Articles

TASA ID: 2156

For someone who has served as an expert witness in approximately three dozen defamation cases, there is little question that negative communications disseminated in writing (libel) or verbally (slander) or both can be devastating to the image, reputation and/or good will of an individual, business, institution, public sector entity, or any other type of recipient targeted.  Defamation is normally defined as a false statement, published to a third party, that is damaging and is meant to harm and results from negligence, reckless disregard for the truth or malice. 

TASA ID: 1056

Leading always has challenges! However, we have never had to lead through a crisis like Covid-19. The past three months have brought challenges like no other. During a time of crisis, leaders are required to lead and manage effectively. Managing the urgent needs of the present and taking decisive actions. Strong leaders guide people to the best possible eventual outcomes, which demand seeing beyond the present in order to anticipate obstacles ahead.

TASA ID: 10544

"Barbara Coloroso (2003), on page 13 in her book, The Bully, The Bullied and the Bystander, defines bullying as:

 "a conscious, willful, and deliberate hostile activity intended to harm, induce fear through the threat of further aggression, and create terror."  

Coloroso contends that four elements characterize all bullies, no matter what sex, age or job title: 

(1) an imbalance of power, in which the bully is bigger, stronger or more favorably situated than the victim; 

(2) the bully has an intent to harm, knowing he or she will inflict emotional or physical pain, and revels in the fact;  

(3) a threat of further aggression exists, in which the bully and victim both know that this act of aggression will not be the last; and 

(4) terror persists-the extreme, continuing agitation of the victim. 

The essence of bullying, according to Coloroso, is not anger but contempt. The bully sees the bullied as not worth respect or empathy.  The bully is consummately arrogant."   

TASA ID: 321

Small businesses are as vulnerable to wrongful termination lawsuits as much as large businesses. While I am not an attorney, as a small business owner who does a great deal of consulting work with HR departments, I think it’s imperative to know the risks and issues surrounding employee terminations. Wrongful terminations, also known as wrongful discharges or wrongful dismissals are legal terms that describe a situation where an employee was fired and the reason for the firing appears to be against the law. There are many causes for this but no matter the cause; it can be costly for a small business to be sued. Studies have shown that a company's legal costs in a wrongful termination lawsuit can run up to $85,000, and that winning plaintiffs receive judgments averaging $500,000.

TASA ID: 408

When I was recommended by my own attorney to one of his colleagues, I found myself in an awkward situation. It was awkward because I didn’t want to return any obligations which may have jeopardized my relationship with my counsel and which may require that I ‘find’ I disagreed with my suggested role as a consultant. Regardless, I was introduced to the attorney who represented the husband in a pending divorce case.  Study of the situation revealed that there was an abundance of money involved, and the ‘departing’ wife wanted a large share of it all.  The husband wanted to mitigate his obligations.