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I was talking to an experienced farmer a few years ago about my little farm. I had a few goats, hogs, and chickens. I told him, “I hate goats!” In truth, I do not actually hate goats, but I had developed a dislike of those on my farm.

Peter S. Trotter, Illinois 2000, is vice president, general counsel, and secretary of Mason Companies, Inc., in Chippewa Falls. After making this strong statement, I felt the need for further…
Continue Reading On Tolerance and the Practice of Law. And Goats.

U.S. sanctions are a powerful tool used to influence the behavior of foreign governments, individuals, and entities. Placement on any sanctions watchlist maintained by a regulatory agency can have devastating financial, commercial, and legal consequences, including freezing U.S. assets, restricting travel to the U.S., blocking U.S. financial transactions, and enduring a damaged reputation worldwide. Given the substantial penalties levied against international banks and foreign and domestic businesses that violate U.S. primary and secondary sanctions laws, complying with regulations is…
Continue Reading How to Be Removed From a U.S. Sanctions Watchlist List

Taxes and their applicable laws can be confusing for even the most savvy businesspeople. For any number of reasons, businesses and individuals fall out of compliance with tax reporting requirements and become exposed to penalties for outstanding obligations.

To encourage taxpayers who are not in compliance with state tax laws to remedy their situations, the Wisconsin Department of Revenue provides the Wisconsin Voluntary Disclosure Program (“Program”).

The Program is designed to help businesses correct their state tax responsibilities and…
Continue Reading Does My Company Qualify for Wisconsin’s Voluntary Disclosure Program?

ArticleAmundsen Davis International Trade Alert May 29, 2025On May 28, 2025, the United States Court of International Trade (“CIT”) determined that the Trump administration’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (“IEEPA”) to impose (1) overly broad worldwide reciprocal tariffs and (2) fentanyl/immigration-related tariffs on China, Mexico, and Canada was unlawful.
What Is Covered in the Decision
IEEPA Fentanyl Tariffs on Chinese Products.
Effective February 2025, the U.S. imposed tariffs under the IEEPA on certain Chinese imports, initially set…
Continue Reading Federal Trade Court Rules Trump Administration’s Use of Emergency Commerce
Law to Impose Broad Tariffs Was Unlawful

Actual vs. Apparent Authority: Limiting Business Liability From Unauthorized Employee ActionsAs a business grows and adds new members to the team, it can be difficult to identify what role each person plays and their level of authority. While some have the ability to make important decisions on behalf of the business, others do not—but they may nevertheless have the power to bind the business to obligations the business had no intention of undertaking. As a result, business owners must…
Continue Reading Actual vs. Apparent Authority: Limiting Business Liability From
Unauthorized Employee Actions

ArticleAmundsen Davis Intellectual Property AlertMay 28, 2025Although artificial intelligence can increase operational efficiency and reduce costs by quickly creating content or generating analysis, it also represents an area of innovation that raises novel legal concerns for intellectual property. In our recent webcast, our panelists discussed the most common uses of AI that have IP implications and the practical steps to take to mitigate risk.
Top takeaways from this presentation include:

  • The most common uses of AI that have generated

…
Continue Reading Key Takeaways From ‘Navigating IP Rights in the AI Boom’

Doctors and nurses working at the hospital
Group of doctors and nurses working at the hospital and walking around the entrance hall - healthcare and medicine concepts

High rates of violent acts against heath care workers pose a serious risk to the safety and wellbeing of the medical and support professionals on the front lines of patient care. Studies show that health care workers are five times more likely to be victims of workplace violence than the public.

Such violence includes threats, verbal abuse, physical assault, and even homicide and has a negative impact on employees’ mental health. Therefore, health care employers should implement policies and…
Continue Reading Developing Effective Workplace Violence Programs in Health Care: ProtectingThose Who Care for Us

Burdensome consumer-like disclosures are making their way into the commercial realm as nine states have enacted legislation mandating that specific disclosures be made to financing recipients in certain commercial financing transactions at (or, in some cases, before) the consummation of the financing transaction.


Patricia Lane, Chicago 1986, is a partner with FisherBroyles, Milwaukee, where she is chair of the firm’s Banking and Financial Services Practice Group.

