Business Operations Overview
Business Operations Resources
Related Practice Areas
Business laws include all municipal, state, and federal laws that regulate businesses and commerce. For example, at the local level, some cities may require businesses operating within their boundaries to obtain a business license. Additionally, cities may have ordinances that restrict the location of businesses to areas zoned for commercial use. At the state level, a business will have to comply with a state's labor and employment laws when hiring employees. This includes wage and hour regulations, as well as any workplace safety laws regulating the business. Additionally, the state may also regulate certain businesses (e.g., contractors, attorneys, doctors, cosmetologists, etc.) by imposing licensing requirements. Federal laws that may impact a business include antitrust laws, federal labor and employment laws, and immigration laws.
Dockets 
- Falkner v. Fidelity National Title Insurance Company et al
Ohio Northern District Court
Antitrust
Filed: July 30, 2008
Plaintiff: Adam C Falkner; Defendant: Fidelity National Title Insurance Company, Chicago Title Insurance Company, Ticor Title Insurance Company, Security Union Title Insurance Company, Ticor Title Insurance Company of Florida and others...
(July 29, 2008) - Domestic Offshore Shipping Association Inc et al v. Matson Navigation Company et al
Washington Western District Court
Antitrust
Filed: July 30, 2008
Plaintiff: Domestic Offshore Shipping Association Inc, Tobias Seaman; Defendant: Matson Navigation Company, Alexander & Baldwin Inc
(July 29, 2008) - Baharani v. British Airways et al
California Northern District Court
Antitrust
Filed: July 29, 2008
Plaintiff: Ajay Baharani; Defendant: British Airways, United Airlines, AMR, American Airlines, Virgin Atlantic
(July 28, 2008) - Friedson et al v. Champion Lab Inc et al
Connecticut District Court
Antitrust
Filed: July 29, 2008
Plaintiff: Scott Friedson, Susan Dolan, Doug Shellington, Heidi von Weiss, Patrick Torrey; Defendant: Champion Lab Inc, United Components, Inc., Purolator Filters NA LLC, Bosch USA, Mann+Hummell USA and others...
(July 28, 2008) - Madnick v. AMR Corp. et al
California Northern District Court
Antitrust
Filed: July 29, 2008
Plaintiff: Stuart Madnick; Defendant: AMR Corp., American Airlines, Inc., British Airways, PLC, UAL Corp., United Airlines, Inc. and others...
(July 28, 2008)
Legislation
- Bill Sent To President: H.R.4137 College Opportunity and Affordability Act of 2007
To amend and extend the Higher Education Act of 1965, and for other purposes.
August 31, 2008: Cleared for White House.
(August 29, 2008) - Bill Sent To President: H.R.4040 Consumer Product Safety Modernization Act
To establish consumer product safety standards and other safety requirements for children's products and to reauthorize and modernize the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
August 31, 2008: Cleared for White House.
(August 29, 2008) - Bill Signed by President: H.R.3221 Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008
A bill to provide needed housing reform and for other purposes.
July 30, 2008: Signed by President.
(July 28, 2008) - Bill Enacted: H.J.Res.93 Approving the renewal of import restrictions contained in the Burmese ...
Approving the renewal of import restrictions contained in the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act of 2003.
July 29, 2008: Became Public Law No: 110-287.
(July 27, 2008) - Bill Signed by President: H.R.3403 New and Emerging Technologies 911 Improvement Act of 2008
A bill to promote and enhance public safety by facilitating the rapid deployment of IP-enabled 911 and E-911 services, encourage the Nation's transition to a national IP-enabled emergency network, and improve 911 and E-911 access to those with disabilities.
July 23, 2008: Signed by President.
