Could Telephone Seminars

Commonly Encountered Sales and Use Tax Audit Issues and Strategies to Defuse Them BenefitsStates are becoming more aggressive as falling tax revenues constrain expenditures and force budget cuts. Business structures, products and services are increasingly complex with outcomes that don't always fit neatly into vaguely worded and outdated statutes. Heightened audit activity, the states' shifting tax policies and a new wave of proposed sales tax legislation all serve to highlight  more...

Environmental Issues and Agriculture ... criteria pollutant under the Clean Air Act and what this could mean to farmers, regulation of greenhouse gas emissions, re-registration of pesticides and the resulting restrictions on their use and application, liability for misusing pesticides, and the continuing impact of the Endangered Species Act. Learning Objectives: - You will be able to review regulation under the Clean Water Act. -  more...

Fundamentals of SBA Lending: Documenting, Closing and Funding the SBA Loan ... loan is not properly documented, closed and serviced, it could lead to a partial or full denial of the guaranty in the event of a default. You will learn who's eligible for loans, the different programs available (Standard 7(a) Loan Processing, Certified Lender Program, Preferred Lender Program, SBA Express, International Trade Program, Export Working Capital Program and CAPLines), how the  more...

Flexible Spending Accounts BenefitsMany employee benefit plan sponsors are unaware of all the complex rules governing flexible spending accounts. In this session you will receive a thorough overview of the numerous plan design considerations and legal requirements of flexible spending accounts. This knowledge will enable you to avoid running afoul of rules that could jeopardize the tax-favored status of your plans. This  more...

Paralegal's Guide to Administrative Law Research ... is not a one stop access area to everything a researcher could need in tracking down a regulation or decision. This live audio conference establishes a context for how administrative rules are created, what publications are authoritative, and how they may be located in print and online. The audio conference also explains strategies for finding and updating rules and locating the  more...

Avoiding the Pitfalls of Scope Creep on Construction Projects ...or scope creep, as well as warning signs that scope creep could be impacting your construction projects. You will benefit by receiving tools and learning best practices to proactively avoid, timely detect and identify, and manage and mitigate the impact of scope creep. Learning Objectives: - You will be able to describe what scope creep is and why it is bad for your project. - You will be able  more...

Utilizing Formulas in Microsoft Excel ...l has more than 300 built-in functions that simplify what could be more cumbersome and lengthy formulas. Whether it's calculating the monthly payment on a car loan or quickly tabulating a total or average for a column of numbers, Excel 's functions give you a tremendous capability to tackle a myriad of statistical, mathematical and financial challenges, not to mention functions that extract  more...

Understanding the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, Employee Family Leave Laws and Return-to-Work Issues ...tep may result in litigation and an award of damages that could include lost wages, back pay, reinstatement, retroactive benefits, compensatory damages and punitive damages. Employers need to understand the application and interplay between the laws protecting pregnant employees and providing medical leave. This live audio conference will help employers understand the protections provided by  more...

Developing a School Wellness Program ...ontinues to increase at this rate, our current generation could become the FIRST in American history to live shorter lives than their parents. There is no single cause and no single solution for childhood obesity. As a result, school health programs are moving the needle by collaborating with parents, students, community members and business partners to transform schools into healthy campuses.  more...

Best Practices to Modify Electronic Health Records While Maintaining Record Integrity ... were easier to deal with, as incorrectly filed documents could simply be re-filed, and any changes to previously written documentation were oftentimes clear and obvious. With an EHR, making changes can be both too difficult and too easy, depending on the changes desired. A simple mistake in data entry may be nearly impossible to remove, and changes that may be improper, such as changes in  more...

Problems and Risks Associated With Green Construction ...ntered, steps to identify and help to avoid failures that could impact qualification of a project under green rating systems, how the design process can help avoid material and operational failures, the necessity of communication among all project participants to enhance achievement of green criteria and standards, design elements that enhance energy efficiency and reduce environmental impact,  more...

Trucking Litigation ...s companies seems straightforward. Unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth when it comes to trucking tort cases. During this live audio conference, you will hear how to negotiate the waters and learn how the myriad of confusing federal and state regulations could torpedo your otherwise straightforward common law case. Hear from the former top United States D.O.T. trucking lawyer  more...

