Employee or Contractor? Businesses Must Beware of Changing Rules

The Good News provides a monthly column with important content having to do with topics from the legal community. This month features a conversation with Paul Lopez, director and COO of Tripp Scott. When is a worker with your business an employee – or an independent contractor? The answer is critical and can vary for the same worker depending on what agency you’re dealing with, in which state or with the federal government. And oh, yeah: it’s ever-changing. On March 11, it will change again. A Biden Department of Labor (DOL) rule will take effect with guidelines on determining who […]

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Yes, Copyright Laws Do Apply to Churches (and Other Non-Profits)

The Good News provides a monthly column with important content having to do with topics from the legal community. This month features a conversation with Stephanie Mazzola, a director at Tripp Scott. Even given the growing media sophistication of people of all ages and walks of life, the assertion continues to be made: copyright laws don’t apply to churches. But they do, so let’s examine the increasingly complex application of copyright laws in the church context.   Bill Davell: Why should our church worry about copyright laws?   Stephanie Mazzola: Christians more than anyone else should respect copyright laws. The […]

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AI and You: Let’s Be Careful Out There

The Good News provides a monthly column with important content having to do with topics from the legal community. This month features a conversation with Paul Lopez, COO of Tripp Scott. The ChatGPT artificial intelligence app and its competitors can do very cool things.  More than 100 million consumer and business users have reportedly employed these AI tools to compose articles, letters, essays, scripts, academic papers, resumes and job applications, work assignments and homework; generate images; develop code and software; analyze customer data; and create business plans and strategies. People in our profession have even used AI apps to write […]

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Charitable Giving Strategies: How To Be A Bigger Blessing

“It is more blessed to give than to receive,” said the Lord Jesus. And Americans – and especially people of faith – take that exhortation seriously. Our contributions of nearly half a trillion dollars in 2020 alone were greater than the entire gross domestic products of most European countries. And more than 80 percent of giving is done by individuals, much of it to faith-based organizations. A question too few generous Americans ask, however, is how they should give. Charitable giving strategies exist to give more, and more effectively, and they are not just for the wealthy: surprisingly, according to […]

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What Should I Consider When Choosing a Contractor?

The Good News provides a monthly column with important content having to do with topics from the legal community. This month features a conversation with Rob Meacham, a director with Tripp Scott. Scratch a Floridian and you’ll uncover a story of a contractor relationship gone wrong. Let’s look at common contractor problems along that “gamut” along with key steps to take to prevent them.   Bill Davell: What are contractor problems to anticipate and head off?   Rob Meacham: Most obvious: the contractor doesn’t do what he or she promised (or advertised) – not completing the work expected, getting it […]

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Working Two Jobs? Stay on a Solid Footing with Your Employer(s)

The Good News provides a monthly column with important content having to do with topics from the legal community. This month features a conversation with Jennifer Wahba, an associate with Tripp Scott.   In today’s economy, many Floridians find themselves needing to work two jobs just to make ends meet. Others pursue outside employment to fulfill personal interests and aspirations or to pursue a career transition.  But a second job can give rise to some ticklish situations. After all, we can agree that your employer has an interest in: Ensuring workers are in a position to satisfy the job’s requirements and are […]

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Where There’s No Will, There’s No Way – To Have A Say After Death

The Good News provides a monthly column with important content having to do with topics from the legal community. This month features a conversation with Christine Yates, a director with Tripp Scott.   Bill Davell: Let’s get right to the basic question: Do I need a will as a Florida resident?    Christine Yates: Well, only if you own property, have any family, especially minor children, own or share ownership of a business and are going to die – but most important, want to have a say in what happens with any of these after your death. Not to mention […]

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Expanded School Choice: More Good News for Florida Families

The Good News provides a monthly column with important content having to do with topics from the legal community. This month features a conversation with Ed Pozzuoli, CEO of Tripp Scott, and Thomas Sternberg, an associate with Tripp Scott. For years, Florida has led in school choice, providing competition to district-run schools and giving parents more control over the quality and content of their children’s education. Now, Governor DeSantis has signed HB1, expanding choice for every K-12 child beginning July 1. Here’s some of the good news for families about expanded school choice and how to participate:   Bill Davell: […]

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Navigating Florida’s Judicial System

The Good News provides a monthly column with important content having to do with topics from the legal community. This month features a conversation with Robert Meacham, a director at Tripp Scott Law Firm, who represents a wide variety of clients in the fields of construction, business and real estate law, including litigation and transactional representation. Courts can be scary places. Seemingly all-powerful robed judges hover behind a tall bench, gavel in hand. Court rules and language are often unfamiliar, no matter how many TV legal dramas we’ve watched. Typically, parties or loved ones are in court because something untoward […]

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Why Should My Company “Outsource” A General Counsel?

The Good News provides a monthly column with important content having to do with topics from the legal community. This month’s offering features a conversation with Matthew Zifrony, a director with Tripp Scott who practices in the areas of entrepreneurial business, commercial real estate, and condominium and HOA. Bill Davell: What is the role of a general counsel and why does my company need one? Matthew Zifrony: You could think of a general counsel in the same way you view your primary care physician: she or he has responsibility for and oversees all aspects of your company’s or organization’s legal […]

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