(July 21, 2008)
Regulations
- Rule - Small Business Size Standards: Fuel Oil Dealers Industries
Small Business Administration
Rule
Small Business Size Standards:
Fuel Oil Dealers Industries,
42517-42520 [E8-16658]
SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION 13 CFR Parts 121 RIN 3245-AF67 Small Business Size Standards: Fuel Oil Dealers Industries AGENCY: U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: This rule revises the small business size standard for the Heating Oil Dealers industry (North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code 454311) from $11.5 million in average annual receipts to 50 employees, and the size standard for the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (Bottled Gas) Dealers... [read document]
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(July 21, 2008) - Proposed Rule - Meetings: Lender Oversight and Credit Risk Management Program
Small Business Administration
Proposed Rule
Meetings:
Lender Oversight and Credit Risk Management Program,
15468-15469 [E8-5856]
SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION 13 CFR Part 120 Lender Oversight and Credit Risk Management Program; Public Comment Meetings AGENCY: U.S. Small Business Administration. ACTION: Notice of Public Comment Meetings. SUMMARY: The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announces that it will be holding a series of public comment meetings on SBA's proposed lender oversight/credit risk management rule. These public comment meetings will be held in selected cities across the country. The purpose of the... [read document]
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(March 22, 2008) - Rule - Small Business Size Standards; Adoption of Size Standards by 2007 North American ...
Small Business Administration
Rule
Small Business Size Standards; Adoption of Size Standards by 2007 North American Industry Classification System for Size Standards,
12869-12870 [E8-4788]
Rules and Regulations Federal Register SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION 13 CFR Part 121 RIN 3245-AF66 Small Business Size Standards; Adoption of Size Standards by 2007 North American Industry Classification System for Size Standards AGENCY: Small Business Administration. ACTION: Direct final rule; correcting amendment. SUMMARY: The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is correcting the direct final rule it published in the Federal Register on August 29, 2007, that amended its Small Business... [read document]
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(March 9, 2008) - Proposed Rule - Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contract Assistance Procedures
Small Business Administration
Proposed Rule
Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contract Assistance Procedures,
10697-10698 [E8-3889]
SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION 13 CFR Parts 121, 125, 127 and 134 RIN 3245-AF40 Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contract Assistance Procedures AGENCY: U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). ACTION: Proposed rule, notice of reopening of comment period and correction. SUMMARY: SBA is reopening the comment period for an additional 30 days and making two technical corrections. DATES: Comments on the proposed rule on Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contract Assistance Procedures (72 FR... [read document]
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(February 27, 2008) - Rule - Seals and insignia
Small Business Administration
Rule
Seals and insignia,
1962-1964 [E8-338]
SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION 13 CFR Part 101 RIN 3245-AF68 Seals and Insignia AGENCY: U.S. Small Business Administration. ACTION: Direct final rule. SUMMARY: The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is revising its regulations specifying the description and authorized use of its official seal. These revisions will further define the authorized and unauthorized use of the official seal by SBA and add criteria for approving and denying requests to use the official seal. SBA believes that... [read document]
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(January 10, 2008)
Government
- Notice - Defense Production Act (1950): Biotechnology Research and Development Corp
Antitrust Division
Notice
Defense Production Act (1950):
Biotechnology Research and Development Corp.,
46335 [E8-18184]
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE Antitrust Division Notice Pursuant to the National Cooperative Research and Production Act of 1993--Biotechnology Research and Development Corporation (``BRDC'') Notice is hereby given that, on June 30, 2008, pursuant to section 6(a) of the National Cooperative Research and Production Act of 1993, 15 U.S.C. 4301 et seq. (the ``Act''), Biotechnology Research and Development Corporation (``BRDC'') has filed written notifications simultaneously with the Attorney General and... [read document]
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(August 7, 2008) - Notice - Defense Production Act (1950): The Information Technology Industry Council, Inc., etc
