Understand Your Rights. Solve Your Legal Problems
The flows generated by the Cape Verdean economy have never been considered sufficient to finance its development, due to various constraints such as the lack of natural resources, the trade balance deficit and the size and division of the territory. Therefore, foreign capital has become a strategic resource in the development of Cape Verde as a way of ending some deficits in the economy.
Thus, foreign investment is of paramount importance to the economy of Cape Verde. It increases Cape Verde's competitive capacity and, by extension, its relevance in the international economy; it increases employment in general terms, as well as creating new types of employment and new jobs; it stimulates employment in other sectors of the economy and therefore improves wage and working conditions. Foreign investment enables partnerships between foreign and national companies, allowing the latter to expand their business. It also increases state revenue through tax contributions paid by foreign companies.
The key regulations are as follows:
- Cape Verde Investment Law – Law no. 13/VIII/2012 amended by Decree-Law no. 34/2013 of 24 S September, which establishes the general bases for carrying out investments in Cape Verde;
- Foreign Investor Statute - Law No. 89/IV/93, of 13 December;
- Tax Benefits Code - Law No. -102/VIII/2016;
- Law No. 38/2013, of 2 October), which creates the Cape Verde International Business Center (CIN);
- Law No. 73/IX/2020, of 2 March, which approves the regime for the realization of direct investment made in Cape Verde by emigrants.
In addition to these legislations in the scope of foreign investment, it is also possible to point out others that regulate incentives of specific sectors, such as:
- Legislative Decree No. 13/2010 of 8 November, which defines the objectives of the country's industrial policy and establishes the principles, means and instruments essential to its pursuit.
- Decree-Law nº 22/2020, which establishes the regime of the status of Tourist Utility and defines the criteria and requirements for its attribution, revocation, expiry and renewal.
- Decree-Law No. 12/2005 of 7 February, which regulates the right to establish international financial institutions in Cape Verde, their functioning and supervision.
The flows generated by the Cape Verdean economy have never been considered sufficient to finance its development.
The countries of the African continent have great ethnic, cultural, social and political diversity, this continent is made up of 54 independent countries, so it is normal that the regulations that regulate the issue of foreign investment are different, varying from country to country. However, regulations may also be the same, varying only in some points.
For example, the investment law of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau resembles Cape Verde's investment law in some points, while varying in others. Both the investment law of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde offer the same rights and guarantees, namely the freedom to private initiative, security and protection, and the transfer of funds abroad. The resolution of conflicts in both can be undertaken through conciliation and arbitration and recourse to the courts. However, they defer to the incentives offered.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic that has plagued the world at large since February 2020, there has been a standstill of any foreign investment in Cape Verde in the last 12 months.
A major constraint regarding the attraction of foreign investments is the small size of the Cape Verdean market, which has an impact on insurance. Because of the lack of export diversification and the imposition of the global economy, investors from foreign countries are required to make adjustments with high costs, forcing them to assume greater risks.
There are also constraints regarding the division of the territory of Cape Verde and how its distance from the main markets creates additional costs for the small economy. Transport costs are quite high, both for importing raw materials and for distributing the finished product between islands and especially to international markets. In terms of country management, it requires heavy investments in infrastructure – telecommunications, health, education, transport (including ports, airports and roads) and the installation of administrative machinery, among others, thus making more efficient management impossible.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic that has plagued the world at large since February 2020, there has been a standstill of any foreign investment in Cape Verde in the last 12 months.
Always seek to collect as much information as possible through lawyers or other competent authorities before starting any investment. View the various possible investment options.
It is wise to invest in a sector understood as the future of the Cape Verdean economy and the development of foreign investment, such as tourism, renewable energies, the ocean economy, the digital economy and creative industries, among others. And above all, do not let yourself be affected by these obstacles; keep trying and persist. Investing in the nation has its advantages, as Cape Verde has an attractive policy of incentives, a rich business environment, a mature democracy, and a modern society with a wealth of transformation, diversity and opportunity. The country has many stories of success and economic progress, not to mention the last and most important factor – sun, beaches and music festivals throughout the year.
Yes. In 2019, there was a project in the portfolio to update the legislation related to the tourism and foreign investment sector, compiling it into a single code. Since the government has been adapting Cape Verdean legislation to new needs after the pandemic, we will certainly have new laws to motivate and attract more foreign investment.
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Since I was a child, my dream was to be a lawyer. My grandfather was a proxy for most of his emigrant family and friends; he helped people who were illiterate or with little knowledge in drawing up letters, contracts or other documents, so from an early age I had contact with books and legal subjects. I studied law at the Universidade Clássica de Lisboa in Lisbon, Portugal, where the contact with full professors motivated me even more. I had the opportunity to do my training with a great lawyer, with whom I learned that being a lawyer is to be constantly studying and learning.
