Business Law 101

Sometimes, you’re compelled by law to let other people use or have access to your property. Episode 74 of Business Law 101 focuses on easements and licenses. I am an attorney and speaker as well as the founder and CEO of Claremont Management Group, a consulting firm in Houston, Texas. I’m also a tenured professor, the Cameron Endowed Chair of Management and Marketing, and the Director of Graduate...

Microsoft intends to merge with Activision Blizzard, bringing the video games industry that much closer to a creativity-stifling, job-killing monopoly. Episode 73 of Business Law 101 looks at the history and impact of Merger Mania. I am an attorney and speaker as well as the founder and CEO of Claremont Management Group, a consulting firm in Houston, Texas. I’m also a tenured professor, the Camero...

Life Estates aren't just for widowed Queens anymore. Divorce can make owning real estate even more complicated. I break down types of ownership in Episode 72 of Business Law 101. I am an attorney and speaker as well as the founder and CEO of Claremont Management Group, a consulting firm in Houston, Texas. I’m also a tenured professor, the Cameron Endowed Chair of Management and Marketing, and the...

In Episode 71 of Business Law 101, the juror revelations in the Ghislaine Maxwell case offer an opportunity to discuss some less commonly known legal terms and courtroom motions. I am an attorney and speaker as well as the founder and CEO of Claremont Management Group, a consulting firm in Houston, Texas. I’m also a tenured professor, the Cameron Endowed Chair of Management and Marketing, and the...

In Episode 70 of Business Law 101, Howard Hughes, one of the 1st billionaires, died without a will in 1976 and the ensuing litigation surrounding the probate process took 34 years to settle. I am an attorney and speaker as well as the founder and CEO of Claremont Management Group, a consulting firm in Houston, Texas. I’m also a tenured professor, the Cameron Endowed Chair of Management and Marketi...

In Episode 69 of Business Law 101, you actually do need a will, even if you’re young with no kids or many assets, because if you die intestate it can be expensive and time-consuming for the people you leave behind. I am an attorney and speaker as well as the founder and CEO of Claremont Management Group, a consulting firm in Houston, Texas. I’m also a tenured professor, the Cameron Endowed Chair o...

In Episode 68 of Business Law 101, leasing personal property (such as equipment or cars) is more complicated than buying outright, and is governed by a completely different section of the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC). I am an attorney and speaker as well as the founder and CEO of Claremont Management Group, a consulting firm in Houston, Texas. I’m also a tenured professor, the Cameron Endowed Cha...

In Episode 67 of Business Law 101, I give an overview of titles (including a birds-eye view of negotiating and transferring them). I am an attorney and speaker as well as the founder and CEO of Claremont Management Group, a consulting firm in Houston, Texas. I’m also a tenured professor, the Cameron Endowed Chair of Management and Marketing, and the Director of Graduate Programs at the University...

In Episode 66 of Business Law 101, it’s all about bailments – a term most people don’t know, but something they use constantly. I am an attorney and speaker as well as the founder and CEO of Claremont Management Group, a consulting firm in Houston, Texas. I’m also a tenured professor, the Cameron Endowed Chair of Management and Marketing, and the Director of Graduate Programs at the University of...

In Episode 65 of Business Law 101, I discuss the ways personal property can be legally transferred (including sale, inheritance, and gifts) as well as abandoned, lost, and mislaid property. I am an attorney and speaker as well as the founder and CEO of Claremont Management Group, a consulting firm in Houston, Texas. I’m also a tenured professor, the Cameron Endowed Chair of Management and Marketin...

In Episode 64 of Business Law 101, I give an overview of real and personal property, how they are different, and what that means for you. I am an attorney and speaker as well as the founder and CEO of Claremont Management Group, a consulting firm in Houston, Texas. I’m also a tenured professor, the Cameron Endowed Chair of Management and Marketing, and the Director of Graduate Programs at the Univ...

In Episode 63 of Business Law 101, model Anna Nicole Smith was involved in a dispute over the estate of her late husband, oil tycoon J. Howard Marshall II, that made national headlines. I am an attorney and speaker as well as the founder and CEO of Claremont Management Group, a consulting firm in Houston, Texas. I’m also a tenured professor, the Cameron Endowed Chair of Management and Marketing, a...