Antitrust Division
Notice
Defense Production Act (1950):
The Information Technology Industry Council, Inc., etc.,
46335-46336 [E8-18182]
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE Antitrust Division Notice Pursuant to the National Cooperative Research and Production Act of 1993--the Information Technology Industry Council, Inc./the International Committee for Information Technology Standards Notice is hereby given that, on June 25, 2008, pursuant to Section 6(a) of the National Cooperative Research and Production Act of 1993, 15 U.S.C. 4301 et seq. (``the Act''), The Information Technology Industry Council, Inc./The InterNational Committee for... [read document]
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(August 7, 2008) - Notice - Defense Production Act (1950): Voluntary Tanker Agreement
Antitrust Division
Notice
Defense Production Act (1950):
Voluntary Tanker Agreement,
46335 [E8-17996]
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE Antitrust Division Federal Register Notice Notice is hereby given pursuant to the Defense Production Act of 1950, 50 U.S.C. App. Sec. 2158 (``DPA'') that the Attorney General finds that the purpose of a Voluntary Tanker Agreement (``VTA'') proposed by the Maritime Administration (``MarAd'') may not reasonably be achieved through a voluntary agreement or plan of action having less anticompetitive effects or without any voluntary agreement of plan of action. The text of the... [read document]
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(August 7, 2008) - Notice - Disaster Declarations: Missouri
Small Business Administration
Notice
Disaster Declarations:
Missouri,
45266 [E8-17765]
SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION [Disaster Declaration 11309] Missouri Disaster Number MO-00029 AGENCY: U.S. Small Business Administration. ACTION: Amendment 3. SUMMARY: This is an amendment of the Presidential declaration of a major disaster for Public Assistance Only for the State of MISSOURI (FEMA-1773-DR), dated 06/25/2008. Incident: Severe Storms and Flooding. Incident Period: 06/01/2008 through 07/18/2008. EFFECTIVE DATE: 07/25/2008. Physical Loan Application Deadline Date: 08/25/2008... [read document]
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(August 3, 2008) - Notice - Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposals, Submissions, and Approvals
Small Business Administration
Notice
Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposals, Submissions, and Approvals,
45265 [E8-17834]
SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Data Collection Available for Public Comments and Recommendations ACTION: Notice and request for comments. SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Small Business Administration's intentions to request approval on a new and/or currently approved information collection. DATES: Submit comments on or before October 3, 2008. ADDRESSES: Send all comments regarding whether these information collections are necessary for... [read document]
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(August 3, 2008)
Articles
- Anatomy of a Train Wreck: Causes of the Mortgage Meltdown
Stan J. Liebowitz University of Texas at Dallas - Department of Finance & Managerial Economics Date Posted: August 8, 2008 Last Revised: August 8, 2008
(August 7, 2008) - Book Review: Making America Work, by Jonathan Barry Forman
Pittsburgh Tax Review, Vol. 5, p. 165, 2008, Case Legal Studies Research Paper No. 08-19 Case Western Law Submitter Case Western Reserve University - School of Law Date Posted: August 7, 2008 Last Revised: August 7, 2008
(August 6, 2008) - 'Consumer Welfare' and Article 82EC: Practice and Rhetoric
CCP Working Paper 08-25 Pinar Akman University of East Anglia - Centre for Competition Policy Date Posted: August 7, 2008 Last Revised: August 7, 2008
(August 6, 2008) - Dispute Settlement Under PTAs: Political or Legal?
CHALLENGES TO MULTILATERAL TRADE: THE IMPACT OF BILATERAL, PREFERENTIAL AND REGIONAL AGREEMENTS, Ross Buckley, Vai Io Lai and Laurence Boulle, eds., Kluwer, 2008, U of Melbourne Legal Studies Research Paper No. 341 David L. H. Morgan and Melbourne Legal Studies Submission University of Melbourne - Law School and University of Melbourne - Law School Date Posted: August 7, 2008 Last Revised: August 7, 2008
(August 6, 2008) - Efficient Third Party Liability of Auditors in Tort Law and in Contract Law
German Working Papers in Law and Economics, Vol. 2004, Article 9, LAW AND ECONOMICS OF RISK IN FINANCE, Peter Nobel and Marina Gets, eds., pp. 5-14, Schulthess, ZĂĽrich, 2007, U. of St. Gallen Law & Economics Working Paper No. 2008-11 Hans-Bernd Schaefer University of Hamburg - Faculty of Law Date Posted: Last Revised: August 7, 2008
(August 6, 2008)
News
- European Antitrust Authority approves the sale of APBags
Fibre2fashion.com, India - 1 hour ago
The sale of 49% of APB SpA (“Antichi Pellettieri Bags” or “APBags”) to 3i closed, subsequent to approval received from the European Antitrust Authority. ...