To date California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Missouri, New York, Utah,…
Continue Reading Nine States Now Require Commercial Financing Providers to Provide Consumer-Like Disclosures

You may believe that your company has an unfettered right to do what it wants with a computer program created by its workers—but that may not be the case.

Consider the two similar scenarios below:

Suppose that your company is fortunate enough, or substantial enough, to have one or more software developer employees. Suppose also that one of your software developers writes the code for a new computer program that you would like to market.

Now, suppose your company…
Continue Reading I Paid for That Software to Be Developed, So Why Don’t I Own It?

We previously reported on the reciprocal tariffs on ALL countries issued by President Trump in early April. Over the weekend, the U.S. and China agreed to temporarily reduce tariffs amid a looming recession triggered by an effective embargo.

The reciprocal tariffs, previously set at 125 percent, will be lowered to 10 percent for a 90-day period to allow room for negotiations. Both sides will take these actions by May 14, 2025. It is important to note that this…
Continue Reading U.S. and China Agree to Reduce Reciprocal Tariffs for 90 Days

Trademark registrations are a great tool for business owners to protect their brand identity. Unlike some other forms of intellectual property protection, trademarks can last forever provided that they are actively used and enforced within the marketplace. In other words, a business owner must “use it” or “lose it.”

Registration of a trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) grants the trademark owner the exclusive right to use the trademark in commerce for the goods and/or…
Continue Reading How Businesses Can Enforce Trademark Registrations

ArticleAmundsen Davis Health Care AlertApril 28, 2025When Indiana’s 2025 legislative session concluded on April 25, bills with significant implications for hospitals were approved. This alert addresses one of those bills—Senate Enrolled Act 475 (SEA 475)—which prohibits hospitals from entering noncompete agreements with any type of physician beginning July 1, 2025. (IC 25-22.5-5.5-1.4) The provision does not apply to noncompete agreements originally entered before that date.
SEA 475 expands the traditional definition of a noncompete agreement to include…
Continue Reading Indiana Lawmakers Pass Bill Prohibiting Noncompete Agreements Between
Hospitals and Physicians

Business attorneys should proactively reassess their clients’ contracts in response to recent tariffs and the possibility of future tariff increases. These changes can significantly impact clients’ supply chains, pricing structures, and contractual obligations across various industries, and clients must be prepared for the effects this can have on their agreements.

By reviewing and revising contracts now, attorneys can help clients mitigate risks, maintain compliance, and ensure financial stability.

While one could argue that tariff increases have at least some…
Continue Reading Amid New Tariffs, Review Client Contracts

ArticleAmundsen Davis Events & WebcastsDate/Time: TBD – 24 Hours Post-RulingA final ruling in the House v. NCAA settlement is expected in the coming days or weeks.
A crucial step in potentially reshaping the landscape of student-athlete compensation, the judge’s ultimate ruling will have profound implications for student-athletes, institutions, and the future of college sports. The possibility of state-level legal challenges further underscores the uncertainty surrounding the implementation of this landmark settlement.
The day after the ruling is handed down, join…
Continue Reading Join Us for a Live Breakdown of the House Settlement Decision

If you are a compliance professional for a U.S.-based company, you have probably been told at some point that you have to worry about the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Have you encountered one of these situations?

  • A vendor or customer tells you to sign a lengthy and very technical GDPR data processing agreement (“DPA”) as part of your contract.
  • You are told to be prepared to respond to a data subject access request (“DSAR”), a burdensome GDPR information

…
Continue Reading Is My U.S.-Based Company Subject to the GDPR?

Business people talking digital tablet at work, planning website and looking for creative ideas on internet together in modern office. Employees and team discussing plan on technology in meeting
Business people talking digital tablet at work, planning website and looking for creative ideas on internet together in modern office. Employees and team discussing plan on technology in meeting

If your startup began life as an LLC, you’re not alone. A lot of founders are told that starting as an LLC is “easier” or “cheaper.” That might be true on paper, but if you’re planning to raise venture capital (even eventually) it’s usually better to start as a C-Corporation.

Here’s one reason why: converting from an LLC to a C-Corp during a financing round can trigger a surprise tax bill if you’re not careful.

When a company converts…
Continue Reading From LLC to C-Corp Without a Tax Hangover