Category: Corporate & Business law

Barna, Guzy & Steffen and the Minnesota Trucking Association’s Annual Conference

August 31, 2023  |  Carole Clark Isakson

As it does each August, BGS sent members of its Transportation Department to attend the Minnesota Trucking Association’s Annual Conference.  Carole Clark Isakson, Jim Wills and Rachel Schwankl connected with trucking company owners and vendors from throughout the state of Minnesota and attended educational programs covering topics from business succession to driver retention.   BGS also sponsored Stephen Shapiro, the conference keynote speaker, who spoke about innovative problem solving. The three-day event is well attended and enjoyed by all.   With more than four decades of experience representing nationwide motor carriers, Jim is both well respected and well known in this unique area of law. Having worked together for more than twenty years, Jim and Carole have worked with trucking companies, shippers, brokers, freight forwarders, and those who rely on transportation services. Carole Clark Isakson is also the President of the Minnesota Trucking Association Foundation.

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Why Corporate Records Matter

August 10, 2023  |  Carole Clark Isakson

Most people know that a key step in starting a business is creating an entity (an entity can protect your personal assets). Many of those people will go online to the Secretary of State website, find the form for Articles, and complete those online. With Articles in hand the company can now get an EIN. But is that enough? Are you going to have all the benefits of running the business as an entity if you only take these two steps? Read our blog to understand why corporate records matter. The short answer is NO  Some of the reasons for this answer are simple: A fully formed entity also needs documents that show who owns it, and how the company will be run, among other things. Those initial documents won’t show who actually owns the company or who the officers are, and they don’t contain any rules on how the company will be operated. Some specialized types of entities require provisions that aren’t in those forms but are required by law.  The importance of complete corporate records At least once a month we interact with clients with ongoing businesses that realize they never really finished forming the entity – and now are trying to sell it, or get a loan, or defend a lawsuit….

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BGS Attorney Carole Clark Isakson Presents at the Minnesota CLE Center

July 7, 2023  |  Carole Clark Isakson

Promissory Estoppel? Liquidated Damages? If you attended a seminar by BGS Attorney Carole Clark Isakson this week, you know what those are. Ms. Isakson was one of several presenters on June 27, 2023 at the Minnesota CLE center, all of whom had contributed materials to The Complete Lawyer’s Quick Answer Book.  Carole spoke about contract law, an area in which she has been working for more than three decades. Attendees learned about the elements of a contract, what constitutes an offer and acceptance, and how courts in Minnesota interpret contracts.  When do emails and conversations impact how a contract is interpreted? This depends in part on the contract terms.  Most likely is that prior conversations about the contract terms will not be persuasive if they contradict the terms of a contract that was then signed. She also spoke about breach of contract cases and how one can prevail or defend those claims. Tips for solid contract drafting were provided to the audience; a well drafted contract is the best defense against any type of claim based on the contract.  State law requires that some types of contracts be in writing to be enforceable or provide a party with the ability to void a contract that is not in writing. BGS is proud to…

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