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Paid in full checks in New Jersey may settle more than you intend. Learn how disputed invoices, settlement language, and payment procedures affect your rights. Contact the Law Offices of Peter J. Lamont before accepting a conditional payment.

Dissolving your LLC does not erase the personal guarantee you signed on the lease, the SBA loan, or the equipment financing. This guide explains how a Chapter 7 bankruptcy in New Jersey discharges guaranteed business debt, why the entity itself never receives a discharge, how the means test and the federal exemption election work for New Jersey filers, what Section 523 never wipes out, and the insider preference and fraudulent transfer traps that can cost an owner the dischar

A New Jersey court decides who owes what; it does not move the money. Collecting a judgment in New Jersey is a separate project with its own filings, rules, and costs. This guide covers docketing a Special Civil Part or Law Division judgment statewide, information subpoenas, enforcing litigant's rights when the debtor ignores you, writs of execution, wage garnishment limits, bank levies, property liens, the twenty year clock, and whether collection is worth the spend.

Most buyers assume an asset purchase leaves the seller's problems behind. New Jersey law says otherwise. This guide covers the four successor liability exceptions, the product line rule, the bulk sale notification to the Division of Taxation, worker classification exposure, assignment and change of control traps, and the escrow and indemnification structure that actually protects someone buying a business in New Jersey.

Sponsorship offers arrive as friendly emails with a PDF attached, but a brand deal contract is drafted to favor the brand. This clause-by-clause teardown shows creators what to look for in deliverables, exclusivity, usage rights, whitelisting, morals clauses, payment terms, termination, indemnification, and FTC disclosure obligations.

Most owners assume comprehensive privacy law is a Big Tech concern. It is not. The New Jersey Data Privacy Act applies at 100,000 consumers, or just 25,000 if you derive any revenue from selling personal data, and there is no small business exemption. The 30-day cure period closed on July 1, 2026, and June 2026 amendments added data broker registration plus a sensitive data sale ban that applies to every business regardless of size.

A New Jersey construction lien can halt a closing or a refinancing overnight, and the Construction Lien Law gives contractors and owners very little room on timing. This guide covers the 90 day commercial filing window, the stricter residential Notice of Unpaid Balance and arbitration track, the lien fund that caps recovery, the one year deadline to sue, penalties for overstated liens, and how an owner discharges or bonds off a lien.

New Jersey has no non-compete statute, so whether non-compete agreements in New Jersey hold up is decided under the Solari and Whitmyer framework. This post breaks down the three-part enforceability test, what actually counts as a protectable business interest, why the FTC's federal ban is now formally dead, and what the pending bill in Trenton would change. Practical guidance from the Law Offices of Peter J. Lamont for employers issuing covenants and employees deciding wheth

Misclassifying workers as independent contractors is one of the costliest mistakes a New Jersey small business can make. Learn how the ABC test works, the real penalties for getting it wrong, and practical steps to protect your business from a wage and hour audit.

The proposed order asks for everything, but the proceeding cannot deliver most of it. A look at the procedural limits on an order to show cause in New Jersey: why Rule 4:52 cannot produce a permanent injunction, when summary disposition is actually available, the clear and convincing burden on every Crowe factor, the specificity Rule 4:52-4 demands, and why an attached fee request is usually premature.

Some harms cannot wait for a trial. This post explains how a preliminary injunction in New Jersey actually works: the difference between temporary restraints under R. 4:52-1 and an interlocutory injunction, the four Crowe v. De Gioia factors a judge applies, why irreparable harm defeats most applications, what you file and how fast it moves, and how to defend against an order to show cause. Practical guidance from the Law Offices of Peter J. Lamont.

A default judgment in New Jersey can be entered against you in a case you never knew about, and most people find out when a bank account is frozen. This post walks through the two-step process under R. 4:43, why the window before judgment enters is worth so much, the six grounds for relief under R. 4:50-1 and their deadlines, the excusable neglect and meritorious defense standard, and what to do the week you find out. From the Law Offices of Peter J. Lamont.

A meritorious case can be lost before anyone reaches the facts. The affidavit of merit in New Jersey requires a sworn expert statement within 60 days of each defendant's answer, and the statute reaches architects, engineers, accountants, attorneys, land surveyors and more, not just doctors. This post covers the deadline, why missing it means dismissal with prejudice, why the Ferreira conference will not save you, and the exceptions that genuinely exist. From the Law Offices o

Losing a client to fair competition is business. Losing a client because someone spread lies, misused confidential information, or induced a breach is tortious interference, and New Jersey law lets you sue for it. Learn the two interference claims, what you must prove, where courts draw the line between competition and sabotage, and the remedies available. From the Law Offices of Peter J. Lamont.

A federal lawsuit claims the creator of the Terrifier franchise signed away the rights to Art the Clown for $5,000 in 2013. New Jersey intellectual property attorney Peter J. Lamont, Esq. explains what the case teaches business owners and creators about assignment agreements, derivative works, and profit-sharing deals, and how to protect your rights before you sign.

Paying for work is not the same as owning it. Learn how intellectual property ownership actually works in New Jersey, why your employee and contractor agreements may be leaving your business exposed, and the steps to secure your copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets. From the Law Offices of Peter J. Lamont.

The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Thaler v. Perlmutter, leaving the human authorship rule in place. If your business uses AI to create logos, marketing copy, or designs, you may not own the result. Learn what AI-generated content means for copyright protection in New Jersey and how to protect your work. From the Law Offices of Peter J. Lamont, serving Bergen County and all of New Jersey.

Five contract mistakes that expose New Jersey home improvement contractors to Consumer Fraud Act claims, treble damages, and unpaid invoices, and the fixes for each. Contract guidance from the Law Offices of Peter J. Lamont in Bergen County, NJ.

AI can draft a business contract in seconds, but polished text is not protection. A New Jersey contract attorney explains what AI gets wrong, what it leaves out, and why a proper contract review costs far less than a lawsuit. Contact the Law Offices of Peter J. Lamont to protect your business.

A personal guarantee in New Jersey can put your home, savings, and personal assets on the line for your company's debts. Learn how personal guarantees work in commercial leases, business and credit contracts, and asset purchase deals, what the 2025 Extech decision means for corporate signers, and how to limit your exposure before you sign. From the Law Offices of Peter J. Lamont, serving Bergen County and all of New Jersey.