S Even Telephone Seminars - Training Resources

Sales and Use Tax Determination Headaches BenefitsSales and use tax professionals are faced with the legal and practical challenges of learning as many as 50 different 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 teleconference is to reveal the secrets to working in a multistate environment. You will learn about the four  more...

Best Practices in Nursing Documentation: Writing Effective and Legal Proof Notes BenefitsLong gone are the days that nurses and other health care providers hand-wrote cryptic notes on essay paper-like chart pages that rarely were ever looked at again. Long gone, also, are the days that physicians would only look at labs, reports and other physician's notes, expecting the nurse to call to the physician's attention anything important about the patient so they didn't have to read  more...

Techniques to Prepare for Difficult Employee Discussions BenefitsSexually offensive behavior, poor communication and leadership skills, excessive absenteeism, and attitude problems - whether you're encountering commonplace or exceptionally serious employee relations issues, you'll need a down-to-earth strategy to protect yourself and your organization. Verbally addressing problems head-on can be a daunting task because of their confrontational nature,  more...

Appealing Standards: Determining the Applicable Standard of Review BenefitsThis teleconference is designed to help you with your two most important jobs: prediction (telling clients what appellate courts are likely to do with a given case) and persuasion (getting the appellate courts to do it). The two most common mistakes in appellate advocacy are (1) taking the standards at face value, uncritically assuming that they mean what they say and that the court will  more...

Mortgage Fraud: An Epidemic BenefitsThe FBI recognized 2008 as the worst year ever for mortgage fraud. 2009 has seen the mortgage fraud epidemic spread even wider and deeper. This teleconference will focus on the most prevalent forms of mortgage fraud. Best practices for detection and prevention are outlined, with industry-specific recommendations for bankers, lawyers and mortgage professionals. We will conclude with a  more...

How to Sell to the U.S. Government BenefitsMany businesses want to sell their services and products to the federal government, but find the process confusing and filled with dead ends and frustration. They see competitors winning contracts but cannot seem to get through to decision makers, or they waste time and resources responding to bids that they never win. This teleconference demystifies the federal contracting process and  more...

Public/Private Partnerships and Major Infrastructure Construction BenefitsThe term public/private partnership (P3) has recently emerged as one of the latest buzz words in the development area. States and local governments are struggling with resource limitations and ever-increasing demands of infrastructure. The involvement of the private sector offers an enticing solution for meeting massive infrastructure needs. At the same time P3s provide an opportunity for  more...

Mechanics Liens in Massachusetts: Protecting Your Lien Rights in Uncertain Times ...rtain times, a thorough understanding of mechanics liens is even more critical. The mechanics lien process is complex and must be executed flawlessly in order for liens to be perfected. In turn, the Massachusetts mechanics lien law is often confusing, even to lawyers who are not expert in its detailed provisions. By attending this teleconference you will learn how contractors, subcontractors  more...

How to Succeed at Selling to Difficult Customers BenefitsCustomers today are more demanding than ever. Some will bully you to get price concessions. Others will put off decisions until you cave in. A few will even embellish the truth. Many won't think twice to take their business elsewhere if you can't acquiesce to their demands. Learn how to pro-actively manage your most difficult customer relationships and turn them into thriving and  more...

Bankruptcy Retention and Disclosures: Knowing When and What to Say BenefitsBankruptcy is a specialized practice quite different than typical litigation. In general litigation, secrecy and limited disclosures are the norm. However, the filing of a bankruptcy and one's involvement in it, either as a debtor, professional or even creditor, requires specific and often extensive disclosures to protect the interests of the estate and the integrity of the bankruptcy  more...

Reading and Understanding Soil Reports BenefitsJust because you have hired a consultant to provide you a soils report does not necessarily mean it will be put to good use. Many of the terms and even the recommendations given in soils reports could use some explanation. This teleconference 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  more...

Medical Records: Responding to Subpoenas and Investigations BenefitsDon't be caught off guard. You 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 teleconference and gain critical information on  more...

Current Issues in Cloud Computing: Is There Sun Behind Those Clouds? BenefitsCloud computing is an enormous, pervasive and game-changing technology. Tech industry heavyweights such as Microsoft , IBM and Google have each committed billions to developing and marketing it. Smaller players and startups are cropping up daily with new offerings. Yet, for all the hype, few people understand the technology nor the unique issues cloud computing poses - particularly when it  more...

