by Alicia Dearn | Mar 5, 2015 | Business Advice
Business networking almost always includes going to cocktail parties and connecting with new people. These events can be rough if you are not a social butterfly. Yet, if you have the right strategy, a cocktail party is nothing to fear. One of the first facts that... read more
by Alicia Dearn | Feb 26, 2015 | Employment Law, Hiring & Firing
You read the resume. It looks great. The person in front of you, in a pressed suit and tie, with polished shoes and perfectly cut hair, looks the part. When you interview him. He says all the right things. He hands you a sheet of references and every one of them... read more
by Alicia Dearn | Feb 19, 2015 | Business Law, Contracts, Employment Policies, Leases
I know how busy you are. You barely have to get through your email inbox everyday, so you certainly don’t have time to ready everything that comes across your desk. This means you sign “paperwork” without thoroughly reading it. You don’t have to admit this out loud... read more
by Alicia Dearn | Feb 17, 2015 | California Law, Missouri Law, Trials
Interview And Hire A Lawyer Now that you have decided what is important to you, done a little research, and narrowed down the list of potential candidates, the final step is to interview one or two lawyers. If you have been able to identify a good lawyer through their... read more
by Alicia Dearn | Feb 16, 2015 | California Law, Missouri Law, Trials
Essential Qualifiers In the third part of this course, I told you about the traits to look for in a lawyer. You can get a good feeling for the personality and skill of a lawyer by reading their blog. But before you spend hours reading a dozen legal blogs, there are... read more
by Alicia Dearn | Feb 12, 2015 | Disability, Discrimination, Employer Protection Plan, Employment Law, Employment Policies, Hiring & Firing, Human Rights, Labor Law and Unions, Wrongful Termination
If you’ve ever watched reality TV, you know the producers go for a big shock factor on each show. Nothing shocks someone more than hearing those two dreaded words: “You’re Fired!” There’s one show in particular, on which the “boss” actually utters those words and... read more
by Alicia Dearn | Feb 10, 2015 | California Law, Missouri Law, Trials
In the second article in this course, I told you about the many things that don’t matter in hiring a lawyer. That begs the question of what does matter? Here’s a handy, downloadable infographic (just right click and “save as”). Yes, this is a... read more
by Alicia Dearn | Feb 9, 2015 | California Law, Missouri Law, Trials
Don’t Hire A Peacock. The first article in this course helped you identify any resistance you have to hiring a lawyer. Hopefully you now have a better understanding of why you need a lawyer and how the right lawyer for you can address any resistance or doubts... read more
by Alicia Dearn | Feb 5, 2015 | Business Management, Business Risk Review, Contracts, Government Regulation, Litigation Defense
Last December, the license plates were stolen off my company car in San Diego. As I was in Saint Louis, I requested replacement plates by mail. But the DMV rejected my request because I did not send the original title. This was pretty frustrating because, when I... read more
by Alicia Dearn | Feb 3, 2015 | California Law, Missouri Law, Trials
Why You Should Hire A Lawyer Over the years, I have developed a reputation for taking difficult, messed-up legal problems and fixing them for my clients. I am not sure how I ended up in this niche. But I can tell you that nearly all terrible legal messes that have... read more
by Alicia Dearn | Feb 2, 2015 | Business Management, Planning
“How is this going to end for you?” I remember the first time someone asked me that question. I had no idea what they were talking about. That “someone” was a successful entrepreneur. His words still echo in my mind. He said, “Unless you create a business... read more
by Alicia Dearn | Jan 16, 2015 | Bellatrix News, Business Law, Business Management, Business Risk Review, Litigation Defense
As a successful business owner, the wheels are always turning. You know what I mean. You’re sitting at dinner with a friend or a family member and you’re thinking about “the next big thing” for your business. It’s unavoidable. You’re an entrepreneur. That’s... read more
by Alicia Dearn | Dec 31, 2014 | Business Law, Business Management, Business Risk Review, Contracts, Corporate Governance, Corporate Law, LLCs, Torts
Happy New Year! The beginning of the year is a good time to start some things fresh. If you are like most people, you probably have some lofty goals about losing the holiday weight. And if you are like most business owners, you probably have some goals about improving... read more
by Alicia Dearn | Dec 29, 2014 | Disability, Discrimination, Employment Law, Hiring & Firing, Human Rights
The American With Disabilities Act is expansive and requires employers to give reasonable accommodations to disabled employees. The general framework of the ADA is this: During the hiring process, employers may not ask about disabilities, seek medical information or... read more
by Alicia Dearn | Dec 19, 2014 | Bellatrix News, California Law
Bellatrix PC opened their third office in Riverside, California. Bellatrix PC has also joined the Riverside County Bar’s Lawyer Referral Service and several local business groups. We offer the same personal, full-service legal advice and lawsuit representation... read more
by Alicia Dearn | Dec 18, 2014 | Business Management, Contracts, Corporate Law, Employment Policies, Videos
My older brother (who is a physicist and computer genius) once suggested to me that computers could replace the jury system. He said that a computer program could be made that would account for all the different types of facts and then, after entering all the facts,... read more
by Alicia Dearn | Dec 15, 2014 | Business Law, Business Management, Business Risk Review, Corporate Governance, Corporate Law, Employment Law
Once you sign up for a Business Risk Review, what happens next? Good question! Here’s the process we follow. Legal Engagement. First, we will review the basic information you provided us in your sign up to ensure that we are legally allowed to accept you as a... read more
by Alicia Dearn | Dec 11, 2014 | Employer Protection Plan, Employment Law, Employment Policies, Hiring & Firing, Human Rights, Labor Law and Unions, Wrongful Termination
Last week, I mentioned that there were at least 35 categories of unlawful employment discrimination in California. Well I updated my research for new laws from the last year and its now up to 40. Before you think that California is just a crazy state (it is), you... read more
by Alicia Dearn | Dec 8, 2014 | Campaign Finance, Corporate Law, Election Law, Government Regulation, Non-Profits, Politics
Third (or minor) party committees, their candidates, and independents are at a significant disadvantage compared to Republicans and Democrats. I think there are two major reasons for this: (1) lack of resources; (2) barriers to entry created by the powers that be.... read more
by Alicia Dearn | Dec 5, 2014 | California Law, Discrimination, Employment Law, Hiring & Firing, Labor Law and Unions, Videos, Wrongful Termination
In my experience, there are a lot of misunderstandings about what “at-will” employment means. Most employees assume that it is to their detriment and a bad thing. I have even heard lawyers describe a certain state’s at-will status as being... read more
