Small businesses face a range of issues as they get established. For many entrepreneurs, dealing with branding and trademark issues probably doesn’t rank near the top of their priorities. Enter the Legal Food Hub, a group of volunteer lawyers that provide free legal help to businesses. For our cover story, Senior Writer Laurie Schreiber talks […]
Small businesses face a range of issues as they get established. For many entrepreneurs, dealing with branding and trademark issues probably doesn’t rank near the top of their priorities.
Enter the Legal Food Hub, a group of volunteer lawyers that provide free legal help to businesses. For our cover story, Senior Writer Laurie Schreiber talks with entrepreneurs and some of the attorneys that have helped them. Case in point, Crooked Face Creamery in Norridgewock. Owner Amy Rowbottom was concerned about her company’s brand and logo, a simple drawing of a cow with a crooked face. Operating on slim margins, she couldn’t afford a lawyer, but through the Legal Food Hub she was able to save several thousand dollars in fees and get in a federal trademark application. As attorney David McConnell of Perkins|Thompson told Laurie, “there are a lot of traps for the unwary.” The story starts on Page 14.
The Americans with Disabilities Act has been around since the early 1990s. But for all the guidelines it set up around accessibility, the internet was so new that websites were given no attention. Now, there’s a groundbreaking case of a visually impaired man suing Domino’s Pizza, claiming he was not able to order from the mobile app. Businesses — particularly retailers, service companies and travel-and-hospitality operators — are becoming more wary about accessibility to their websites and apps. With federal guidelines still being drafted, Senior Writer Maureen Milliken talks to a legal expert about what businesses can expect. See Page 20.
Another issue that’s been on the mind of businesses and law firms alike is the tight labor market. Senior Writer Renee Cordes talked to Maine law firms about ways they’re becoming more active in locking down recruits. Summer associates have always been potential hires, but they’re getting offers earlier than ever. At the same time, retention is critical as well. As Joan Fortin, incoming CEO of the Portland firm Bernstein Shur says, “We don’t sell widgets. It’s people, it’s a relationship business, and the quality of our hires is extremely important.” See Page 24.
In our “On the Record” Q&A, we talk to a Pierce Atwood attorney who doubles as an entrepreneur. He launched a Portland climbing gym that has attracted a wide range of customers. See Page 30.
Bernstein Shur tops the list of Maine’s largest law firms. See Page 32.
