To the residents of the tristate area where West Virginia (WV), Kentucky (KY), and Ohio (OH) meet, the community is not strictly defined by the borders of the three states. Many of us work in one state but reside in another and travel across state lines for various business and personal reasons regularly. However, when it comes to legal matters like probate and estate administration, the rules and procedures that must be followed are determined by our state boundaries. 

Entrepreneurs who are looking to buy or sell a business should educate themselves on the options for merging a current business with another company. We often hear the term mergers and acquisitions, or M&A, which encompasses a wide range of transactions to join businesses or allow one company to absorb another. The distinctions at all levels of M&A are important to know, particularly for anyone with business ambitions or interests. Within the more specific category of mergers, understanding the different types of mergers is critical to determining the details of a transaction.

Death is a natural but difficult part of life. When a loved one dies, family and close friends must deal with the emotional aspects of the loss, but there are also practical matters that have to be handled. Residents of the Bluegrass State who are involved in settling the affairs of someone who has passed away should understand the basics of estate administration and probate in Kentucky.

In a year of firsts, August 2020 has brought another one to West Virginia (WV) employers: WV COVID-19 isolation notices. Across the state, employers seek to comply with a variety of new laws providing protections regarding pandemic-related worker leave and pay while maintaining business operations. To add to the pile, some employers have begun receiving notices from their local health departments, informing of an employee who must quarantine or isolate due to exposure to or diagnosis of the novel coronavirus. West Virginia employers need to understand what an isolation notice means for them and how to proceed through this uncharted terrain.

The restaurant industry has been hit hard by stay-at-home orders, social distancing, and other safety precautions necessitated by the novel coronavirus pandemic. The impact on daily operations and the economy generally have, in turn, affected larger deals such as mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the industry. With the complete lifting of COVID-19 restrictions and their effect on the economy nowhere in sight, parties to restaurant M&A transactions are adjusting to the COVID-19 world by negotiating and incorporating into M&A agreements new ways to deal with the uncertainties created by the pandemic. Understanding how the pandemic has changed the approach of both buyers and sellers is essential for protecting each party’s interests.