What inspires me to deliver the best possible results for our clients is definitely the desire to be useful and make a difference in people's lives.
I have already had some good achievements in my career, from integrating teams in major corporate operations such as being a jury in public tenders and providing advice in the preparation of national legislation, in addition to some victories in lawsuits with great national repercussions. However, I think the best achievement, which represents an international recognition of my work, was being called to be Vice President of the Specialized Commission for the Creation of the CPLP Economic Community Arbitration Center.
Our Office is working hard to be recognized internationally as a specialist in the field of foreign investment, particularly in the field of tourism, in which we provide advice to investors from the initial business feasibility study to its implementation and consolidation in the market.
Carla Monteiro, Founding Partner
Carla Monteiro & Associados
Address: Entrance of Santa Maria, Garantia Building, 1st Left, PO Box No. 107, Santa Maria –Sal Island, Cape Verde
Telephone: + 238 2422510
Fax: +238 2422550
Email: cmonteiro@cmalex.net
Website: cmalex.net
Instagram: Carla Monteiro & Associados | Carla Monteiro
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Carla Monteiro is the founder of Carla Monteiro & Associados and a member of the Bar Associations of both Cape Verde and Portugal. In addition to speaking Portuguese, English, French, Spanish and Italian, she is also the co-author of two real estate law guides.
Carla Monteiro & Associados was formed in October 2008 through the partnership of Carla Monteiro and Portuguese lawyer Alexandra Pereira. Since then, the firm has since expanded to include several additional partners, lawyers and associates, delivering excellence in the fields of corporate, tax, insurance, real estate & tourism, litigation and foreign investment.
Pip Wilson, co-founder of amicable, explains the benefits of digitising divorce.
Even though one-third of UK marriages end in divorce, the separation process is complicated by a number of legal and social hurdles. In today’s legal system, one spouse must make an accusation about the other’s conduct, such as adultery or “unreasonable behaviour”. The alternative requires that the couple live apart for two years, to prove they have separated, in all but the legal sense of the word. This means that even when ex-partners have the best intentions, it’s near enough impossible to avoid acrimony when divorcing. Whilst as administrators of the system we know how to file around this, it still leaves those divorcing with a bitter taste in their mouths at the start of an already trying emotional process.
Since 2015, amicable’s mission has been to help couples aiming to ‘untie the knot’ to do so as smoothly as possible, minimising hostility. The digital service works with couples, rather than individuals, to reach cooperative and productive agreements, taking the formal solicitor approach out and making the process as simple as possible for the couple. To make divorce less daunting, amicable removes the alienating legal jargon recurrent in solicitor-led divorce. Putting people at the centre of the divorce process has enabled amicable to develop effective and emotion-conscious technology while curating a process that prioritises ease for prospective couples.
By digitalising divorce, amicable has also been able to significantly reduce financial and time costs to the consumer. This is a much-needed move, as the traditional legal process of divorce averages £8,000 per person for divorce and financial settlement and can reach £40,000 per person if the couple goes to court. By minimising the cost of administrative tasks through automation, a fixed fee divorce model is possible. Making divorce cost-effective allows access to justice for all separating couples; a significant improvement for the industry, as extreme costs can act as a barrier to actioning divorce for many.
The technology at the heart of digital divorce can serve as a hugely helpful interface when tackling painful life moments. The physical separation it provides, as sessions take place over video links rather than in person, eases the emotional strain and in turn reduces the likelihood of argumentative processes. This also has significant knock-on effects regarding the societal stigma associated with divorce; traditional divorce is frequently associated with sensationalist, acrimonious and spectacle-like disagreements. With technology as the calming middleman, supported by amicable’s professional mediators, divorce can be rebranded. Pacifying, and in turn destigmatising divorce, equally improves its accessibility for couples by reducing fear of social judgement.
Convenient and obtainable tech is also essential to reducing the impacts of divorce on wider family members such as co-parenting apps which help parents successfully manage the life change for the whole family. By leaning on mobile digital tools, co-parents can access advice and organisational functionalities on the go. With expertly crafted, bespoke tips available at any time, children of divorce are in the best possible hands to navigate this complex emotional journey. By minimising the destabilising impacts of divorce and reducing the exposure to a negative relationship breakdown, the long-term social justice benefits of democratising divorce cannot be understated.
Although amicable challenges the traditional lawyer against lawyer approach to divorce, amicable has attracted the attention of Sir Ernest Ryder who recently joined as an advisor, bringing with him extensive legal expertise and track record of excellence. With over 40 years of experience on how to ensure the best possible outcomes in divorce, Sir Ernest will be crucial in supporting amicable’s response to the demand created by the No Fault Divorce bill coming into force in April 2022. Bridging traditional with disruptive legal knowledge will ensure divorce is serving all citizens.
