The guys end the week by discussing the harsh employment standards surrounding reality shows. They then answer the question, “My friend has a file with over 10,000 pieces of debt that he received from a collection agency that went under. What legal steps do I have to take to just be able to sit in…

Nasir and Matt talk about the recent Yahoo sexual harassment claim involving two women and answer, “Why is it that manufacturers refrain from mentioning one another in their advertisements (eg. “Tide cleans better than these other brands – bunch of white bottles with no labels”)? This is observed with, well, basically every niche of the…

Nasir and Matt talk about Airbus’s strategy to patent everything, including bicycle seats. They also answer, “Hi guys. I’m thinking of creating a university professor rating website just like RateMyProfessors.com but for my country (Lebanon). Can I do that? It’s not gonna be an exact replica. Some things will be different. Do I need to…

Nasir and Matt delve into the recently filed lawsuit by a sleeping fan against ESPN.  The then answer the question, “Is it illegal for an employer to not pay an employee for training for a job? This is an hourly wage job, not contract. The location of the job is in California.”

The guys talk about Yelp’s complaints that Google is altering search results. They also answer, “In the Belford example and those working in “boiler rooms” they are convicted of using unfair selling tactics but what does that mean? Do salesmen not use unfair sales tactics when they psychoanalyze the client and use that to their…

Nasir and Matt discuss one website’s struggle with regulating user generated content, an issue they’ve discussed with Yelp in the past.  They then answer the question, “I work for a firm doing a temporary assignment on a client’s work site. The firm calls me an “exempt hourly contractor employee” and deducts tax contributions per my…

Nasir and Matt finish up social media week by talking about Tinder suspending its co-founder for a potential sexual harassment lawsuit.  They then answer the question, “The general provisions at the end of contracts; how necessary are they and are there any that are musts to include?”

The guys talk about the Irish Pub that conducted a hiring search through the use of Snapchat. They then answer, “I am setting up a team for my startup company. Who are the essential people we need to have?”

Nasir and Matt kick off social media week by discussingthe waitress who got fired for going on a Facebook rant after poor tipping. They also answer, “Our company has really taken off but we now need some tech work done. Should we just buy some software or bring in someone in-house?”

Nasir and Matt celebrate America’s birthday by discussing the newest decision in the hotdog in the eye at a baseball game case and the legal side of the 4th of July. They then answer, “I gave my employees the option to take the 4th of July off. Everyone except one employee decided to take the…

The guys welcome franchise owner Michael Davis to discuss his Cartridge World franchise and his experience as a franchise owner. They also answer the question, “How worried should I be about the arbitration clause in my employee agreement and does this force me to only arbitration?”

Nasir and Matt attempt to do a World Cup themed episode, as they discuss the recent Supreme Court case about patents and answer, “If I sell items online, can I have them agree to the contract by checking a box that no one reads?”

Nasir and Matt again talk about Yelp, this time with its new chat feature. They then answer the question, “What’s the most important thing to include in a noncompete agreement?” Nasir’s note: here is the link to the site he deemed much better than Yelp:http://talkto.com/.

The guys welcome the CEO of Klean Kanteen, Jim Osgood, to discuss why his company decided to become B Corp certified and the positive effects the certification has had. Jim also provides his perspective on the question, “One of our employees does great work and isn’t breaking any office rules, but we have noticed he…

Nasir and Matt kick things off by discussing the U.S.Patent and Trademark Office canceling the Washington Redskins’ trademark registration. They then answer the following for a dentist from Napa, California, “We have a handfull of clients who owe us money. Some are a couple days late and some are months outstanding. At what point should…

Nasir and Matt get World Cup fever as they delve into insurance coverage for the big event. The guys also answer the question, “I own a restaurant. Can I help get to the new minimum wage by giving them a $1 food credit each hour?”

Nasir and Matt talk about the recent lawsuits filed against companies in Manila about spam texting. They then answer, “We have a PTO system in place that allows employees to take days off, but many of my employees are requesting the same days off because of the World Cup. Can I prevent some from doing…

The guys discuss Tesla’s decision to go open source with its patents and answer the question, “Our sales people get company cell phones that are for work use only. One of our recently fired employees wants the pictures on their phone. Do I have to give it to them?”

The guys discuss Kickstarter’s decision to lower the barrier for project acceptance and answer the question, “Can I hire some summer interns and not pay them?”

Nasir and Matt welcome author Meg Hirshberg to discuss her recent article about firing your spouse. They address, “I run a business that hinges on customer service. My son is home from college and can’t find a job. Is it worth me taking the risk of hiring him knowing he probably won’t be good for…

Nasir and Matt talk about the effects of Seattle raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour and discuss whether cities like San Diego will follow suit. They then answer, “In late November 2013 I bought some things for a local business and was given a check for the exact amount a few days later….

The guys end the week by talking about the waivers signed by participants in extreme sports like Tough Mudder.  They address the question, “I’m an independent contractor and was presented with an agreement that basically makes me liable for any mistake I make and not the company.  Is this fair, or even common practice?”