Reading and Understanding Soil Reports ...terms and even the recommendations given in soils reports could use some explanation. This live audio conference will help you understand what type of soils report you may need, the technical terms found within the soils report, what is really the important information you need to get out of a soils report and what is the next step after receiving the soils information. Soils reports can be  more...

Rules and Responsibilities Regarding Abandoned Wages ... department is not handling unclaimed wages properly, you could be placing your company at risk for huge audit assessments, significant interest accumulations, and civil and criminal penalties. If your company issues any type of employment checks whether it be wages, bonuses, deferred compensation, employee commissions, etc., it is your responsibility to ensure that your company is holding  more...

Bikeway Design Principles, Planning, and Best Practices ...ity. However, significant barriers to bicycling keep many could-be riders off of their bikes. Additionally, limited transportation funding hinders the implementation of new bikeways. You will learn the purpose and process of bikeway planning, the basic design principles of conventional and alternative bikeways, and how communities around the US have increased bicycle ridership. Additionally,  more...

Self-Auditing Your Employee Benefits:A Guide to What May Need Fixing ...time to step back and ask what issues may be lurking that could create significant liabilities and penalties for the employer that are not being identified under your current processes and procedures. This live audio conference will give you a checklist of the most important issues to look at from a legal and a practical perspective for each type of benefit plan and help you identify and  more...

Waiver of Subrogation Clauses and Provisions in Construction Contracts ...have truly minimized the risk of lawsuits and claims that could arise among the parties. It will address if the intended risk allocation sought by the waiver of subrogation clause has been achieved. Further, this live audio conference seeks to educate participants in a better understanding of other key contract terms that may assist in avoiding disputes during the careful planning and drafting  more...

Giving and Receiving Employment References: Successfully Negotiating the Maze ... such requests can be fraught with potential pitfalls and could expose an employer to legal liability from both ends (i.e., from the current/former employee and from the requesting entity). On the other hand, given these issues, it is sometimes difficult for a company to get any accurate and meaningful information on a potential candidate, to help it to decide among several seemingly-qualified  more...

Sales and Use Tax Determination Headaches ...rent state sales and use tax laws and regulations. No one could possibly learn all of the different state requirements and yet our jobs demand it! The purpose of this audio conference is to reveal the secrets to working in a multistate environment. You will learn about the four different types of taxing states which greatly reduces the complexity of a 50-state environment. Five states don't  more...

Current Issues in Sales and Use Tax Reserves ...ightened by proposed changes to ASC 450 (fka FAS 5) which could require enhanced disclosure of certain loss contingencies, including sales and use tax reserves. When evaluating whether a loss contingency may exist in today's business and regulatory environment, all aspects of sales and use tax compliance should be considered. However, ensuring compliance with the various sales and use tax  more...

Medical Records: Responding to Subpoenas and Investigations ...could be breaching the confidentiality of patients without even realizing it! From HIPAA requirements to state privacy laws, legal issues abound in the medical records arena. If you're not up to date on medical records law, your company could face serious legal and financial liability risks. Attend this audio conference and gain critical information on confidentiality, disclosure,  more...

Economic Nexus Standards in State Taxation ...area and why merely having customers in Ohio and Michigan could subject you to new business tax liabilities. Learn how to handle nexus inquiries and which states to look out for in terms of nexus planning. This audio conference is a must for any business that sells to or generates receipts from customers in states where they otherwise have no other connections. This audio conference is  more...

Purchasing Contract Remedies ...gs go wrong, call the lawyers.' At which point a headache could easily become a nightmare. Is there a better way? Of course there is. Litigation can, and should be, a last resort. After all, litigation takes time and our business clients typically need something NOW: the steel for the bridge, software that works, copiers that do not expire in a cloud of smoke after a mere 1000 copies, smart  more...

Brownfield Redevelopment and LEED in 2010: What Happens When You Mix Green and Brown? ...r renewable energy applications and evaluate how the site could attract public and private financial investment as the economy improves. In this challenging economic climate, buyers, credit tenants and long-term investors are increasingly likely to reward developers who apply these asset values, operational efficiencies and real estate development conditions as a condition of occupancy or  more...