Protect and Collect - The Effective Use of Engagement Letters BenefitsToday's economy finds companies in every industry, including professional service firms, looking at best practices to keep revenues steady and to decrease liability. The collection process has become more burdensome as cash flow tightens across the country. With more and more lawsuits arising against professional service providers and their firms, law firms, accounting firms and even  more...

Commercial Lease Escalation Issues BenefitsHow can landlords and tenants protect themselves against rent risks and risks relating to property expenditures in an economy which is as unpredictable as ours? This teleconference will address the details of escalation clauses as they apply to rent, common area maintenance costs and even security deposits. It will address a variety of means whereby both landlords and tenants can try to  more...

Current Issues in Digital Billboards and Sign Regulations BenefitsLocal governments, elected officials, municipal lawyers, zoning and building officials, and professional planners face increasing litigation threats due to the proliferation of digital signs. One national expert has predicted a wave of litigation at localities across the country that is trying to maintain attractive communities and prevent visual blight. What is the role of the Federal  more...

Ground Failures and Other Groundwater-Related Property Damage BenefitsOne ground failure can destroy your professional reputation or decimate your life savings. A ground failure doesn't have to make the national news to be a catastrophic loss to a property owner. Ground failure mechanisms come in many forms - landslides, sinkholes, soil expansion, bedrock heave, soil collapse, erosion - all of which typically include water as a major contributing factor.  more...

Legal Overview of Financial Records: Obtaining and Understanding the Information BenefitsMany offices today make use of paralegals or legal assistants not only in preparing documents but in reviewing them. Many attorneys rely on elementary representations of income such as the income stated on an income tax return for determining the available funds for child support and maintenance. In many cases, this may be sufficient, such as that of a W-2 wage earner. However, in those  more...

Efficiency Estimations and Payback Periods for New Equipment BenefitsEnergy savings is possible for nearly every electric motor application but there are obstacles to buying and installing a higher efficiency motor. Practical considerations of the real world such as initial purchase, accounting system roadblocks, and installation and operating cost, must be part of the decision process. This teleconference will explain basic principles of electric motor  more...

Preparing for Medicaid Audits BenefitsThe current and future state of Medicaid audits - are you and your clients adequately prepared? The Medicaid program is a state's most significant health care expense and, in many instances, one of its largest budgetary items. It is the health insurer of last resort for children and the economically disadvantaged. The recent economic downturn has caused shortfalls to many states' overall  more...

Emerging Trends in Infrastructure Finance - The Stimulus and Beyond BenefitsOur nation's competitiveness has long relied on an efficient, effective and affordable infrastructure network. Over time, both private and public sector investors have played roles in developing our infrastructure. Unfortunately, as the era of government-led and government-financed infrastructure comes to an end because of diminishing resources, alternatives must be explored. Governments  more...

Advanced Microsoft Excel Formulas and Functions: Master Your Usage of Excel's More Powerful Formulas and Functions BenefitsEven if you are fairly comfortable with building formulas and functions in Excel , you might still be missing out by having overlooked some powerful functions or just not be aware of special capabilities, like array formulas. There's no question that Excel's 300+ functions give you tremendous capabilities to tackle a myriad of statistical, mathematical and financial challenges, not to  more...

Integrated Project Delivery Principles and Building Information Modeling BenefitsMany in the facilities community, including designers, builders and owners, need a hand understanding IPD and BIM. What does it all mean? Who benefits and how? Some that have heard about IPD and BIM may be wondering how to either ask for it in their projects or implement these principles in their firms. There are some basic concepts in IPD and BIM that can be used in every project large or  more...

Documenting and Organizing LEED Projects: Lessons Learned for Better LEED Submissions BenefitsLEED certification is becoming a more common requirement for designs in this environmentally sensitive and energy-conscious world. Design teams are being asked to integrate steps for LEED certification into already established design processes. Even though a designer might understand the principles of sustainable design and are familiar with LEED certification, until they have managed a  more...

