Venn Law Group

09/08/2026

FAQ: Should key customers know about a succession plan before the transition?

In many cases, yes, but when and how you tell them matters.

For businesses built around long-term customer relationships, a leadership transition can create uncertainty. Key customers may wonder whether their primary contacts will change, whether service will remain consistent, or whether the company's priorities will shift under new leadership. If they learn about the transition unexpectedly, those questions can quickly become concerns.

A succession plan should consider customer communication as part of the transition itself. Depending on the business and the relationship, that might mean introducing a successor well before the current owner steps away, gradually including that person in important meetings, and giving customers an opportunity to build trust with the next generation of leadership.

Timing is important, however. Sharing information too early can create unnecessary uncertainty, particularly if the succession plan is still evolving. Waiting until the last minute can create a different problem by making an important customer feel blindsided.

The goal is continuity. A strong succession plan doesn't address ownership and leadership alone. It also considers how the business will preserve the relationships that contribute to its value.

If you're developing a succession plan, Venn Law Group can help you think through the legal, ownership, operational, and transition issues that should be addressed before leadership changes hands. Contact our team to discuss the future of your business. https://vennlaw.group/4bYzX75

09/07/2026

Labor Day is often described as the unofficial end of summer, but its history deserves more than a passing mention between cookouts and long-weekend plans.

The holiday was created to recognize the contributions of American workers and the role they have played in building our economy, our communities, and the businesses that serve them.

For business owners, it is also a good reminder that no organization is built by one person alone. Behind every growing company are people contributing their time, judgment, skills, ideas, and effort. Some have been there for years. Others may be just beginning their careers. All of them play a part in moving a business forward.

This Labor Day, we recognize the people who show up, solve problems, learn new skills, serve customers, support their coworkers, and do the countless things that keep businesses and communities working.

We hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable Labor Day.

09/04/2026

Confidence is one of the most meaningful things a client can place in a law firm.

We appreciate C. Ellis of Collett taking the time to share these words about the Venn Law Group team. Knowing that our clients and professional colleagues trust us to respond promptly, assess what they need, and determine how we can help is exactly the kind of feedback we value.

Legal issues often arrive with decisions that need to be made, questions that need answers, and very little interest in waiting around wondering what happens next. Whether someone reaches out on behalf of their own business or refers a client to us, we understand that responsiveness matters.

Thank you, C. Ellis, for your trust in Venn Law Group and for recommending our attorneys to others. https://ow.ly/zPJA50ZItni

If your business needs experienced legal counsel you can turn to when questions or challenges arise, contact Venn Law Group to start a conversation.

09/03/2026

AI may be changing more than how businesses operate. It could also change who has influence over the decisions corporations make.

As AI becomes more deeply embedded in corporate governance, both shareholders and corporate leadership are gaining access to increasingly sophisticated tools. Investors can use AI for sentiment analysis, predictive modeling, voting simulations, and organizing shareholder initiatives. In theory, that could give smaller investors new ways to participate in corporate decision-making.

So far, however, the technology may not be leveling the playing field.

Research discussed in a recent Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance article suggests that many of AI's advantages remain concentrated among institutional investors and well-funded organizations. At the same time, corporations themselves are using AI to anticipate shareholder activism, identify potential vulnerabilities, assess sentiment, and strengthen the position of existing leadership.

That creates an interesting governance question for business leaders. The same technology that can make information and sophisticated analysis more accessible can also give organizations with greater resources even more powerful ways to protect their interests.

It also raises a larger issue about how AI is directed. AI can optimize for an objective with extraordinary speed and scale, but business leaders still determine what that objective should be. Profitability, shareholder returns, long-term growth, employee interests, sustainability, customer value, and other priorities can pull an organization in different directions.

As AI assumes a larger role in business strategy and corporate governance, human judgment about the goals being pursued may become more important, not less.

09/02/2026

How much is legal friction costing your business?

Recent research from Streamline AI suggests that delays involving legal review aren't staying contained within the legal department. They're affecting sales, contracts, hiring, procurement, product launches, and other business priorities.

The numbers are worth business owners' attention. According to the report, 55% of business professionals said a legal delay caused a deal to slip or be lost during the previous 12 months. Another 63% reported waiting four or more business days for a standard contract review, while 80% said they have little to moderate visibility into the status of their legal requests.

Perhaps most concerning, 66% said they occasionally bypass formal legal channels to keep projects moving.

That's where an operational problem can become a risk-management problem. When employees view legal review as something they need to work around, contracts may get signed without appropriate review, important questions may go unaddressed, and the business can take on risks leadership doesn't know about.

Legal oversight is important, but so is having processes that allow people to get answers and make informed decisions without unnecessarily bringing business to a standstill. The goal shouldn't be to remove legal review. It should be to make legal support accessible enough that employees don't feel compelled to avoid it.

Does your company's legal process help your team move forward, or have employees learned how to work around it? https://ow.ly/L7LE50ZItmW

New research from Streamline AI finds that slow legal workflows are affecting revenue, deal timelines and business momentum.

09/01/2026

National Preparedness Month is a good reminder that preparing your business for the unexpected involves more than having an emergency kit and evacuation plan.