Nasir and Matt welcome Steve Rothschild to discuss the film tax credit bill recently passed in California, as well as the importance of transferrable tax credits to businesses. They also answer, “I received a demand letter from an attorney that is asking for way more money that I would ever be responsible for. What should…

Nasir and Matt kick off the week discussing Apple’s acquisition of Beats and whether it was a smart purchase. They then answer the question, “Should I give some of my employees a corporate credit card?”

Nasir and Matt break down the new laws involving Uber and Lyft in Colorado and answer the question, “Now that it’s almost summertime, I want to implement casual Fridays. Is there something I should restrict from a legal standpoint?”

The guys discuss the most recent lawsuit involving Paris Hilton’s breach of contract and answer, “Is it legal to record audio of employees in the workplace without their consent?”

Nasir and Matt talk about fast food restaurants replacing employees with robots and answer the question, “I’m trying to raise some capital from investors. When they ask how I am going to use their investment, what should I say?”

The guys talk about all you can eat buffets implementing surcharges for unclean plates. They then address, “I have an minor working for me who said they would work for half of what the minimum wage is. Can I legally do this?”

Nasir and Matt welcome security guru Daniel Libby to discuss the issues involved with the secrecy of whistleblower apps, and answer the question, “We had an issue with some customer info that was compromised. Should we tell our customers, and if so, how?”

Nasir and Matt talk about the trademark filing surrounding Johnny Manziel and Texas A&M. They also answer the question, “Can I put anything in my contracts that prevents my customers from leaving a negative Yelp review?”

The guys discuss Snapchat’s seemingly minor punishment for misrepresentations about its privacy policy and answer, “How do I decide what salary to pay myself?”

Nasir and Matt welcome Jesse Lindsleyto talk about people are ripping off successful mobile games and answer the question, “My partners and I have been developing an online software and a mobile app, but we are wondering if we should split the mobile aspect of our business into a separate LLC since not everyone is…

Nasir and Matt discuss the trend of employers providing loans to employees and answer the questions, “I know I need to pay some of my employees more to prevent them from leaving but I won’t have the revenue for another 6 months, what else can I do to keep them in the mean time?”

Nasir and Matt talk about how a businesses based on a fad can succeed and answer, “I don’t have money to pay for certain services. Can I trade my products for other company’s services?”

The guys discuss how companies use the data they collect and answer, “How can I make sure my employees don’t steal my proprietary info after they leave?”

Nasir and Matt discuss the legalities behind the NBA banning Donald Sterling and answer the question, “One of my employees is very annoying. He does great work but I can tell he is not liked by most coworkers. I also know he will sue if I fire him. How can I handle this best?”

Nasir and Matt discuss the story of a woman’s claim of sexual harassment at the software company Github. They then answer the question, “Is it a good idea to get a patent before I start my company or wait down the road?”

Nasir and Matt welcome business guru Roy Daya.  They talk about why a business might fail after an acquisition and answer the question, “I have put in many years to get my business profitable and just reached that goal this past year. We have a sound business model in place and secured investments so we…

Nasir and Matt discuss the Walmartthat claimed itsemployees were home on Easter but were really working in the store. They also answer the question, “I gave a small ownership interest to a friend. Now he refuses to do any voting in which a shareholder vote is required. I have the majority so do I need…

Nasir and Matt talk about Amazon’soffer to employees to take cash to quit and answer a question on hiring employees to work remotely.

The guys discuss the effect of the Heartbleed virus on small businesses and then provide guidance on exempt employees.

Nasir and Matt discuss a lawsuit involving Gordon Ramsay and his business partner. They then address the question of whether an attorney or a CPA should take priority.

Nasir and Matt discuss UPS laying off 250 employees over the decision by one worker. They also answer a question on the best techniques to keeping employees long-term. Update: Those 250 employees have been rehired.

Nasir and Matt address the problem surrounding employees not taking vacation. The two also talk about overtime pay in the question of the day.

Nasir and Matt talk about Google’s new class of stock that has no voting rights, as well as how to bring on investors without losing equity in the company.

Nasir and Matt discuss the commercials featuring Ronald McDonalds approving of Taco Bell’s breakfast. They also attack the independent contractor misclassification issue from the employee perspective in the question of the day.

Nasir and Matt talk about the lawsuit over items of flair from Office Space and answer a question on options in purchasing a business.

Nasir and Matt discuss the potential benefit of PiinPoint, the digital location finder, will have on small businesses. They also answer a question on whether you should make the first draft a contract.

Nasir and Matt discuss the IRS deciding that Bitcoin is property and not currency, the recent ruling that college football players may unionize, a lawsuit filed over an asset purchase gone wrong, and why one early investor is not excited about the Candy Crush IPO. They also answer questions about putting the “LLC” designation after…

Nasir and Matt start things off by discussing PayPal’s decision to stop freezing accounts for crowdfunding, as well as Starbucks licensing its mobile payment system, a company having to advance legal fees for a manager, and which NCAA tournament bracket contests are legal. They also answer questions about what to discuss at board meetings, corporate…