Developing a Community Nonemergency Response System ...efit analysis and calculating return on investment which is even more critical in these lean times. In addition, we will focus on how to develop a change management program to help ensure that changes enabled by a new call center are adhered to and results in a tangible ROI by more efficiently managing and balancing non-emergency calls, tracking citizen interactions at the enterprise and  more...

Commercial Foreclosure Due Diligence Checklist: What to Do Before, During and After Foreclosure BenefitsWhen a commercial mortgage loan becomes troubled, even before it goes into default, the parties must quickly confront a number of issues. For the lender, it is imperative that it conduct a due diligence review of its file, the loan and the collateral as soon as possible. Should the default not be cured or the parties not be able to restructure the loan, the lender faces the options of  more...

Subleasing Issues In A Down and Recovering Market BenefitsBrokers and property owners agree: The subprime mortgage meltdown has finally reached the office market, bringing with it a flood of subleases as the economy continues its downward trend, and even as it recovers. It is time to dust off the practices and procedures lessons first learned in 1991 and 1992 when the savings and loan industry collapsed, and then again in 2000 and 2001 when the  more...

Working With Challenging Parents: Strategies and Techniques BenefitsProblem: Professionals are often confronted with parents who seem to resist our best efforts to help their children. When tensions between you and a parent escalate and are not resolved, all parties lose out. Valuable time, resources and reputations can be snagged in a spiraling power struggle or in seemingly endless efforts to engage the demanding or avoidant parent. Staff can become  more...

From TV to Twitter: Working With the Media During a Crisis ...nicate during a crisis can be just as important - sometimes even more important - than how they manage the problem itself. Whether it's a natural disaster, accident, sensational crime or political controversy, the public and the media demand answers and information now, whether through traditional or new social media channels. Managing and surviving a crisis depends on your ability to respond  more...

Shop Drawings and Other Construction Submittals - Legal and Architectural Perspectives BenefitsThere is perhaps no aspect of construction which is more misunderstood, and which is more fraught with the potential for confusion, than the shop drawing submittal process. When the process breaks down, the result can be deficient work, economic loss and even disastrous collapse. This teleconference will help you understand your responsibility and risks in the shop drawings submittal  more...

Multifamily Project Finance and Development BenefitsAlthough generally performing better than single family, the multifamily credit markets continue to be in turmoil, and raising necessary debt and equity for acquisition, refinancing and development continues to be a challenge, even for well-capitalized owner/developers with good track records and performing or well conceived new projects. The looming 'refinance crisis' for multifamily  more...

Reductions in Force Litigation Update BenefitsWith the continued recession, employers have been faced with significant challenges to reduce costs. Since personnel accounts for a major proportion of overhead, one possible area of consideration is that of a reduction in the workforce. While reaching and implementing such a decision will, in optimum circumstances, involve significant input from counsel experienced in both employment and  more...

Pitfalls of Participant Loans in Retirement Plans BenefitsParticipant loans in a qualified employee benefit plan are a common problem area due to their complex administration. Plan sponsors of qualified employee benefit plans need to be aware of many pitfalls to avoid tax consequences. Even worse than tax consequences is the possibility of the entire plan losing its preferred tax status. This teleconference will explain the regulations of  more...

When Worlds Collide - Bankruptcy and Probate BenefitsUntil the U. S. Supreme Court's 2006 decision in Marshall v. Marshall, 547 U.S. 293 (2006), there was a common belief among many bankruptcy and probate practitioners that the so-called probate exception to federal jurisdiction served to prevent bankruptcy courts from adjudicating any matters that were related, even only slightly, to a probate estate. In giving a very narrow interpretation  more...

Don't Bet the Company: Understanding and Avoiding Class Actions in Labor and Employment Law! BenefitsYou have all seen in the news media reports of companies settling employment-related class actions for many millions of dollars. The horror of class actions is that a small claim among a few employees can mushroom into a huge claim worth millions of dollars once some ferocious plaintiff's lawyers get their teeth into it and add hundreds of additional claims through the simple process of  more...

Managing External Health Information ...ent arrives for treatment or thereafter - and in some cases even after the patient has been discharged. It may also come in the form of information deliberately requested from outside parties but the receiving provider is unsure about whether to incorporate that information into its legal patient record. Customarily, many providers have felt compelled to accept such information but they have  more...

