February 19, 2013

Right to Google for a Lawyer?

A criminal case out of Canada highlights the growing disparity amongst older generations who grab the phone book and younger generations who use an internet search engine when in need of services. The case ruled that a 19-year-old defendant had the right to use the internet to find a lawyer. From the article:
"In the year 2013 it is the Court’s view that all police stations must be equipped with Internet access and detainees must have the same opportunities to access the Internet to find a lawyer as they do to access the telephone book to find a lawyer.”
While Canada's due process differs from that in the U.S., the evolution of courts recognizing a legal right to internet access is universal.

Merriweather Post Pavilion and Noise Limits

From the Baltimore Sun: Merriweather Post Pavilion adjusts request for noise limits

February 4, 2013

Employee Credit Checks

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is now responsible for enforcing the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA),  which was previously a duty of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).This change came under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010. This is important for small businesses who perform credit checks on employees, as there are certain forms that the FCRA requires employers and consumer reporting agencies to use when conducting background checks on employees or applicants.  The new forms, which went into effect on January 1, 2013, are available in Appendices K, M and N in Title 12 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 1022.


February 3, 2013

Anheuser-Busch to buy Grupo Modelo?

Anheuser-Busch InBev has made a bid to purchase Grupo Modelo, the maker of Corona. The Justice Department has filed suit to block the merger, stating that the two companies account for 46% of the $80 billion of annual beer sales in the US, and contends that this is too large of a share of the market.