Technology is hailed as a great democratising tool across a number of sectors, and divorce is no exception. By removing societal and financial barriers, as well as improving accessibility, collaborative digital divorces are becoming mainstream. This trend will undoubtedly become more pronounced with the imminent implementation of No Fault Divorce. The positive impact of amicable, accessible divorce has transformative potential in terms of social justice and equality - ideals that lie at the very core of purpose-led technology.
Canada, and many other developed countries besides, is struggling under a backlog of criminal and civil cases awaiting their date in court. This has had a knock-on effect for family law, adding unneeded stress to couples and parents during some of the most difficult times of their lives.
This month, we have the pleasure to hear from Laura Bruyer and Tiffany Stokes of Bruyer & Mackay LLP, who have a vision for how the legal profession can rise to meet this challenge. In this article they explore the factors behind the case backlog and how its adverse effects on families in Canada can be mitigated, while also drawing upon Laura’s own career development and Bruyer & Mackay’s plans for future progress.
Even before 2020 there was an immense glut of family law cases in the Canadian legal system, with years-long pipelines for custody trials in some provinces. How did this backlog come about?
There is no one cause that you can blame for the backlog. Changes in the economy, whether good or bad, create work for family lawyers. Many of our clients are competing for limited trial time at the courthouse because there are also other areas of law that need it. Many cases that go to trial require several days of trial time, which adds to the time it takes to get before a judge. Hiring a family lawyer is an expensive step, and there may be times when a client has to self-represent, which can cause delays as they try to navigate a complex system on their own. Our courts have done an excellent job of reviewing family law and trying to implement processes to address the backlog, but it is very challenging because the wave of clients is unrelenting.
What impact have escalating trial delays had on the parents and spouses caught up in them?
More than anything, it contributes to animosity between parents and spouses. Litigation is stressful and overwhelming at the best of times, much less when it is dealing with your everyday life – your children, your finances, and your property. Many clients feel the need to continue to “gather evidence” and be hyper-vigilant toward the other parent or party. Families have trouble healing and working together positively when they have a “litigation cloud” hanging over their heads.
Many of our clients are competing for limited trial time at the courthouse because there are also other areas of law that need it.
In what way has the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of remote hearings affected the backlog?
The pandemic brought a number of challenges for our clients. First, many clients were navigating the ever-changing public policies and trying to co-parent. This is very difficult if the parents do not agree on how to interpret or implement said public health protocols, and the constant messaging of “creating a bubble” and limiting social contacts was confusing to parents who had custody or parenting schedules in place. This created a lot of litigation because there were so many unknowns, and many parents felt the need to go to court to try and change their parenting schedules to reflect the messaging they received from public health.
In addition to parenting issues, we also had a number of clients who were suddenly out of work. Many clients lost high-earning jobs and therefore needed an urgent adjustment to child or spousal support. This created more and more cases before the court to adjust support, particularly if that support was being enforced through the Maintenance Enforcement Program, as it could only be changed with a court order.
There was a rocky start in getting remote systems in place for hearings. This was to be expected; our generation had never grappled with a pandemic, and it caught so many of us off-guard. Our courts did their best in assessing the need for remote hearings and implemented that technology quickly, but it still limited how fast you could proceed to court and there were definitely delays in the beginning. You had more people competing for fewer spots. Also, appearing before a judge now requires more steps than it used to, which means it takes longer to get into court and is more costly to clients.
In Ontario’s Unified Family Court, family law cases are typically given a court date within 20 weeks after they are deemed ready to procced to trial. Would a wider implementation of this system help to address the litigation backlog in other provinces?
Many of those in our judiciary and members of the family profession have worked hard on implementing a unified family court in Alberta, and we hope that one day it will come to fruition. We believe a unified family court would help streamline systems, which will in turn reduce backlogs. During the pandemic, there were several new procedures implemented that changed rapidly. The rules for the provincial court and our superior court were different. With a unified system, the rules and procedures would be consistent for all families and would be more predictable for lawyers and the public in general. This would avoid missteps and create a lot of certainty and consistency. It would help save costs for clients, and more importantly, it would create greater public confidence in our system.
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What advice would you give to families facing a lengthy struggle to have their case heard?
Our advice is to “focus on the big picture”. Litigation is not always the answer, and in fact, we always review settlement and alternative dispute resolution options with our clients before going to court. We offer mediation, collaborative family law, and arbitration in our firm to meet these needs. Sometimes a small gain in property or support does not justify the cost and effort that is expended in court to get there. For parenting, we always tell clients that the most important rule is to do what is in the children’s best interests. Our lawyers and courts are well-versed in the work done by the Alberta Family Wellness Initiative to teach us how conflict and toxic stress harms the development of children’s brains. Lengthy and drawn-out litigation is not in children’s best interests, and it is important that we try to avoid that if at all possible.