Today's Multigenerational Workforce: Transitioning from Baby Boomers to the Next Generations ...between them. Failure to address the generational issues could result in unplanned and dysfunctional paradigm shifts in your organization as the baby boomers leave in ever increasing numbers and the vacuum is filled by younger workers. As we continue to deal with the mass exodus of baby boomers, you must move toward addressing human resource management issues from a holistic approach.  more...

Construction Joint Ventures: Benefits and Pitfalls ...rger more complex projects than those the joint venturers could undertake individually. Construction joint ventures are excellent vehicles for combining various disciplines for a particular project and for including MBE, WBE and DBE participation. But, ill conceived or poorly implemented joint ventures can be disastrous for the project and potentially fatal for one or more of the individual  more...

Labor Law: Could 2011 Be the Turning Point for Unions? ... the country has been focused on health care reform, 2011 could prove to be a pivotal year for union activity. What businesses may not be aware of, are many proposed, smaller amendments to NLRA and NLRB rules - when coupled with some form of passage of the Employee Free Choice Act - could prove to be disastrous for employers lacking knowledge and experience against a revitalized union  more...

Understanding the Role of the Trust Protector ...ons of eight potential situations where a trust protector could be extremely helpful, and explain the difference between a fiduciary and nonfiduciary role for the trust protector. Finally, you will learn who the ideal candidate is to be your client's trust protector, and what qualifications and criteria might be used to find that individual or entity. This teleconference is designed for  more...

Using Payroll Audits to Detect Errors and Fraud BenefitsAs a finance professional, you probably are expected to safeguard your company's money. Unfortunately, there is no typical picture of the fraud perpetrator and embezzlement of funds is all too common place, so you have your work cut out for you! An excellent place to start is with Jeffrey G. Matthews' 'Using Payroll Audits to Detect Errors and Fraud' teleconference. You will learn about  more...

Condition Assessments and Structural Evaluation of Existing Buildings ...itfalls. The client's reasons for requesting this service could be due to several reasons such as change of use of the building; vertical or horizontal expansion being considered for the building; understanding why there is noted distress in the facility; desire to understand whether the building has maintained its structural integrity after a hurricane, tornado, earthquake, flood or fire  more...

Language to Avoid During Sales Conversations - Are Your Words Costing You a Sale? ...could you or your salespeople make if they stopped making stupid mistakes and started giving totally awesome sales presentations? Suppose there was a way to get your prospects to remember and repeat what you say to others in their organization. Remember, every sales presentation is a captured or a missed opportunity. When you lose business you should have captured, you lose twice. First, you  more...

Reports for Maintaining Compliance and Controlling Costs ...ast. One incorrect form sent to the IRS or a state agency could result in thousands of dollars in penalties. Failure to deduct insurance or other deductions from employees can also add up fast. Running the correct verification reports will help. Taxable wage figures should also be verified, but how? Find out during this informative teleconference. Payroll professionals, human resource  more...

Buying and Selling Claims in Bankruptcy ...lue of claims, and recent court decisions and orders that could have a substantial impact on the value or enforceability of the claims purchased. In addition, you will gain insights on trading for passive investment to gain a return on capital versus purchasing to own or control the company by leveraging debt claims into equity and the debtor's responses thereto. There will also be a discussion  more...

Successful Strategies for Shortening the Sales Cycle BenefitsIf we could take more control and shorten the sales cycle, we would earn more money, sell more and make our companies more profitable. In this teleconference, you will learn how to analyze your sales process and actively engage the prospect with each and every contact.  more...

Providing Investment Advice to Retirement Plan Participants Without Triggering Liability ...investment advice legislation is pending in Congress that could alter the regulatory landscape altogether. This teleconference will provide up-to-date advice on regulatory developments and market trends so that plans can provide the investment advice participants need, without incurring liability. Human resource managers, benefits administrators, payroll managers, controllers, CFOs,  more...

Legal Construction Issues in Connection With Office Condominiums ...could hurt you - stay updated on issues concerning office condominiums. Join us for this innovative teleconference and get up to speed on the construction of condominiums. Get a handle on complicated issues surrounding the construction of a condominium association. Avoid problems down the road by protecting yourself and your company - find out exactly what the critical issues are and how to  more...