Motor Vehicle Searches: Impact of the Arizona v. Gant Decision ...titutional rules that allow police to search motor vehicles even without probable cause in certain situations. One of the most significant of these rules allows police to search a vehicle without probable cause incident to a lawful arrest. Established in New York v. Belton, 453 U.S. 454 (1981), police were permitted to search the interior of the vehicle after arresting a suspect to protect  more...

Terminating a Construction Contract: Legal Issues and Considerations BenefitsAn unstable economy causes owners and contractors to increasingly consider the last resort of terminating their construction contracts. It is important to fully appreciate and understand the law governing termination in order to avoid causing even more economic damage. This teleconference will provide the basic concepts of termination and will provide some examples of the right and wrong  more...

Effective Auditing of Physicians' Notes BenefitsPhysician documentation and subsequent charge capture of physician services is becoming more complex and scrutinized than ever before. Join us for this teleconference during which we will teach you how to audit physician notes from your own practice. We will cover all aspects of coding for evaluation and management services, and the appropriate documentation of these services. We will  more...

Voir Dire: Effective Techniques for Getting and Using the Information You Need nVoir dire is one of the most important phases of a jury trial. However, the rules and procedures governing the jury selection process are often informal, subject to the broad discretion of the trial court, and can vary widely between jurisdictions, judges and even different cases before the same judge. A trial lawyer's strike decisions are some of the most important strategic decisions made in  more...

Staying Compliant with the Medicare Incident-To Rules nAt a time when every medical practice dollar counts, the Medicare incident-to billing rules can enable physicians to capture revenue from common services performed by office staff. The incident-to rules, while simple on their face, can be complex in their application and failing to follow each element of the rules can result in overpayments and even false claims liability. Knowing the rules and  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...

Drafting Trusts in Estate Planning nEstate tax laws keep changing. Did you know that even though the estate tax exemption is predicted to stay at $3.5 million the lifetime gift tax exemption will stay at $1 million, leaving the door open to reduce the estate tax exemption back down to $1 million when Congress tries to balance the budget in a few years? In addition to estate taxes, clients' families need protection from probate, bad  more...

Presenteeism: Measurement and Intervention Issues for Employers and Health Plans nProductivity is fast becoming an even more vital issue to the business world. Presenteeism, or work loss due to underlying health conditions when individuals remain at work, is one important facet of productivity. One study found that approximately 6 percent of a global company's total compensation (salaries, wages and all benefit costs) were lost due to presenteeism. Work site wellness programs  more...

IRS Form 1040 - Schedule D Update nUnited States taxpayers are experiencing many challenges in our current economic environment that will have major effects on their tax returns. The collapse of the housing market, home foreclosures and worthless securities has affected most taxpayers. Preparing the 1040 Schedule D is challenging for even the most efficient tax professional. By attending this teleconference, you will be reminded  more...

Brownfield Redevelopment and LEED. in 2009 - What Happens When You Mix Green and Brown? nThis teleconference will help you understand the contributing factors to ROI of the maturing green building practices on brownfields. Many professionals in the real estate investment business have witnessed how the redevelopment of brownfields has increased over time due to the market realizing the ability to make a return on investment on contaminated properties. In effect, the value of a  more...

Getting to the Root of Root Cause Analysis nFailures are a fact of life. In every industry and occupation we are faced with failures. Failures of products, processes, systems and services abound. n nSome of us are tasked with fixing the processes that lead to failures. The customer wants "faster, better, cheaper" but we are delivering "slower, worse and costly." Failure can mean not meeting a customer requirement. It can relate to form,  more...

FDCPA Claims Based on Collection Letters ...n of debts and judgments is a challenge for most businesses even when the economy is healthy. However, during times of economic slowdown and recession, you will face a higher volume of slow-pay and no-pay problems with both vendors and customers. This teleconference is designed to provide an overview of the Federal Fair Debt Practices Act; an explanation of key terms and definitions under the  more...

Internal ERISA Audits: Getting It Right Before the Government Shows Up nEmployee benefits plans are subject to a large number of requirements imposed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act and by other laws such as the Internal Revenue Code. Failure to comply with these complex and ever-changing requirements could lead to substantial penalties or even the meltdown of the plan. This teleconference will highlight a number of these requirements and show you how  more...