Do you expect to see any regulatory changes to address the continuing build-up of cases?
At the superior court level, we have seen may changes implemented, including the introduction of a docket system to triage cases. The goal is to have clients attend an early intervention alternative dispute process, particularly when there are parenting issues, in order to reduce conflict between the parties. The benefit of the docket system is to get each matter into the most appropriate system that can meet the parties’ needs.
In addition, our courts have implemented strict timelines regarding the filing of materials. This is a concerted effort to ensure that scheduled matters proceed in a fair and timely manner. As with most new processes, there is a significant learning curve. Throughout the course of the pandemic, judges, courthouse support staff, lawyers, and clients have had to adapt to ever changing technology and lengthier wait times.
Litigation is not always the answer, and in fact, we always review settlement and alternative dispute resolution options with our clients before going to court.
What do you feel the legal sector could do to ease the burden of the ongoing backlog on the courts and the families affected?
Lawyers can play a major role in this. We all need to work together in reviewing settlement options with our clients, helping them focus on the big picture, giving them confidence in the system, and advising to proceed with litigation only when necessary. The work that you do not see is that, outside of the courthouse, our family law bar is actively working on settling cases and supporting families. Our work is deeply rooted in the law and jurisprudence, but at the end of the day, we recognise that we are helping real families who make up the fabric of our society. Quite often our clients’ goals and interests are not “being right in law” or “winning”, but rather supporting their children’s needs, ensuring their financial stability, and reducing their stress.
Litigation is a useful tool that is sometimes needed, but first and foremost, lawyers must support their clients in finding alternatives to court in order to achieve their goals and interests. One of the best ways to do so is to identify the issues at the outset of a file, direct clients to agencies that can provide support to them (i.e. psychologists, parenting experts, coaches) and encourage them to focus on the future after the initial trauma of separation.
When I was in middle school, my father asked me what my plans were with respect to my post-secondary education. At that time, and without really considering it to any great extent, I indicated that I was going to be a lawyer. I was a huge fan of the British television series Rumpole of the Bailey and had read all of John Mortimer’s stories growing up.
Upon graduating high school, I entered University in a Bachelor of Arts Program majoring in Honours Sociology. At that time, you could still get into law school after two years in an undergraduate program. I entered university at 17 and by the age of 19, I was starting my first year of law at the University of Alberta.
Following graduation, I articled at a large downtown firm in Edmonton, Alberta, before going to work as a general practitioner in a small firm. It was there that I gained significant experience in all matters related to litigation. I originally thought that I would practice primarily in criminal defence work; however, I quickly realised that any contribution I could make was best suited for family law. I dealt with a number of clients that were devasted by separation, ongoing parenting battles, and concerns over their financial security.
In 2005, I met Michelle Mackay when we were on the opposite sides of a very difficult family law file. We decided following that file that we wanted to work together as opposed to opposite each other. In November 2005, I joined Michelle at her firm Gordon Zwaenepoel. Upon the retirement of Marie Gordon and Susan Zwaenepoel, Bruyer & Mackay was formed.
The firm has more than doubled in size since its inception in 2019; we currently have 17 lawyers and an equal complement of support staff. In terms of the workplace, we have taken significant steps to ensure that not only our clients are supported but our staff are as well. This includes counselling support for staff, bringing in a psychologist on a quarterly basis to address issues that affect our staff (i.e., dealing with difficult clients, regular firm outings and team building endeavors, and stressing the importance of time off).
With respect to firm values, we pride ourselves on the following:
When I was approximately eight years old, my parents separated for a period of time. Fortunately for me, they were able to work out their differences and have been married for over 50 years. However, I believe that that experience, which was traumatic at the time, helped shape me into the lawyer I am today. I can empathise with children whose parents are going through a separation, as well as the parties themselves.
In my early days as a young lawyer struggling to build a practice, most of the matters I dealt with were family law in nature. After approximately 8 years of a general practice, I determined that I would focus on family law, given there was a significant need and I felt my skills could best be utilised there.
Since doing so, I have run a significant number of family law trials and appeared many times in front of our Court of Appeal. I have discovered that, if anything, over the last nearly 30 years of practice, the need for competent, caring family law practitioners has only grown. I am very proud that our partnership created a firm to fill that need.
I can empathise with children whose parents are going through a separation, as well as the parties themselves.
I have been involved in a number of trials in which I felt very strongly about my client’s position, the wrongs he/she had suffered, and the need to see justice done. It is those matters that I feel most proud of with respect to my professional achievements.