For business owners, preparedness also means considering what happens when normal operations are suddenly disrupted. A hurricane, cyber incident, prolonged power outage, unexpected loss of a key leader, or other emergency can quickly expose gaps that were easy to overlook when everything was running smoothly.

September is an opportunity to take a closer look at your business from a legal preparedness standpoint. Review important contracts and force majeure provisions, understand your insurance requirements and coverage, evaluate data protection and business continuity procedures, and make sure succession and ownership plans address what happens if a key person can no longer run the business.

You can't anticipate every disruption, but you can make sure your business isn't starting from scratch when one occurs.

If it has been a while since you've reviewed the legal plans and agreements designed to protect your business, contact Venn Law Group. Our attorneys can help identify potential vulnerabilities and put stronger protections in place before they're needed. https://vennlaw.group/3TftnTv

08/31/2026

FAQ: Can I stop doing business with a customer who repeatedly violates our agreement?

Potentially, but before you cut ties, take a close look at what your contract actually allows.

When a customer repeatedly fails to pay on time, ignores agreed-upon requirements, exceeds the scope of your arrangement, or otherwise fails to meet their obligations, it may feel like an obvious reason to end the relationship. Legally, however, terminating the relationship incorrectly could create a new dispute.

Start with the contract. Does it define what constitutes a breach? Is the customer entitled to notice and an opportunity to cure the problem? Does the agreement contain specific termination procedures? Are there outstanding orders, payments, deliverables, or other obligations that must still be addressed?

Documentation also matters. Keeping records of missed payments, contract violations, communications, warnings, and attempts to resolve the issue can become important if the customer later disputes the termination.

Sometimes ending a problematic business relationship is the right decision. The goal is to make sure you do it in a way that doesn't turn someone else's contract violation into your own.

If you're dealing with a customer who repeatedly fails to honor an agreement, contact Venn Law Group. Our attorneys can review your contract, help you understand your options, and advise you on the best way to move forward. https://vennlaw.group/4fZV23r

08/28/2026

Good legal counsel should do more than identify risks. It should help business owners understand those risks in the context of where they want their company to go.

That philosophy is central to Gary W. Smith’s work at Venn Law Group. By helping clients develop a practical understanding of the legal and economic issues surrounding their businesses, Gary focuses on providing guidance that allows owners to evaluate opportunities, make informed decisions, and use their time and resources wisely.

For Gary, that means understanding today’s business climate as well as the law and finding practical solutions that make sense for the client’s larger goals.

Learn more about Gary, his experience, and his approach to working with business owners by visiting his profile on the Venn Law Group website: https://vennlaw.group/4izy58S

08/27/2026

AI is already answering customer questions, reviewing information, scheduling services, and performing tasks that once required an employee. But as businesses give AI more responsibility, another question deserves just as much attention: How much authority are you giving it to speak for your company?

From our blog archives, we examine what can happen when an AI system makes a promise, approves a refund, offers a discount, discusses contract terms, or otherwise communicates something that a customer or vendor believes is authorized. Courts have not fully resolved many of these questions, but businesses shouldn't assume that a commitment is meaningless simply because a human employee didn't make it.

The risk also grows with autonomy and scale. An AI system with poorly defined boundaries could potentially repeat the same problematic decision hundreds or thousands of times before someone realizes what's happening.

That makes AI governance a business issue, not simply a technology issue. Companies should understand what their AI can access, what decisions it can make, how its activity is monitored, when human approval is required, and what protections exist in agreements with AI vendors.

If your business is expanding its use of AI, now is the time to consider the legal implications of what those systems are allowed to say and do. Contact Venn Law Group to discuss AI governance, contracts, employment considerations, and other potential business risks before an automated decision becomes a very human legal problem. https://vennlaw.group/45N2eu0

Should your business replace employees with AI agents? Learn the legal risks, contract concerns, and operational questions business owners should consider.

08/26/2026

For employers that rely on H-1B talent, the cost of hiring could become significantly higher.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services have unveiled a proposed rule that would require employers filing cap-subject H-1B petitions to pay a $103,265 fee for each petition. The proposal is separate from the previously announced $100,000 fee on certain new H-1B visas, meaning employers could potentially face both fees where applicable.

The proposal is part of a much broader series of changes affecting the H-1B program. Employers are also watching proposed increases to prevailing wage rates, wage-based selection criteria, and potential changes to the 60-day grace period for H-1B workers whose employment ends before their visa expires.

For business owners, these developments have implications that go beyond immigration paperwork. Companies that depend on H-1B workers may need to reconsider recruiting budgets, workforce planning, succession strategies, and the financial feasibility of sponsoring certain positions. Employers should also remember that this latest fee is still a proposal, with a public comment period and potential legal challenges ahead.

The H-1B landscape is changing quickly. Businesses that use the program should pay close attention to what becomes final and understand how those changes could affect both current and future workforce decisions. https://ow.ly/sW4v50ZFo3L

Employers should expect litigation against the new fee once it is finalized, a source told HR Dive, similar to what occurred after last year’s fee was announced by President Donald Trump.