(August 7, 2008) - EU antitrust regulators probe Arsenal takeover of chemical producer
SmartBrief, DC - 19 hours ago
Antitrust regulators with the European Union have opened an investigation into the New York-based Arsenal Capital Partners' acquisition of Dutch chemical ...
(August 6, 2008) - US Senators call for antitrust investigation into proposed UPS-DHL ...
Logistics Management, MA - 15 hours ago
WASHINGTON—A tentative agreement between DHL and UPS is hitting some bumps in the road due to possible antitrust issues raised by two United States senators ...
(August 6, 2008)
Earthtimes (press release)
FTC antitrust chief leaving for law firm
Reuters - 18 hours ago
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The antitrust chief at the US Federal Trade Commission is leaving after a 2-1/2 year period that saw the agency open a formal ...
FTC Antitrust Chief to Join Linklaters New York Times Blogs
Linklaters Hires FTC Antitrust Chief Business Wire (press release)
Links makes high-profile FTC hire in Legal Week
7thSpace Interactive (press release) - ABA Journalall 23 news articles
(August 6, 2008)- Arctic Glacier Income Fund Statement on US Antitrust Investigation
FOXBusiness - 9 hours ago
UN) today announced it will not comment regarding the ongoing investigation into possible antitrust violations in the packaged ice industry in the United ...
(August 6, 2008)
Blog Posts
- Quote of the Day: Richard Posner
Seventh Circuit Judge Richard Posner wrote an opinion about "prime bank" fraudsters. It came out today. The defendants and their cohorts pocketed $32 million from credulous victims whose greed apparently blinded them to the preposterousness of a super-safe investment that, as the scammers told them, would yield a 100 percent weekly return. The appeal turned on the sole question of whether the Securities and Exchange Commission properly won a summary judgment with circumstantial proof of the...
(August 7, 2008) - IPSC 2008: Copyright and Technology, and iP
Copyright and Copy-Reliant Technologies Abstract | Paper Matthew Sag DePaul University College of Law Sag's paper focuses on technologies that copy en masse, but do not make the expression of the copies available to the public. The archetype: plagiarism-detection software, which looks for repeated strings of words, and can report on how much of one work was copied from another (10%, 50%) without even showing you the expression. Or Google Books can tell you how many times the word "whale"...
(August 7, 2008) - IPSC 2008: IP & Creativity
Does Law Inspire Creativity? An Empirical Analysis of Copyright's Bounty Abstract Raymond Ku Case Western Reserve University School of Law He looks at copyright registrations to see if they can give us any evidence of copyright's importance as an incentive. Though registrations have risen over time, there's been a drop in serial registrations, which may be an artifact of a rule change allowing registrations to come in a group. Hypotheses: (1) changes in copyright law change the number of works...
(August 7, 2008) - Proposed California Legislation Would Allow Directors To Consider Factors In Addition to the ...
Proposed legislation in California would expressly provide that directors may consider the interests of specific corporate constituencies in addition to the shareholders. This legislation seeks to promote corporate social responsibility by removing the threat of shareholder lawsuits against directors who consider the interests of certain constituencies which may be inconsistent with the interests of the corporation's shareholders. The bill further seeks to clarify the directors' standard of...
(August 7, 2008) - Fraud Links for Thursday
Image via Wikipedia Tracy Coenen, writing at Walletpop, about the YTB lawsuit, notes the similarity between YTB and Shop to Earn. "Mutli-level marketing companies like this pop up all over the place. Their defenders claim they are legitimate business opportunities because there is a product or service being offered. Yet those involved with the schemes soon realize that recruiting is the real name of the game, making these "business opportunities" appear to be more like pyramid schemes. One...
(August 7, 2008)