However, as a whole, my proudest achievement has to be the formation of Bruyer & Mackay. We have been able to attract a high calibre of lawyers wanting to practice at our firm. We can offer the public every available service for their family law matters. Despite exponential growth over the last year, we have maintained a close and cohesive group of lawyers and staff. Significant mentoring of associates ensures that quality client services will be provided for a long time to come.
Given the changes over the last 18 months, which included:
the partners are hoping for a period of relative calm over the next few months. However, we will be continuing to present at the Legal Education Society of Alberta (LESA), teach family law at the University of Alberta, act for children, ensure that each lawyer of our firm carries at least 3 pro bono files, provide free legal information and advice through the Edmonton Community Legal Center, sit on the board of the Association of Family and Reconciliation Courts to improve the lives of children and families through resolution of family conflict, participate on various community fundraising efforts including Habitat for Humanity and the Kids Kottage, and ensure that quality family law services continue to be provided throughout Alberta.
Laura H Bruyer, Barrister & Solicitor
Tiffany S Stokes, Barrister & Solicitor
Address: Suite 201, 11611 107 Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta T5H 0P9
Telephone: +1 780 425 9777
Email: l.bruyer@bruyermackay.ca, t.stokes@bruyermackay.c
Bruyer & Mackay LLP is one of the largest family law firms in Alberta. We pride ourselves on being the leader in family law and offering superior client service and representation. We offer a breadth of family law services including litigation, arbitration, collaborative family law, as well as supporting services.
In addition to the services we provide our clients, we consider ourselves “ambassadors” of family law. We want the public, the judiciary, members of the profession, and those considering law as a career to know that family law is an extraordinary, challenging, and critical area of law. Family law touches upon almost every other area of law – corporate/commercial, real estate, immigration, criminal, human rights and bankruptcy (to name a few) are all areas that impact our cases. You need to be a highly skilled and competent lawyer to do an effective job for your clients and to uphold the administration of justice. You also have to be able to work well with different personalities and support clients who are often in crisis. Our lawyers publish papers, contribute to continuing education efforts, teach as sessional instructors at the University of Alberta Faculty of Law, sit on boards, and provide countless hours of pro bono work. We work to elevate the status of family law.
We are striving to make Bruyer & Mackay a “one stop shop” so that clients, who are going through perhaps one of the most difficult times in their lives, can benefit from a lawyer knowledgeable in separation and divorce and a firm that can also handle their real estate transactions, as well as will and estate planning. In time, we hope to team up with counselling services to ensure clients are fully supported from the outset of their separation.
The German car manufacturer previously asked the US Supreme Court to review an appeals court ruling that permitted two counties to seek diesel-related financial penalties that could end up costing the company billions of dollars. However, this request is still pending.
Back in June of this year, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled 6-1 that the federal Clean Air Act did not preempt state law-based claims that Dave Yost, Ohio Attorney General, is pursuing. The Supreme Court also ruled that it did not prohibit state oversight following the sale of a vehicle or engine, as Volkswagen claims. Ohio claims that the car manufacturer engaged in “deceptive recalls” after vehicles were sold.
In January, Volkswagen and supplier Robert Bosch LLC asked the US high court to reverse a unanimous 9th Circuit Appeals Court ruling that permitted Utah’s Salt Lake County and Florida’s Hillsborough County to seek damages over updates made to polluting diesel vehicles post-sale. In April, the Justice Department was invited to offer its views on the issue.
In 2015, Volkswagen admitted to secretly using illegal software to evade emissions rules. In 2017, it pleaded guilty to conspiracy and obstruction of justice. The car manufacturer settled actions prompted by the emissions scandal for over $20 billion, however, the appeals court found that this did not protect it from state and local government liability.
Theranos, founded by Holmes in 2003, claimed it would revolutionise the medical testing space with the introduction of a new blood diagnostic technology that was capable of performing several tests on a small dose of blood. The medical start-up had reached a valuation of $10 billion. However, it was later found that the company’s claims were largely fabricated, with reports from the Wall Street Journal revealing that Theranos had been overstating the functions of its technology.
Holmes and her former partner and co-president Ramesh “Sunny” Balwani were accused by the US Department of Justice of defrauding both consumers who bought and used the blood tests and investors who believed the start-up would become profitable in the long term.
It is expected that Holmes will lean on a “Svengali defence”, arguing that her role in the Theranos scandal was heavily influenced by an allegedly abusive relationship with Balwani. However, lawyers for Balwani have labelled these allegations as outrageous. Holmes’ former partner will appear in court at a separate trial in February 2022.
