2009 December | Des Moines Business Lawyer

TV Contract Dispute May Leave Some Iowans Without Programming

Posted on December 30th, 2009 No Comments

A contract dispute between Mediacom Communications and Sinclair Broadcast Company may result in the disruption of service for many Iowans. Unless the dispute is resolved, some viewers may be unable to watch the January 5th telecast of Iowa versus Georgia Tech in the Orange Bowl, as well as popular programs like "American Idol" and "24" on Fox.

Sources claim that the companies are battling over how much Mediacom should pay Sinclair to broadcast the group's channels. Public officials in Iowa have asked the FCC to intervene to prevent a disruption in service.

The Des Moines business attorneys of LaMarca & Landry have experience dealing with contract disputes and other business claims. If you need assistance with a contract dispute, contact us at 877-327-2600 today.

How much influence can shareholders have over management?

Posted on December 21st, 2009 No Comments

Shareholders of large corporations often feel removed from the management decisions. However, some shareholders who own a large percentage of shares may try to influence shareholder decisions in selfish ways that are not beneficial for the company as a whole.

When shareholders attempt to influence decisions in fraudulent ways, then the shareholder and members of the company may be charged with fraud. These cases of fraud often include illegal accounting or financial decisions, which divert company resources to private parties.

If your company has been harmed by fraud, contact the Des Moines business fraud lawyers of LaMarca & Landry, P.C., at 877-327-2600.

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Iowa named one of the best cities for business

Posted on December 21st, 2009 No Comments

Des Moines was named America's best city to do business by a MarketWatch survey. According to ABCnews.com report, the Iowa city was included along with Washington D.C., Omaha, and Minneapolis/St. Paul.

The survey looked at about 100 cities and examined the unemployment rate and the business climate in various cities. According to MarketWatch, Des Moines was cited for its continuous growth and ability to attract a number of new businesses in the financial and insurance sectors.

If your business has questions about its business transactions, contact the Iowa business transactions lawyers of LaMarca & Landry, P.C., at 877-327-2600.

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Can companies engage in related entity transactions?

Posted on December 14th, 2009 No Comments

Related entity transactions are defined as transactions between a corporation or owners of a corporation and another corporation or owners that are affiliated with the former corporation. Affiliation is usually determined by the percentage of ownership between corporations and their owners.

While related-entity transactions typically come under scrutiny, they are allowed in most circumstances. However, when they occur, they must be approved by the Board of Directors, approved by auditors, and disclosed to the public.

While these rules apply especially to public companies, they can also have implications for private companies. For instance, private companies engaging in related-entity transactions will be scrutinized by lenders and investors.

If your business has questions about its related-entity transactions, contact the Des Moines related-entity transactions lawyers of LaMarca & Landry, P.C., at 877-327-2600.

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What methods do companies use to overstate revenues?

Posted on December 14th, 2009 No Comments

Many companies have an incentive to overstate revenue. By overstating their revenue, they are able to boost their net income, which often leads to increase in stock prices and potential capital investments.

However, overstating revenue is almost always an act of fraud. This act of fraud is often accomplished by reporting revenue for services not performed and recording transactions that never actually existed.

If your company has been mislead by another company's revenue fraud, contact the Des Moines business lawyers of LaMarca & Landry, P.C., at 877-327-2600.

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What is the "character" of a business transaction?

Posted on December 7th, 2009 No Comments

Many companies will cite the character of their business transactions. When they cite this, they are usually discussing the transaction's gain or loss type.

In other words, the character will likely either be a capital gain or loss. Also, it will describe whether the gain or loss was short term or long term.

If you or anyone you know has questions about the character of your business transactions, contact the Des Moines business transactions lawyers of LaMarca & Landry, P.C., at 877-327-2600.

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What is "substance over form" in business law?

Posted on December 7th, 2009 No Comments

Many legal rulings concerning business transactions cite the substance over form doctrine. This legal doctrine is usually employed when a business transaction may appear to be legal but actually contains illegal elements.

For instance, if a corporation owned primarily by one shareholder pays the shareholder's child a substantial salary for little or no work, then the court will likely not regard this compensation as salary. Instead, the court will determine that the compensation is a constructive dividend by virtue of the substance over form doctrine.

If you or anyone you know has questions about your business transactions, contact the Iowa business transactions lawyers of LaMarca & Landry, P.C., at 877-327-2600.

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