Posted by Joel on April 30, 2013 · Leave a Comment
The Fremstad Law Firm, a full service North Dakota and Minnesota law firm, is pleased to announce the acquisition of the Bottineau Escrow Agency and the opening of its Bottineau office at 416 Sinclair Street in Bottineau, North Dakota. The firm will offer the full array of services at its Bottineau office that it currently offers to its Fargo, Bismarck and Valley City office clients. The Bottineau office will be run by Attorney Erin Conroy, who brings ten years’ experience with her. In addition to Ms. Conroy, Ms. Angela Bender, formerly of the Bottineau Escrow Agency, will work as a consultant on real estate transactions and other matters.
Fremstad Law’s expansion into the Bottineau area represents the firm’s optimism regarding continuing economic growth in the western part of the state. In addition to its full service law firm, the Bottineau office of the Fremstad Law Firm will offer escrow and closing services for all real estate transactions, including HUD, FHA, VA and conventional closings.
Posted by Joel on October 5, 2012 · Leave a Comment
Requests for Proposals (“RFPs”) are a great way to gain business, visibility and compete in an otherwise crowded marketplace. RFPs are invitations for vendors to submit bids, along with a proposal, which usually includes an overview of the business, a description of the product or services to be provided and other information about the supplying company. RFPs can be as simple as a request to have the vendor company answer a few straight-forward questions, or they can be complex and include questions regarding a company’s financials, history and future growth plans.
As procurement departments grow more sophisticated, RFPs are becoming more complex, too. Typically, the higher the risk, the more investment the company answering the RFP needs to make in its response. One danger in the race to submit RFP answers is that procurement departments these days often demand that suppliers commit to Master Service Agreements before they even submit an answer to the RFP, or worse, they require that by participating in the RFP process the supplying company is consenting to the terms of a template contract, which is non-negotiable. Some RFPs require consent to outside bidding terms, which may not be contemplated by the company answering the RFP.
Before any company submits an RFP, it should understand the terms of the RFP. In complex RFPs, businesses should have the answer reviewed by an attorney, especially when the company inviting proposals attaches a Master Service Agreement to the RFP. By submitting an answer to the RFP, depending on the terms of the invitation, a company may unwittingly bind itself to unfavorable terms and conditions, which cannot be negotiated. Companies invest a lot of time and energy into writing RFPs, but fail to look at the fine print of the bidding process to understand their rights and obligations.
Don’t get caught off guard by an RFP response that may negatively affect the bottom line down the road. Erin Conroy is an attorney with years of experience in advising clients in RFP writing, negotiation and strategy. Please contact her if you have questions on an RFP or other contract needs.
Posted by Joel on October 2, 2012 · Leave a Comment
In order to save on the bottom line, many companies often sacrifice on the front end by avoiding attorneys’ fees when it comes to their contracts, both small and large. For small companies, it may not seem worth it to invest the time or money into having an attorney review a contract for small amounts of money, especially if the company does not have a working relationship with a firm.
Contracts are one of the biggest legal and monetary risks to any company. Having an attorney working with companies to manage and review their contracts can save the company time, money and reduce legal risk in the near and long term. For example, recently a medium-sized real estate company failed to renew within the 60 day window on its property lease. The leasing agent recognized the opportunity and the company paid for its contract oversight by having to re-negotiate its lease at substantially increased rent or suffer the loss of losing a premium location. Having an experienced law firm review contracts and maintain a database of obligations saves businesses the risk of losing track and allows businesses to take advantage of new legal technology available through law firms.
Whether it’s vendor contracts, sales contracts, employment agreements or property agreements, always have a qualified attorney review your contract and explain your rights, limitations, obligations and remedies. If you have questions about your contracts and review and management process, please contact Erin Conroy at the Fremstad Law Firm.
Posted by Joel on September 13, 2012 · Leave a Comment
On September 18, 2012, Fremstad Law attorney Lynn Block will team with the North Dakota Hospitality Association and Food Services of America to present a seminar on North Dakota’s tip pooling and tip credit regulations. Lynn emphasizes her practice in working with employers and assists many businesses with preparing employment policies and addressing employment related issues. To talk with Lynn, please call the Fremstad Law Firm at 701-478-7620 or 855-478-7620.
Posted by Joel on September 13, 2012 · Leave a Comment
On September 13, 2012, Fremstad Law Firm attorney Erin Conroy successfully sought and obtained a favorable defense result on a Motion to Dismiss three class A felony charges. If you have been charged with a felony, misdemeanor or juvenile charges, please call attorney Conroy for a consultation. 701-478-7620 or 855-478-7620.
