Author Archives: Jay Butchko
The Woodley Park Study Hub: A Success Story of Landlords and Commercial Tenants Making the Best of a Difficult Situation
The start of the school year has added another layer of anxiety and stress to the nerve-wracking new normal that small business owners in the District of Columbia have gotten used to. Now in addition to watching the bills pile up as landlords continue to charge rent even though they cannot eviction tenants until… Read More »
DC’s Streatery Winter Ready Grant Program Offers to Keep Diners Warm and Restaurants Solvent This Fall
As the number of COVID-19 cases in the United States exceeds 200,000, and as the novel coronavirus pandemic spills over into cold and flu season, it will be a long time before most diners in the DC area feel comfortable lingering over luxurious meals and friendly conversation in restaurants. Even as restrictions have lifted… Read More »
Maryland Comptroller Proposes $500 Million Rainy Day Fund to Help Small Businesses Get Through the Pandemic
As the pandemic stretches into the back-to-school season, and as going back to school just means another few months of attending virtual class meetings and completing assignments online, Maryland retail businesses are struggling. Customers would love to shop, but is it worth the risk of being exposed to COVID-19, and more importantly, where will… Read More »
Certificates of Good Standing for Maryland Businesses: Don’t Let the Scam Fool You
Fraud and misinformation thrive in uncertain times, and the age of the COVID-19 pandemic certainly qualifies. Small business owners are fearing a dismal future and receiving conflicting information about what is next regarding being open for business, rent payments on commercial properties, tax deductions, and business loans. The unwritten rule of survival for small… Read More »
Does a Handshake Count as a Legally Enforceable Contract?
TV shows about legal disputes often leave viewers with the impression that the only difference between an empty promise and a legally enforceable contract is that the latter is written and signed, whereas the former is merely spoken. You would think that all business agreements are no better than tall tales exchanged over one… Read More »
What’s Next for Commercial Landlords in the Washington DC Area?
As most school districts in the Washington DC area brace themselves for an all-online beginning to the coming school year, workers and employers are adjusting to a new normal. Perhaps the pandemic is making us appreciate in person socializing; you may have even perfected some new recipes that will taste even better when you… Read More »
Pre-Pandemic Tax Deduction May Offer Big Savings for Some Small Businesses
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many small business owners have turned to the Internet, as well as to their small business lawyers, to help them find creative solutions to the challenges the ongoing pandemic presents to economic recovery. Better days will eventually come, but what should small businesses do to stay solvent until those days… Read More »
Negotiation, Not Eviction, Is the Best Solution to Disputes Between Commercial Tenants and Their Landlords During the COVID-19 Pandemic
The Washington DC area is doing a lot better than most places in the United States at this stage in the COVID-19 pandemic, but even here, every small business owner’s plans are in disarray. Paying rent on a store or other commercial property that is only open at limited capacity, if at all, is… Read More »
Dupont Circle Restaurant Owner Settles Non-Compete Dispute with Chef
Many employers ask the employees they hire for highly specialized and skilled positions to sign non-compete agreements when they begin their employment. The non-compete agreements, or even non-compete clauses in employment contracts, often restrict the employee from working for a competitor or the employer, or establishing a new business in direct competition with the… Read More »
When Your Business Model Adapts to the Changing Times, but Your Landlord Doesn’t
Customers and business owners are eager to participate in the economy in whatever ways they can. Washingtonians enthusiastically buy food from the curbside versions of their favorite restaurants during their breaks from working at home. Adapting to the economic climate of the COVID-19 pandemic is essential to the survival of small businesses, and entrepreneurs… Read More »