The case is likely to take many weeks to resolve, with the court setting aside time into December for proceedings. Holmes has pleaded not guilty to all counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. If convicted, Holmes will face up to 20 years in prison.
Your employees are your biggest asset if you own or run an organisation. They will largely determine whether you are a success or a failure.Therefore, you not only have to find ways to incentivise them to perform better, but you also have to recognise and thank employees that are doing a fantastic job. A big misconception is that employees only want financial rewards. There are many ways to reward employees for outstanding performance, including:
If your employees are doing a great job, your organisation should also be performing well. Great performance warrants celebration and it is during these celebrations, and you should thank the best performing employees. One way to recognise the best employees is to offer them prizes for doing well during these celebrations. Everyone in the company will probably attend these celebrations, which makes it an excellent opportunity to recognise employees that are doing well. Almost everyone loves receiving prizes as they are a tremendous extrinsic motivator. It does not have to be a fancy prize, and a gift card or a plaque will do just fine. Functional prizes like phones or cars are even better. The employees will get the adoration of all those in attendance, which is outstanding.
You don’t want to recognise and thank employees that do a good job randomly. You want it to be part and parcel of your company’s organisation. One of the best ways to do so is to set up company appreciation programmes. There are many types of appreciation programmes, including customer appreciation programs, peer appreciation programmes, and others. These recognition programmes are an excellent way for employees to receive due appreciation in a very public way. Peer recognition programmes are often fantastic because they promote teamwork. Colleagues will give the best performing among them rewards which is a wonderful way to reward employees as it comes from those in the trenches with them every day.
Sometimes the best things in life are often the simplest. If you own or run a company, you probably do not get a lot of time to interact with your employees.Therefore, if you have an employee who is performing exceedingly well, you should recognise and thank them with a lavish lunch or dinner. Take them somewhere they would regularly not go and splurge on them. Doing so will give your employee an excellent opportunity for some one-on-one time with an executive. You will also get a personal insight into the employee, which you can only get by interacting face-to-face with them.
There are usually projects that people don’t want in an organisation and others that employees clamour over each other for. You can use the latter as a way to recognise and thank the best-performing employees.Give them the best projects you have, particularly if you find it difficult to decide who to give the projects to. It will be an outright act of appreciation that other employees will notice, which will motivate them to perform better next time.
One of the main goals of working in a large organisation is to climb up the ladder. Unfortunately, the higher you go up the ladder, the fewer the positions. Therefore, if you want to recognise an employee that has been performing well, one of the best ways to acknowledge them is to offer them an opportunity for career advancement. A well-deserved promotion not only benefits the employee but also benefits the company. There are dozens of ways to recognise and thank an employee who has been going above and beyond for your company. The methods above are some of the most potent ones. Feel free to come up with ways that suit you, the employee, and the organisation.
Each day, human lives are lost in car accidents. While the vehicles we drive get safer and easier to manoeuvre with each new version, the human factor remains the weak link of the chain. Distracted drivers (usually by smartphones), driving under the influence, or speeding are only a few factors that lead to car accidents. Sadly, the situation is not about to change any time soon, which is why even extremely careful drivers may get involved in an accident (usually as the victims). This is why it’s important to have access to the right information, to make sure you get proper compensation for your troubles. Still, not every car accident attorney or law firm will be the best fit for your needs. Even more, some may not be a fit for anyone, so here are a few red flags to watch out for:
If the firm or individual you consider hiring as your car accident attorney gets fidgety or evasive when you inquire about their experience with cases like yours, it’s best to reconsider. You want a legal representative that’s upfront about their previous experience in the event of an auto accident, like The Patel Firm, which is a car accident attorney in Corpus Christi. That’s why, even before you set up a meeting, go to their website and check the information they provide. Do they list several methods of contact? Do they post updates in the field and talk about their experiences with customers (making sure to protect confidential data)?
Once you establish the first contact and decide to start a collaboration, are they still available to take your calls and answer your emails? Also, if they do reply, pay attention to who is replying to you - is it the lawyer you hired, or are you talking with their assistant? Some lawyers are extremely busy with cases they consider more important and leave smaller cases (for which they also charge a solid fee) in the care of employees with less experience. If this is the case, it’s best to take your business elsewhere.
A car accident (even a light one, without much damage) is a traumatic experience. Therefore, it’s important to get a lawyer who understands your trauma and can empathise. This aspect is important to establish trust between you (the client) and the law firm (the service provider), but it also helps when trying to settle the compensation. A lawyer who understands your distress will be able to better represent your interests in a legal battle.
Good lawyers and law firms are always well-organised and hyper-focused on even the smallest details. So, if you visit your lawyer’s office and you see mountains of files spread everywhere, that’s a huge red flag. A disorganised attorney can’t be trusted with sensitive documents. You can’t be sure they won’t misplace important evidence or that they won’t overlook important details that could have led to a better settlement.
