News & Insights

In September 2011 the Maryland Court of Special Appeals issued a wake up call to the unwary who perform work for public entities but fail to strictly follow contractual and procurement requirements.  In short, the Court made it clear that performing work outside of the original scope of a contr... Read more >

If Governor Martin O’Malley signs it, a bill passed by the Maryland Legislature will make Maryland the first state to prohibit employers from asking or requiring their prospective or current employees to give access to their personal online accounts. The bill would also prohibit Maryland employers... Read more >

The Maryland Court of Special Appeals issued a ruling in December 2006 that strengthened the ability of creditors to collect debts by confessed judgment.  It also clarified the preliminary burden a debtor must meet if he or she attempts to open, vacate, or modify the judgment once it has been e... Read more >

Since limited liability company (LLC) statutes were enacted in all fifty states and the District of Columbia, the LLC has become the business entity of choice. Generally, LLCs provide business owners with limited liability for the debts and obligations of the business while being taxed on a pass-thr... Read more >

A Maryland corporation is required to file its Personal Property Return (Form 1) and pay a $300 fee by April 15 of each year in order to maintain its charter in good standing. If the return is not filed and the fee is not paid, then the corporation is not in good standing and, with the passage of ti... Read more >

Partnerships, limited liability companies ("LLCs") taxed as partnerships and S corporations have various tax advantages and are often chosen by owners of businesses as favored business structures. There are, however, some disadvantages to such structures; the owners can take advantage of fewer tax-f... Read more >

When buying or selling a corporate business, a business manager has a choice: is the transaction to be a purchase and sale of assets or a purchase and sale of corporate stock? The buyer of the assets or stock ("Buyer") and the seller of the business ("Seller") will be motivated to different answers ... Read more >

Real estate developers, builders, and contractors regularly enter into agreements that contain the words, often in the "testimonium" clause just before the signature lines, "witness my hand and seal" or "signed and sealed," and probably think little of it. And those who operate under a corporate str... Read more >

Commercial leases, particularly leases in retail shopping centers, often contain provisions (known as "use exclusives") that prevent the landlord from leasing space in the same mall, center, or area to a business that sells products or services similar to those sold by an existing tenant.  Coun... Read more >

For situations in which a couple separates, but one spouse does not want to end the marriage, a new law in Maryland shortens the separation period to file for a no fault divorce from two years to one year. Prior to the enactment of this law, if husband and wife "mutually and voluntarily" agreed t... Read more >