When Worlds Collide - Bankruptcy and Probate ...ptcy courts with the authority to adjudicate matters that could have an impact on probate proceedings. This teleconference will help you (a) analyze and determine what issues a bankruptcy court may adjudicate notwithstanding the possible effect on a probate estate, (b) analyze and determine when a bankruptcy court must abstain and when it may abstain from adjudicating issues that have an impact  more...

Collective Bargaining and Construction Labor Contracts ...or strategies and avoid the pitfalls and liabilities that could hinder the successful operation of their business. Learning Objectives - You will be able to summarize the National Labor Relations Act. - You will be able to explain union relationships in the construction industry. - You will be able to operate under a construction labor contract. - You will be able to describe double breasting.  more...

Commodity Risks: How to Identify and Implement a Corporate Hedging Program ...wonder if there is a way to manage the risk differently - could they identify the risk in advance, anticipate the impact and mitigate the changes such that their bottom line is preserved? Yes. This teleconference will help you identify the risks of commodity price changes to your firm, communicate them clearly to executive management, follow a framework to identify and evaluate risk management  more...

When HOA's and the IRS Compete for Lien Property: Lien Priorities, Perfections and Foreclosure Rights ...reports with lien priority determinations. Their analysis could be either exposing homeowner associations to erroneous litigation, or neglecting to include IRS liens in foreclosure actions when such liens could otherwise be foreclosed. When an IRS income tax lien appears on record for the real property in lien collection and foreclosure cases, you need to understand these respective lien  more...

Discipline and Termination Considerations for Employees on Leave ... termination does not violate federal or state law, which could expose the company to unnecessary legal costs, unpaid wages and statutory penalties. This teleconference will review the various types of leave available to employees and whether the company is obligated to provide leave under certain federal and state laws. The teleconference also will review the termination prohibitions set forth  more...

Resolving Form 1099 Discrepancies BenefitsThis innovative teleconference will provide the required knowledge to correct any errors discovered in the initial filing or reporting requirements, either by the company reporting these amounts or in reply to the Internal Revenue Services' inquiry to discrepancy in the records reported to them via a CP-2100. By following the practices discussed, you and your client's business entities  more...

Business Combinations and Goodwill: What Is the Latest With Fair Value? ...he acquisition on its financial statements. These changes could ultimately impact deal pricing and structure. Fair value measurements often require the use of outside valuation specialists. This teleconference will help management of companies making acquisitions understand how these revised accounting statements will impact their financial reporting. The teleconference will also delve into how  more...

Smoking Discrimination in the Workplace: On and Off the Clock nDriven by reports that smokers file more health insurance claims and are absent more frequently than nonsmokers, a growing number of employers have implemented programs to minimize the number of smokers in its workforce. These employer programs range from offering quit smoking programs to refusing to hire smokers and even terminating smokers. Privacy advocates argue an employer's interest in the  more...

Understanding the Language of Mold Assessment Reports ...estion. This would be a mistake for anyone. For others it could be considered negligent and result in liability. Far too many mold assessment reports are produced by nonscientists. As a group, nonscientists often do not appreciate the limitations inherent to microbial sampling and they often fail to communicate to their clients the inherent uncertainties associated with mold sampling, analysis  more...

The Streamlined Sales Tax Project - How and Why It Affects Your Business nThe Streamlined Sales Tax Project is an effort by state representatives to implement a national uniform, simplified system of sales and use tax compliance. After more than five years of their efforts, the Simplified Sales and Use Tax Agreement came into effect on October 1, 2005. The SSTP now includes 19 full member states and three associate member states. Although initially taking effect as a  more...

What the New Ledbetter Pay Act Means for Employers nOn January 29, 2009, President Obama signed into law the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, effectively changing the landscape of the statute of limitations for equal pay discrimination claims. The act greatly expands the amount of time that employees have to bring claims of discriminatory pay practices, which could have a substantial impact on employers. This teleconference will help the  more...

Issues Surrounding Student Discipline ...rse, a failure to observe proper procedures and processes could also result in a reviewing body, reversing the discipline imposed in a particular case, thereby causing a substantial disruption of the educational process. Developing and adhering to a systemic process for student discipline is the most effective way to avoid such problematic results. This teleconference will assist you in  more...