If a lawyer promises to win your case even before you finish the first meeting, take it as a red flag. Their only interest is to get you to sign the contract, after which they’ll probably pressure you into a settlement you may not be comfortable with. This type of scenario happens with law firms and attorneys who take as many cases come their way, without caring about the customer. They only care about getting paid and finding the fastest way to get there.
The relationship with your attorney should be based on trust, but it takes a bit of time to get to know each other. Therefore, as long as you fully understand the role of a car accident attorney, you can rely on their previous experience (based on hard evidence and reviews) and your gut feeling after the first meeting. Pay attention to any red flags, and you should be fine.
In a court filing on August 26, Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro, an interim lead class counsel for the software developers who are the plaintiffs, announced that a $30 million fee award squared with the attorney compensation in similar class action settlements. Freed Kanner London & Millen, Saveri & Saveri, and Sperling & Slater are the firms on the plaintiffs’ executive committee.
In 2019, small app developers sued Apple alleging anti-competitive practices. This included the 30% commission the tech giant takes on the sale of apps and restrictions on direct communication between developers and their customers.
As part of the deal, the tech giant will create a $100 million small developer fund from which class members will be able to seek compensation. The remaining funds will be donated to Girls Who Code, a non-profit organisation that promotes gender equality in computer science.
Apple will also extend for three years a 15% commission adopted last year to support small developers who make $1 million or less per year. The tech giant has said it will now allow developers to communicate directly with their customers regarding alternative payment options.
The recent coronavirus surge – fueled in large part by the Delta variant – has given pause to many companies who had loudly stated that they would be bringing their workforces back into the office. Now, they are pushing back those deadlines to return by a couple of months or suspending their plans altogether.
This is to say nothing of the fact that quite a few professionals have decided that they actually prefer working remotely, thank you very much, and are not exactly clamouring to resume their daily commute or otherwise give up the flexibility of working from home. They have not been shy about making their preferences known to employers and intimating that they expect to be able to work remotely at the very least on a part-time basis moving forward.
The net result? Remote collaborative work, as part of a hybrid workforce model, is definitely here to stay. Some analysts predict that managing remote workers and the technologies that enable remote work arrangements will be key business drivers not just for another quarter or two, but all the way through to 2024. However, to optimise productivity across a remote and hybrid environment and to enhance firm-wide business efficiency, legal organisations now need to ensure that their workforce embraces new technologies in a way that tangibly delivers commercial benefit.
Given that technology adoption among employees isn’t a given – in fact, resistance to new tools and technologies in favour of “the familiar” is a fairly common phenomenon in law firms and corporate legal departments – how can these organisations change attitudes, behaviours, and work habits of legal professionals so that they ditch legacy solutions and adopt new technologies and ways of working?
The change management effort needs to be multifaceted. Standard change management tactics like e-Learning, live training, and ongoing communications are critical. Executives have a role to play as well, but their involvement needs to go beyond passive executive sponsorship – read as: funding a project, and then sending out an email or two telling people that they should embrace this new technology – towards management imperative. But how best to get them to make this fundamental shift and see the new technology as an imperative?
The key is to connect the dots between the technology and how it can improve the business in measurable ways. Put another way, management needs to see that technology can assist with performance areas that they themselves are measured on – whether that’s lowering costs, saving time, improving performance, decreasing risk, or some other business metric. Suddenly, with performance as the focus, management has a vested interest in the technology, which in turn will drive adoption.
For example, suppose the rainmakers within a law firm are using Excel spreadsheets to keep track of which companies they’re actively targeting as potential clients. A cloud-based CRM system offers several powerful advantages, not the least of which is that it keeps everyone on the same page about who’s reaching out to whom, especially when people aren’t able to pop their head into someone’s office to ask, “Are you meeting with the exec at Company X this week?”.
However, it’s entirely possible that those rainmakers like their existing spreadsheet system just fine and don’t feel particularly compelled to adopt a new CRM system. Their motto might be “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” It’s up to management to make the case that the new technology allows business development cycles to be completed more efficiently and in less time, thus improving revenue generation for the entire firm.
Alternatively, consider a document and email management system (DMS) that serves as a single centralised repository for all the organisation’s work products. This type of technology was important before the pandemic-related shift towards remote working began, but it’s even more essential when you have knowledge workers and teams highly distributed and no longer coming into one main office. The ability to quickly find just the right document or email rather than having to scour multiple repositories is certainly convenient and reduces a great amount of frustration for lawyers, but how does it benefit the business? It saves time. Every minute that lawyers aren’t spending fruitlessly searching for the document they need is time that can be spent doing higher-value activities. Over a year, the time saving can add up to millions of dollars in productivity gains.This is the benefit that should grab managers’ attention and encourage them to drive adoption among users, ensuring that all critical files are stored in the DMS rather than on their local hard drive or some other improvised solution.
