On July 16, 2015, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ruled that all job discrimination based on sexual orientation is a form of sex discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This historic 3-2 decision does what Congress and most courts so far have refused to do: ban discrimination against gays in the workplace. Until now, only a handful of states and municipalities have done […]

MICHIGAN CASE LAW UPDATE Harris v. Mott Community College 497 Mich 903 (November 25, 2014) On November 25, 2014, the Michigan Supreme Court upheld the dismissal of a case filed by a former nursing student against Mott Community College and Nursing Program Administrators. The former student sued the College after he was dismissed from the Nursing Program due to safety violations in the clinical component of the program. The College […]

Business owners and individuals should be concerned with protecting their brand identity, which means taking active steps to protect their trademark. The best avenue of protection is Federal Registration of the business or individual’s trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The right to use a trademark does not come from Federal Registration, instead, the first business or individual to use a distinctive trademark in commerce has the […]

When evaluating the worth of a company, it is important to recognize the value of all assets and liabilities in determining the company’s value.  However, most overlooked are the intangibles – that is, assets that do not have a physical shape, but nonetheless contribute to the earning power of the company.  The true value of a company is its ability to generate earnings and earnings are a function of the […]

CMDA is honored and appreciative for the trust our clients have placed in our Firm since 1965.  As a way to give back to the community as we celebrate our 50th anniversary, every month throughout 2015 the Firm will be donating 50 items (or more) to a local charity. In July, we are collecting food and supplies for PBJ Outreach, Inc., which is a non-profit organization focused on feeding and clothing the […]

On June 30, 2015, Governor Rick Snyder signed HB 4052 into law which stops local governments from adopting, administering or enforcing future ordinances or policies that require local businesses to pay wages, fringe benefits or leave time that exceed State or Federal requirements. The bill will take effect on September 28, 2015. Currently, Michigan’s minimum wage is $8.15 per hour which will rise to $8.50 per hour on January 1, […]