In Episode 61 of Business Law 101, accidentally leaked documents on keyword warrants suggest Google is spying for the American government, but the Kyllo case sets a precedent that the data could be inadmissible in court. I am an attorney and speaker as well as the founder and CEO of Claremont Management Group, a consulting firm in Houston, Texas. I’m also a tenured professor, the Cameron Endowed C...

In Episode 61 of Business Law 101, I discuss the role of negligence in the famous McDonalds “hot coffee” case. I am an attorney and speaker as well as the founder and CEO of Claremont Management Group, a consulting firm in Houston, Texas. I’m also a tenured professor, the Cameron Endowed Chair of Management and Marketing, and the Director of Graduate Programs at the University of St. Thomas. I hav...

In Episode 60 of Business Law 101, I explain the role of strict liability in negligence cases, including both its history and recent trends in court findings. I am an attorney and speaker as well as the founder and CEO of Claremont Management Group, a consulting firm in Houston, Texas. I’m also a tenured professor, the Cameron Endowed Chair of Management and Marketing, and the Director of Graduate...

In Episode 59 of Business Law 101, I discuss some of the defenses you can used if sued for negligence, including contributory negligence, comparative fault, assumption of risk, and state of the art. I am an attorney and speaker as well as the founder and CEO of Claremont Management Group, a consulting firm in Houston, Texas. I’m also a tenured professor, the Cameron Endowed Chair of Management and...

In Episode 58 of Business Law 101, I explain the difference between actual and proximate causes of negligence, and discuss the damages that could be awarded (both compensatory and punitive). I am an attorney and speaker as well as the founder and CEO of Claremont Management Group, a consulting firm in Houston, Texas. I’m also a tenured professor, the Cameron Endowed Chair of Management and Marketi...

In Episode 57 of Business Law 101, I break down some special cases of negligence, which are most commonly referenced by their Latin names. I am an attorney and speaker as well as the founder and CEO of Claremont Management Group, a consulting firm in Houston, Texas. I’m also a tenured professor, the Cameron Endowed Chair of Management and Marketing, and the Director of Graduate Programs at the Uni...

In Episode 56 of Business Law 101, 100 years ago the Palsgraf case found you are only liable for negligence if the danger is foreseeable. Today the court would likely have decided differently, and the dramatic uptick in malpractice cases reflects this. I am an attorney and speaker as well as the founder and CEO of Claremont Management Group, a consulting firm in Houston, Texas. I’m also a tenured...

In Episode 55 of Business Law 101, the Reasonable Person Test sounds like a fair standard by which to interpret negligence cases, but in practice it is frequently applied unfairly, particularly to business people. I am an attorney and speaker as well as the founder and CEO of Claremont Management Group, a consulting firm in Houston, Texas. I’m also a tenured professor, the Cameron Endowed Chair of...

In Episode 54 of Business Law 101, I discuss the role of negligence in the Penn State House Party case, in which a college student died of alcohol poisoning during a fraternity party. I am an attorney and speaker as well as the founder and CEO of Claremont Management Group, a consulting firm in Houston, Texas. I’m also a tenured professor, the Cameron Endowed Chair of Management and Marketing, and...

In Episode 53 of Business Law 101, I give a compact overview of negligence, a complicated and extensive legal topic, using the analogy of a car accident. I am an attorney and speaker as well as the founder and CEO of Claremont Management Group, a consulting firm in Houston, Texas. I’m also a tenured professor, the Cameron Endowed Chair of Management and Marketing, and the Director of Graduate Prog...

In Episode 52 of Business Law 101, I discuss The King of Torts and the oil industry case that made him famous. I am an attorney and speaker as well as the founder and CEO of Claremont Management Group, a consulting firm in Houston, Texas. I’m also a tenured professor and the Director of Graduate Programs at the University of St. Thomas. I have written and published The Decline of America: 100 Year...

In Episode 51 of Business Law 101, I discuss legal damages.  I am an attorney and speaker as well as the founder and CEO of Claremont Management Group, a consulting firm in Houston, Texas. I’m also a tenured professor and the Director of Graduate Programs at the University of St. Thomas. I have written and published The Decline of America: 100 Years of Leadership Failures, a thought-provoking...

In Episode 50 of Business Law 101, I negligence and liability. I am an attorney and speaker as well as the founder and CEO of Claremont Management Group, a consulting firm in Houston, Texas. I’m also a tenured professor and the Director of Graduate Programs at the University of St. Thomas. I have written and published The Decline of America: 100 Years of Leadership Failures, a thought-provoking, n...