Recent Articles

Ann Arbor “Near North” Project — NeNOT

June 16, 2009 18:01

I live in one of Ann Arbor’s most vibrant, diverse and eclectic residential neighborhoods, called North Central.  Three Oaks, a developer group, purchased several houses on speculation for a planned-unit development (PUD) which in its current form, grossly exceeds the zoning requirements.  I...

New Michigan Foreclosure Law Signed on May 21, 2009

June 03, 2009 17:29

Governor Jennifer Granholm signed a new Michigan law modifying foreclosure and loan modification rights (2009-PA-0029, 2009-PA-0030, 2009-PA-0031) to help financially distressed homeowners on May 21, 2009. The new foreclosure law takes effect on July 5, 2009.  I have posted a copy of the new ...

MusicBizCamp Hits Detroit Independent Music Scene During Movement ‘09

May 13, 2009 23:46

I’ll be speaking at the Detroit MusicBizCamp ‘Unconference’ next week about mistakes not to make: http://bit.ly/uCI8I Link to MusicBizCamp here. The mission of MusicBizCamp is to jump-start education for “new jobs for a new music industry.” Copyright © 2009 a r ...

Can An Employment Contract Be Rewritten?

April 17, 2009 19:50

With massive layoffs, Wall Street bonuses, and employment contracts in the news, many people are taking a close look at their own employment contracts for the first time and focusing on new concerns and questions about job security and performance: What does the contract say about your right to...

Copyright Office Fees To Increase On August 1, 2009

April 16, 2009 12:37

The Copyright Office released a report on March 15, 2009 that provides for increases in several fees, citing rising labor costs and current budget constraints. While the cost of basic online copyright registration (eCO) for most types of works remains the same, the cost of registering a copyright...

No Worker Left Behind: Green Jobs Initiative

April 08, 2009 07:14

As part of the No Worker Left Behind law [PDF], Michigan has created a Green Jobs Initiative which provides statewide, regional and local resources and training opportunities in alternative energy, green building and construction and retrofitting, and sustainable business practices. If you’re...

AP Will Become The RIAA Of Print Media?

April 07, 2009 15:19

The Associated Press (AP) announced Monday, April 6, 2009 that it is launching an initiative to control the online use of content created by its newspaper members. The association’s plan is to aggressively seek licensing for any and all uses of its content — including uses such as...

Why Aren’t Wall Street CEO’s Forced To Resign?

March 30, 2009 12:54

This blog is written in Michigan, and it focuses on the concerns of hard-working ordinary people creating new companies and new ideas. They want to sell these products and services globally, but let’s face it, prosperity begins at home. Sometimes it’s hard to get up in the morning to...

AIG Financial Products Corporation 2008 Employee Retention Plan - PDF

March 19, 2009 02:44

Courtesy of Rep. Barney Frank and the New York Times’ Dealbook: a copy of the AIG Financial Products Corporation 2008 Employee Retention Plan (aka the “AIG contract”). Copyright © 2009 a r b o r l a w. This Feed is [...]Courtesy of Rep. Barney Frank and the New...

AIG Bonuses: Contracts, Baby, Contracts.

March 18, 2009 06:44

I stated in the previous post that “Contracts are good.” I didn’t, however, say that contracts were sacrosanct or could never be broken (or that you can wave the word “Contract!” like a magic wand, as if to repel the snakes from Ireland). But that is indeed the...