Likewise, encouraging employees to utilise a product that allows them to easily and securely share an important file – a slide deck, an important video clip, an audio recording of a conversation, a document – with clients and third parties becomes easier for managers to do when they connect it to the business impact. What if the ability to implement that functionality directly within legal professionals’ workflow – rather than requiring users to jump out and switch to a third-party application – could save thousands of dollars every year versus the current workflow? Immediately, the users are less inclined to use their traditional workarounds.
In other words, successful adoption of new technology isn’t about managers touting the various “bells and whistles” of the various products, impressive as they might be. It’s about them understanding the real world, measurable benefits it can deliver and the ways it can positively impact the organisation. With this understanding, management can play a key role in driving remote workforce technology adoption.
In a world where remote work promises to be a fixture for some time, firms can’t afford resistance to the adoption of the very technologies that promise to optimise the functioning of the hybrid workplace. The more that legal organisations can ensure that management sees the clear business impact of adopting new technologies, the more successful they will be in driving adoption among their professionals and reaping the associated performance benefits.
About the author: Brian Jones is Senior Director of Customer Adoption at iManage, the company dedicated to Making Knowledge Work, where he leads a team of professionals focused on the art and science of driving customer success.
Ridesharing is a transportation service that allows passengers to use an app to book a driver immediately through their smartphones. Many transportation companies use this method, but the most prominent are Uber and Lyft. Both drivers and passengers admit that, while it’s convenient, accidents can still happen. Drivers can sustain injuries as well and will need the assistance of car accident lawyers in several ways.
Passengers aren’t the only ones who’ll need help during an accident. The driver of the ridesharing service can also be hurt. They could be a responsible driver and were only involved in a car crash through the fault of another driver. They also need compensation to pay for medical bills and loss of property. Suppose you’re an Uber or Lyft driver using your vehicle. In that case, you can enlist the help of car accident lawyers to push for injury and property damage compensation. The right lawyer will help you get what you need from your company and the at-fault party.
An injured passenger can demand compensation, and when that happens, you, as the ridesharing driver, will need an accident lawyer. It’s especially true if you don’t have the means to provide compensation for medical bills. The passenger may also likely go after the Uber of Lyft company. They have insurance policies as a means of protection for both the drivers and the passengers. Various states are requiring these companies to maintain these insurance policies. In California, they take effect immediately as soon as the transaction between the passenger and the company occurs. Note that the involvement of your personal auto insurance may depend on your insurance company.
If you get into an accident, the transaction between you and the passenger makes you a commercial driver. Depending on your insurance provider, you might or might not be able to use your insurance to pay for claims partially.
Accidents can cause injuries, and the worse ones can lead to disablement. Not only does a driver lose a job, but a sense of normalcy as well. A car accident lawyer can make a deal with insurance companies on your behalf. They use knowledge and expertise to the best of their abilities to push for a settlement, even when the case reaches court.
Accident attorneys, sometimes with a team of paralegals, may collect proof to establish liability after the accident. Experienced lawyers have years of navigating complicated car accident cases. They also know what coverages will come into play in a particular case.
Car accident lawyers will negotiate for the following:
Check the condition of those involved. Your priority is to find out if injuries are sustained during the accident. If you feel well enough, call the emergency hotline as soon as possible. Don’t prolong calling for help as injuries may worsen. EMTs that’ll arrive on the scene will help determine the severity of injuries, as well as help provide documentation, along with other health professionals.
After seeking medical assistance for your passenger and yourself, do your best to recall important details during the accident. Gather enough evidence if your healthcare professional decides that you’re well enough. Taking photos will also provide additional proof. You can do this if you feel well enough or seek the help of your attorney.
Include the following information in your report:
Do some research on the best accident lawyer in your area who can help you navigate your case if you haven’t yet. Bring your detailed report and answer questions truthfully. Your attorney will advise you if your case is eligible.
If the lawyer informs you that your case is eligible, they’ll also tell you that you can file for a rideshare claim, which is entirely up to you. They’ll explain the details to you as clearly as they can, including the benefits of seeking rideshare compensation. It’s because your auto insurance company may not cover specific damages. They’ll also be able to help you secure payment even if there are no passengers in your car at that time.
Ridesharing accidents can occur anytime and with anyone, but some situations can complicate a case, especially when determining who is really at fault. When you’re a driver who gets involved in an accident, it’s always best to approach a car accident lawyer who can give you the best counsel, so you’ll know where you stand in the case.
