner in 1979. While at Wells, I supervised all major real estate commercial loan transactions as well as major employment law cases. My practice also involved estate administration and general commercial law. I joined the faculty of Belhaven University, in Jackson, MS, in 1996 as Assistant Professor of Business Administration and College Attorney. While at Belhaven I taught Business Law and Business Ethics in the BBA and MBA programs; Judicial Process and Constitutional Law History for Political Science Department; and Sports Law for the Department of Sports Administration. I still teach at Belhaven as an Adjunct both in the classroom and online. In 2004 I left Belhaven for a short stay at Wells Marble & Hurst, PLLC, and then joined the staff of US Legal Forms, Inc., 2006 where I draft forms, legal digests, and legal summaries. My most recent publications and presentations include: • Author: Sports Law Handbook for Coaches and Administrators, Sentia Publishing, 2017. • Co-Author: In the Arena published by the New York State Bar Association in 2013; • Co-Author: Criminal Justice Communications - Corinthian Colleges, Inc. in 2014. • Co-Author: Business Law for People in Business, Sentia Publishing, 2017. View all posts by William Glover