Unrelated Business Income Tax - Tax Information for Charities and Other Nonprofits nThe recent activity in the charitable sector by federal and state regulatory agencies has mandated that professionals take a proactive approach into all aspects of this important and very diverse sector. The tax-exempt community is under a microscope. Problems that a few years ago might have gone unnoticed now get picked up and widely broadcast. Recent IRS compliance initiatives in governance,  more...

Retirement Benefit Solutions For Nonprofit Organizations and Government Entities nNonprofit organizations face many of the same issues regarding use of retirement benefits to attract and retain employees and executives as for-profit companies, but the tools available to them are often more limited. This teleconference will explore both broad-based retirement programs and executive deferred compensation available to nonprofit organizations. It will highlight new rules for  more...

Employee Retaliation: Supreme Court Update nThe mere mention of retaliation in the workplace today sends waves of concern throughout an employer's organization. Most recent court decisions recognize retaliation claims in nearly all areas of employment law and find adverse actions in a variety of circumstances, beyond demotion and termination, for purposes of upholding such claims. Most significantly, the U.S. Supreme Court recently  more...

Recent Developments With Loan Syndications nAttend this teleconference and stay abreast of the latest issues relating to the loan syndication process. Our seasoned faculty will provide practical answers to your most pressing questions about loan documentation. You'll get an inside look at how to respond to confusing post-Lehman bankruptcy issues and other new developments. n nRegister now and you'll learn how to overcome any obstacles you  more...

On-Site Power Generation: Challenges, Opportunities and New Developments nMission critical operations include electronic trading operations; semiconductor manufacturing (clean rooms); pharmaceutical plants; hazardous biological or chemical labs; military, defense and government facilities; certain security or public safety related projects, including 911 call centers, emergency or disaster response centers; airport air traffic control towers; and other critical  more...

Preparing a Winning Closing Argument ...words. But what makes for an effective closing? Do closings even matter? When should you object? Should you really start preparing your closing the day you get a new case? These are questions that are not addressed in law school, and even today lawyers seeking guidance are forced to rely on the conventional wisdom and time-worn adages passed down from generation to generation. n nNow we are  more...

Overcome Your Competition: Stand Out in a Crowded Marketplace nYear in and year out, sales professionals invest their time and their organizations' money along with leveraging high-priced resources in sales pursuits, but walk away with no fruit for their labor. This percentage varies from company to company, but on average the percentage of opportunities pursued and not closed is well over 50 percent! Extensive studies have proven this excessively high  more...

Liability Issues for Design Professionals ...ity. The effect on the design profession of these issues is even more complex now because of the release of the 2007 AIA documents. Register for this teleconference and get detailed information on AIA documents' effect on design professionals and the changes to those documents on the important issues affecting design professionals. Don't miss this critical opportunity for design professionals  more...

Grant Applications From Beginning to End nGrants are highly competitive. With the down turn in today's market they are becoming even more competitive as business and investors are looking at grants to leverage their position. Grants that are easy to find are the most competitive and most difficult to receive. Grant money is free money, in the sense that it does not have to be repaid like a loan. Getting grant funding takes skill,  more...

Multiplaintiff Settlement Negotiations nMultiplaintiff, class and collective actions continue to increase. More and more employers are facing wage and hour cases and collective actions under the FLSA. Plaintiffs' counsel increasingly are relying on the benefits of Rule 23 certification to bring their wage and hour claims under applicable state wage and hour laws, bypassing the more restrictive FLSA collective action "opt-in" process.  more...

AIA and ConsensusDOCS Contract Documents: Comparison and Contrast nHardly a business day goes by in the construction industry when the parties involved in the construction contracting process encounter standard form contract documents. Two of the principal sources of such standard form construction contract documents have both recently issued the 2007 editions of their respective families of contract forms. The long established family of documents published by  more...

From Contact to Contract: The Ladder Approach to Managing a Sale nMost salespeople follow a chaos theory of managing a sale - whatever happens, happens. Consequently, after leaving an initial meeting with a prospect they wonder how, when and why they should reconnect with the prospect. Not only does this lead to lost opportunities, even with prospects who do become clients the process is difficult, fraught with worry and uncertainty, and wastes a great deal of  more...